AfriCaSo, the College's African and Caribbean students' organization, announced plans to sponsor a dinner and fashion show, discussion panels and a reggae concert.
The dinner and fashion show, scheduled for Nov. 6 and open to all Dartmouth students, will feature students modeling their own clothes. The student-made crafts will include traditional African and Caribbean clothing, such as wax prints, AfriCaSo member Akwele Bortei-Doku '95 said.
"Because it's really hot, African people usually wear cotton cloth that is waxed to make it stronger so they can wash it several times," Bortei-Doku said.
Clothes from Ghana, West Africa and Trinidad will be represented, Bortei-Doku said.
"We want to show what kind of clothes people wear and what is considered beauteous in Africa," Bortei-Doku said. "The theme is the beauty of Africa."
Members of AfriCaSo also plan to cook traditional dishes from their countries for the dinner portion of the event.
The club is also planning a discussion on interracial relations to be held in the Massachusetts Row cluster.
Ping-Ann Addo '96 said the Mass Row discussion and the reggae dance will help students understand the importance of music as a means of cultural expression.
"Everyone here says reggae music is so good, but nobody really knows what message is behind the music or why people choose to express themselves that way," she said.
AfriCaSo is also planning to invite a speaker to campus, but the person and subject of the speech has not yet been decided.
The 30-person club, whose members are not all of African and Caribbean origin, aims to educate Dartmouth students about local issues in countries in those regions.
At its weekly meetings, the group discusses the culture and current events in different countries.
"I want to see some discussion and education going on at our meetings because I know nothing about the culture in some of these countries. We need some give and take," Camille Noel '96 said.
AfriCaSo members also speak about their countries at different high schools in the area.
"A lot of people think Africa is one country made up of the same people," AfriCaSo President Lee Addo '96 said. "They don't realize the many different tribes represented. It is up to us to tell them more about Africa and the Caribbean."
Club members are also putting together a publication of news articles, poetry, short stories and artwork dealing with Africa and the Caribbean, called AfriCaSo Newsline. They distribute the publication to Dartmouth students and to African organizations at other schools.
AfriCaSo Newsline is a specialty publication that includes pressing issues that affect African and Caribbean countries.
"I don't think there is an ample amount of news from that part of the world in the daily newspapers we get here," Dadzie said.
