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 The
unit house or "Chez Goshen" as we call it here serves many functions.
Besides housing the faculty leaders and family, the students also
gather here about once a week for various activities: We share a
noon meal cooked by Ismael, who has served SST units here for many
years.
 We
have a time for group worship usually planned by the students. Then
there is time for planned discussion and reflection on recent field
trips.
Students have also been reporting on their projects. Rhiannon Checchio
joined the choir of the large UEESO church and described how they
write and learn music. Here is the first line of a sample she showed
us.  It's
a familiar hymn and you can figure it out if you know your do-re-me's.
There are lines for soprano, alto tenor and bass but instead of
notes, there is a letter indicating the note of the scale using
the do-re-me system. Dots tell the duration of the note and high
or low marks tell you when it's not the normal octave. Interestingly,
they don't use the European style fixed "do"=C but rather let "do"
represent the home tone the same as the more American style do-re-me.
After a bit of help, Rhiannon led the
group in singing it. Have you got it yet? The tune is known
to Americans as "My Country 'Tis of Thee", and to others
perhaps as "God save the Queen".
Peter Sabath studied the drumming methods and rhythms of tam-tams
and learned a number of drum "songs". The tam-tam is the most common
 type
of drum here, and is used for accompanying many types of music.
Though it originated in another part of Africa, tam-tams are now
made and used all over Côte d'Ivoire. Peter found young men
in his neighborhood who were willing to give him lessons. Then for
his report he invited several of them to give us a concert at chez
Goshen.
An important part of the day is when all the business is done and
the students have time to relax
together. Even when students are enjoying their host families
immensely, it still requires a great deal of energy every day to
live and communicate in a foreign culture, and the time at chez
Goshen is a break. Playing
guitar and cutting
hair are perennial activities.
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