JANE LEE
News Editor
A view of the Pacific Ocean accompanies Gary Selby in his office in the CCB every day, but a sight that Selby believes is even more beautiful is a picture above his desk.
At first glance, it may appear as a piece of artwork out of a kindergarten classroom. But a closer look reveals a map of East Africa, a representation of one of Selby’s dreams — and now, plans.
Selby will be taking a group of Pepperdine students to Uganda in the summer of 2008 as part of a new international program.
“It’s a golden opportunity,” Selby said. “If we’re going to have students have global awareness, they have to go to a place like this to really see how the world lives.”
Selby and longtime friend Mark Moore, who is from the Washington, D.C., area had been considering for awhile about creating some kind of study abroad program that could serve as an alternate to the Western Europe model, allowing for students to experience a different cultural and economic situation.
While back in Maryland for Christmas two years ago, Selby was sitting around the table with Moore and told his friend how much he wanted to turn their thoughts into a reality.
“Mark grabbed a paper towel and drew this little map of East Africa, and we just started dreaming about it,” Selby said.
From there, Selby and Moore created a proposal not only for the program, but for funding from International Programs to allow Selby to take a trip to Uganda and scout out the area this summer.
Selby spent 10 days in Africa, first meeting up with a group of people in Jinja, Uganda, who had been there for three years as part of a larger ministry and a developmental presence that’s been alive for about 15 years.
“We looked at places where we’d stay,” Selby said. “There’s a really nice guest house we’ll probably stay at that looks over the Nile River.”
His trip also included a visit with the mayor of Jinja, a community Selby described as extremely hospitable.
“They’re such gracious and welcoming people,” he said. “If you are out in the villages and you’re (American), you are kind of a rock star.”
Selby also went rafting on the Nile and stayed with a family in a mud hut before beginning a journey to Rwanda, where he was able to speak with some people involved with country-wide development.
Selby hopes to include Rwanda on the five-week summer program schedule
“What we’re hoping for is to spend three weeks in Jinja and then take a trip to Rwanda,” he said. “The last part of the trip we’d maybe plan a safari to Tanzania.”
Selby is planning to take around 10 to 15 students, who will most likely be offered Intercultural Communication and Religion 301.
“There will also be a service learning component so that students will be involved in relief work or developmental work,” he said.
About eight projects will be identified, ranging from medical projects to computer instruction to helping at an orphanage that serves as a home to several children whose parents have died from AIDS.
“This program takes a different kind of student,” Selby said. “It’s a student who’s gutsy and oriented toward adventure because there’s always risk involved because they don’t have things like 911 or other things we take for granted.”
Dr. Charles Hall, dean of International Programs, said risk is inevitable.
“There’s almost nowhere in the world where it’s completely safe anymore,” he said. “There’s always going to be risks, but the way you deal with that is you try to minimize them as much as you can.
“One of the ways we’ve done that is by sending Gary (Selby) over there so that he sees for himself where the students will stay and what kind of transportation we need.”
Risk aside, Hall said he is thrilled about the development of a program such as this.
“This is the kind of program that I, personally, hope we get more of,” Hall said. “Europe is great to see, but that’s only part of the world. With our desire to expose students to all parts of the world, we can’t ignore Africa.”
Junior Bonnie Charlston, an active member of Pepperdine’s student-led organization Acting on AIDS, sees the program as a “unique opportunity.”
“Having a program in Africa would be so valuable to build a connection between the Pepperdine community and communities there,” she said. “Students might have the opportunity to interact with children and adults who do not live easy lives and serve them in a way that would make them feel loved and supported.”
According to Selby, community is “very important in the village,” mostly because they get from community all the things we depend on in America.
“They have these extended rituals of greeting in their community,” Selby said. “Just getting through the village takes so long because you have to greet every person.”
Junior Allison Moomey, another supporter of Acting on AIDS, mentioned that the impact the spirit of the African people can have on students will be one of the greatest benefits of the program.
“After traveling to Thailand with intentions to help the Thai people, I learned that, while I was able to offer a small part of myself to them, what had more of an impact than my service was what I learned through the love I was shown,” she said.
Selby says it’s impossible not to go with some questions, “but then you see things like their hospitals.”
“There’s a sense, in which, this is harder emotionally than I ever thought to see what you see,” he said. “But at the same time, I came back convinced Pepperdine really needs to do this to help students see how the rest of the world lives.”
09-13-2007