The African Student Association is back on campus!

The African Student Association has come back to campus in full swing thanks to efforts from all of its members such as Lina Azeim, the Director of Communications. Lina runs the association’s Instagram account, UMFlintASA as well as a linktr.ee site detailing their events and plans. 

Exciting events have followed the reignition of this student association. Now that ASA is back on campus, they’ve made strides to interact with the community, beginning with an ASA Meet & Greet event. They have also teamed up with Oakland University’s African Student Union for a game night, including games such as Get to Know Your Continent and the card game UNO. 

ASA held their meet and greet event on Feb 10. They held the event in the Michigan Rooms Friday evening, which brought many people together to celebrate African heritage. Members of student government, faculty, and students were treated to a buffet of African food including egusi soup, okra soup, djolof Senegal, fried plantain, fataya, thiakiri and yassa poulet. This event was free to attend for all members of our community, with some guests even bringing their families.

After everyone had a chance to mingle and enjoy their plates, Vice President Daba Coura Mbow began a presentation. This was an opportunity for everyone in attendance to get to know more about not only the ASA but also Africa and its culture. 

This presentation included a video showing off many of the countries that members are from, such as Egypt, Lebanon, Senegal, Sudan, Tchad, Nigeria, and Senegal. These cultures were also further discussed in a slide show that followed. 

Once the presentation concluded, a round of trivia followed. During this, Christopher DeEulis, the Associate Director of Student Involvement and Leadership, gave out $25 gift cards for those who answered questions correctly. The trivia got increasingly harder as those in attendance got more competitive. By the end, members continued asking questions past planned as all in attendance, even members, enjoyed learning more facts about Africa.

To continue the celebrations, guests were encouraged to fill up on more delicious food while listening to Afrobeat music. The event lasted for two hours and concluded with dancing. This event offered a way not just for those in attendance to learn more about the African Student Association but to also enjoy a Friday evening with delicious food and lively conversations.

There are options such as social media and Campus Connections to follow future events the association is holding.