This page is no longer being updated and remains online for informational and historical purposes only. The information is accurate as of the last page update.
For questions about page contents, contact the Communications Division.
Taking the initiative to pursue an opportunity to study in South Africa for a semester is making the experience all the more gratifying, says Evan Laya ’05 (Wilmette, Ill.).
A double major in English and philosophy, Laya is spending the fall term at the University of Cape Town, where he is taking the courses Ethics, Classical Political Philosophy, and African Literature.
Laya, whose semester runs from July until December, is enrolled in just three classes because they have an extremely heavy work load, he says, and he dropped a fourth course that would not have been accepted for credit at Lafayette. Some of his most significant learning opportunities, however, have taken place outside the classroom.
A trip to the wine lands of Stellenbosch took Laya to a predominantly white, upper-middle class area that provided a stark contrast to Cape Town.
“They speak Afrikaans instead of English, so the culture proved new to me,” he says. “I went to a wine festival, a first in my life, and went on a helicopter tour, another first. This trip really proved to be a test run for transport and planning.”
Over a school break, Laya and three friends drove along the southern coast to Durban, continuing through the Kingdom of Swaziland.
“It’s the most amazing place I’ve ever been,” he says. “The people there are so friendly, and the cultural experience taken from political discussion with people of a kingdom was profound.”
The next stop was Kruger National Park, the largest natural game reserve in the world.
“We saw elephants, lions, zebras, giraffes, hippos, and much more,” he recalls. “This was truly an experience. The best part of the whole trip, however, was simply driving through the country. I learned a lot just from observation. It is very interesting to see how wrong the Western perspective is of this part of Africa. It is much more modernized than I would have imagined. Cape Town has a very European quality about it.”
A graduate of New Trier High School, Laya is considering several career paths after college, including teaching, advertising, publishing, and grad school.
“Lafayette has so many benefits that being here makes me aware of,” he notes. “Resources, for example, are vastly under-appreciated. Class size and attention at Lafayette are beneficial.”
Last semester, Laya served on the Residence Hall Council and played Club Soccer at Lafayette. He is a member of Delta Upsilon fraternity.