Summer 2007 ()

On the cover: Macbeth costumes, designed by Associate Professor Jeanne Arnold,photographed by Ahmad El-Nemr

Photography students exhibit their work on campus 2

Noor E

l Deeb

FEATURES6 HONORING ACHIEVERS

Graduates, faculty members and distinguished scholars receive recognition at AUC’s 84th annual commencement ceremonies.

8 A STAGE PRESENCEFrom acting and directing to teaching and composing, theater graduates follow different routes, honing their skills and talent.

11 ALUMNI RECONNECTAlumni of all generations and their families reunite at AUC’s new campus site.

12 EGYPT THROUGH A LENSPhotography students capture snapshots of life in Egypt, highlighting unique aspects of the country’s culture and heritage.

14 DRESSING THE PARTVeteran costume designer Jeanne Arnold uses color, fabric and an artistic vision to turn sketches into live characters on stage.

DEPARTMENTS3 AUSCENES

Leaders of American universities tour the United States, Dukakis on public service, alumnus wins Pulitzer Prize, Enid Hill retires, Hermann F.Eilts International Scholarship Fund established

ALUMNI PROFILES18 Kegham Djeghalian ’06 and

Nermine Said ’00 learn the ins and outs of costume design

20 AROUND THE WORLDAlumni meet in various countries worldwide

24 AKHER KALAMMostafa Abdelkarim, foreign affairs graduate from the University ofVirginia, reflects on the life lessons he learned during his stay in Egypt and at AUC in the summer of 2006

2 AUCTODAY Summer 2007

The American University in Cairo is anonprofit private institution devoted toproviding English-language liberal artseducation to serve Egypt and theMiddle East.

Editor in ChiefDalia Al Nimr

DesignerRehab Farouk

WritersIngrid Wassmann and Larissa Lawrence

Advisory BoardLouis Greiss ’55, Laila Rustom, NahedDajani ’83, Mirette Mabrouk ’89, ’90,Tarek Atia (YAB ’91), Lamya Tawfik ’97,’04, Mohamed Selim ’04, ’06, NadaSabet ’05 and Sarah El Sirgany ’04

Photography Ahmad El-Nemr

AUCToday is published three timesa year by the American University in Cairo.

We welcome all letters. Submissionsmay be edited for space and clarity.Please send all correspondence to:AUCTodayThe American University in Cairo113 Kasr El Aini StreetP.O. Box 2511Cairo 11511EgyptorAUCTodayThe American University in Cairo420 Fifth Avenue,Third floorNew York, NY 10018-2729USA

tel 20.2.2797.5448 (Egypt)e-mail [email protected]

AUCTODAYVolume 15, No. 3

Welcome to the first summer supplement of AUCToday.With the onset of summer, we are all unwinding.Thoughts

of travel and gathering with family and friends are prime inour minds.The magazine’s shorter summer issue is intendedfor such a relaxed atmosphere.While on vacation at thebeach, it is something you could flip through easily, enjoyingthe pictures and lighter content. Although reduced in size, thesections of the magazine remain the same.We hope you enjoyit and look forward to your comments and suggestions.

In this issue, we spotlight theater at AUC. An art andscience of expression, theater involves more than just actingand directing. It is a broad field that encompasses everythingfrom lighting and sound to stagecraft and costume design. Aswe see in “A Stage Presence” (page 8), three theatergraduates’ common love of drama takes them to differentareas of the theater world, where they enhance their talentand abilities. Moving backstage, “Dressing the Part” (page 14)gives a behind-the-scenes account of costume designing, anintricate art that may beoverlooked at times but isnevertheless essential for thedevelopment of the characters’personalities on stage. In the end, itis the collaborative work of thoseon stage and backstage that makesor breaks it for a performance.

Enjoy your read.

Editor’s Notes

Summer Breeze

3

Working to spread the word about the roles andgoals of their institutions, the leaders of four

American universities in the Middle East, including AUC,visited the United States to discuss the state of liberal artseducation in the region.The four leaders were PresidentJohn Waterbury (American University of Beirut), PresidentDavid Arnold (AUC), President Joseph Jabbra (LebaneseAmerican University) and Chancellor Winfred Thompson(American University of Sharjah).

“The purpose of the trip is to deepen awareness,understanding and support of these goals in the UnitedStates,” said the four leaders just before leaving the region.“Our common institutional goal is to educate futureleaders and citizens who understand and share the valuesof liberal arts education and who function effectively in aninterdependent world. Our universities are also a creativeforce for culturally sensitive social change, both locally and regionally.”

During their trip, the four met with U.S. Secretary ofState Condoleezza Rice, as well as senior officers of theDepartment of State and the U.S.Agency for InternationalDevelopment.They also spoke to members of the Councilon Foreign Relations, the premier U.S. venue for the

discussion of issues related to international relations. Inaddition, they met with the editorial boards of TheWashington Post and The New York Times, as well as othernational broadcast and print media.The trip ended with anopen forum on American-style higher education in theMiddle East at Columbia University.

Leaders of American Universities Tour United States

AUC Signs Partnership with Cornell and Ministry of Tourism

Poised to launch a new program targeting the tourismindustry in Egypt,AUC signed a memorandum of

understanding with Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and the top-ranked School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University.

According to preliminary plans, professors from Cornelland AUC’s soon-to-be-established graduate school ofbusiness will give sessions at AUC during winter andsummer terms. Professionals in the tourism industry will beoffered general sessions that deal with various aspects ofhospitality and administration, as well as specialized tracksthat address the participants’ more specific needs, such asforecasting tourist arrivals, hotel revenue management andmanaging hotel restaurants.A professional development planis already well established at the Ivy League university.Theonly differences are that the program will take place in Cairo,AUC professors will work with Cornell professors and

English language preparation will be provided when needed.Ali Hadi, vice provost at AUC and professor emeritus at

Cornell, represented AUC at the signing ceremony withMinister of Tourism Zoheir Garranah and Michael D.Johnson, dean of Cornell’s hotel school. Hadi believes allthree sides will benefit from this cooperation.“There is ahuge demand for this. People in the tourism industry herehave been sending a large number of people to Cornellevery year for this program,” he said, pointing out that manymore professionals would be able to attend if it were held inCairo instead of Ithaca, New York.

The three parties aim to hold the first session in January2008.“We are going into new markets that we wouldn’t haveentered before. ...This might lead to bigger things,” Hadisaid, suggesting the possibility of offering a diploma or even adegree in the field.

Jabbra,Waterbury,Thompson and Arnold

AuScenes

Dennis Bra

ck

Universities should actively encourage their students to enter politics, stressedformer U.S. presidential candidate Michael Dukakis during a lecture on

campus.“If we need one thing, that is good people in public service,” he said,emphasizing the imperative of drawing young people into public service anddeveloping political coalitions at the grass-roots level.“You don’t build democracywith advertising, but by getting thousands and thousands of people deeply andactively involved in the political process.”

In 1988, Dukakis ran for U.S. president, and after winning the Democraticnomination, was defeated by George Bush.“I made two fatal mistakes in 1988.I didn’t respond to the Bush attack, and I forgot about grass-roots coalitions,”Dukakis said.

A graduate of Harvard Law School, Dukakis served for three terms asgovernor of Massachusetts and, in 1986, was voted by the National Governors’Association as the most effective governor in the nation. Since 1991, he has taughtpolitical science and public policy at Northeastern, Harvard and Florida Atlanticuniversities. His research has focused on national health care policy reform.

To listen to the podcast of this lecture, visitwww.aucegypt.edu/resources/smc/webcasts/index.cfm


Former U.S. Presidential Candidate Promotes Public Service

Lawrence Wright ’71 was recentlyawarded the Pulitzer Prize for

general nonfiction for his book, TheLooming Tower, published in 2006.A New York Times bestseller, the book

discusses the events leading to 9/11.For five years,Wright conductedhundreds of interviews in Egypt,Saudi Arabia, Pakistan,Afghanistan,Sudan, England, France, Germany andthe United States. In the book, hetells the story of two Al Qaedaleaders, Osama bin Laden and AymanAl-Zawahiri; the counterterrorismchief of the Federal Bureau ofInvestigation, John O’Neill; and theformer head of Saudi intelligence,Prince Turki Al-Faisal.“I wanted towrite a book that would turn acritical eye on all of the partiesinvolved. No one single person, event

or religious leaning bears soleresponsibility for anti-Muslim or anti-American sentiments,”Wright said.Wright’s first experience with the

Middle East came from living andworking in Cairo while pursuing amaster’s degree in applied linguisticsat AUC.“This exposure to Egyptianpeople, culture and politics made animpression on me that developed myinterest in the region,” he said.A prolific author,Wright has

written numerous books, plays andmovie scripts, including thescreenplay for The Siege, a 1998 filmthat rendered an attack on New Yorkby Islamic terrorists. Emanating fromthe same theme, The Looming Towerprovides an analysis of how Islamicfundamentalism has changed societies worldwide.

Alumnus Wins Pulitzer Prize for The Looming Tower Kenny

Braun

AuScenes

5

Hill Retires After 40 Years at AUC

Enid Hill, professor and chair of the law department, is retiring after nearlyfour decades at the university.“I didn’t expect to stay for 40 years when I first

came,” said Hill, who was granted the title professor emeritus of law and politicalscience and given the President’s Award for Distinguished Service at a receptionand dinner held in her honor.“My major aim in life was never power or money,but rather to not be bored.That’s why I’ve stayed. I’ve never been bored here.”

Hill was instrumental in the creation of the university’s law department in 2005and has worked relentlessly to expand it.The department currently offers master’sdegree programs in international human rights law (IHRL), as well asinternational and comparative law. Hill has also written widely on the Egyptianand sharia legal systems, established the International Human Rights LawOutreach Program and assisted in the development of a summer school programwith the University of Zurich in Switzerland.

“Dr. Hill’s intellectual curiosity and support for those just beginning theircareers are some of the most inspiring things about her,” said Jesse McClelland,IHRL student and president of the Law Students Association.

Reflecting on Hill’s relationship with her students, Jill Edwards, historyprofessor, noted,“Her students’ devotion speaks for her kindness and generosity infreely giving so much of her own time. I am very proud to have had a colleagueand friend of such distinction as Dr. Enid Hill. She is surely one of the mostremarkable personalities at AUC.”

In his recent visit to Cairo, Frank G.Wisner,AUC trustee and former

U.S. ambassador to Egypt, warned thatthe Muslim world is faced with the riseof radical expressions and that theregion is in one of its most dangeroustimes.“While most of the rest of theworld lives in a relative degree ofpeace, the Middle East is mired in war,in violence, in terror,” said Wisnerduring a lecture on campus.

Emphasizing the importance ofcollaboration between Egypt and theUnited States,Wisner noted that it wastime the two countries rethink and“freshen” their common interests.“Thebest moments that Egypt and theUnited States have known in thisregion over the past 30 years is when

we and Egypt have worked together.…We need more than simplyexchanges between our presidents,” hesaid, advocating greater academic andeconomic cooperation.

A graduate of Princeton University,Wisner served for 36 years as a careerdiplomat. During his tenure, he wasU.S. ambassador to Zambia, Egypt, thePhilippines and India.Today,Wisner is aboard member of various educational,business and nonprofit entities. He isalso vice chairman, external affairs, ofAmerican International Group, theleading U.S.-based internationalinsurance organization.

To listen to the podcast of thislecture, visit www.aucegypt.edu/resources/smc/webcasts/index.cfm

Wisner Highlights U.S.-Egypt Relations Hermann F. EiltsScholarship Established

As a tribute to Hermann F. Eilts,the late AUC trustee and former

U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia andEgypt, the university has established ascholarship in his name.

Created with the aim of furtheringcultural exchange, the Hermann F. EiltsInternational Scholarship Fund willenable outstanding undergraduatestudents in the United States to takeclasses in history, political science orMiddle East studies at AUC for eithera semester or year.

The university is currently in theprocess of raising funds to endow thescholarship. For more information, call02.02.2791.2251 (Cairo) or1.212.730.8800 (New York).

At two separatecommencement ceremoniesfor graduate and

undergraduate students, master’sdegrees were awarded to 125candidates and 395 undergraduatesearned bachelor’s degrees.

Delivering the keynote speech atthe undergraduate commencementceremony, leading Egyptian journalistMohamed Hassanein Heikal spokeabout the transition from onegeneration to the next.“I stand beforeyou, a man who belongs to ageneration that is entering its twilightwhile around me is a generationseething with vitality and renewedhope,” he said.“I stand before you, aman who had occasion to voyagetoward many destinations, whofollowed the great events of his timesand watched as ideas took shape, asdreams struggled to be fulfilled, asnew conflicts erupted. I saw wars,revolutions, coups, periods of progressand others of regression. I watched as

they germinated and then raged acrossour homeland, our region, our world.During this voyage, I met a greatmany of the men and women whostood at the forefront of the immensestruggles that extended from thesecond half of the 20th century to thefirst decade of the 21st.Yet hereamong you, I feel surrounded by thesigns of a new dawn, can sense thefirst rays of the sun as it climbs intoopen skies to herald the birth of anew day.”

Presented with an honorarydoctorate, Heikal expressed hisgratitude to AUC, but explained hisreasons for declining the award.“Thecitation on which AUC based itsdecision to honor me fills me with aprofound gratitude. Simply reading itwas sufficient to convince me that toexpect anything further would be akind of excess,” he said.“[However],in the case of the journalist, theoffering of honors is best left toreaders whose appreciation can be

measured in their interest in what thejournalist writes and the trust theyplace in that writing.This, as some ofyou may know, is a rule I have alwaysapplied to the presentation of medalsand other honors offered by states andprofessional or academic institutionsin both the Arab world and beyond.”

Two honorary doctorates were alsoawarded to Muhsin Mahdi, professoremeritus of Arabic at HarvardUniversity, and Roger Owen,professor of Middle East history atHarvard University and the keynotespeaker at the graduatecommencement ceremony.

“Your own self education is neverover,” said Owen, addressing thegraduates.“While you definitely needteachers at the beginning, you are thenlikely to learn more from the membersof your own intellectual cohort, andeven more from those much youngerthan yourselves, if you are luckyenough like me to have students ofyour own. ... In the end, you are your

Honoring Achievers


President’s Cup winners Bushra Tobah,Alia Attia and Sara Farrag;Mohamed Hassanein Heikal delivering the keynote speech at the undergraduate ceremony;Parents Association Cup winner Ali Bouchellih

Graduates and faculty members recognized at AUC’s 84th

annual commencement ceremonies

Photos by Ahmad El-Nemr

own best teacher, involved forever inyour own experiments in terms oftrial and error.”

In addition to the honorarydoctorates, several AUC facultymembers were recognized at bothceremonies.Ali Hadi, vice provost andmathematics professor, and SherifSedky, associate professor of physics,both received the Excellence inResearch and Creative EndeavorsAward at the graduate ceremony. Hadireceived the award for his innovativeresearch in the field of statistics, andSedky was recognized for hisgroundbreaking research in the fieldof micro-electromechanical systems.At the undergraduate ceremony,Eskandar Tooma ’98, finance professorand director of the university’s CitadelCapital Financial Services Center,received the Parents Association Awardfor Excellence in UndergraduateTeaching.Tooma was chosen bystudents for his innovative teachingsskills and ability to link theoreticalconcepts to real-life situations.

As for students, 148 graduatedwith honors, high honors orhighest honors. Among the topstudents who graduated were ninescholarship recipients.

Amira El Sharkawi, recipient of theMoataz Al-Alfi Scholarship, establishedby AUC Trustee Moataz Al-Alfi, wasone of those outstanding students.“Being at AUC has changed me 180degrees,” she said, grateful for theopportunity given to her.“It helped mebecome self confident and gave me thechoice to be who I want to be.”Reminiscing about her professors, thejournalism and mass communicationgraduate added,“I learned so muchfrom them, not just academically, butabout life in general because they sharetheir own experiences.They giveeverything they have.”

Maha Assaly, recipient of the YoussefNabih Scholarship in Accounting,echoed the same sentiment.“At AUC,I learned to express my opinionsfreely and become more independent,”she said.

For Sherif Magdy, computer sciencemajor and recipient of the Xerox EgyptS.A.E. Scholarship, the chance to studyat AUC has helped him become moretolerant and appreciative of differentcultures.“The most important thing Irealized during my five years of study isto respect others, regardless of theirreligion or background. I truly seemyself as a better person now,” he said.

President David Arnold presents Rana El-Harouny with the Frank G.Wisner Award for Scholarly Excellence;RogerOwen, professor of Middle East history at Harvard and recipient of an honorary doctorate from AUC, addresses master’sdegree candidates; Omar Elimam, undergraduate class representative

Pride in AUC

Speaking on behalf of theundergraduate class, Omar

Elimam, who graduated summa cumlaude in business administration, told apacked audience of family and friendswhat being an AUCian means to him.

“Being an AUC student is notabout abusing a privileged lifestyle; itis about maximizing the benefit wecan bring to a society of which weare an integral part,” he said.“AnAUCian is not synonymous withbeing an elitist; it is, however, settingan elite standard for society. It israising the bar at a level that will takeEgypt to new heights.”

During his university years, Elimamwas an active member of the AUCdelegation to the National ModelUnited Nations in New York, thelargest Model United Nations eventin the world.The delegation won firstand second place for two consecutiveyears.“Upon the announcement ofour award,” Elimam said during hiscommencement speech,“we stood inthe General Assembly of the UnitedNations on First Avenue, Manhattan,among delegates from the fourcorners of the Earth and sang ournational anthem at the top of ourlungs.When asked who we were, wecould not have been more proud tosay,‘We are from the AmericanUniversity in Cairo.’”

7

Effat Yehia ’91 admits she hadulterior motives when shebegan studying theater. “It

was my freshman year, and I decidedto take acting as an elective becauseI knew a handsome boy who wasgoing to be in the class,” she said.Although she ended up in a differentsection than her classmate, herventure into the world of theaterwas nevertheless fruitful. “I loved theclass, enjoying it to the point that Itook it two times.”

The remaining years of Yehia’scollege experience were filled withtheater. From attending theater

festivals in Cairo and traveling to theEdinburgh International Festival todeclaring a minor in the field andworking backstage in various AUCproductions,Yehia explained,“Iparticipated in absolutely everythingI could find.”

With her love of theater clearlyestablished,Yehia founded anindependent theater troupe aftergraduation, Al Qafela (The Caravan),which focuses on Egyptian women’sexperiences and struggles. “When Istarted out, I asked myself, ‘How canI make good theater?’ For me, theanswer was to be sincere, to express

my inner self,” Yehia said. “As anEgyptian woman, I’m drawn to playsthat examine women’s issues. It’s niceto do something about women, bywomen and for women.”

Since its establishment almost 15years ago, Al Qafela has performed12 plays, three of which werewritten by Yehia. From the firstproduction, a performance of EdnaO’Brien’s Virginia, which exploresnovelist Virginia Woolf ’s relationshipwith her husband, the groundworkwas laid for Al Qafela’s identificationas a women’s theater group.Subsequent plays examined themesthat flowed from the feminineexperience, such as adultery,circumcision, the nature ofrelationships between men andwomen and mother-daughterdynamics. “A part of what Al Qafeladoes is try to change women’s livesfor the better,” said Yehia.

In addition to Al Qafela,Yehia alsodirected plays in Chicago and Brazil.Despite enjoying the experience ofparticipating in theater abroad,Yehiafinds pleasure in working in Egyptand in the Arabic language. “Theateris directly tied to identity,” sheexplained. “When I direct in Arabicor perform in Egypt, the play hitscloser to home. I understand theEgyptian audience better because Iam part of that audience.There’s justsomething about using my ownlanguage, songs and heritage thatenriches plays.”

A #ta&e !resen&e

Yehia enjoys directing plays in Egypt

Embarking on different paths, theater

graduates come one step closer to

realizing their dreams

By Larissa LawrencePhotos by Ahmad El-Nemr

9

Despite hailing from a family ofdoctors and engineers,Ahmed Salah ’02fell fervently in love with music andtheater at a young age.When he was 10years old, Salah began playing the guitar,forming the basis for a strong musicalportfolio that grew over time to includea repertoire of seven string instruments.

Salah’s family soon realized the fullextent of his talent and passion formusic.When he was 16 years old, heranked second across Egypt in anational contest for original musiccomposition.“Everybody wasabsolutely shocked and became verysupportive afterwards. It was really aturning point in my life,” he said.

Today, Salah’s love of music andtheater manifests itself in his work as adrama and music teacher at theAmerican division of Misr LanguageSchools, where he has taught middleand high school students for the pastfive years. Salah credits the dynamicteaching style of Mahmoud El Lozy, hisperforming and visual arts professor,with inspiring him to become a teacher.“Ever since [taking El Lozy’s course], Iwanted to be a drama teacher, not a staror a big actor. I made the decision that

semester, and it continues to be mydream ever since,” Salah said, addingthat his students are the most importantpart of his career.“If there is anythingI’m proud of in life, it’s my students. Mywhole world revolves around them. Iteach them and learn from them.”

Committed to augmenting teachingwith active involvement in theaterproductions, Salah also works as acomposer and actor. He has performedin many of El Lozy’s theater

productions, as well as in film andtelevision series, including the movieHeads and Tails and Morning Light, adrama series. Despite the demands ofbalancing simultaneous acting andteaching careers, Salah noted,“It maynot be easy, but it is manageable sinceboth are important to me. Somehow, itjust works.”

As an actor, Salah realized a long-harbored dream a few years ago whenhe performed on the Bertolt Brechtstage in Berlin, Germany while on tourfor Mother, I Want to be a Millionaire.“When I studied [playwright] Brecht atAUC, I was deeply affected by his styleand wanted to stand on Brecht’s stageever since,” Salah said.“It was anamazing experience that surpassed all ofmy expectations.”

In addition to teaching and acting,Salah also plays music. He spends longevenings recording with his Orientalrock band, currently at work on theirfirst album. He has also composed allthe music for El Lozy’s latest theaterproduction,The Hypnotist.“I loveteaching, and drama and music are mypassion,” he said.“I can’t see myselfdoing anything else.”

Top and bottom: Salah teaches students at Misr Language Schools the art of drama

From Cairo to Switzerland toGermany, Ramsi Lehner ’05 is inpassionate pursuit of all thingstheatrical.An actor, director, writer,composer and drama instructor, Lehneradmires the versatility of a field liketheater.“If I had to choose, I supposeacting, directing and writing would bemy favorite endeavors. But the greatthing about theater is you don’t have tomake a choice.You can do so manythings at the same time,” he said.

Lehner has participated in varioustheatrical endeavors.As anundergraduate, he aided in the sounddesign for campus productions andgave theater workshops to membersof the Cairo to Camps student clubto help Palestinian refugee childrenexpress themselves through drama.After graduation, he directed, actedand co-wrote a one-man play titledAnalog. He also worked as a drama

and theater teacher, but opted to giveit up to focus solely on acting.“Ilearned a lot from teaching, but theschedule simply did not work withmy acting career. Ultimately, I had tomake a choice,” he said.

With his more flexible workschedule, Lehner has been able to takeadvantage of unique actingopportunities. In September 2006, heperformed at AUC in About Othello orWho’s Afraid of William Shakespeare, anadaptation of some of Shakespeare’sworks directed by Ahmed El Attar ’93.

Two months later, the play wasperformed at an international theaterfestival in Switzerland, markingLehner’s first leading role before aEuropean audience.Additionally, herecently traveled to Germany andCroatia to perform in another El Attarproduction.“I really enjoy workingabroad; it gives me a boost,” he said.

Reminiscent of his previous work asa schoolteacher, Lehner also givesimprovisation workshops to aspiringactors.“These workshops give me thechance to teach again, but with muchmore freedom,” he said.“Improvisationis all about honest expression.That canbe hard to facilitate with children,especially in a school setting wherethere are certain rules and expectationsyou have to abide by.”

Looking ahead, Lehner’s ultimategoal is to combine his love of teachingtheater with his interest in socialservice. His dream is to establish avenue that would expose localchildren, particularly those withdisabilities, to the endless possibilitiesof theater.“The idea behind the placewould be to provide children with aforum for expressing and discoveringthemselves through art, as opposed toonly getting them to appreciate art,”he said. !

Top: Lehner (seated, right) during an AUC performance of About Othello or Who’s Afraid of WilliamShakespeare; bottom right: Lehner in the studio

“But the great thing abouttheater is you don’t have tomake a choice.You can doso many things at the sametime.”

Alumni of various

generations toured

AUC’s new

campus site at

three separate

reunions

(econnectAlumni

Classes of ’01, ’02 and ’03

Classes of ’81, ’82, ’83, ’86, ’87 and ’88

Classes of ’91, ’92, ’93, ’96, ’97 and ’98

Photography students

capture life in Egypt

through pictures

Egypt

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Shot in both color and black and white, the student exhibition titled “EgyptianTreasures” offered insight into Egypt’s culture and heritage.The 74 images,

taken as part of an introductory photography course, captured an eclecticspectrum of daily life in Egypt, ranging from working Egyptians, Islamicarchitecture and historic landmarks.

“We chose Egypt as the dominant theme because we wanted Egyptian studentsto explore the beauty and richness of their own culture,” explained Robert Jones,journalism and mass communication lecturer and course instructor.“By the endof the semester, I was amazed to see not only how creative the students havebecome, but also how much they knew about a digital camera.”

In addition to being displayed on campus, the photographs will also be used foran AUC student magazine.All the photographs from the exhibition may beviewed online at www.aucegypt.edu/academic/jmc/publications.html, whichhosts a database of nearly 4,000 photos.

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Blending fabric, color and

texture, AUC’s costume

designer Jeanne Arnold brings

theater characters to life


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Arnold making final touches in the costume room; right:Water-colored sketch of one ofArnold’s costumes for the American musical, Guys and Dolls

By Ingrid WassmannPhotos by Ahmad El-Nemr

In the brightly lit costume room ofthe Falaki theater, the broadsewing tables are sprinkled with

needles, thread, ribbons and snippets ofdiscarded material.Water-coloredsketches, each stapled with samples ofmatching fabric, are partly covered by atwisted measuring tape and a pair ofbig scissors.The finished costumes hang on a rack, ready to be moved to the dressing rooms for tomorrow’s rehearsal.

Long after the actors and seamstresseshave gone home, Jeanne Arnold,

performing and visual arts associateprofessor and director of theater, is busyadding some final touches to the dancecostumes for the Hot Box Girls.Searching for the aesthetic proportions,her head tilted to the side, she reshapesthe veil on one of the little black hatsand then hems the dance outfit for atighter fit until it perfectly hugs theslim silhouette of the mannequin.Tocreate a more ruffled look for thefeathered tails of the chicken costumes,she tightens the elastic bands,accentuating the curls in the strips of

yellow and orange tutu material.Careful and last-minute alterations suchas these reflect only a fraction of thepainstaking detail and work devoted tothe making of the 70 costumes for theAmerican musical, Guys and Dolls.

The next day, with only an hour leftto dress rehearsal,Arnold dashes off tothe noisy fitting rooms to check in onthe actors donning their costumes andexuberantly warming up their voices.She then rushes down the hall intothe make-up room to resolve thesudden emergency of the no-showmake-up artist.

Working such 20-hour days before aperformance feels all too familiar toArnold, a veteran costume designerwho has spent nearly two decades inboth the management and creativetrack of the theater world. In theUnited States, she designed more than

1515

Left:Arnold in the fitting room with actors; top: Guys andDolls, performed on campus in Spring 2007

200 costumes for approximately 100plays, from Shakespearean dramas likeJulius Caesar and Romeo and Juliet toGreek tragedies such as Medea andAntigone to splashy American musicalslike A Chorus Line and West Side Story.Prior to coming to Egypt, she taughtthe fundamentals of costume design for10 years at the University of PugetSound in Tacoma,Washington and theUniversity of Washington. Six years ago,Arnold joined AUC, teaching coursesin costume design, stage make-uptechniques and history of dress. She has

also designed the costumes for morethan a dozen AUC productions.

“Costume designing requires asignificant amount of psychologicalanalysis,” said Arnold.“Interpretingidentity, motivation, behavior andpsychology of dress is essential in orderto determine whether the characterdresses to hide or to reveal.”

For the garments of Macbeth,performed on campus in 2005,Arnoldchose rough textures and interwovenfabrics to reveal the emotional state ofcharacters filled with betrayal and a lust

for power.This process of characteranalysis,Arnold explained, depends onthe costume designer’s familiarity withthe theatrical text.“Our work beginswith the play,” she said, dispelling themisconception that fashion andcostume design are interchangeable.“The two are really so different.Fashion is commercial and followstrends, as opposed to theater that iscompletely text-driven.”

But a costume goes through manyintricate phases –– from visual conceptand sketch to cutting and fitting ––before it can contribute to thecollaborative effervescence of the stage.“A costume designer must understandtheater and the text as a performance,know how a play is structured andwhat it has to say, think like a directorand be able to envision the charactersbecoming three-dimensional,” she said,recalling her first costume drawings as astudent at Portland State University,where she earned a bachelor’s in theater

Costumes for Macbeth, performed on campus in2005, were made of rough, interwoven fabrics

arts.“Drawing costumes can be a realhurdle, but if you work hard enoughyou will learn how to do it. It is a skill.”

Hoping to instill in her students thereflex and ability to think visually,Arnold has them draw, sketch andwatercolor their costume ideas early onin her courses.“This prevents themfrom using shortcuts like pictures orsketches traced from stock figures,” saidArnold, who earned her master’s incostume design from the University ofWashington in Seattle.“Ultimately, agood water-colored sketch shouldreveal the proportion, but also theemotional content of the character andthe style of the costume.”

Arnold added that a costumedesigner never works in isolation, but inclose and continuous collaborationwith the director and the productionstaff. Emphasizing the importance ofbuilding a sound rapport,Arnold said,“I could read Hamlet and have a lot ofideas that are completely different fromthe director. Hopefully there is ameeting of minds.”

Since working on costumes in Egypt,Arnold has discovered new hurdles.

Cultural considerations haveoccasionally caused her to abandonsome of her costume ideas.Yet she findsthat the biggest difficulty is trying tocreate high-quality work with limitedresources.“I end up doing a lot myselfand spend a lot of time sewing,”

explained Arnold, evoking with a pinchof humor the large support staff shehad at the Seattle Opera where sheworked as costume design coordinator.

Back in the Falaki theater, the dressrehearsal for Guys and Dolls is drawingto its finale.All the actors reappear onstage singing in chorus, playing out the

closing musical number.Arnold lookson attentively from the audience andjots down a few minor costumealterations, which include shiftingaround the colors of the men’s shirtsand ties in order to the balance theoverall picture on stage.“I can makesmall changes just before the openingnight, but I never add or removeanything radically significant fromactors’ costumes because that couldmake them uncomfortable and trigger awhole series of mishaps,” she said.

Two days later, on opening night, theaudience is packed and the adrenaline ispumping high.The actors, now incostume, bring their characters to life.“This is what I love about theater,” saidArnold.“It is the magic of how a storyis told on stage, through the costumes,language, visuals and characters. It is thedynamic of that live time space whenall these things come together thatattracts me.”!

17

Guys and Dolls featured 70 different costumes

“Drawing costumes can bea real hurdle, but if youwork hard enough, you willlearn how to do it.”


Participating in AUC theaterproductions, alumni costumedesigners are learning the

tricks of the trade.Through theirwork, the young graduates areexploring new ideas, getting a tasteof the professional field and learningto deal with forthcoming challenges.

Stepping In Kegham Djeghalian ’06 was drawninto the field by chance. Having seena flyer on campus advertising for a

costume designer, Djeghalian foundhimself, with no prior experience,designing the costumes for AUC’s2005 production of Family Stories.Today, he still vividly recalls the firstdress rehearsal of the slapsticktragedy about domestic and politicalviolence in war-torn Belgrade. “Inearly cried; I was so stressed out. Iwas afraid it would look amateurish,like a high school play,” explainedthe visual arts graduate who minoredin theater.

But his fear passed and a yearlater, Djeghalian designed costumesfor a modern adaptation of the 17thcentury French comedy, The Illusion.“He did a terrific job. It was a veryinteresting but difficult designproject,” said Jeanne Arnold,performing and visual arts associateprofessor and director of theater.One media critic reviewing the playin Al Ahram Weekly praised the“eloquent, vaguely romantic, multi-period costumes” that Djeghaliandesigned in just five weeks.

Originally a painter andinstallation artist, Djeghalian has astrong knack for colors in hiscostumes. “Costume design in a waypaints the stage, and color isimportant because that is the firstthing the audience sees,” he said.

Always on the lookout for newideas, Djeghalian likes to go beyondwhat’s conventional in his work. “Itry to take my costumes a stepfurther so that they have somethingalmost abstract about them,” he said.

Beyond Art It takes more than just artistic talentto become a costume designer.Finding the right fabrics, colors andtextures requires extensive researchand investigation, as Nermine Said ’00found out through her work onnearly a dozen student plays.

For the recent production of The

Through their costume designs, young alumni help actors

transform into characters

Djeghalian likes to explore non-conventional ideas in his work

3a4e to 5it

Hypnotist, an Arabic play set in amodest Cairo neighborhood in1950, Said, who is currently pursuingher master’s at the Academy of Arts,spent two months researching thetextile of that period. She wentthrough books, old postcards anddated photographs and eventuallyfound the visual references for the27 costumes she designed inEgyptian films of the late 1940s. Shemet regularly with the director todiscuss her ideas and sketches,shopped around for fabrics and satwith the seamstresses for the cuttingand fittings.

“Nermine did a fantastic job ofcapturing the cultural nuances thatcorrespond to the social backgroundof the characters,” said Arnold. “Herchoices of fabrics and silhouetteswere very interesting.”

Even after the costumes wereready, Said’s work was far from done.Communicating with the actors sothat they felt comfortable and naturalin their garments was essential. “Iwould talk to them about thepsychology of their character andexplain why I made certain choices,”she said, referring to a problem she

faced in The Hypnotist when one ofthe actors refused to wear openshoes. “She didn’t want to show hertoes, so we had to settle for a closedpair,” Said noted.Three pairs later,the actress finally felt right in her shoes.

“Ultimately, the goal is for the

actors to feel at ease in their outfits,”Said explained. “When the actors puton their costumes, they should feel,walk and talk like the character.They become the character.They are the character.” !

By Ingrid WassmannPhotos by Ahmad El-Nemr

19

Students perform in The Hypnotist, which featured Egyptian costumes of the 1950s

Said adjusting the costumes before the dress rehearsal for The Hypnotist

Around the WorldQatar

Alumni reception held at the DiplomaticClub in Qatar in March 2007

Ragab (center) receiving her award from President David Arnoldand Raymonda Raif ’91, director of alumni and trustee affairs

In recognition of her accomplishments, Maha Ragab ’76 receivedthe Alumni Achievement Award.

After graduating with a double major in political science and masscommunication, Ragab embarked on a successful banking career.She joined Egypt’s Commercial International Bank in 1976 andcontinued there for almost 30 years, rising to the level of generalmanager of strategic relations and finance programs group.Throughher work, Ragab handled the portfolio of large depositors andmultinational companies. In August 2005, she joined Al Ahli UnitedBank Group in Bahrain. Later, she became executive manager ofprivate banking and wealth management at Al Ahli Bank in Qatar.

Belgium

Top row:Youssef Hafez ’93, MayaHafez, Rania El Batal ’92 and herhusband Mohamed Barakat; bottom row:Magdy Garas ’90 and his wife ChristineAbdallah ’89, Karim El Masri and hiswife Rana Iskander at an alumnigathering held at Hafez’s apartment inBrussels in February 2007


President David Arnold, Sherry Arnold, Egyptian Consul GeneralIbrahim Hafez,Amr Abdel Hamid, special adviser to the ruler ofSharjah for higher education, and his wife Lobna Ismail ’81

Alumni dinner held at Al Murooj Rotana Hotel in March 2007

President’s Club luncheon

United Arab Emirates

21

Ramzy receiving the Alumni Achievement Award from PresidentDavid Arnold

With a successful career in marketing, Hala Ramzy ’88 was presented withthe Alumni Achievement Award.

Holder of a bachelor’s in business administration, Ramzy developed astrong portfolio of international marketing experience gained from her workof more than 18 years in Egypt, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar. In December2003, she was appointed marketing and public relations director of the DohaAsian Games Organizing Committee. She was responsible for developing theevent’s regional marketing strategy, supervising a team of 116 professionalsfrom 24 different countries, coordinating with 36 multinational agencies andhandling the project budget, which constituted Qatar’s largest marketingbudget in the past three years.

Previously, Ramzy served as the marketing manager for consumer businessat Vodafone, Egypt. She also worked for the Commercial Bank of Qatar, theCommercial Bank of Kuwait, Diners Club International and BBDOadvertising agency.

Alumni working at the United Nations meet with AUC’s 2007 NationalModel United Nations student delegation.The two groups held a paneldiscussion,“Effecting Change Through Careers in Diplomacy,” at DagHammarskjöld Auditorium at the United Nations headquarters in New York inMarch 2007

Alumni reception hosted by Ambassador El-Husseini Abdelwahab, Egypt’s consul general, andhis wife at their residence in Houston,Texas in April 2007

Alumni reception held at the Conrad Chicago Hotel in April 2007

United States

President DavidArnold presenting anAUC Press book toSeifallah Sharbatly ’96at a President’s Clubdinner Sharbatlyhosted at his residence

President’s Club luncheon hosted by Dalia El Sewedy ’92

Saudi Arabia

President’s Club luncheon hosted by Mazen Abdel Majeed ’66 and Nimat Belbeisi ’69 at ByblusRestaurant in Jeddah


Suad Juffali,AUC trustee, during a dinner she hosted at herresidence

Yousef Jameel ’68, Saudibusinessman and devoted alum,

visited the university recently duringa short stay in Cairo.

At the downtown campus, heexplored the Yousef Jameel Science andTechnology Research Center, whichwas established through his generousdonation.There, he inaugurated anewly created biotechnologylaboratory and clean room.

Jameel also toured the new campussite, where he witnessed firsthand theconstruction progress on the AbdulLatif Jameel Management Center.Athree-story building occupying a totalarea of 16,750 square meters, it willhouse the business, economics andcommunication school; conferenceand training rooms; teachinglaboratories and faculty offices.“I wasimpressed by the rapid developments,”Jameel said.“It’s intriguing to see.”

As a finale to his visit, he met withthe Jameel MBA fellows, discussing

with them their academic life at theuniversity. Established two years ago,the Yousef Jameel MBA FellowsProgram awards full MBA scholarshipsto Egyptian and Palestinianprofessionals with backgrounds insciences or information technology.

“Education is the key to the successof our future generations,” Jameelsaid, explaining why he establishedthe program.“Universities like AUC,which have spearheaded high-qualityeducational programs, should alwaysbe supported.”

Jameel Visits

Alma Mater

23

Since AUC launched thealumni online community

last spring, 1,828 alumni have registered.

“It’s a great initiative,” saidShima Barakat ’95, who lives inEngland.“It is wonderful to beconnected to AUC again.”

“This endeavor is uniting usall,” said Amr Helal ’99, anengineer living in Australia.

With the online community,AUC alumni do not just stayconnected with fellow classmates,but also enjoy a number ofservices provided by the newWeb site.These includereviewing and updating theirprofiles online, reading andsubmitting class notes, registeringfor alumni events in differentcountries, subscribing to thealumni e-newsletter and applyingfor a free AUC e-mail account.

Youssef Hafez ’93, who residesin Belgium, is an active user andis already looking forward tosubsequent services.“I hope tosee more activities andinteraction on it soon,” he said.

The Web site is accessible atalumni.aucegypt.edu.Thosewho join will be eligible to wina trip for two to Sharm ElSheikh, including airfare andaccommodations for three nightsat the Four Seasons Resort.Thedrawing for the winner will beheld at Homecoming 2007 (Seefront inside cover for details).

Community

Alumni 6nline

8a9e0 #ha:e

Right: Jameel and President David Arnold at theYousef Jameel Science and Technology ResearchCenter, with Fadel Assabghy, physics professor anddirector of the center; bottom: with Dennis O’Connor,dean of the business, economics and communicationschool (center) and this year’s Jameel MBA fellows


With less than 10 minutes to go, I was bucklingmy seat belt, returning my tray table to its fulland upright position, hearing nothing but the

words of my father:“It could be the most importantdiscovery you ever make.”

Finally, this was my chance.It was mid-afternoon when I arrived at Cairo International

Airport on June 4, 2006.With the exception of having spentthe past 13 hours sitting between a bathroom and cryinginfants, it had been a relatively comfortable trip.As I stoodthere waiting for my luggage to appear on the baggagecarousel, I reminisced about my previous visits to Egypt.

Our family had made the trip every few years, as I spentsummer vacations getting to know my cousins, aunts,uncles, grandparents and just about anyone who hadgrown up with my parents. But as I picked up my bags andexited the airport, I realized what a different kind of tripthis would be.After all, this was the first time I wastraveling to Egypt alone.

When I set foot on the AUC campus, I witnessed a trulyunique academic environment. Being in a classroomcomprised of native Egyptians and students from across theworld was eye opening. Every lecture provoked a livelydiscussion fueled by varying perspectives and backgrounds. Inthese classes, I was discovering just as much from my fellowclassmates as I did from the readings and lectures.This iswhat occupied my time between Sundays and Thursdays.

By the time Thursday afternoons rolled around, I wouldstep out of the classroom excited to discover as much of thecountry as possible.Whether it was visiting relatives, watchingthe latest in Egyptian cinema or visiting the pyramids ofGiza, every weekend involved a new adventure.

One weekend in particular, I found myself in unfamiliarterritory. During my stay at the AUC dorms, I hadbefriended many members of the staff, one of whom was a24-year-old security guard named Essam. Every week, Essamand I would sit down to discuss anything ranging fromAmerican pop culture to the political situation in Egypt.One day he caught me by surprise and said,“My sister isgetting married at the end of this month, and you are invitedto the wedding.” I was truly touched.

The night of the wedding, I had no idea what to expect.Because Essam was helping set up, I had to find my owntransportation.After jumping from one taxi to the next, Ifound myself in a part of Egypt I had never seen before.Upon arriving, Essam took me to a juice vendor where hetreated me to a cup of fresh mango juice. Suddenly, whilestanding in that shop, the entire town went black. I turned toEssam who replied,“Relax. Just a power outage. Give it twohours.”We used our cell phones as flashlights to navigatethrough the dark streets. It was not long after we reached theceremony when the power was restored. I spent the next fewhours dining with his relatives and familiarizing myself withthis area, one that I later learned my parents did not evenknow about.At that moment, Egypt was becoming a muchmore personal experience.

This June will mark one year since this university grantedme the opportunity to study in Egypt. It is still hard tobelieve that my trip spanned only eight weeks. Nevertheless,they are eight weeks for which I will spend the rest of mylife being thankful.

My father had always told me that visiting Egypt on myown could be the most important discovery I ever made.Well, he was right.

In discovering Egypt, I discovered myself.

Mostafa Abdelkarim is a foreign affairs graduate from theUniversity of Virginia. He studied at AUC during the summerof 2006.

Akher Kalam

Akher Kalam is an open forum for members of the AUC community.We invite you to share your thoughts on any topic of your choice.Submissions should be sent to [email protected] and may be edited for length and clarity.

A Turning Point

Abdelkarim at the pyramids

Summer 2007 ()

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Transcript of Summer 2007 ()