final exam lunch date

Dear Students,
I found a place in San Carlos that caters Ethiopian food. We could have lunch on Thursday, 4/25 (Reading Day), at 11:30 am, in our usual classroom, or outside by Tabard Hall if the weather is fine. If this sounds good to you, please leave a comment and include your food constraints. If you've got another idea, put that in the comments, too. If you can't make it or want to suggest a different time, put that in the comments.
All the best,
MF

Recovery? (and Soccer Video)

My apologies for the failure of the video today, just when it was getting good. Here is a link to the whole video on line.

Reminder of due dates: The research paper is due on 4/18, and the film reflections are due on 4/22 (see the Moodle for details).

For Tuesday's class, we will finish our discussion of So Long a Letter. Please make every effort to be on time for class, and let's end the semester on a high note.

We will also discuss the final chapter of the 3rd edition of Africans. For those of you who are using the electronic edition or the 2nd edition, you can download a pdf of the chapter from our class Moodle.

Reading Questions for Chapter 13:

• What happened in Uganda that gave hope that the spread of HIV could be checked? (316)
• What impact did ART have? (317-318)
• What was the cause of the commodity boom in the early 21st century? (318)
• How did China's commercial deals  differ from those of western counties? (319)
• Agrarian problems are threatened in Africa more than anywhere else by what? (327)
• What were some innovations to counter poverty? (328-329)
• What are most tenacious diseases in Africa? (330)
• What is Africa's fundamental medical problem? (330)
• What major problem did youths face? (331) And how did many respond to it? (332)
• Autochthony means native/indigenous. What is the issue with autochthony? (333)
• Contrast the responses of North African and sub-Saharan states to the challenges of radicalized youth and religious controversy? (335)
• What is the Muslim Brotherhood and what is its position? (335
• How did Libya, Morocco, and Algeria respond to Islamists? (336)
• What influences shaped Boko Haram? (338)
• Describe the social inequalities at the root of the Arab Spring? (339)
• How did events of the Arab Spring play out? (339f)
• Who were the main losers? (340)
• What were the main reasons for fertility deline in Africa? (341f)
• Define the "demographic dividend" and what suggests that Africa's will be less than Asia's? (344)

Films, Reading, and Research Assignments

The very short research paper will be due on 4/18 as indicated on the syllabus rather than 4/12 as on the previous blog post. Please submit it on TurnItIn through the class Moodle.

In lieu of a final exam, you will watch and submit written reflections on two of the following three films:

• I am Slave (2010 British, story of one woman's slavery in Sudan and London)
• Mandela: The Long Walk to Freedom (2013 British-South African biography)
• War Dance (2007 American documentary about Uganda)

Interesting to note that none of the films you selected were fictional. I strongly encourage you to watch and discuss the films with one or more of your classmates.

Finally, we will discuss Mariama Bâ's novel, So Long a Letter, this Thursday. I am pleased that so many of you today had already finished reading it! It may help you keep track of who's who to check out the list of characters on the Wiki page.

Contemporary Africa

For TUESDAY, 4/9:

We will move forward as gracefully as possible. Please read chapter 7 of Short, and answer in writing the questions from the last class blog post.

Please have a look at the list of "50 Movie Where the Action Takes Place in Africa," and pick three (3) you would be most interested in watching. If you know of another movie that should be included in the list, please share it with the class.