Notre Dame Students love Africa. They love it so much that it was the only logical place to start when considering the many things they like. Every night, all across campus, Notre Dame Students fall asleep with dreams of one day traveling to Uganda, or Kenya, or Burundi, or the DRC. Visions of health clinics, genocide, subsistence farming, and Somalian Pirates dance through the heads of Notre Dame Students each night as they devise their plans to impact change in the far off continent.
Many students here actually do travel to Africa at one point or another for various reasons. Some go to do service work or tourism, but there are a lucky few that are able to go to Africa to do research. Researching people of another culture is probably the best way to tell those people that we are better than them. It is very easy: the plane lands in Uganda and one bright, chirpy Notre Dame junior exits wearing her UGG boots or his Polo Brand shirt and proceeds to feverishly take notes with his or her MacBook about the farming practices of the natives.
So many students travel to Africa that it is a wonder South Bend Airport does not run a direct flight to Kampala. This would probably be the more profitable than simply investing in the continent. Imagine an airport that runs four flights: daily flights to Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland; and a weekly flight to Uganda. Not only would the students use this often, but Fr. Jenkins would be able to easily satisfy his cravings for all things Uganda.
Regardless of what students do when they arrive in Africa, the ones who go there love to talk about the continent when they return. Rare is it that a Notre Dame Student finds himself in a conversation with one of these privileged few and they don’t mention their trip at least three times. These students love to use their stories to show how cultured they are and how much they care about the world, and they typically cannot wait to go back.
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Can I tell you that when I saw "Africa", I immediately thought of Toto? lol
ReplyDeleteAh, the Backer.
Thanks for a fun blog...
Yeah, the key thing you are forgetting about Africa is the fact that Notre Dame Students incessantly play this song in all situations and at all events. While wearing THE SHIRT at football games, the students get more excited for "Africa" than for the football team.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Pretty sure this is not an actual ND stereotype
ReplyDeleteAbove post obviously doesn't go to notre dame....I know at least 7 people that went to africa last summer or are going this summer...most likely to do a #10 (or attempt to fill a resume)
ReplyDeleteSeriously? They don't shut up about it.
ReplyDeletei played the song at my wedding.
ReplyDeletei feel like bangladesh should be added to this...
ReplyDeleteYou definitely meant Toto.
ReplyDeleteToto.
ReplyDeletehaha so true!
ReplyDeleteAfrica needs to be expanded to the "exoric poor." Africa boasts some distinct advantages in both those measures. It is (in many regions at least) both the poorest and the most exotic place most ND students can imagine.
ReplyDeleteNotre Dame students love the exotic poor because helping them allows them to go on a vacation while simultaneously developing their moral supperiority, resume, and cock tail party routine.
When you help the exotic poor you do so on your own time. None of that oh-so-irritating spontaneous and persistent human suffering that can barge into your life at any moment.
You know how much time you are giving them, and they can't very well ask for more. Its not as if the exotic poor have airplanes, cell phones or the internet. It's not as if you will have to see or hear of them after you leave. They are non-existent to the American media. And the exotic poor are considerate enough to populate tropical regions of the globe. I wonder why ND students do not boldy bring thier unwavering Catholic charity to the Siberian poor?
It's the ultimate no strings attached hummanitarian misson.
I agree Africa is a pretty ND thing to do. Truth is I don't really know what most people who went to africa actually did in terms of work. I think they just went around some orphanages and held sick african babies for some nice photo ops, but really what does one do? That being said, both the continent and the song are pretty sweet.
ReplyDeleteThat airport to Africa would also need to run to Newark and somewhere in Texas...
ReplyDeleteI so thought of toto as well... i think an ammendment should be added to include the song as well :)
ReplyDeleteIt is scary how accurate this. I am a chirpy junior girl about to study abroad in Africa next semester. I will probably be wearing a polo shirt and taking notes on my Macbook about farming practices, no joke.
ReplyDeleteI'm African, this is so weird, and there's lots to do in Africa apart from the photo ops. It is a place where one can make a real difference!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know ND students don't get over stereotypes. Africa has the fastest economies growing in the world and has more culture than any other place in the world. I visited many African countries, and I was impressed by the level of development. I felt stupid and dumb for thinking that Ugandans live in tents and South Africans all have HIV. It is good for ND students to be open minded and learn more about African countries (they are 54 FYI), they will feel offended if we make a general statement about all Americans like if they were the same (and you can insert all the stereotypes people have about Americans)
ReplyDeleteLet's embrace human diversity and become civilized