The group also will dine on traditional dinners along the way, Mphande said. In class, students studied a wide variety of topics to prepare them for the many different aspects of life in southern Africa, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. They also attended two orientations on cross-cultural awareness and safety basics to prepare for the trip, and were required to obtain a passport and immunizations. Each night during the trip, students will meet with instructors in a group setting to discuss the day's events. At noon on any given weekday, the corner of Neil and West 17th avenues is alive with activity.
Professors toting briefcases walk briskly by.
Students shouldering backpacks amble along in groups of twos and threes. Classmates breeze past on bikes or rollerblades. Buses and cars nudge their way through the congestion. Joe Palcsak witnessed and participated in this scene for 24 years. He stood in the midst of all the hustle and bustle, wielding his spatula and sharing his wit as he served up lunches of hot dogs, grilled chicken sandwiches and beef fajitas to the hungry that lined up in front of his cart.