South African delegation visits campus on U.S. tour

By Susan Luth

Daily Staff Reporter

Agnes Kekana had never been in the United States before, had never been exposed to the noise and calamity of having automobiles on the road and never expected the welcoming embrace of an American community.

Kekana, along with a group of students, teachers and administrators from South Africa, visited the University on Friday as part of their visit to the United States for a weeklong Civic Literacy Conference at Wayne State University in Detroit.

Their stop in Ann Arbor was an opportunity to see how students at the University function on a day-to-day basis and to give them insight as to what life would be like for them if they chose to attend college here.

The students, some dressed in traditional African clothing, toured campus, went to classes and ate in a cafeteria and went shopping.

Friday afternoon, they met in Alice Lloyd's Multicultural Lounge to discuss their impressions and experiences in the United States.

The group discussed the sense of pride that can be seen here.

"The Americans don't apologize for their existence," said Kekana, a high school principal.

"They carry themselves with dignity," he said.

The delegation was brought here through a program called the South African Education Experience program, or SEE.

The program promotes political literacy and social intelligence among those in the community.

The trip is an opportunity for the students to go outside the classroom to gain experiences that might further their understanding and personal implication of the program's goals.

"Sometimes you have to look out to look in and appreciate," said John Matlock, assistant provost and director of the Office of Academic Multicultural Affairs.

In one of his observations of South Africa, Matlock said the United States does not boast as rich of a history as Africa.

"Here, anything over 50 years is old. Then I'm amazed when I hear people from Africa tell of a tree they've been meeting at for 100 years or something that has been passed down in their families for 500 years. I have so much respect for the history of Africa," he said.

Joining them in their discussion was Summer Camps Director Dejuan Woods.

Although he is employed by the University, Woods volunteered his personal time to bring the group to the University.

He was also joined by his parents, David and Lyllette Woods, who are co-chancellors of the SEE program.

University President Lee Bollinger also was scheduled to be present at the event.

But due to a schedule conflict, his chief of staff, Chacona Johnson, attended for him.

ELLIE WHITE/Daily

Summer Camps Director DeJuan Woods, Office of Academic Multicultural Affairs Director John Matlock and Nomawethu Tyota of South Africa listen to a discussion Friday at Alice Lloyd Residence Hall.