February 7, 2022

One world, two adventures

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By Shannon Sigafoos

In late December, when the rest of the Lafayette community was enjoying the traditional holiday break, 43 students representing a multitude of academic disciplines departed Easton to become explorers of two new areas they had never before visited—and the opportunity to immerse themselves in the geography, culture, people, and traditions of Senegal, West Africa, and the Hawaiian Islands.

GEOL 150, The Geographical Evolution of the Hawaiian Islands, was led by Lawrence Malinconico, associate professor of geology/geophysics, and John Wilson, laboratory coordinator for geology and environmental sciences. Meanwhile, INDS 174, Global Senegal, Alternative Modernities, was led by Wendy Wilson-Fall, associate professor and chair of Africana Studies, and Rochelle Keesler, director of the office of international and off-campus education.

This photo gallery, featuring images from both trips contributed by Prof. Wilson (Hawaii), Yazdan Basir ’22 (Senegal) and Sam Iacavazzi ’22 (Senegal), showcases how course objectives shaped each unique experience the students took part in.ad

Waipio Valley, Island of Hawaii
"This photo was taken in Waipio Valley on the Island of Hawaii. This is a large flat floored valley created by rising sea level after the last glacial maximum 18,000 years ago. Here we were able to visualize how stream erosion generated the valley, and then the ocean filled it back in. Here, we are looking at the interior of part of the Kohala volcano." -John Wilson
Prof. Wendy Wilson Fall posing outside hotel in Senegal, West Africa
Prof. Wendy Wilson-Fall poses outside of the hotel in Toubakouta, West Africa. Photo by Sam Iacavazzi '22.
Thurston Lava Tube, Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
"Entering the Thurston Lava Tube, Volcanoes National Park. The Thurston Lava tube is an example of how the Hawaiian islands grew. These tubes formed from lava flows building walls that held the lava in place, and then the top cooled, allowing an insulated tube for the lava to travel great distances. This tube is 600 feet long from entrance to exit. The lava tube was originally named Nahuku by the Hawaiian people." -John Wilson
A family looks out over Dakar, West Africa
"A family looks out over the expansive city of Dakar, West Africa." -Sam Iacavazzi '22
Inside Thurston Lava Tube, Hawaii
"Inside Thurston Lava Tube. The walls insulated the lava to allow it to flow great distances. This tube is about 12-15 feet tall. The lava tube was originally named Nahuku by the Hawaiian people. In the Hawaiian Language, Nahuku means 'Protuberances', likely in reference to the rock formations dangling from the ceiling." -John Wilson
Wrestling match near Toubacouta, West Africa
"We were lucky enough to go watch a local wrestling match in a village near Toubacouta, a few hours south of Dakar. The festivities started pretty late at night, and went on until midnight. Here, men from the surrounding areas participated in a knockout-style wrestling tournament where the winner would take home a large sack of rice (worth about $100 as we were told). This style of wrestling has an important history in Senegal: it represents the physical struggle of fathers and sons of the family to support their family." -Yazdan Basir '22
Winter Interim Study Abroad students inside the Kaumana Caves Lava Tube.
"Group picture inside the Kaumana Caves Lava tube. Like the Thurston Lava Tube in Volcanoes National Park, this local attraction is a lava tube that allowed Hawaii to grow. This lava tube is from an eruption of Mauna Loa." -John Wilson
The African Renaissance Monument in Dakar, Winter Interim Study Abroad
"The African Renaissance Monument looms in the distance among the urban sprawl of Dakar." -Sam Iacavazzi '22
Study Abroad students in Hawaii learn about the Iao Valley in Maui
"Doctor Malinconico is lecturing a the Iao Valley on Maui. Here, Students are learning about the West Maui volcanic center, and the incredible erosion that it has undergone since volcanism stopped. The Iao Valley is one of many that dissects the West Maui Volcano. giving it the very rugged terrain that is seen in the image. Here, students sketch the valley shape, and identify the various processes that were involved in the carving of these valleys." -John Wilson
House of Slaves on the Goree Island off the coast of Dakar
"The House of Slaves (Maison des Esclaves) is located on Gorée Island right off the coast of Dakar. It is a site where many West African men, women, and children were processed, detained, and sold to Europeans, Americans, or other African traders. Many enslaved people here were prisoners of tribal warfare and there were even rooms right above the cells to accommodate guests." -Yazdan Basir '22
Sherry Deng '22, and Kate Rogers '22 in the sunlight before entering Kaumana Caves.
"Sherry Deng '22, and Kate Rogers '22 in the sunlight before entering Kaumana Caves." -John Wilson
The Door of No Return at the House of Slaves in Dakar, West Africa
"The House of Slaves now serves as a memorial to the slave trade in West Africa. After going through the various holding cells for men, little girls, and women, the most intense part to see was the Door of No Return. This was an opening through which healthy slaves were loaded on a boat to Europe/the Americas and slaves with any sort of disease/illness were tossed into the Atlantic and "discarded" (the fear being that they could contaminate the other slaves)." -Yazdan Basir '22
Students walk around the Lower East Rift Zone Eruption site in Hawaii
"Students working around Prof. Malinconico, looking for various features in the flows of the 2018 Lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) Eruption. The lava flows to the right covered around 700 homes in the town of Puna." -John Wilson
A woman selling cloth goods at students' Toubakouta hotel in West Africa
"A woman selling cloth sits next to her colorful merchandise in our Toubakouta hotel." -Sam Iacavazzi '22
Study Abroad Hawaii students gather at the summit of Mauna Ulu.
"Group Photo at the summit of Mauna Ulu. Students are looking into the setting sun, seeing the caldera left from the 1969-1974 eruption of Mauna Ulu, a blind shield on the east rift zone of Kilauea. The summit was a 3 mile hike around and across lava flows from the 1974 eruption. From this location, students could see the extent of this eruption. Behind the students in the distance, is Pu'u O'o and Kupaianaha, other blind shields which were active in the 1983-2018 eruption event." -John Wilson
Soumbedioune Market in Dakar, West Africa
"Soumbédioune Market (pronounced soum-bay-june). This is a small market located in the heart of Dakar offering local craftswork, art, fabrics, musical instruments, and jewelry. It is somewhat "touristy", but it gives a good glimpse into the rich artistic culture that resides within Dakar and is exported to the rest of the world." -Yazdan Basir '22
Students stand on the north rim of the Kilauea caldera in Volcanoes National Park, Hawaii
"Group members standing on the north rim of the Kilauea caldera in Volcanoes National Park. Students are looking at the south wall of the summit caldera, and the associate caldera collapse features that occurred in 2018. As a result of the 2018 LERZ eruption, the crater nearly doubled in size, and grew from 280 feet to over 1600 feet deep." -John Wilson
Sunset in Dakar, West Africa, during Winter Interim Study Abroad trip
This is the sunset at the restaurant right by the U.S. Embassy in Dakar West Africa." -Yazdan Basir '22
The Sengal, West Africa students pose during Winter Interim Study Abroad trip, January 2022
"The Senegal Study Abroad group outside of Professor Wilson-Fall's house in Dakar." -Sam Iacavazzi '22

Want to Travel in 2022?

  • Information sessions for opportunities in Costa Rica, Bonn, and London are happening Feb. 8, 9, 10. Learn more.

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Study Abroad

Studying abroad is an adventure that brings participants face to face with new perspectives and cultures. Students have the option to join programs led by Lafayette faculty or apply to approved programs sponsored by other institutions. Information sessions for travel are happening in February.

Categorized in: Featured News, Global Education, Intercultural Experience, International Students, News and Features, Students, Study Abroad

1 Comment

  1. Ibrahim Adam says:
    February 19, 2022 at 1:46 pm

    It will be a great adventure to join the Lafayette community this fall 2022.
    I pray Allah brings me to Lafayette College .

Comments are closed.