African Economic Development

PHOTO BY EMILY CROWE This is Emlen Hall, home of the Keystone Honors Program and our week home for the Ghana experience.
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Arrival at Cheyney University on Mother's Day was a beautiful experience.  The campus is one with a clear history: (it is the oldest historically black college in America) the courtyard that can be found outside of Emlen Hall, the university's home of the Keystone Honors Program, is hallowed ground.  We were told often, politely, by the professors of Cheyney that we were to stay off the grass and use only sidewalks to manipulate our way around campus.  This was one of the first of many experiences on the trip where I found great hope in tradition.  As this was a trip of two honors students from each Pennsylvania State University, there were 27 other students also marking their arrival for the week-long stay.  Upon entry at Emlen Hall, one finds a clear atmosphere designed for intellectual advancement (or just some close knit fun).  The white walls at first appeared to me to be quite claustrophobic (I even once recall describing them as, psych-ward like) but over the course of the week, they grew on me, and it didn't matter much:  Africa was on the agenda.  Needless to say, after forming a circle of other students on the grass, (that we were apparently supposed to stay off of), eating dinner, and chatting into the night with the new friends we were already making, the dawn of classes was to begin.  Two classes, one on Women in Economic Development with special emphasis on Ghana, and the other on the Political Economic History of West Africa in general, were on the docket taught by Dr. Ife Williams and Dr. Thomas Holmes, respectively.  Throughout the week we were introduced to a perspective on African development that was never taught before.  The emphasis was on the underdevelopment of Africa and the role the West has played in that.  I must admit, at first, I was more than skeptical of the course content.  Although I am far from the World Bank or other primarily Western-run economic organization's cheerleader, much of the anti-World Bank course content was hard to swallow.  However, I was introduced to a perspective(s) that I am happy I got, even more so, as I get to later apply it directly in Ghana.  Over the course of the week, the usual cliques of students formed (my clique included), yet, despite the average cliquish behavior, the group was generally harmonious.  The evenings were supplemented with videos on Africa and usually were followed shortly after by some late night fun, including some fine Philly Blunt cigars.  Despite the general good attitude, the latter part of the week began the incessant drum beat of dangers we would face in Africa.  It seemed like speech after speech after speech focused on what NOT to do.  It turns out, at least in my opinion, that most of the advice was exhaustive, an exaggeration, per se.  All in all, a week at Cheyney was an exciting jumpstart to what would become a trip of a lifetime.  Stay tuned for more detailed entries as I leave the United States.

PHOTO BY JED MILLER (also a good friend from the trip) This is during Dr. Holmes class on West African History. I'm far in the back.
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~Justin Eppley, EdgeWise Executive Editor

Despite the general good attitude, the latter part of the week began the incessant drum beat of dangers we would face in Africa.