Union College
Winter 2022, Nov 30th-Dec 21st
MLT 341T: Mini-term Program in Senegal
Prof. Ndiaye
Department of Modern Languages and Literatures
ndiayec@union.edu
(To download the full syllabus, click HERE.)
Program Description
The Winter mini-term program in Senegal is a contribution to Union College’s vision and commitment to inspire our students. It brings together students for a 3-week academic and cultural experience in Senegal/West Africa. The course is a study and discussion of the complex history and culture of Senegal from pre-colonial era to the present. It examines the ways contemporary Senegal is shaped by African traditions, Islam since the 11th century, and by the West mainly through the French colonial legacy. We will discuss socio-political issues as well as cultural, linguistic, and religious matters and the ways they are represented and/or retold in various mediums involving literature, films, media, and arts.
During the Dakar (the capital of Senegal) portion of the mini-term, students stay with host families for a full socio-cultural immersion.
The Dakar portion of the Program also includes a variety of seminars at the West African Research Center (WARC) given by local university professors, artists, experts, and activists. Seminar themes will be tailored to the interests of the students. Past seminars (2011, 2013) have included topics such as Wolof lessons, Senegalese cinema, Music in Senegal, Health and Health care in Senegal, Sport in Senegal (with a focus on traditional wrestling).
The Dakar portion of the Program offers internships with students divided into small groups based on common interests; the groups spend time at appropriate locations such as hospitals, clinics, pharmacies, art galleries, schools, women’s organizations, school of dance and drumming, and orphanage, etc.; students shadow and/or actively participate in activities directly related to their majors, minors, or something they are passionate about.
The Program offers guided excursions to Gorée island (slave house, art galleries), the Monastery of Keur Moussa, the Cathedral of Dakar, the Grande Mosquée de Dakar, Stade Iba Mar (to watch the national sport of wrestling), Lac Rose (Pink lake), Touba (Senegal’s Holy City), Tene-toubab (a typical African village), Sobobade (artistic village with dance and art workshops), Keur Diogoye museum in Joal, Tapisserie de Thies (tapestry in the town of Thies), Bandia Game Reserve, boating and hiking in Saloum Delta National Park.
Host institution in Dakar
WARA’s (West African Research Association) overseas office WARC (West African Research Center) in Dakar will once again host the mini-term. WARC is a point of contact for U.S. and West African researchers, encourages the intersection of respective research traditions, and fosters collaborative research efforts. WARC is administered in conjunction with the Dakar-based Association de Recherche Ouest Africaine (AROA). WARC places students in host families, recruits local university professors and experts for lectures, organizes excursions, and makes the necessary contacts for internships and workshops.
Pre-requisite
Demonstrated interest in Africana studies and/or French and Francophone Studies.
Students’ learning objectives
The goal for this faculty-led student program is to help increase Union students’ global awareness and cultural competency through firsthand experience both in urban and rural settings in West Africa. Senegal is the western-most point in Africa, a crossroad between Africa, the Middle East (Islam was introduced in Senegal as early as the 11th century), and Europe (Senegal was the former capital of French West Africa). In many ways, the mini-term is an additional resource for the Africana Studies program (its ID majors and minors and potential full major).
Readings and films
*The Gambia & Senegal by Katharine Kane, Lonely Planet, 4th edition, 2009 (required)
Culture and Customs of Senegal by Eric S. Ross, Greenwood, 2008.
*Film Documentary: Youssou Ndour: Return to Gorée. Director: Pierre-Yves Borgeaud. Senegal-Switzerland. 2006
*Senegal Abroad: Linguistic Borders, Racial Formations, and Diasporic Imaginaries. Maya Angela Smith. University of Wisconsin Press. 2019
Online assignment
Students will participate in a blog project, text and media based, using a WordPress website and SWAY. Students will post pictures, 1 to 2 minutes long videos clips, and stories about their ongoing experiences while in Senegal for friends, family, and the Union community to see. The blog project would like a virtual scrapbook and should have at least 15 PICTURES. This project could be used for campus-wide presentations (Steinmetz, Minerva House, Clubs, etc.)
PS: A link for the project will be shared with students
Daily and weekly Assignment
A 1 to 2 page journal entry per day in the most sustained language (French or English) that would best reflect student’s observation, understanding, and impressions of Senegal; this short journal includes experiences with host family, WARC (host institution), internships, excursions, and any social interactions outside the program; it should be both descriptive and fairly analytical (reflecting on the challenges, excitements, and the treasures associated with your own experience of the mini-term).
Final Project
(to be handed in no later than Friday January 6th, 2023, two weeks after the mini-term)
Students write a thoughtful essay of 7 pages long at least on a topic of their interest (i.e. religion, women issues, health care, family, education, arts, music, economics, social structures, French colonial impact, etc.). The paper should be an in-depth analysis reflecting the complexity of Senegalese society; students can use critical essays, media, books, etc. as well as their daily journal entries, experiences, and blog projects to support their ideas.
Final paper will be evaluated based on the content, the level of analysis of the subject and its presentation (form including clarity and coherence).
Grade
Participation (attendance, engagement and active participation in indivudual and group activies) 20%
Daily journal entry 20%
Blog project 25%
Final Project 35%
Program
Departure and arrival (US-Senegal)
Group leaves US (JFK) on Wednesday, November 30th at 7:25, PM Delta 216
Group arrives in Dakar on Thursday, December 1st at 8AM, Delta 216.
Group leaves Senegal on Friday December 21st, evening flight with Delta
Total: 20 nights, 21 days.
Nights in Dakar (13 nights)
Students: 12 nights with host families and 1 night at hotel (night of December 1st)
Professors: 12 nights in apartment, 1 night at hotel (night of December 1st)
Nights outside Dakar (6 nights)
1 in Kaolack at Hotel Relais
3 at Hotel Keur Saloum
2 at Hotel Sobobade
Daily Itinerary
Dakar
| Thursday 12/1 | 8am | Arrive in Dakar airport and transfer to Hotel Local Assistant: Soda Diop (77 274 93 51) |
| 12pm | Arrival at hotel & early check-in at hotel Fleur de Lys Point E https://pointe.hotelfleurdelysdakar.com/ |
|
| 1pm | Lunch at hotel and rest | |
| 3:30pm | Use ATM or exchange money, buy cell phones, Tour of WARC, check e-mail, registration online with the US embassy in Dakar | |
| 5:30pm | Back to hotel | |
| Dinner on your own | ||
| Friday 12/2 | 10am | Depart from hotel to WARC |
| 10:30am 12pm | Orientation session at WARC with Mrs Awa Fall, WARC staff | |
| 12:30 2:30pm | Lunch downtown Chez Loutcha (pre-paid) | |
| 2:30pm 6pm | Guided tour of Dakar with Ali (Place de lIndependence, Soumbédioune, Monument de la Renaissance, etc) | |
| 6:30pm | Back to hotel | |
| Saturday 12/3 | 9:30am | Depart from hotel with all luggage |
| 10am 12pm | Visit Museum of Black Civilization | |
| 1pm | Back to WARC & host families pick up students (lunch & dinner with host families) |
|
| Sunday 12/4 | 9am | Host family drops students at WARC |
| 10am | Leave for Gorée Island | |
| 10:30am | Arrival in Gorée; Visit the Slave House; guided tour of island | |
| 1pm | Lunch (pre-paid) | |
| 4pm | Ferry back to Dakar | |
| 6pm | host families pick up students at WARC | |
| Monday 12/5 | FREE DAY | |
| Tuesday 12/6 | 9am | Host families bring students to WARC |
| 10:30am 11:30am | Lecture 1: Introductory lecture by US professors (French, Ndiaye) | |
| 12pm 1pm | Lecture 2: Wolof lecture by Sidy Guèye | |
| 1pm | Lunch on your own | |
| 2:30pm 3:45pm | Discussion about internships with Marie Guèye, WARC staff | |
| 4pm 6pm | *Showing and discussing of Youssou NDour: Return to Gorée. Pierre-Yves Borgeaud. 2006. Senegal, United States, Europe. French and English. 108 min. ArtMattan | |
| Wednesday 12/7 | AM | Internship |
| 1pm | Lunch on your own | |
| 3pm 4:30pm | Lecture 3: Senegalese culture (religion, spirituality, wrestling, etc.) with Dr. Ousmane Sene, WARC Director | |
| Thursday 12/8 | AM | Internship |
| 1pm | Lunch on your own | |
| 3pm 4:30pm | Lecture 4: Africana studies with Union Professor at WARC (Prof Butler, Black Americans coming back to Africa; Ghana for example, Liberia historically) | |
| Friday 12/9 | AM | Internship |
| 1pm | Lunch on your own | |
| 3pm 4:30pm | Lecture 5: Healthcare in Senegal with Dr Dialo Diop at WARC | |
| Saturday 12/10 | Day trip to Keur Moussa and Keur Massar | |
| 9am | Departure from Mosquée Mermoz | |
| 10am | Visit Keur Moussa Monastery and attend Church service (church service optional) | |
| 12pm | Depart from Keur Moussa & Lunch on the way to Keur Massar (TBC) | |
| 2:30pm | Visit Keur Massars traditional Health Center with Mr Djibril Ba- 70 470 22 73 | |
| 6pm | Students get back to host families | |
| Sunday 12/11/ | Day trip to Pink Lake | |
| 10am | Depart for Pink Lake | |
| 11am | Guided visit of Pink Lake & jeep tours on the sand dunes | |
| Lunch at Hotel Etoile du Lac in Pink Lake (prepaid lunch) | ||
| 3pm | Camel ride | |
| Coffee at Etoile du Lac | ||
| Monday 12/12 | AM | Internship |
| 1pm | Lunch on your own | |
| 3pm 4:30pm | Lecture 6: Religion by Moustapha Mbacké |
7 Days Outside of Dakar
| Tuesday 12/13 | Touba | |
| 7am | Departure from WARC (Maybe, visit the reed compound of the Mourid Cheikh on the way) | |
| 12:30pm | Arrival in Touba: Visit the Mosque and library | |
| 1:30pm | Lunch in Touba at Moustapha Mbackés home (pre-paid lunch) | |
| 2:30pm | Departure for Kaolack | |
| 4:30pm | Arrival in Kaolack & check in at hotel Le Relais de Kaolack | |
| Wednesday 12/14 | Tene-Toubab | |
| 8am | Departure for Tene-Toubab | |
| 9:30 | Arrival in Tene- Toubab & start activities | |
| 1pm - 2:30pm | Lunch in Tene-Toubab (pre-paid lunch) | |
| 4pm | Departure for Toubacouta | |
| 7pm | Arrival in Toubacouta and check-in at Hotel Keur Saloum | |
| 8pm | Dinner at hotel (pre-paid dinner) | |
| Thursday 12/15 | Toubacouta | |
| 9am | Visit Toubacouta | |
| 10am | Depart for a visit of the Mangrove | |
| Visit Sippo island | ||
| Lunch on Sippo island (pre-paid lunch) | ||
| 4pm - 6pm | 30 mn Walk to Keur Bamboung, an ecological campement | |
| On the way back to the hotel stop by Le reposoir (birds come to rest there in the evenings) | ||
| 6:30pm | Back to hotel and rest | |
| 7:30pm | Dinner at hotel (pre-paid dinner) | |
| 9pm | Cultural night at hotel | |
| Friday 12/16 | Toubacouta | |
| 9:30am | Depart from hotel | |
| 9:40am | Arrival and visit a Koranic school | |
| 11:30am | Back to hotel (each student receives a 5.000 CFA stipend) | |
| 7:30pm | Dinner (pre-paid) at hotel | |
| 9pm | Depart from hotel to attend Wrestling tournament | |
| Saturday 12/17 | Toubab Dialaw | |
| 12pm | Check out hotel & depart for Sokone (Ousmane hometown) | |
| 1pm - 3pm | Lunch at Sokone (pre-paid) & music and dance session with women from Sokone | |
| 3pm | Depart for Sobo Bade | |
| 6pm | Arrival in Toubab Dialaw & check-in at hotel Sobo Bade | |
| 8pm | Dinner at hotel (pre-paid) | |
| Sunday 12/18 | 10am | Batik session #1 |
| 1pm | Lunch at hotel (pre-paid) | |
| 3pm | Batik session #2 | |
| 4pm | Drumming session | |
| 6pm | Dance session | |
| 8pm | Dinner at hotel (pre-paid) | |
| Monday 12/19 | Bandia wildlife | |
| 10:30am | Leave Sobo Bade for Bandia wildlife | |
| 11:45 - 1pm | Visit Bandia game reserve | |
| 1pm - 3pm | Lunch (pre-paid) and then back to Dakar | |
| 5pm | Students go back to their host family while professors go to the hotel | |
| Tuesday 12/20 | AM | FREE |
| 4:30pm | Meet at WARC with all luggage | |
| 5:30pm | Farewell dinner | |
| 8pm | Depart from restaurant to go to Airport and be there by midnight, since flight is at 2:30AM; so students bring their luggage with them to the restaurant) | |
| Wednesday 12/21 | Departure from Senegal at 2:30am |
Info about our hotels, WARC, and some of the Sites for Excursions
www.warccroa.org
https://pointe.hotelfleurdelysdakar.com/
http://www.kassoumay.com/senegal/ile-goree.html
http://www.senegal-online.com
http://www.reservedebandia.com/welcome.html
http://www.senegal-voyages.com/page15.html
http://www.tostan.org/
http://gen.ecovillage.org/iservices/publications/articles/westafrica_2.pdf
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/matcel/senegal1/1135273620/tpod.html
http://www.ucad.sn
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Retba
http://www.senegalaisement.com/senegal/toubab_dialaw.php
