African Student Association to Host Cultural Extravaganza Weekend

by Angela Best

The African Student Association (ASA) of Baylor University will host its seventh annual cultural extravaganza weekend Friday and Saturday, Nov. 11 and 12, on the Baylor campus. The theme for this year's cultural extravaganza weekend is "R.O.O.T.S. - Recognizing Our Origin through Solidarity," and will conclude with ASA's annual jazz banquet.
The weekend kicks off at 7 p.m. Friday in Waco Hall with a competition in African dance and poetry. More than 10 schools will compete in this year's event, including the University of Texas at Austin, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Tech University, the University of Houston, Texas State University, Prairie View A&M University and Texas Women's University.
The competition continues at 10 a.m. Saturday in Waco Hall with an African fashion show and plays. Both events on Friday and Saturday are free and open to the public.
Winners of the competition will be announced at ASA's annual jazz banquet at 7 p.m. Saturday on the fifth floor of the Cashion Building on the Baylor campus. Performing at this year's event is The Dunn House Club jazz band, and well-known spoken word artist Bassey Ikpi will serve as guest speaker.
Ikpi, born in Nigeria, has toured with the Tony Award winning Broadway show "Russell Simmon's Def Poetry Jam"; has opened up for Grammy nominated artists India Arie, Les Nubians and Luther Vandross; has appeared on the NAACP Image Awards as a member of the all woman poetry collective, Diva Diction, as a part of a tribute to Venus and Serena Williams; and has recorded an original poem for the Kaiser Foundation's HIV/AIDS campaign, "Knowing is Beautiful." Currently Ikpi is working on her first collection of poetry and prose titled "From this Safe Space" and performs at colleges and universities across the country.
Tickets for the banquet are $20 and available at the Bill Daniel Student Center through Nov. 10.
"This weekend is going to be the best yet," said ASA jazz banquet chair Koube Ngaaje. "So come out, enjoy and experience a taste of the African culture."
For more information on the weekend's activities contact Taryn Ozuna in the Baylor Multicultural Activities office at 710-6949. More information on Ikpi can be found at www.basseyworld.com.