Eight Westminster College students and two professors visited South Africa to culminate a cluster course that combined "Politics and Societies in Africa" and "African Business Environment." 

"It was really fulfilling to watch our students experience what we had taught them in class," said Dr. Andrea Grove, assistant professor of political science. "You can tell students what people live like in other places and how they perceive our way of life, but there is no substitute for students talking to the people themselves."

A cluster course integrates two disciplines into a common theme. Grove taught the politics and societies portion of this offering, while Dr. Kent Carter, former associate professor of business administration, taught the business side of the class. Both professors accompanied the students on the travel portion of the cluster course.

"I thought both the trip and the class were excellent, and an experience I'll never forget," said Loren Altenhof, a senior financial economics major from Pittsburgh. "What surprised me most was the beauty of the country. It's so diverse in almost every aspect."

"Capetown was more modern than I expected," said Courtney Hoover, a senior political science major from New Wilmington. "It reminded me of Baltimore."

"I think what made Capetown so beautiful was that it has Table Mountain on one side with a cloud over it called the table cloth,' and the ocean on the other side." said Dana Roberts, a sophomore business administration major from Pittsburgh.

While in Capetown, the students visited the University of Capetown and attended four lectures about South African politics, Aids, and human rights. They also visited the Department of Economic Affairs and a tourism office.

"I thought the class we had at Westminster helped at the lectures," said Alicia Heinle, a sophomore history major from Cochranton. "We had a basic understanding and we could ask good questions."

"We listened to lectures about the issues we discussed in class at Westminster," Roberts said. "The South African perspective and solutions were different from mine. They changed the way I thought of their problems."

"Capetown is so beautiful with its mountainous background and ocean view, but the townships that surrounded it are a stark contrast, especially the housing." Heinle said.

The group took bus trips with a local guide when out of Capetown. The guides knew which areas were considered safe, and often let them visit with people in the townships outside the city.

"We got off the bus and met children who live in the township; we spoke with them and watched them dance," said Jessica Garrison, a senior biology major from New Wilmington. "We ate in a restaurant that a woman created in her own home. She told us her story, and as we ate a group of young boys played music for us."

"The squatter townships were one of the most important parts of the trip for me," Hoover said. "When I compare them to us, well, they have so much less. There are miles of houses, many of the four by eight feet for an entire family."

While in Africa, the group stayed in a hotel most of the time, but for two days they stayed with South African host families.

"One of my favorite parts of the trip was staying with my rural host family," said Michelle Mears, a junior business administration from Home. "They were so kind and caring. It was great getting to know them, their traditions, and their perceptions of Americans in general."

"My host family was a lower middle class Christian family, who were relocated during apartheid," said Hoover. "They were a mixed race called colored, which is not considered as bad as being a black. They had a small nice home, almost the size of my Grandma's apartment. They cooked amazing food with spices, and ate no processed food."

"My hosts told me about everyday life, which is not much different than ours," said Lauren Scheller, a sophomore business administration major from Windermere, Fla. "Their food was much like what I was used to, and at night they watched their version of The Weakest Link' on television."

A favorite on everyone's itinerary was the three-day visit to Kruger National Park, which is nearly two million hectares that is home to a number of species including: 336 trees, 49 fish, 34 amphibians, 114 reptiles, 507 birds, and 147 mammals.

"I've always wanted to go on a safari and see animals in their natural habitat," Hoover said. "We rode in the back of a pickup that had seats attached in the bed, so we had a great view."

"It was amazing to see a massive lion head only five feet away," said Scheller. "It's a huge place. Some of the areas are desert, and some are damp and filled with different foliage."

"Once our guide took us off the path to get close to a rhino," Roberts said. "We also saw a lioness and her cubs, and we were told not to make any sounds so that we didn't disturb them."

"It was amazing to drive through the land where the animals live and be sitting in the South African heat in the middle of our winter," Garrison said. "It was better than any zoo."

"The motto of South Africa is A World in One Country,' and that is exactly what it is," Mears said. "The beauty of the country and the people took my breath away. There truly are not words to explain it."

"I got a lot out of this trip because of what I learned in class before I left," Scheller said. "The experience enlarged my world."

It was a trip that all agreed they would never forget.

"Going to one of the most beautiful places on earth with some of the neatest students I've known was an incredible way to spend two weeks in January," Grove said.

"I didn't want to leave because the people really needed our help," said Hoover. "It reaffirmed what I wanted to do with my life. I want to work with an international organization to improve environmental standards."

"Now that I'm home, it would be easy to put the experience in the back of my mind as I become involved in my classes and activities, but I try not to do that," Garrison said. "I want to keep the images and details of the experience with me forever."

For more information, contact Grove at (724) 946-7254 or e-mail groveak@westminster.edu.