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The 21 Students at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport — (left to right top row) Tatiana Mosley (Fayetteville State), Karen Evans (Spelman), Stephen Love (Morehouse), Justin Smith (FAMU), Derrill Miller (Grambling), Victor Pimentel (Norfolk State), Tremone Jackson (Johnson C. Smith), Graylin Taylor (Fort Valley State), (left to right second row) Cherish Rush (Texas Southern), Jasmine Singleton (Fort Valley State), Junious Smith III (Fayetteville State), Theresa Scales (Xavier), Funbi Ibe (Clark Atlanta), Jelyse Dawson (Grambling), (left to right bottom row) Lael Clark (Johnson C. Smith), Alisa Routh (FAMU), Sherron Douglas (Southern), Steve Morgan Jr. (Xavier), Ryan Small (Texas Southern), Edifon Ette (Southern), Ashley Canty (Norfolk State)

The FAMU South Africa reporting team caught up with FAMU’s Alisa Routh, Grambling State University’s Derrill Miller and Spelman College’s Karen Evans to recap their most memorable experiences from the Coca-Cola sponsored trip to South Africa. Links to blogs penned by Alisa during the trip are listed below.

The trip of a lifetime, Stories of struggle and Church, food and football

ATLANTA — As teams from around the globe battled for World Cup glory, 21 students from historically black colleges and universities faced off against another fierce opponent, Africa’s water crisis.

The students were winners of the Coca-Cola “Open Happiness Tour” competition, which sought original answers to the question “How does the Coca-Cola RAIN program inspire you?” in the form of short video entries.

The prize: a five-day cultural excursion to South Africa where they gained firsthand knowledge of the continent’s devastating clean water shortage, met actor Idris Elba and attended a World Cup match between Argentina and Mexico.
FAMU’s Alisa Routh, a third-year public relations student from Atlanta, described the trip as a life-changing experience.

“It has made me work harder and stay positive. To see why I should be grateful regardless of my trials is only showing a pinch of the spirit that those beautiful people have,” Routh said.

Karen Evans, a recent graduate of Spelman College, completed a school project on water conservation and leapt at the chance to take her newfound knowledge to a global level.
“It’s more important than many of the things in the media, yet nobody talks about it,” Evans said. “Simple things like not having sanitary water really hit a lot of people. I did research before but never realized how severe the problem was or how easy it is to fix.”

The trip is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Derrill Miller, a third-year hospitality management student at Grambling State University, who has wanted to travel to Africa since the seventh grade. He said witnessing the devastation firsthand motivated him to join the fight for access to safe drinking water.

“I have learned to be grateful for everything that I have and to appreciate the smaller things in life. I was inspired to step up and work harder to make a change in my household and in the world,” Miller said. He now operates a small non-profit organization called One Love, One World designed to create fresh-water solutions throughout Africa.

He hopes to return to the continent and is thankful for this rare opportunity, saying “It was more than a contest that I won. It was a dream that I lived.”

For more information about the Coca-Cola RAIN initiative visit:
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/presscenter/nr_20090316_africa_rain_projects.html

How foolish could I have been? To arrive in a country and not know it had skyscrapers in lieu of straw huts, or the high-speed Gautrain instead of an elephant chauffeur.

Would you come to a country thinking you had to survive off a gallon of water you stuffed in your luggage, when all along there was perfect running water and electricity? Me neither.

Over my time spent in South Africa, I have finally figured out what grinds my American gears. It took awhile to figure it out, and it was only until it became so expected that I realized the question irritated me.

“So it’s not what you had expected, is it?”

The question that seems to roll off every South African’s tongue when we meet for the first time. They stand their with their eyebrows lifted and a smirk, waiting for my ignorance to seep through my teeth, thinking I will say “Oh my God! I’m so relieved I’m not naked, sleeping on a small cot, shooing away humongous flies under a scorching sun!”

I truly hate that question, because it makes no sense to me. Granted, I’m a college educated woman, but I would hope that even the crazy football fans did a little bit of research before flying across the seas to watch the tournament.

I don’t doubt there are those blockheads, who arrived to O.R. Tambo International Airport with a bag full of shorts, suntan lotion and protective nets, but for the most part, I’m sure people did their homework.

What aggravates me even more is when I tell them, “No I knew what to expect,” and they sarcastically rebut, “Oh so you did a little preparation before coming here?”

No! Actually, I had been forced to read books, search AOL (before Google was hot) and watch documentaries about foreign places when I would rather be outside with the rest of the 9-year-olds in my neighborhood.

The conversation always becomes insulting to me, and I give up before someone labels me a know-it-all-American-jerk.

Me assuming your country is some third-world ill country is just as bad as you assuming foreigners don’t take the time to learn about your country.

Although this does bother me, I have yet to deter from wanting to be here after graduation. I still love Mzansi and its people, bad assumptions and all.

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Photograph by Chen Xi

JOHANNESBURG — A lone goal in extra time from midfielder Andrés Iniesta helped Spain defeat the Netherlands and make history Sunday night in the final match of the FIFA World Cup at Soccer City stadium.

President Jacob Zuma, along with Queen Sofia of Spain and Crown Prince Willem Alexander of the Netherlands, attended the match, which was preceded by an elaborate closing ceremony where former president Nelson Mandela made a brief appearance to a thunderous ovation. Highlights included a performance by Shakira, dancers forming a human vuvuzela, and a “thank you” message projected onto the field in languages of all 32 competing teams.

On the field, the two finalists were evenly matched, each unable to penetrate the others’ defense for a full 90 minutes before going to extra time, for only the sixth time in World Cup finals history.

The match also provided a flurry of yellow cards, with English referee Howard Webb giving out 14 bookings to five Spanish players and eight Dutch players before the final whistle. Two of these yellow cards were awarded to Dutch defender John Heitinga, forcing the Netherlands to play the last 23 minutes with 10 men. Spain’s victory marks the first time the country has won the World Cup, and the first time a European team has won outside Europe.

Both teams were on the attack early, trading shots on goal in the first 10 minutes of play. In the 11th minute Spanish striker David Villa appeared to have lined up a nice crossing pass, but powered the ball into the side netting. Although many such opportunities would present themselves, stellar defense on both sides prevented goals.

Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas made several spectacular saves, including a 33rd-minute leaping catch as he collided with defender Carles Puyol. Dutch forward Arjen Robben threatened to break the 0-0 tie as the first half wound down, but Casillas deflected his shot out of bounds.

In the second half frustration continued to mount for the offenses in a series of close calls. A Spanish corner kick in the 48th minute bounced off Puyol’s head and rolled right past the waiting foot of Spain’s Joan Capdevila. Hoping to give the offense a shot in the arm Spain substituted speedy striker Jesus Navas, but the Netherlands would get the next attempt on goal.

In the 62nd minute Robben made a perfectly timed run through the Spanish defense to catch up to a long pass, forcing Casillas to charge off the line and make a desperate save with his left foot. Seven minutes later Villa had a chance to retaliate in the penalty area but a last-ditch effort by the Dutch defense prevented a goal.

With time running out, both teams attacked with an increased sense of urgency. Robben made another run in the 83rd minute, once again reaching the penalty area before being brought down by a hard challenge. He contested the no-call, but only received one of the night’s many yellow cards for his efforts. An 86th-minute substitution of midfielder Cesc Fabregas was not enough to secure a Spanish goal before time expired, sending the match into extra time.

Spain dominated the first 15 minutes of extra time, with Iniesta, Fábregas, and Navas all taking shots on the Dutch goal. Spanish coach Vicente del Bosque replaced star forward David Villa with Fernando Torres, who would later help set up Iniesta’s winning goal.

In the 17th minute of extra time Heitinga earned his second yellow card and ejection from the game.

The Netherlands’ fate was sealed less than 10 minutes later as Iniesta zipped his shot past goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg’s outstretched fingertips. The Netherlands tried desperately to equalize but came up short, earning its third second-place finish in three finals appearances.

Photograph by Chen Xi

JOHANNESBURG — South Africa did not let the world down as the gracious host of the month-long party that finally ended Sunday night with Spain taking home the goodie bag stuffed with the shiny cup.

When the nation’s team bowed out of the tournament on June 22, many South Africans continued to fuel the spirit surrounding the 2010 World Cup.

There were fans in red and yellow rooting for Spain and in bright orange paraphernalia supporting the Netherlands, but there is no doubt South African fans were the most visible Sunday night in Newtown’s Fan Fest.

Andrew Moore stood between the vending booths and viewing area holding a South African flag big enough to top a flag pole. As wind picked up, the flag whipped against his gold and green track jacket.

Moore, 38, said he felt it was the people’s duty to keep the tournament in high energy.

“The World Cup is more of South Africa than just the performance of our national team, because we are hosts, we have to do it and do it well,” Moore said. “Like tonight I’m supporting Spain, and I have no idea who Spain is.”

“Our team is long gone, but it’s because we’re in the spirit, we’re still enjoying it,” Moore said. “I think this World Cup has been very much for the fans, and we’re supporting other teams now.”

One of the biggest concerns of the tournament had been whether the host country would continue to be involved after South Africa’s loss.

Dianne Eloff, a 28-year-old South African, said she never understood the worry, because South Africans are patriotic and lively people.

“This is our Cup, you think we’re not going to show up because Bafana Bafana is gone?” Eloff questioned. “You’re nuts if you think they’re going to stop our celebration.”

Eloff said she’s been team swapping since South Africa left the tournament.

“First I was with Ghana and then Uruguay, it helps to give me excitement at these things,” Eloff said about the fan park, “I rooted for Netherlands today; they let me down.”

Moore said the most interesting aspect of this World Cup will be what happens once all the visitors depart and fan park screens are packed up.

“Later on we will work out what the real headaches are,” Moore said. “A party this good will have a hangover; we will see tomorrow what that is.”

German woman Karen Ramsden — Photograph by He Long

JOHANNESBURG – Germany’s trip to the World Cup ended in success Saturday after the team secured its fourth bronze medal in a 3-2 win over Uruguay.

A few near-misses and constant action characterized the game in Port Elizabeth as Germany claimed the lead early in the game with crisp passing and persistent offense.

Uruguayan goalkeeper Fernando Muslera turned away a thundering long-range shot by midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, whose teammate Thomas Müller turned the rebound into the first goal for Germany 19 minutes into the game.

Nine minutes later Uruguay’s Diego Perez stripped the ball from Schweinsteiger and initiated a series of passes that ultimately found forward Edinson Cavani, who tied the game at 1-1.

German goalkeeper Jörg Butt was put to the test less than four minutes into the second half and blocked two attempts within seconds of each other. The next 10 minutes tested both sides’ defenses: Uruguayan forward Diego Forlán secured a surprise goal in the 51st minute after a well-placed pass from Egidio Arévalo, followed five minutes later by a goal by German midfielder Marcell Jansen to tie the score again.

The last ten minutes of the game were packed with drama. Butt’s strong performance was highlighted by three saves in less than five minutes. Midfielder Sami Khedira thrust the Germans into the lead with a dramatic header from a scramble in the penalty area after a corner kick, making the score 3-2.

In a last-ditch effort, Forlán took a free kick three minutes into stoppage time that bounced off the crossbar, barely missing what would have been the game-tying goal. The final whistle came immediately afterward, and Germany’s third-place finish was secure.

As I walked through the halls of Johannesburg’s Apartheid Museum Thursday afternoon, I couldn’t help but consider the timeliness of my visit. With less than a week remaining in this trip of a lifetime I find myself growing reflective. I usually do this after wrapping up a major event, like a vacation or school year; my reactions differ each time, ranging from “I wish this would never end” to “well, that was a waste of time.” I’m glad to report this trip falls soundly into the first category.

Nevertheless, after looking back over my journey I feel like the Apartheid Museum provided an element that was distressingly absent: the dark side of South Africa’s history. Up until that point my tour of the country had been largely pleasant. Yes, I had seen some of the less flattering parts of South Africa before. But it was only yesterday that I understood these were just echoes of years of oppression. Now confined to these halls, the effects of this system of segregation are still being felt outside. I wouldn’t say it was a negative experience, however. On the contrary it has only raised my opinion of the country.

I must have mystified my other teammates, standing there dumbly as I viewed the numerous pictures, videos and testimonies of victims. There was a vague restlessness in me while my mind swirled and tried to make sense of what I was seeing. I put it aside and tried to focus on other things (I was also helping my teammate Christina to teach Clarece some Chinese), but the sensation dogged me all day. It was only as I was about to leave that a complete stranger I was talking to put it in perspective for me. He had found himself comparing the anti-apartheid movement to other fights against discrimination, like the civil rights movement. When we parted ways I pursued the notion further, comparing apartheid to other ethnic conflicts.

After looking through the annals of history, conventional wisdom would say the racial climate of South Africa should be impossible. Never in recent history have people forgiven so much so quickly. As I said before, although their fight against discrimination ended over 30 years after the civil rights movement in the United States, the state of race relations is similar to that of America. Or think about ethnic clashes that are still happening right now, like those between Israelis and Palestinians in the Middle East or Serbians and Albanians in Eastern Europe. Some of these conflicts are centuries old and there is ill will on both sides.

An outsider could probably never understand how or why it happened, but I will venture a guess anyway. Throughout my stay I have been hard-pressed to find happier people, and I think I finally know why: because they have every right to be. They say the bad times are there so we learn to appreciate the good ones; after such a long period of bad times, there must be great cause for joy.

Here I am with Joshua Maboea of the University of KwaZulu-Natal cohosting a show on the set of cueTV, at Rhodes University.

GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa — “5-4-3-2-1!” As the director counts down on a student- produced broadcast at Rhodes University, I take one last breath and prepare to delve into “anchor mode.” I’m supposed to focus on the red recording light and wait for the words in the teleprompter to start moving, but I’m in total awe of the people around me.

I watch aspiring journalists from around the world transform into a well-oiled machine in a matter of minutes. There are no hurt feelings as camera operators are bossed around and anchors are instructed to stare into glaring studio lights. No diva attitudes when the teleprompter stops working and the crew has to restart the entire show. The theme of this production was clearly teamwork, no drama allowed.

The Captivate Student Media Conference definitely wasn’t what I expected. I didn’t spend hundreds of dollars to sit in packed conference rooms listening to guest speakers hawk their latest books, nor was I compelled to wear some color-coded name tag. There was no annoying “ice-breaker” game or forced networking exercise with faces I’d soon forget. No exchange of business cards and fake grins, just genuinely passionate people focused on getting to know each other and learn along the way.

The participants were a diverse range of students from across the globe from a boisterous University of Southern California student nicknamed Shotgun to a shy young woman named Phelo from the South African University of KwaZulu-Natal. The two personalities seemed destined to butt heads, but when I looked past his blond hair and her South African accent I began to see a resemblance.

Like the other students I met, Shotgun and Phelo were able to put any personal differences on the back burner for three days and create a successful product. His experience producing nightly sports podcasts for USC and her news judgment from years at her school paper both added to the team dynamic.

There was no backstabbing or eye clawing during competitive events. When the students had to complete a video in a matter of minutes, a member of the opposing team didn’t hesitate to abandon his work and help me out. Even though everyone at the conference had a million different ideas and views on how to make the project successful, individuals faded into the background as the team became the central focus. After a few days these students felt like family. Everyone was willing to work toward a common goal without feeling compelled to claw their way into the spotlight.

Maybe this South African spirit of unity really does exist, at least for a few days at Rhodes.

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When South Africa won World Cup hosting privileges, it worked to clean up the negative perception that had been formed about the country. Many of these problems like security, transportation and clean water have by most accounts been improved in time to accommodate fans. But as visitors take in soccer matches and other popular attractions, many of the issues affecting South Africans, particularly in rural communities, still remain. One community center quietly continues to save its residents.