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ALC Student voting during ALC election night event
Obama wins in a landslide victory at American Language Center
While citizens across the United States were going to the polls on November 4, 2008, English students at the American Language Center (ALC) were holding their own mock election for US President. The professional students of the ALC in Ouagadougou took time out of their English classes on Tuesday night to put American-style democracy into practice. Students participated in this historic election by simulating the American voting experience here in Ouagadougou. Close to 100 students checked their names against the voting registrar’s list, took their ballots to balloting tables and checked their choice, and finally dropped the ballots into the sealed ballot box. Students received voting stickers and enjoyed refreshments while waiting for the results. Finally, African favorite Senator Barack Obama won 96% of the votes in a Ouagadougou landslide victory. The 2008 US Presidential election has captivated many foreign audiences, but particularly those on the African continent. Many Africans, Burkinabe included, have followed this US presidential campaign with keen interest as one characterized by many historic “firsts.” This event was the culmination of a series of programs to engage ALC students on democracy building themes, including political plurality, using English language as a medium of instruction and dialogue. This was English teaching in action and brought home the lesson of how each voice counts and needs to be heard in a democracy like the American model.
