SDSU Students Visit South Africa on Alternative Spring Break
College and High School Students to Complete Several Community
Service Projects

Contact: Lorena Nava
SDSU Marketing & Communications
Tel: (619) 594-3952 office; (619) 309-5179 cell
lnava@mail.sdsu.edu

SAN DIEGO – (Thursday, March 2, 2006)– While many students head to the beach this spring break, more than 30 San Diego State University and Crawford High School students will lend a helping hand in South Africa as part of the university's annual Alternative Spring Break program.

"There are real-life contributions that students can make with international travel," said Adisa Alkebulan, Africana studies faculty member and one of the trip organizers. "The students not only get a sense of their social responsibility, but they also make a great impact on the lives of the people we work with in South Africa ."

The students' adventure begins Saturday, March 4. During the 10-day trip, students will assist a reading program in a Pretoria high school; donate more than 1,000 pairs of shoes collected on campus by SDSU's Association of Africana Studies Majors and Minors to the Itutheng Trust in Soweto; work with Women's Inc., a group involved in South African women's issues; and assist with a U.S. embassy-sponsored tutoring program.

"From our first trip with students to South Africa , we've realized the tremendous need for our students to provide service, support and encouragement to the youth of South Africa ," said Shirley Weber, chair of SDSU's Africana studies department. "While we're always excited to host SDSU students on the trip, we're especially excited to have Crawford High School students in attendance with us for this once-in-a-lifetime trip."

In order to participate in the program, SDSU students are required to enroll in an Africana studies course, which presents lectures and discussions exploring South African history, culture and the effect of HIV/AIDS. As part of their course, participants also keep a journal during their travel and write a paper about their experience. Additionally, the group will visit museums and have sightseeing opportunities.

"I am so excited about the lessons in culture, history, and people of South Africa are going to teach me," said Jessica Heard, an SDSU integrated marketing and communications junior. "I want to observe and grasp as much of the South African culture as possible and see some amazing sights as well."

Heard will also share her experiences in South Africa via "Aztec Dispatches," a Web log site on www.sdsumonth.com in which she will provide a virtual view of her trip through regular updates to her online journal. She is one of more than a dozen SDSU students, faculty and alumni who are sharing their international experiences on Aztec Dispatches during SDSU Month.

The Alternative Spring Break program, which is also open to members of the community, has visited South Africa since 2003. Previous programs have also visited the Dominican Republic in 2002 and Mexico in 2001. Other departments and programs on campus also provide alternatives to the traditional spring break.

The Africana studies department is a broad, interdisciplinary program. The curriculum covers a variety of subjects pertaining to Africa and the African diaspora. The major establishes a strong academic foundation that can lead directly into a career or into graduate study in a variety of fields and also creates linkages between the university community and the broader community by developing frameworks for social change. In short, the department seeks to provide a well-rounded educational experience. For more information on the alternate spring break program or the Africana studies department, please visit www-rohan.sdsu.edu/dept/afras.

SDSU is the oldest and largest institution of higher education in the San Diego region. Founded in 1897, SDSU offers bachelor’s degrees in 81 areas, master’s degrees in 72 and doctorates in 16. SDSU’s nearly 33,000 students participate in academic curricula distinguished by direct faculty contact and an increasingly international emphasis that prepares them for a global future. For more information, visit www.sdsu.edu.

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