spring 2006 ()

On the cover: Professor Kent Weeks in Luxor, photographedby Ahmad El-Nemr

ContentsRawya Rageh ’02 heads back to school at ColumbiaUniversity Page 28

Flyn

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FEATURES8 DIGGING DEEP

An excavation of his life reveals that the world-renowned Egyptologist and AUCProfessor Kent Weeks is just a “regular guy.”

14 COAST TO COASTStudents in AUC’s exchange program learn the truth about American culture.

18 A PROFESSOR’S PASSION Mahmoud El Lozy ’76, ’79 combines artistic talent and masterful teaching.

20 HOMECOMING 2006Alumni prefer Um Kalthoum, support AUC’s new campus move and said they ate koshari as students at least once a week.

22 A NEW TAKE ON GIVINGA look at how your money can help people help themselves.

26 NOBEL ADVICE Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace Prize winner, delivers commencement address.

28 THE HIGH RETURNS OF HIGHER LEARNINGAlumni pursuing graduate studies abroad face challenges, but reap the benefits.

32 RAIN OR SHINEFrom the dormitory to the theater and the science lab, these are the faces of dedicated staff members alumni never forget.

DEPARTMENTS4 AUSCENES

Annan delivers Nadia Younes lecture,Armstrong on religious unity,professor awarded Eisenhowerfellowship,AUC hosts Nobellaureates, professor researches Copticcommunity

ALUMNI PROFILES13 Mariam Ayad ’94 and Yasmin El

Shazly ’98 work to understand the daily lives of ancient Egyptians

38 Marwa Ahmed ’04 and Amira El Sherif ’05 are studying medicine at Cornell in Qatar

38 CLASS NOTESClass updates, weddings and deaths

40 AKHER KALAMPresidential intern Juliet Frerkingreflects on life in Egypt

2 AUCTODAY Spring 2006

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

Editor in ChiefDina Abulfotuh

DesignerRehab Farouk

WritersDalia Al Nimr, Randi Danforth,WaelElazab, Cole Gibas and Lily Hindy

Advisory BoardNadia Abou El-Magd ’87, ’92,AnnBoudinot-Amin (MA ’90), Louis Greiss’55, Gretchen McCullough, LailaRostum and Afaf William

Photography Ahmad El-Nemr

IllustrationsMoody Youssef and Essam Abdallah

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 20.2.797.5446 (Egypt)e-mail [email protected]

AUCTODAYSpring 2006

Volume 14, No. 2This letter was going to beabout Amir. Reflecting themeaning of his name,Amir is aprince of sorts, tucked insidehis dark Howard Theatrekingdom on the MainCampus. For decades, he hasbeen responsible for thecleaning and maintenance ofAUC’s theaters. I met himearlier this year, when we usedHoward as a studio to takepictures for the magazine. Hesat in the corner, with watchful eyes and a signature galabeya. Soon, I realized I hadstumbled upon a rare gem of AUC history who spoke of salsa dancing for moviestar Hussein Fahmy and spewed story after story from 25 years of life inside AUC.Intrigued and admittedly drawn to the rare opportunity to place a picture of thegalabeya prince in my column, I thought I had found the topic of my letter. Butsomething else caught my attention.

On my way back to my office, I made the uncharacteristic decision to approach acomplete stranger. Someone who, like Amir, is a part of the odd mix of memoriesthat create an AUC experience for many alumni. I first saw Sabah a little less than 10years ago, when I came to AUC as a study-abroad student. Back then, she was just alittle girl, using her charm to convince students to help her. Unable to spot her, Isquatted next to her mother, who has been sitting in the same spot on MohamedMahmoud Street just outside the gate for 17 years. Once we sorted out why I wasthere — still highly suspicious of my motives — Sabah’s mother recounted a story oftreachery and heartache that ended on the sidewalk where we sat.

Midway through our conversation, I spotted Sabah close to the shuttle bus on theother side of the street, right outside the Greek Campus.Time had changed herappearance from the little girl who came up to my waist, to a young woman at myeye level. But time is paralyzed when it comes to changing how she spends her day.As I explained my interest in chatting with her about her life, for the first time, Ibecame the predator and not the prey. She looked away and attempted to shuffle off,in much the same way I do when I am approached on the street.

Year after year, generation after generation of AUC students have given to peoplelike Sabah and her mom, and yet they remain in the same spot on the samesidewalk, sharing the same history as Amir and countless generations of alumni. Forthe thousands of similar families who share their life on the street, the charity wegive may provide a short-term solution, but in the end, they remain where they are,captive to the same cycle of poverty.Walking past them day in and day out, I see thatthey are the case in point for why we need “A New Take on Giving” (page 22).

Editor’s Notes

Dina Abulfotuh

Theater prince,Amir tells me stories from his Howard Theatre empire

Sabah and the Prince

3

InBox

Calling for Captions

Congratulations on your very professional editing of

AUCToday. I enjoyed reading the Fall 2005 edition

and was very proud of the progress my alma mater has

been making over the years in the field of mass

communication. Since my own

reputation, whether I like it or not,

is tied to the reputations of the

universities from which I earned

degrees, I am always pleased

when they do things that bring

them credit.

If I may make a suggestion as

a former editor, foreign

correspondent, professor and

journalism dean, it would be

useful to identify the

pictures of individuals you

write about — as you did

in “Tackling Terrorism,”

but did not in “To the Beat of Cairo.” I would

also have liked to know how large this fall’s freshman

class was (page 4). The percentages are interesting, but

as you know, a 100 percent increase over a class of one

student is two. If there had been 22 freshmen last year

(which is the number of seniors who were in my

graduating class in 1947), just a little over 8.6 percent

would have increased that freshman class to 24.

Keep up the good work.

L. John Martin ’47, professor emeritus, College of

Journalism, University of Maryland

United States

The incoming class was at 882, up from 812 the year

before. Incidentally, there was an even greater increase in Fall

2004, when the number rose from 548 to 812. — Ed

Writing Contests

I think you are doing a great job. However I had a

query. Do you have writing

contests? If yes, please keep

me updated about all the

contests that you have.

Marwa Riad ’02

Cairo, Egypt

While we have not yet had an

AUCToday writing contest,

submissions are always welcome to

the Akher Kalam column on the

last page. — Ed

More News

I would first like to wish the entire

team of AUCToday a happy, prosperous

and fruitful new year and a happy Eid.The feature

articles covered by the magazine are truly interesting

and insightful. I especially like the Alumni News and

Class Notes sections as they keep me informed of the

whereabouts of my classmates.

I would also like to take this opportunity to send my

best wishes and warm regards to all my fellow

“mengers” of the class of 2000, especially Tariq Al

Qanni, and to all the AUC community.

Ahmed AbdulRahman ’00, ’05

Cairo, Egypt

We Would Like to Hear From YouAUCToday welcomes letters from readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Please send to [email protected] or Editor,AUCToday, Office of Communications and Marketing, 113 Kasr El Aini Street, P.O. Box 2511, Cairo 11511.

Karen Armstrong, world-renowned author who has

written more than a dozen books onvarious religions, came to AUC as adistinguished visiting professor.During her weeklong visit inDecember, she delivered a series oflectures on topics relating to religion.

“We’re in trouble religiously at themoment,” she said during her firstlecture, calling for a return to theteachings of sages and prophets inorder to forge a better world.

In her second lecture,“The Futureof Islam in the West,”Armstrongencouraged dialogue between Eastand West to form what she termed asan alliance of civilizations.“Islam,properly understood, can only bringabout peace. … We need newconcepts, new narratives ofcivilization,” she said.

Moving from Islam to Christianfundamentalism in the United States,Armstrong declared in her thirdlecture that fundamentalist movementscontradict religion.“Fundamentalism

has been successful in many ways inbringing religion to the forefrontagain, but because this form ofreligiosity is so conflicted and so pain-ridden and so fearful … it tends tolose sight of the essential principle ofcompassion that lies at the heart ofevery single religious tradition,”she asserted.

While the former Catholic nunpromoted compassion and a deeperunderstanding of religious differencesin her speeches, she admitted that shewasn’t always so accepting.Afterspending seven years in a Britishconvent, she decided it wasn’t herplace and emerged an atheist.“Iwanted nothing to do with religionfor 13 years,” she said.

Her spiritual re-awakening cameduring a 1983 visit to Jerusalem. Eversince, her interest in religion has beenfueled by various faiths.“I drawnourishment from them all,” she said.

Capitalizing on that idea in her finallecture,Armstrong emphasized thatthe essence of all faiths is the same.

“All religions teach the ethic ofcompassion,” she said.“We need toenter our own [religious] traditions. ...and experience spiritualtransformation [but also] turn to otherfaiths for inspiration.”


Inaugurating the Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture series at AUC, United NationsSecretary-General Kofi Annan encouraged honoring the memory of Younes,

who was killed in the 2003 bombing of the UN headquarters in Baghdad.“The lesson we must learn from her tragic death is that we need to work

even harder to spread enlightenment and tolerance,” said Annan.“We mustresolve to build a world in which no nation and no community will bepunished collectively for the crimes of some of its members; a world in whichno religion will be demonized for the aberrations of some of its adherents; aworld in which there will be no clash of civilizations, because people will striveto discover the best in each other’s traditions and cultures, and to learn from it.That is the kind of world that Nadia Younes stood for.”

AUC established the Nadia Younes Memorial Fund last year in recognition ofYounes’s lifelong dedication to international humanitarian affairs.The fund willsupport a conference and meeting room on the new campus, an award forpublic and humanitarian service for graduating seniors and an annual lecture, allin her name.

AuScenes

Annan Delivers First Nadia Younes Memorial Lecture

Religions Scholar Karen Armstrong Shatters Stereotypes

5

Cynthia Nelson, professor of anthropology, foundingdirector of the Institute for Gender and Women’s

Studies (IGWS) and former dean of the School ofHumanities and Social Sciences, passed away February 14 ather brother’s home in California after a battle with leukemia.

Nelson was born on September 29, 1933 in Maine, andgrew up between there and Massachusetts. In 1963, afterfinishing her doctorate from the University of California,Berkeley, Nelson received a telegram offering her a positionat AUC.Accepting the offer, she read Lawrence Durrell's TheAlexandria Quartet, watched Lawrence of Arabia and boarded aboat that took her across the Atlantic.

In an oral history interview in July 2005, she told StephenUrgola, senior librarian and university archivist:“So with thatbackground, off I went.And when people asked me, wellwhy did you go, I said I didn't know, it was chosen, maktub.”

From the first time she set eyes on the land, Nelson held apositive view of Egypt.“For me it was a kind of coming intobeing of a kind of romantic image. Because coming into theharbor of Alexandria and the smell of spices, you can almostsee some of the characters of Durrell,” she told Urgola.

Nelson fought against an inevitable evacuation during the1967 War and found a positive side of Egypt during thebread riots.“People were helping each other, … which iswhat Egypt is about. I mean, even in its most stressful times,

there’s a certaindecency thatemerges,” she said.

Randa Kaldas, herassistant at IGWS,was impressed by herwork ethic andpersonal qualities.“Every trait in Dr.Nelson made herspecial: her charisma,her knowledge, herwarmth, her supportto others, even hertemper, made hervery special.”

The 13 years of work Nelson put into writing thebiography Doria Shafik, Egyptian Feminist:A Woman Apart,was, as she told Urgola, her most ambitious project. Inrecognition of her work, she received the Woman of the Yearaward in 1998 from the American Biographical Institute.“Itturned out to be … that young students at AUC, uponreading it, said we never realized we had such women. … Ina sense it’s a kind of interesting process of being able to, Iguess be an intellectual midwife,” she told Urgola.

AUC Commemorates the life of Cynthia Nelson

Speaking at the chairman’s dinner,Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed

Nazif emphasized AUC’s role as a linkbetween East and West.“With whatwe witness today as an escalation ofthe waves of cultural

misunderstanding and the clash ofcivilizations, the role of institutionslike AUC as a cultural bridge is moreimportant than ever,” he said.

Highlighting education as anintegral part of modernization andreform, Nazif praised AUC’s role as aliberal arts institution, a center forcultural exchange and a place for thepreparation of future leaders.“Weappreciate the high standard ofeducation that AUC has keptthroughout its history, a standard thathas provided our society with manyleaders –– many of them here today–– in various disciplines.”

At the event,AUC President DavidArnold recognized donors who have

made substantial contributions to theestablishment of scholarships andacademic professorships at AUC, aswell as supported the new campusproject, which Boyd Hight, Board ofTrustees chairman, described as adream come true.“Our new campusis, as we meet this evening, rising fromthe desert sands in New Cairo,” saidHight.“It is a physical expression ofthe dream that so many of you havesupported.And it is also a symbolicexpression of the determination tobuild here in Cairo a truly world-classinstitution which can provide ourchildren with the information and theperspective that all of us who togethershare this planet desperately need.

Nazif Underscores Role of Education in Reform

Arnold and Nazif

Nelson at the Magda Al-Nowaihi gender studies awardceremony in December 2003


AuScenes

From the Naguib Mahfouz award toa visit from Ahmed Zewail and a

commencement address by MohamedElBaradei (page 26), the fall semesterbrought AUC closer to each of Egypt’sliving Nobel laureates.

Zewail on Revolutionizing ScienceCaptivating an audience thatoverflowed from Ewart and Orientalhalls, Nobel laureate Ahmed Zewailidentified research, ethics andtechnological development as the basictenets for a scientific revolution.

“A scientific revolution will notcome about without this triad,” he said.“We need teamwork, a strong scientificbase, an understanding of the role ofscience in society and the developmentof technology.As long as we buytechnology, we’ll stay underdeveloped, ifnot retarded.”

Zewail’s speech highlighted scientificachievements in the last two centurieson the atomic and cosmic levels, as wellas in the field of modern biology,which includes the study of genes andmedicine. He stressed the importanceof interdisciplinary work, arguing thatgood scientists do not confinethemselves to knowledge just in theirown fields.

Zewail, an AUC trustee, currentlyserves as the Linus Pauling ChairProfessor of Chemical Physics at theCalifornia Institute of Technology. Heis the recipient of more than 100 prizesand awards. Most recently, Elsevier, thepublisher of Chemical Physics Letters,announced the creation of the AhmedZewail Prize in Molecular Sciences inhis honor.

Egyptian Wins Mahfouz Medal Marking a decade since its start, theNaguib Mahfouz Medal for Literaturewas given to Yusuf Abu Rayya for hisnovel Laylat ’Urs (Wedding Night).

The award, which consists of a silvermedal, a cash prize and the translationand publication of the winning bookby the AUC Press, is designed toidentify and promote outstandingArabic literature.

In Abu Rayya’s acceptance speech, heexpressed hope for the future of Arabicliterature.“The creative threads of theyounger generations will forever bebraided with Mahfouz’s long history inorder to weave a common dream,” hesaid.“A dream that will overtake thefuture despite the tyranny of the forcesthat want to transform it into a horrificnightmare.”

AUC’s Noble Prize Connections

Recipient of the prestigiousEisenhower Fellowship for the

2005 Single Region Program, SherifKamel ’88, ’90 associate professor ofmanagement information systems,recently returned from the UnitedStates, having toured 24 cities in onlysix weeks.

Kamel’s schedule was packed withhigh-profile visits to leading U.S.universities, corporations, researchcenters and government institutionsthat are core users of informationtechnology and model organizationsfor leadership. From Microsoft, BoeingAccenture, Intel and IBM’s Institute ofElectronic Government to Harvard andStanford universities, the experiencewas invigorating for Kamel.

“I felt privileged to have this uniqueopportunity to interact with the CEOsand the leadership of some of theworld’s leading organizations in ITdevelopment and deployment as well asshare the recent progress in theinformation and communicationtechnology sector internationally. It wasa two-way exposure and culturalexchange, … an experience that wasdemanding but definitely worth everyminute,” he said.

Kamel is one of 23 Egyptians whohave been awarded the EisenhowerFellowship since the start of theprogram in 1953. He is also the onlyrecipient from AUC.“It’s a real honor,”said the AUC alumnus who joined theuniversity 10 years ago as a facultymember and currently heads itsInstitute of Management Development.

Professor AwardedEisenhower Fellowship

7

Recognizing the importance ofeducation, Khaled Shaheen,

chairman and co-founder of theShaheen Business and InvestmentGroup (SBIG), has established a fund tosupport five outstanding Palestinianstudents at AUC.

In addition to covering the full costof their undergraduate tuition, theKhaled Shaheen Palestinian ScholarshipFund will also include expenses forstudent housing, books and medicalsupplies. Shaheen pledged $1,250,000in support of the fund.

“In our modern age, a solideducation is the strongest predictor ofsuccess and development,” saidShaheen.“In light of the currentcircumstances, Palestinians need a coreof well-educated young men andwomen who can rebuild their countryand work for its advancement.Throughthis scholarship, I hope to provide anopportunity for some of the brightest

minds to take full advantage of an AUCeducation.”

Among the first students studying atAUC under the Palestinian ScholarshipFund is Nader Ali, who is now anelectronics engineering senior.“I amappreciative of this magnificentopportunity,” he said.“Attending one ofthe best universities in the Arab worldhas given me the initiative to pursuemy goal and earn a university degreethat will open new doors for me.”

In addition to the scholarship,Shaheen has pledged $1 million insupport of AUC’s new campus project.

SBIG is headquartered in Jordan andspans several Middle Eastern countries.Working in a multitude of industrialand trading investments, theorganization is also heavily involved in anumber of charity and philanthropicactivities in the region.

In Jordan alone, the ShaheenFoundation for Science and Culture has

awarded 75 undergraduate scholarshipsto Jordanian students who havedemonstrated academic excellencecoupled with financial need.With 75new students being awarded thescholarship annually, the number ofrecipients is expected to reach 300 in aspan of four years.

“We believe that it is good businessto be a good citizen of the communityin which you live,” said Shaheen.

Business Leader Funds Palestinian Scholarships

Bringing years of study and experience in inter-religious dialogue to theAUC community, Nelly Van Doorn-Harder of Valparaiso University was

the fourth distinguished visiting professor to hold the Coptic studiesprofessorship. In addition to teaching and organizing lectures at AUC last fall,she researched contemporary issues in the Coptic community, including therole of women, the concept of saintliness, the patriarchs of this century and thecurrent revivalist movement.

At a lecture titled “Coptic Women Reshaping Tradition,” Van Doorn-Hardershared some of her recent research, discussing the growing female influencewithin the church.“Women in churches all over the world lack access to thehierarchy,” she argued.“In the Coptic community here in Egypt, they are enteringmore visible positions in the church.”

Van Doorn-Harder is a scholar of Islamic studies, history of religions, non-Western Christianity, women in religion and inter-religious dialogue. Fluent infour languages and proficient in two others, she has articles and books publishedin Dutch, English, French and Indonesian. She has also taught at universities inIndonesia, the Netherlands and the United States, where she pioneered programsfor interfaith studies and organized international conferences on interfaith peace,violence and reconciliation.

Professor Delves into Coptic Community


Digg

ing

Deep

A look inside the life of one of the

world’s leading Egyptologists, AUC

Professor Kent WeeksBy Randi DanforthPhotos by Ahmad El-Nemr

Kent Weeks stands for amoment in the earlymorning sun, surveying the

scene at Luxor’s Valley of the Kings: amixture of tourists, guides, taxi drivers,souvenir sellers and archaeologists whoare converging in the narrow wadi. Onthe surface, the site doesn’t look likemuch — the treasures are allunderground here.

Since 1979,Weeks,AUC Egyptologyprofessor, and his team have beencoming to work in this valley at whatis now one of the world’s most famousholes in the ground: KV5, the multi-chambered tomb complex of RamsesII’s many sons, all of whom thepharaoh outlived.

Except for the Discovery Channel-addicts among them, the crowds ofJapanese, German,Australian andItalian tourists who have come totour the valley’s tombs are probablyunaware of the identity of this man intheir midst, whose work has beengroundbreaking, in the most literalsense of the word. Digging beyond avast pile of rubble formerly obscuredby souvenir kiosks and bus parking,Weeks and his team uncovered animportant tomb that had beenpreviously discounted and neglected,making him an instant celebrity andone of the most famous archaeologistsin the world.

This affable, polite, articulate manwho has the air of an easygoingacademic, doesn’t seem like a bulldog(his Yale degree notwithstanding). Butyou’d have to have a certain amountof dogged determination to want tospend summers in 48-degree Celsiusheat, digging through cement-hardearth for an uncertain outcome.Weeks has the hunger for detectivework, and it has paid off.“It’s noaccident that I and some of mycolleagues all like to read murder

mysteries,” he says.“I particularly likepolice procedurals by Ian Rankin,Michael Connolly and MichaelDibden. [Archaeology] is likedetective work.You search for clues,solve a mystery, put all the piecestogether.”

Weeks, the director of the ThebanMapping Project who is about toretire from AUC, has been professorof Egyptology at the university since1988, when he and his wife Susan andtheir two children moved to Cairofrom the University of California,Berkeley, where he had been on thefaculty. It wasn’t their first visit —

they had been in Egypt on and offduring the previous two decades.

“It’s hard to say how I really gotinterested in Egyptology — it wasalways such a natural thing from whenI was 8 years old. … I had asuccession of teachers who didn’tlaugh at me and lent me books, myparents were supportive, my friends allthought it was cool that I’d find lotsof gold and mummies,” he pauses tothink a minute.“I remember I sawAbbott and Costello Meet TheMummy…” he laughs, and says “Youknow, I put that in my book (The LostTomb), and I got a letter from Bud

Across:Weeks overlooks the Valley of the Kings;below: on the stairs of the dahabiyya with wife Susan

Abbott’s daughter — she wrote to tellme her dad would’ve been so proud!”

Steve Hindy first met Weeks in the1980s when Hindy was an AssociatedPress correspondent based in Cairo,and they became friends.“I get goosebumps when I visit a tomb with Kentbecause he brings it to life. Kent isdriven to tell the story of the pharaohs— how they lived and what theybelieved,” Hindy said.“He is a greatdetective, explorer, teacher andstoryteller rolled into one. ... Inaddition to being a great Egyptologist,he is also a regular guy.”

Maybe the tourists are leaving thisregular guy alone, but Weeks isrecognized in Luxor by all theEgyptian locals who have been seeinghim for decades. Many of them haveworked for him on the excavation, or

their cousins have been his driver, orthey know him and Susan from thevillage.“I knew I’d been here a pretty

long time when I realized I was hiringthe grandchildren of men I first hired30 years ago,” he said.

When in Luxor,Weeks stays aboarda 26-meter dahabiyya namedKingfisher — a type of Nile-cruisingexcursion boat developed and usedaround a century and a half ago by

travel agencies to take tourists up theNile from Alexandria to Abu Simbel.Kent and Susan Weeks are followingin the wake of the 19th centurytraveler and writer Amelia Edwards,who sailed the Nile in a dahabiyya.

The couple grew to appreciate thistype of vessel when they lived on one

— rat-infested but charming — inNubia during work on the NubianSalvage Project that first brought themtogether in the 1960s. She wasworking in the museum at theUniversity of Washington, and he wasa graduate student with a project thatneeded drawings of the objects.

“I guess someone told him to findthis girl who could do it, so he askedme. It paid about 75 cents an hourand after a while, when he couldn’tpay me, he married me,” she said,

“He is a great detective,explorer, teacher andstoryteller rolled into one.... In addition to being agreat Egyptologist, he wasalso a regular guy.”


Weeks (second from left) speaks with Otto Schaden, director of the University of Memphis’s Amenmesse Tomb Project, and Edwin Brock (left) co-director of the project, whose teamrecently discovered an 18th dynasty tomb in the Valley of the Kings (KV 63).This is the first discovery of its kind since the uncovering of King Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922

being modest. Susan is an expert,meticulous draughtsman, and she hasbeen a principle team member of theTheban Mapping Project. She and herhusband have a great partnership inexploration, and he is warm andenthusiastic about working with her.“Oh, it’s been great,” he says, whenasked what it’s like to work with hisspouse.“She’s a very talented artist.”

Their boat is among the 400dahabiyyas that were plying the Nile125 years ago, but today that hugenumber has dwindled to five. Most ofthem perished because they hadwooden hulls that finally rotted out.The Kingfisher survived, probablybecause its hull is steel.They take theboat on a couple of cruises a year,going back and forth from Luxor toAswan.When and if securityregulations ease up, they hope to sailto Cairo.

Besides the fun of living on a rat-infested dahabiyya back in the 1960s,Weeks remembers the food on the firstseason of the project in Nubia.Theywere 250 kilometers from a majorsettlement and had to bring everything

with them.“We had supplies for 12people for four months: 75 cases ofporridge, 4,000 eggs, 150 cases oftinned mangos, beef.We ran out ofeverything,” he said.

Kent and Susan Weeks oftenentertain friends and colleagues on theboat, and they are looking forward tospending more time in Luxor.“Susanand I thoroughly enjoy living here,”said Weeks. For their two children,Christopher and Emily, who grew upin Egypt with archaeologist parents, itisn’t as glamorous and exciting as itsounds.“Well, archaeology holds noromance for my son, but the kids didgrow up in the shadow of thepyramids,” said Weeks. Chris went tokindergarten in Luxor when he wasvery small, but after that the twochildren went to Cairo AmericanCollege in Maadi. Chris now lives andworks in London, while Emily is an arthistorian specializing in Orientalistpainters and lives in the States.Theirparents will now split their timebetween Connecticut and Egypt.

Looking ahead, Susan is thinking

“I guess someone toldhim to find this girl whocould do it, so he askedme. It paid about 75 centsan hour and after a while,when he couldn’t pay me,he married me.”

The Weeks’ 26-meter dahabiyya, one of five suchboats that remain worldwide

about combining her interests tosomeday produce a book aboutpicnics and food on archaeologicalexcavations. She has written severalarticles on shamsi, the sun bread ofLuxor, the hajj paintings on the wallsof village houses and a trip to the suq(market) at the West Bank ferrylanding. In each case, she relates anaspect of modern culture to acorresponding one in the ancientEgyptian culture. In the introductionto her article about shopping in theTheban suq, Susan explains the linkbetween her passion for archaeologyand food:“Archaeologists love to eat,and food is a major interest ofeveryone who works in KV5.”

Now, on the eve of his retirementfrom AUC,Weeks, 64, is surveying notonly his past, but also his future.Although retiring from AUC,Weekswill continue to work with the

Theban Mapping Project — a teamof archaeologists, conservationexperts, surveyors, photographers,researchers and technicians based atAUC that is dedicated to recordingand disseminating data on the tombsof the necropolis area. He has also

been asked by Zahi Hawass, Egypt’ssecretary general of the SupremeCouncil for Antiquities, to design thesite-management plan for the Valley ofthe Kings in order to deal with the

effects of tourism on the area.But retirement is really not an

accurate term to describe the KentWeeks agenda.“I am retiring to spendmore time in Luxor and on libraryresearch,” he said.“So I can spend 16hours a day working instead of 12.”Weeks will continue to be activelyengaged with the Theban MappingProject, updating its Web site,publishing detailed notes anddescriptions of wall paintings, andworking on a mapping project for theValley of the Queens. In addition, hewill maintain his ties with AUC asprofessor emeritus.

Regardless of how his title or rolesmay change,Weeks is determined tocontinue pursuing the dream of an8-year-old, capturing the thrill of adetective and preserving a piece ofancient Egyptian heritage forgenerations to come. r

“We had supplies for 12people for four months:75 cases of porridge,4,000 eggs, 150 cases oftinned mangos, beef.Weran out of everything.”


Weeks studies drawings of theValley of the Kings aboard thedahabiyya

Egyptology alumniall share a desire to

unlock the secrets of theancient Egyptians.Theyare translators whoimmerse themselves in acivilization as real tothem as their own.Andwhile the pharaohs and

gods garner the lion’s share of the public spotlight, thesescholars have looked beyond the bright treasures of big kingsin pursuit of the lives, less ordinary, of ancient Egyptians.

After receiving their bachelor’s degrees from AUC,“eachwent on to receive scholarships. ...Their liberal arts educationhas given them the confidence to be analytical, to synthesizeand critique,” said Salima Ikram, Egyptology associateprofessor and a proud mentor to her students.

The God’s Wives of Amun was the topic of doctoralresearch for Mariam Ayad ’94.As she addressed the questionsthe research raised, she discovered even more questions aboutthe lives of women in ancient Egypt.“What did these womendo on a daily basis? What exactly was their role in the templeritual? How did the ancient Egyptians react to the shockingegalitarian iconography of these women? It is these and similarquestions that I am currently working on,” she said.

At the University of Memphis,Ayad is assistant director atthe Institute of Egyptian Architecture and Archaeology andassistant professor of art history in the Department of Art.Soon after starting a master’s at the University of Toronto in1996, she was granted the International Student Tuition FeeWaiver Scholarship.

The ability to look beyond Tutankhamen’s facemask issomething Yasmin El Shazly ’98 shares with Ayad. El Shazly’swork has taken her closer to understanding life in ancientEgyptian society.“I believe that people don’t really change thatmuch, but that your environment does affect the way youlive,” she said.“This is certainly something I want to explore.Astudy of some of the practices of modern Egyptians may helpus understand some things about the past.”

After AUC, El Shazly earned her master’s and doctorate inEgyptology at Johns Hopkins University, both on tuitionwaivers.“One of the nice things [about Egyptology at AUC]is that the department is small and you develop very closerelationships with your professors, not just academically, but

also personally,” she said.“They know your strengths andweaknesses well, and help you with both.”

Intrigued by the lives of ancient Egyptians, El Shazly iskeen to relate to their daily activities.“I like to think of theancient Egyptians as people, very much like us,” sheexplained.“I’m interested in the average person, the literatureshe or he wrote and the art they produced.”

Using religion as an example, El Shazly added that while“many books have been written about ancient Egyptianreligion, most of them focus on what is known as statereligion, [but] little is known about how the average,usually illiterate person, worshiped the gods. Of course thisis much more difficult to understand, since they never leftus texts explaining this.All we can do is study the objectsthey left behind.”

The burial rites of ancient Egyptians have also given Ayad alook into their religion.The Opening of the Mouth ritual isdeliberately and meticulously presented on the walls of theChapel of Amenirdis at the foot of the Theban Hills.“Mycurrent research will attempt to relate the physical layout ofthe scenes to their textual content. Not only will thisendeavor shed light on the transmission of funerary texts, butit will give us insight into how the ancient Egyptiansinterpreted their own religious tradition,” said Ayad.

It is the love of people’s ordinary lives that has driven thesescholars.“To think of the ancient Egyptians as regular peoplewho ate, got married, bore children, had fights, gossiped andinteracted with each other in much the same way we dotoday keeps my interest in the culture alive and fresh,” saidAyad.“Learning about our past informs our present andenables us to look tothe future with asense of pride.TheEgyptians were moralpeople who valuedwork, honesty andintegrity. I cannotadequately expressthe sense of pride Iget from knowingthat I am adescendant of thosegreat people.” r

By Wael Elazab

13

Egyptology Alums:Sifting Through the Sands of Time

El Shazly

Ayad

Alumni Profile


CoastCoastto

Studying in the

United States

for a year, AUC

undergrads uncover

American culture

from the inside

From California’s sunny beachesto Minnesota’s below-zerotemperatures and the snow-

capped mountains of Colorado,AUCstudents will long remember the lessonslearned from American culture whilestudying in the United States duringtheir junior year.

“I got to push myself to the limit andfind out what I really have in me.Whenyou’re completely on your own thereare some skills that kick in

automatically. … You’re more alert,careful, and like a sponge, you absorbeverything around you,” said masscommunication graduate NadaMohammed ’04, who spent a year atthe University of St.Thomas inMinnesota.

The first surprise about Americanculture came from the distinctseparation between work and fun.“Theuniversity campus here is for studyingonly; it is not a club or a place to justhang out like the Greek Campus,” saidGhassan Zaynun, a computer sciencemajor now attending the University ofColorado.“I think it is because we asEgyptians like to mix work with fun,and apparently Americans don’t. I’m not

saying that Americans don’t like to havefun, they just take it outside campus.”

Sara Sallam, an electronicsengineering senior who studied at theUniversity of Virginia, agreed.“Duringthe weekdays they’re 100 percentfocused on studying, at least inelectronics engineering, and on theweekends they’re completely partying.”

Nada’s experience epitomized thiswork-hard, play-hard dichotomy.“I wasthe only international student in theclass, and I had to catch up. … Imisspelled the mayor’s name in anassignment and got an F,” she said.Determined to prove herself, during theheight of the Abu Ghraib controversy,Nada chose to present the topic in class,

By Cole Gibas

15

giving a persuasive speech calling forthe resignation of U.S. DefenseSecretary Donald Rumsfeld.“I spenthours on it; I didn’t want to offendanybody,” Nada said, adding that shewanted to make sure she showed abalanced look at both sides.“I tried toexplain how the Arab world feels.Twostudents were really offended, and theyinterrupted me. I started sweating,thinking I shouldn’t have picked thetopic.” But, she composed herself andrefused to give up, and it paid off.“I gotan A plus on my presentation.”

To break from the rigors of studying,Nada found a shopping paradise at theMall of America, one of the largestshopping centers in the world.“At firstI was shocked. Everything all of asudden looks good on you and ischeap,” she said of her almost weeklytrips to the mall.

Nada also found that her experienceworking in the cafeteria flippinghamburgers and serving food tostudents and faculty was beneficial.“It’snot about the money, it’s about theexperience,” she said.“I got to learn a

lot about American culture, like theslang and the snacks. … I enjoyed it somuch, despite all the burns.”

For many of the students, the mosttransforming aspect of their time in theUnited States came from dispellingmyths about American culture and attimes finding truth in some stereotypes.Like many of the AUC students,American individualism made animpression on Nader Ali, an electronicsengineering senior.“Sometimes itseems that they care about onlythemselves,” he said.“You either helpyourself or you never make it.”

Making a similar observation,Ghassan recounted an experience hehad in Colorado.“Once, anotherEgyptian student and I were waitingfor the university bus at the dorm’sbus stop, and there were at least 10other students standing there,” he said.“It was moving-in day, so there was astudent and her mom carrying heavystuff. … One of them dropped theTV, and to my surprise no one moveda muscle to try and help, so my friendand I, just being Egyptians, helped

“The university campushere is for studying only, itis not a club or a place tojust hang out like the GreekCampus. I think it isbecause we as Egyptianslike to mix work with fun,and apparently Americansdon’t.”

Far left: Sara visiting the Washington Monument;Nader in the cockpit of a Blackhawk helicopter;Passant outside of MTV’s studio in Times Squarein Manhattan; Nada outside in the snow


“The government does notrepresent what the peoplethink. Bush says one thingon TV, and it’s totallydifferent when you talk topeople about it.”

“People usually stared atme at first, but then youget used to it and it doesn’tbother you any more. I feltsafe, but people wereusually intimidated by myveil, as one of my friendssaid to me.”

them carry their stuff.”Shifting to the positives of

American culture, Nader found that amore individualistic approach allowedhim to focus on his own abilities.“Itteaches you a lot about yourself, whatyou can and can’t do, whether youcan race with time,” said Nader. “Inow know that Americans are trulyhard workers, … work for 16 hours aday, no problem.”

Sara also liked the personal freedomshe experienced as a result of theindividualism.“You can do whateveryou want and people won’t judge you.”

The culture depicted in movies wasalso much less prevalent than peoplethink, Nader asserted.“This does notrepresent more than 10 percent of lifethere,” said Nader in reference to thestereotypical portrayal of Americans inmovies or on television.

These observations also apply tonews and politics.“An important thingthat I accomplished was to make adistinction between the governmentand the people.The government doesnot represent what the people think.Bush says one thing on TV, and it’stotally different when you talk topeople about it.”

While most felt apprehensive aboutbeing an Arab in America in the post-9/11 era,AUC students were pleasantlysurprised at how they were treated.“Like a lot of people back home, Ithought that I would be treated as asecond-level human being when Icame here,” Ghassan said.“But afterliving here … I found out that this iswrong.” Instead of hostility, he foundcuriosity.“When my colleagues firstknew that I was from Egypt, andtherefore an Arab, ... most of them were

17

“They chose me topresent my religion andorigins. I was nervous, butI was still happy andexcited. Lots of peoplethanked me afterward.”

so excited to know if I rode a camel toschool and lived by the pyramids.Students here don’t care where you’refrom as long as you are a nice person.”He was also encouraged that hisuniversity added courses on Islam andArab issues within the last few years.

AUC finance and marketing juniorPassant Shawky, who is currentlystudying at Pennsylvania StateUniversity, agrees that there is a generallack of knowledge about the region.Overall, she found that this ignorancedoes not cause problems, just strangelooks sometimes.“I’m veiled, and PennState is located in central Pennsylvania,which is an area not really used todifferent cultures. People usually staredat me at first, but then you get used toit and it doesn’t bother you any more,”she said.“I felt safe, but people wereusually intimidated by my veil, as one ofmy friends said to me.”

Serving as representatives of Arab

culture, many of the students foundthemselves informal ambassadors.ToNada, one of her most emotionalexperiences was when she was asked byschool officials to read from the Quranin both Arabic and English in front ofthe entire university as part of aSeptember 11 memorial ceremony thatalso involved Jewish and Christianrepresentatives reading from the Torahand Bible.“They chose me to presentmy religion and origins,” Nada saidwith pride.“I was nervous, but I wasstill happy and excited. Lots of peoplethanked me afterward.”

For Ghassan, the chance to representhis culture was one of the hiddentreasures of the experience, beyond thepersonal and academic growth.“Students here will start to explore ourworld and know who we are, so theimage of Arabs being terrorists will startto diminish as more and more peoplelearn and see our true image,” he said. r

Far left: Sara with a friend at Arlington Cemeteryin Washington D.C.; Ghassan with his roommateon the ski slopes; Passant with her friends at PennState University; Passant in front of theRockefeller Center Christmas tree in Manhattan

While interviewing Mahmoud El Lozylast September for a story on hisAUC production of Saad El-Din

Wahba’s Al Mahrusa, we got to talking about thetrilogy of plays he had just completed. He had aninteresting story to tell about each, and, intrigued,I asked if I could read them.

“Okay, but I must warn you,” he respondedwith a mischievous smile.“People who read myplays either love them so much that they want tobe my best friends and act in them, or … theynever speak to me again.”

He studied my face for a moment, waiting for areaction, and then broke into a loud, contagiousbelly laugh, head back and eyes watering. Joininghim after a second of hesitation, I soon realizedthat my interview would be full of theseprovocative comments.The man is both anintellectual and a performer after all.

El Lozy is associate professor of theater in theperforming and visual arts (PVA) department atAUC, his alma mater, where he earned both hisbachelor’s in 1976 and master’s in 1979 in Englishand comparative literature.

Bibliophile, scholar of modern Egyptian culture,actor, playwright and director, El Lozy has earnedwidespread respect and recognition for hisaccomplishments both inside and outside of theclassroom. He has acted in numerous films, amongthem Youssef Shahine’s Alexandria-New York andPhilip Haas’s The Situation, a drama set in present-day Iraq due for release this spring.

His recently completed trilogy of plays, UpAgainst the Wall, is a modern history of the Arabworld.The backdrop of the first piece, Bay theMoon, is the October 1973 Egypt-Israeli war.Thesecond, And Then Went Down to the Ship..., is setin West Beirut during the 1982 Israeli invasion of

Professor’s Passion

A Bringing theatricalflair to his classroom,Mahmoud El Lozy ’76,’79 is a teacher andan artist

19

Lebanon. Us and Them, the final play,unfolds in the post-9/11 world, endingwith the invasion of Iraq.Thecharacters capture stereotypes andhighlight political differences, causingreaders to reflect upon their ownperspectives.

Although his plays have not yetbeen staged publicly in Egypt, AndThen Went Down to the Ship... wasproduced in 2002 at the Director’s Labof the Lincoln Center in New Yorkunder the direction of Brad Sheldon.

“I thought it would be interesting tobring this unique voice to the UnitedStates,” said Sheldon, who directed ElLozy in a production of Art at AUCthe same year.“I contacted thedramaturge at Lincoln Center, and shequickly agreed to a workshop of theplay in New York.When it was over,people of all religious and politicalleanings were drawn to his play andthe production.”

Elizabeth Bishop, El Lozy’s formercolleague at AUC, cited parts of thetrilogy in her entry on Egypt inBerkshire Publishing’s Encyclopedia ofGlobal Perspectives on the UnitedStates. Currently a professor at theUniversity of North Carolina atWilmington, she uses his analysis ofEgyptian playwright Mikhail Rumane’sAl-Zujaj in her course on gender andmilitarization in the Arab world.

“The students really get El Lozy’sarticle,” said Bishop.“They read it and

they think it’s witty and profound, andthey love this wink-wink, nudge-nudge language that he has, using sexto describe politics, and they reallyget into the class. His article isinsightful and penetrating. It helps meto accomplish what I want to withthis course.”

El Lozy’s influence on his ownstudents at AUC is best seen in AhmedEl-Attar ’92, executive director ofStudio Emadeddin Foundation inCairo, independent theater producer,director and playwright.“He is abrilliant professor,” El-Attar said.“He’sfunny, inventive, wild and crazy. He’seccentric, but that just adds to hischarm. He’s really passionate abouttheater and very solid academically. Heput every play that we read intohistorical context, making us reallyunderstand.”

As a student at AUC in the 1970s,El Lozy came into theater “bymistake.” In the second semester of hisfreshman year, a friend offered to takehim out to dinner if he would act inher play. He accepted, and then becamea frequent participant, enjoying it morewith each show.Trying to please hisparents, he started a master’s programin political economy, but kept actingand soon returned to a specializationin literature.

He had a brief stint in militarytechnology after earning his master’sdegree, and then another in

advertising. He detested both.Deciding that he wanted serioustraining and study in theater, heapplied for a doctorate in dramatic artand left Egypt for the University ofCalifornia in Santa Barbara in 1980.

“The thing is that I never plannedany of it,” he said.“When I look back,I must have been crazy, investing somuch in getting into such acompetitive field, with a pregnant wifeand no money. Even now, in terms ofwhat I do in theater, I don’t have aplan. I do whatever feels right at themoment, whatever helps me to expressmyself in some way.”

Throughout his life, this hasincluded translating Arabic plays,writing, acting, directing and teaching.He described getting so consumed byhis work that he would frequentlywake up at night to scribble an ideaon a notepad or write an entire act ofa play. He called his wife SawsanMardini, who is also the director ofgraduate student services at AUC,“asaint” for her support.

Both of their children,Yousra, 20,and Ahmed, 18, are currently studentsat AUC, and both are involved intheater. He recalled one day when hewas rehearsing in their Cairoapartment, and his son appeared in thedoorway between two new friends andsaid,“That’s my dad. Don’t worry, he’snot mad. He’s just an actor.” r

By Lily Hindy

El Lozy directing Jawaz Aala Waraqit Talaq in 1993; El Lozy playing a corrupt friar in Machiavelli’s La Mandragola in 1992; during a break in a production of En AttendantGodot, which El Lozy (center) directed as a graduate student in 1977

Homecoming2006

Photos by Ahmad El-Nemr

AUCToday asked alumni at homecoming afew questions about their time at AUC.Here’s what they revealed:

Where did you spend most of your free time oncampus?

57% Main Campus27% Greek Campus16% somewhere else

Are you married?78% Yes

Of those that said yes, are you married to anAUCian?

29% Yes

Was he or she your college sweetheart?19% Yes

Do you have kids?78% Yes

Who do you like better, Um Kalthoum orNancy Agram?

72% Um Kalthoum28% Nancy Agram

What do you think of AUC’s pending move?67% It’s a great idea33% It’s a bad idea

Were your years at AUC too fast, too slow orjust right?

49% Too fast1% Too slow50% Just right

How often did you eat koshari?31% Never68% Once a week or less1% Two to five times a week

How often did you skip classes?65% Never28% Once a week or less4% Two to five times a week3% More than five times a week

21

Practically a hallmark of thewalk between the Main andGreek campuses, the beggars

are regulars for generations of alumni.In a country where the majority of thepopulation is poor, these beggars andmany like them do not go unnoticed.Most people feel compelled to donatemoney, food, clothes and medicine tohelp the underprivileged findsubsistence.And while thecontributions are critical for survival,they often fall short of removing thesame faces from the same streets.

“It all comes down to charity versusdevelopment,” said Marwa El Daly ’96,’01, manager of the Philanthropy forDevelopment program at the Centerfor Development Services (CDS) andlead researcher of the first nationalstudy on philanthropy conducted inEgypt.“People view development asthe government’s responsibility, not theindividual’s.They feel inclined todonate their money to the sick, hungryand homeless rather than to morelong-term causes such as saving theenvironment, funding medical researchor educating a poor student.”

According to the CDS study, 90

percent of Egyptians perceivephilanthropy as financial or materialassistance to the poor, and less than 1percent relate it to large-scaledevelopment projects that would helpsolve social problems.The study,presented by El Daly at a pre-launchsymposium of AUC’s John D. GerhartCenter for Philanthropy and CivicEngagement, demonstrated thatphilanthropy in Egypt is largelychanneled toward charity, whichundermines the development cause.

“At its infancy stage, people viewphilanthropy as a way to help thosewho can’t help themselves.Progressively, they see it as a way to feelgood about themselves, whether it bedonating to a museum, the opera orthe college football team. … Charity islooked at from the receiver’s side andphilanthropy from the giver’s side,” saidAndrew Ciccarello,AUC associateprofessor of management who hasmore than 20 years experience withnon-governmental organizations(NGOs) in eight countries.

Ciccarello noted that the meaning ofphilanthropy differs according to everycountry’s stage of development. In the

New Take Giving

How do you donate to charity, andcan your money do more?

Aon

By Dalia Al Nimr Calligraphy by Moody Youssef

West, people can look beyond charity.In Egypt, where poverty is pervasive,they don’t have such a luxury.“Savingthe environment can’t come beforehelping people to eat or have a roofover their heads. It’s like Maslow’shierarchy of needs. It’s tough to look atthe top of the pyramid if you can’t passthrough the bottom,” he said, addingthat the big divide between the havesand have-nots compounds the situation.

“There is no large middle class.Therefore, the same, small amount ofpeople are asked to give to a variety ofcauses, and naturally, they give priorityto helping the needy,” he said.

While shifting people’s sense ofgiving from charity to development isimportant, the issue has other facets.Mohammed El Ebrashi ’00, co-founderof Alashanek Ya Balady student projectand an active member of several NGOsin Egypt, attributes the problem to apoor educational system.

“With schools emphasizingmemorization and the stuffing of loadsof information, people’s thinkingbecomes very linear. … They don’tknow they can be part of thedevelopment cyclebecause they were

not taught to think that way,” he said,adding that because development is along-term process and people don’t seethe outcome immediately, they are notinclined to give.

“It may take 10 to 15 years; it’s notlike feeding a poor person. But peoplehave to understand that it is aninvestment and have to be made awareof the advantages,” he said.

Affirming El Ebrashi’s claim, El Dalynoted that education is key to changingpeople’s mindsets.“It’s all about creatingawareness,” she said.“In a country witha long history of nationalization andgovernment control, people think thatthe government should do everything.They feel that concepts such as socialjustice and social change do not pertainto them individually. ...This has tochange; people have to realize thatdevelopment is the future, and thefuture is really in their hands.”

Reforming Religious DiscourseAccording to the CDS study,philanthropy in Egypt is largely faithbased.Twenty percent of Egyptiansdonate to religious or charity causes,compared to 1 percent who givemoney to development.

The biggest example is during

Ramadan, when donations to the sickand poor are at their peak. LastRamadan, Ehaab Abdou ’97, co-founder of Fat’het Kheir and NahdetEl Mahrousa NGOs, receiveddonations for 200,000 bulk meals tohelp poverty-stricken families, butpeople were reluctant to pay forother causes.

“With such an amount of money, wecould have established a large trainingcenter to teach youth a host ofvocational, technical and computerskills, but those who donated were notwilling,”Abdou said.“They were afraidit would not count toward alms giving(zakat) because it is not directly relatedto charity.”

Abdou believes that religious leadersand scholars have an important role toplay in that respect.

“The religious discourse needs tochange; it needs to elevate people’spriorities from mere charity todevelopment causes,” he said.

Sharing Abdou’s viewpoint, NadaMobarak ’95, head of the ArabLearning Initiative in Egypt, which

Ess

am A

bdal

lah

23

supports regional organizationspromoting social change, said thatalthough religious leaders’ sermonsabout helping the poor encouragepeople to volunteer, they channel theirefforts toward charity.“People believemore strongly that charity is whatscores points,” she said.

Mobarak noted that mediacampaigns during Ramadan reinforcethis concept in people’s minds.Withtelevision advertisements aired on analmost hourly basis asking people tocontribute to charity, developmentremains absent from the agenda.“Allthe ads encourage donating to orphansor cancer patients. Not a single ad talksabout donating to fund research onenvironmental pollution, which may becausing cancer in the first place. … Tomake change happen, we have to dealwith the causes of our problems, notthe symptoms,” Mobarak said.

On a corporate level, the situation isthe same. Regional and multinationalcorporations, as well as localbusinessmen, are generally gearedtoward the provision of services andmaterial assistance to those in need.“Ithelps build their name,” Mobarak said.

She added that businessmen –– withtheir creativity, long-term vision andwillingness to take risks –– are thebiggest group that can help fund and

support development NGOs.“Corporate social responsibility doesnot stop at orphanages, hospitals andinstitutes for the deaf and blind. It isthe investment in civil society thatreally counts,” Mobarak asserted, notingthat the government could encouragebusinessmen by providing taxexemptions for those who donate.

Institutionalizing PhilanthropyAs the CDS study showed, the conceptof giving in Egypt is closely tied tocharity through personal contacts.More than 70 percent give theirdonations hand to hand compared toaround 2 percent who donate throughestablished institutions. Instead ofdonating to NGOs or developmentassociations, most people give theirmoney to relatives, neighbors andcolleagues at work, who pass it on tothe needy. Others pay alms to mosquesand churches.

“The relationship between peopleand civil society in Egypt is not welldeveloped,”Abdou said.“NGOs needto be transparent to donors about theiroperations, and people need to havefaith in NGOs. It’s not about buildinginstitutions; it’s about building socialrelationships.”

Abdou added that part of theresponsibility also rests with thegovernment.The legal frameworkneeds to be reformed to give NGOsmore independence. Currently, the lawseverely restricts the activities ofNGOs, giving the Ministry of SocialAffairs far-reaching powers over theiroperations and sources of funding.

By virtue of the law, an NGO mustbe registered by the ministry, which hasto approve the organization’s board ofdirectors.The ministry can shut downany organization if it joins anassociation outside Egypt without priorgovernment permission, allocates

Islamic hadith:The best people are those who aremost useful to other people

resources for a purpose outside theorganization’s goals, accepts foreignfunding without permission, violatesthe law or if its general assembly is notheld for two consecutive years.“This isrestrictive for NGOs and underminestheir independence,” said Abdou.“ForNGOs to have an effective presence inlocal communities, they have to haveenough breathing space.”

Such restrictions, he noted, do notallow NGOs to make their voices heardto the public. Due to the lack offunding, NGOs are not able to makepeople fully aware of their existence.“People don’t know about theinstitutions of giving, and when theydo, they remain skeptical as to wherethe money goes,” explained Abdou.

But this lack of trust in an establishedsystem of giving was not always thecase.According to El Daly, theinstitution of waqf (religiousendowments) was strong in Egypt inthe 19th century. During that time, itwas common for property owners todeclare some of their possessions,usually farmland, as waqf. This meant

that the property could not be sold,inherited or given as a gift, andrevenues were used to fund a specificcause the owner chose.

Some of these causes includedfinancing schools and hospitals;supporting research and development;building the country’s infrastructure;promoting culture and arts; and eventaking care of animals. Cairo Universityis a prime example, having beenestablished in 1913 on a land endowedas waqf by Princess Fatima Ismail, KingFouad’s sister.

“Waqf was a system of life,” El Dalysaid.“It was a solid means ofinstitutionalizing philanthropy, and itwas widespread all over the Arab andMuslim world, not just Egypt.”

The system deteriorated with time, asthe government took hold of waqf anddecided how the money would beused.“Waqf lost its autonomy and wasassociated with the government. Peoplerefrained from taking part, and waqfdisappeared gradually, not only as aninstitution but as a concept in people’smind,” El Daly noted.

The CDS study found that 30percent of Egyptians today do notknow what waqf is, and the majorityconfuse it with government property.Those who do know about waqf saidthey are doubtful about how themoney is used.

“Restoring people’s trust ininstitutions is the only way for us tomove forward. Institutionalizingphilanthropy to replace haphazard, one-on-one charity acts is the basis ofchange in our community,” she said. r

In honor of John Gerhart,AUC'sformer president who expandedcommunity-based activities for

students, the university has establishedthe John D. Gerhart Center forPhilanthropy and Civic Engagement as

a means of institutionalizing publicservice in the Arab world.

Speaking at the center’s launch thisMarch, Her Highness Sheikha MozahBint Nasser Al-Missned, wife of theemir of Qatar, stressed the importanceof shifting the concept of volunteerismfrom material and financial assistance toan investment in human capital.

“When utilized in the appropriatemanner, volunteer work helps buildbridges between members of onesociety and between the people of thisuniverse,” she said.“We are at a timewhen public welfare has become theresponsibility of society as a whole, andfrom here comes the role of civil

society and other institutions.”Al-Missned asserted that philanthropy andhuman development must become astrategic objective.

Combining learning, research, serviceand advocacy, the center will work toexpand the boundaries of philanthropy,moving it beyond charity toward socialjustice and development. It will includea visiting fellows program, a teachingand research component, as well as aresource center and database onphilanthropy. In addition, the centerwill allow AUC students to visit modelphilanthropic initiatives and take part indevelopment assistance to poorcommunities in Egypt.

25

AUC Launches Gerhart Center to Promote Regional Philanthropy

Arabic proverb: Not only with bread does a humanbeing live

President David Arnold and Sheikha Mozah BintNasser Al-Missned


A year ago, Shyamila Serasinghe ’06was worried about her future.Diagnosed with anemia and the viralflu, she suffered from aching bones andsevere weight loss and had to be givenblood transfusions. She was hospitalizedfor a month before doctors forced herto withdraw from AUC and return toher homeland in Sri Lanka. She spent asemester there undergoing treatment.

“It was a difficult time physically andemotionally,” she said.

Today, Serasinghe has graduated fromAUC magna cum laude with abachelor’s in business administration.Reflecting on the time of her illness,Serasinghe looks back with gratitude atthe university for its support.

“President Arnold and Mrs. Sherrywere more than helpful. I couldn’t havedone it would without the backing Igot from them,” she said, explaining thatit was the Arnolds who referred her tothe AUC Clinic when her symptomsbegan to worsen.Also, in considerationof her condition, the university sent allthe withdrawal papers Serasingheneeded to her in the hospital andassisted with the transition back into theuniversity when she got better.

“You go through life thinking thatnothing will happen to you, and then itsuddenly hits you. ... It is throughsituations like these that you realize howmuch support you have from thosearound you.”

A s I was on my way from the palace of the king of Norway to the OsloCity Hall to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, I found myself reminiscingabout my life –– the twists and turns it had taken, and the lessons I

had learned along the way. ...I remembered that I was a very curious child. I liked to explore and discover.

My mother used to lament that once I got a new toy, I would break it topieces in no time.To me that made perfect sense; how else would I learn howthings worked?

I was known to ask questions that often got me into trouble with my parents.Both at school and university, I hated rote learning and the often boringsubjects that were part of the curriculum. I knew I had to go through it, but(like I’m sure you are feeling today) I was quite relieved when it was over.

So when I started my graduate work at New York University, I was baffledone Friday afternoon to be handed a so-called ‘take-home’ exam! I was toldthat I had all the books in the world to consult over the weekend before Ihanded in my answers Monday morning.

It gradually dawned on me then, and I came to realize to my great relief ––that education is not really about how much they try to cram into your head. Itis about developing the intellectual skills to be able to keep on learning aboutyourself and the world you live in. ...

Life is like an extended take-home exam.You have many references at yourdisposal, but ultimately you will need to turn in your answers. ...

I have no doubt that your parents and professors have made it clear that theyare the reservoir of wisdom and good advice, and that you should listen tothem.And you should. But ultimately, you must listen to your inner voice.Being different, creative, dissident or in the minority is sometimes painful. But

Nobel

ElBaradei Delivers Commencement Address

Advice

“

Overcoming Obstacles

27

that is what distinguishes a thinking human being from amember in a herd of sheep.You should assert yourself, expressyour views and live your life, and not anybody else’s.

You should retain the curiosity, excitement and spontaneity ofyour childhood.You should continue to be a grownup child.Youhave one life and it is yours to live.And above all, you shouldhave the courage to express your own convictions and beliefsand follow your conscience. If you do that, you may lose a fewbattles, but you will win the war.

My late father, the president of the Egyptian Bar Association,was harassed in 1961 when, in the midst of the most repressiveera in modern Egyptian history, he dared to call for democracyand a free press. ... I too have gone through difficult times inrecent years, when I had to speak truth to power on matters ofwar and peace.

But at the end of the day, sticking to principles pays off. ...Thebiggest payoff in sticking to your principles is the deepsatisfaction that you have been true to yourself. ...

As you grow older ... you realize that once you have achieveda decent standard of living, material acquisitions add little to yourhappiness or sense of fulfillment. It is the non-material aspectsthat bring meaning and value to your life: the joy of bringing asmile to a child’s face, helping a sick person, taking a walk on thebeach or sharing a moment with a friend. I am not telling youto give up your dream of having a fancy car or a nice home ––but I am telling you that this alone is not the road to happiness.

— Mohamed ElBaradei, Nobel Peace Prize winner, director general ofthe United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency, recipient of anhonorary doctorate from AUC and undergraduate commencement speaker

Aliaa Osman (second from left), CitibankPublic School Scholarship recipient, and MichelAccad (left), Citibank country manager andNorth Africa regional head, along with Salma ElMaddah (second from right), Egyptian AmericanBank Public School Scholarship recipient, andRoderick Richards, EAB managing director. ElMaddah and Osman now bring the totalnumber of outstanding students who havegraduated under AUC’s Public SchoolScholarship Fund to 74.

Established in 1990, the fund expanded in 2000under the leadership of AUC’s former PresidentJohn Gerhart.Today, thanks to the contributionsof alumni, friends and corporations, the fundgrants full scholarships to 20 of Egypt’s mostoutstanding public school students. More than 70percent of its recipients have graduated with highor highest honors.

”

Celebrating SuccessAcross: ElBaradei;AUC Trustee Paul Hannon, recipient of an honorary doctorate; Bahaa Ezzelarab,Parents Association Cup winner; Dina Sabry, class representative


Traveling to war zones in Darfur and Baghdad as aMiddle East correspondent for the AssociatedPress (AP), Rawya Rageh ’02 led an exciting life

filled with danger. But like many alumni who excel in theircareers in competitive fields, Rageh felt a desire to headback to school for a master’s degree in the United States orthe United Kingdom.

Today, Rageh has returned to life as a student atColumbia University’s journalism graduate program.“When I was with AP, I was based in Dubai, where I hadmy own apartment and was moving ahead in my career.Now, I live in a dorm, spend money rather than earn it andam constantly trying to figure out my way around,” she saidabout her new life in academia.

Juggling the demands of a rigorous academicenvironment, the high costs of living and the difficulties ofadjusting to a foreign country, the pressure can be intense.Spending years in graduate school also means being absentfrom the job market and putting off long-term plans likestarting a family. But for many determined alumni, thejourney is well worth the rewards.

“I am very satisfied and happy with the way things haveturned out for me. I have reached a point in my career that I

High Returns

HigherLearning

The

of

Overcoming the challenges

of attending graduate

school abroad, alumni are

reaping the rewards

By Dalia Al Nimr

29

wouldn’t have expected,” said MonaAmer ’98, whose doctoral research isthe largest study to date of ArabAmerican mental health afterSeptember 11. She is currentlypursuing post-doctoral training at YaleUniversity under a fellowship from theAmerican Psychological Association(APA), the largest association ofpsychologists worldwide.Amer is theonly person in the United States toreceive the fellowship in 2005. Inaddition, she was granted the 2006APA Award for Distinguished GraduateStudent in Professional Psychology,given to a graduate student who hasdemonstrated outstanding practice andapplication of psychology.

“It wasn’t easy,”Amer said, reflectingon the difficulties she faced as a veiledMuslim woman in the United Statesafter 9/11.“On the social front, I hadto deal with prejudice anddiscrimination. I was stopped inairports, given unpleasant commentswhen shopping and was sometimesrefused apartment rentals. On theacademic front, I tapped into an areathat has not been researched before.”

Thriving on the challenge,Ameralso devised new advanced statisticalmodels that won her first place in aregional student research competition.“I pushed myself beyond what Ithought my limits were, and it paid offin the end. I was not only receiving

knowledge in my field, but alsogenerating and disseminating it. I feltthat I was helping to make a smallchange in the world.”

For others, it’s the ability to copeindependently that had the greatestimpact.“You do intense research, andyou’re pretty much on your own,which makes you become self-reliant,”said Moataz Attallah ’01, ’03, who iscurrently pursuing doctoral studies inmaterials science from the Universityof Birmingham in England.

Echoing the same sentiment, Ragehreflected on how difficult it was at thebeginning.“I hit the ground runningfrom day one and had to find my wayaround obstacles. … I’ve discovered thatgraduate school is not an explanatorystep-by-step process like when I was anundergraduate.They throw you outthere and you have to learn hands-on,… then they teach you.”

In addition to the independent

“I’ve discovered thatgraduate school is not anexplanatory step-by-stepprocess like when I was anundergraduate.They throwyou out there and youhave to learn hands-on, ...then they teach you.”

Rawya Rageh

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learning, the motivation to excelpushes students to perform at theirhighest standard.“Graduate school isvery demanding and requires a lot ofconcentration.You always feel on thespot because you are in constantcompetition with the best of thebest,” said Sherif Agha (MSc ’04), adoctoral candidate at Virginia Techwho received Belgium’s DevelopmentCooperation Prize for his master’sthesis on compressed earth blocks.

Aside from the academic gains,graduate school comes at significantfinancial cost. Pursuing a professionaldegree abroad can be an expensiveendeavor, even for those who receivescholarships.The cost of living is high,which forces students to economizewhenever possible. For Attallah, thishas required renting an apartmentwith schoolmates, commuting by bus

and cooking at home instead of goingout to dinner.“I have to manage mylife with the amount of money Ihave,” he said, adding that being awayfrom his family has also taken its tollon him.“I was homesick my first year,but I’ve learned to adapt.”

For others who had their family bytheir side, the experience poseddifferent challenges. Hanadi Salem ’83,’87, who received a doctorate inengineering from Texas A&M and wasthe first female faculty member to betenured in AUC’s engineeringdepartment, remembers how it wasdifficult having her children around,even though she received a lot ofsupport from her husband. She recallsher time at Texas A&M with a mix ofgood and bad memories, butultimately she felt the experiencebenefited her family members,

especially her two daughters.“On the one hand, it was good

because it exposed them to a differentculture and society that helped shapetheir personality. On the other hand,they were sometimes bullied by theirschoolmates because they were of adifferent culture and religion, whichmade me feel guilty.” This compelledSalem to finish her doctoral studies inthree years.

Beyond their success andachievements on the academic side,the students gained unexpectedbenefits on the social and culturalfronts. Recounting how odd he feltwhen his schoolmates spoke about thelatest cricket or rugby matches,Attallah said,“We didn’t have acommon point of reference, whichmade me feel like an outcast.”As timewent by, however, he was able tosocialize and make more friends.

Similarly, Rageh explained thatalthough being an internationalstudent sometimes made her feel like

“I have reached a point inmy career that I wouldn’thave expected.”


Shaa

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Moataz Attallah

Sherif Agha

an outsider, it is this internationalexposure that is the capstone of hergraduate studies abroad.

“After 9/11, I wanted to experiencethe other side of things,” she said.“Byliving in the States, I am in real contactwith the American people and canunderstand what affects their lives andwhether or not the U.S. leadership hasan impact on American publicopinion. It’s very enriching for me as ajournalist to see things for myself.”

Sharing the same viewpoint,Aghawas surprised at how much he learnedabout American culture.“We hadinternational students at AUC, butseeing people in their own communityis different. It was an eye opener.”

For Agha, the biggest transformationwas in the level of self-confidence heattained.“You’re being pushed tohigher standards all the time, and thismakes you discover new things aboutyour capabilities that you weren’taware of before,” he said.“It also makes

you hungry to know more and addmore to your field.”

Attallah added that the continuousresearch helps develop one’s criticalthinking abilities, even outside theclassroom.“You ask questions all thetime and don’t accept things at surfacelevel,” he said.

An unexpected byproduct of agraduate degree abroad is sometimesthe inability to return to Egypt,especially for those who specialize inhigh-tech fields that may not beavailable back home.“If I go back, Imay be crushed by the system andcan’t apply what I’ve learned. I believethe best way to give back to mycountry is to stay abroad and engagein collaborative projects that may helpit advance,”Agha said.

With a similar sentiment,Attallah

also plans on staying in Europe.“Iwant to be up-to-date in my field andlearn new things all the time. I don’twant to stop at my PhD.”

Hoping to be able to contribute,Amer wishes to go back, but knows itwill be a difficult decision to make.“Ihave more to offer in Egypt than I doin the States, but it’s important for meto have job security and the freedomto continue growing, improving andgenerating knowledge,” she said.

For Rageh, on the other hand, hertrue calling is at home.“There is noquestion in my mind that I will goback,” she asserted.“It’s myresponsibility as a journalist. I want towrite to make a difference and tomake people’s voices heard. ...To me,the story is not in the States, it is inour part of the world.” r

“You always feel on thespot because you are inconstant competition withthe best of the best.”

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Mona Amer


He recalls hearing 19-year-old Hesham Abbas singalong in Howard Theatre to pop music hits andtelling him,“One day you’ll be big.” He was here

when Jordan’s Queen Rania was a student who danced thedabka on stage in Ewart Hall with her Palestinian colleagues.An AUC staple, theater custodian El Amir Mohamed Saberhas been here for a full quarter of a century, and he has thestories to prove it.

Sitting in the dimly lit Howard Theatre, clad in hissignature galabeya, Saber expressed a deep devotion to hiswork at AUC. His official responsibilities include cleaning,maintaining and preparing the theater for different classesand performances, but his actual role at the university hasextended much further.

Throughout the years, students have asked him to come totheir performances, he said, because they believed that hispresence brought good luck.When they stayed late into thenight rehearsing, he too stayed to help out. He remembersassisting at the long, arduous initial meetings of the firstCairo International Model United Nations in 1989.

“Back in the old days, when there were only eight kids ina class, we were like a family.We worked altogether, students,professors and staff, as a team. I was with the students somuch at the theater that one day they came to me and said,‘Amir, we have a little part for you.’”

Since that first role, he has made a handful of cameoappearances in shows at Howard. He fondly recalls playing a

ma’alim in El Leila Kebira, singing “samak ma’li, kul wi barr’ali”to a laughing audience.Tamer Mahdy ’00 cast Saber in therole of a tree in one of his plays, and he remembered thecrowd erupting in cheer as soon as they recognized his face.

“Everyone loved him in my play, and they called out‘Amir,Amir!’ when he came on stage,” said Mahdy.“Hewas a real gadaa, always so nice and helping out wheneverhe was needed.”

With so many memories, Saber looks at the move to thenew campus with a mix of excitement and apprehension.“Of course, the university knows what is best, and I believethat they are making the right decision. But it’s like, whenyou go to visit a friend and stay with them for three months,you miss them when you leave. Imagine what it’s like whenyou stay with them for 25 years!”

Rain ShineThere are faces that AUCians remember long after they leave the university — thosepeople who, while not really in the spotlight, were always there to lend a helpinghand, ensuring that things ran smoothly.Those special AUC staff members who werethere to set up the lab before an experiment, send a taxi to the airport to pick youup at 3 am or stay late while you rehearsed your first play at the theater.Thefollowing are three examples of AUC’s unsung heroes who serve the universitycommunity every day behind the scenes.

orThe familiar faces of AUC staff members

Zein El-Abedein Ahmed hasbeen cleaning and preparingbiology labs at AUC for the

past 15 years, from carryingmicroscopes and readying animal skullsfor examination to keeping facultyoffices tidy.

Before coming to AUC, he had noexperience with science, but havingbeen here for so long he has developeda deep interest and admiration for thework that students and faculty do inthe department.

“I love working with the professorson different assignments,” said Ahmed.“Being here has opened my mind tobiology.And of course being with thestudents is great. I am really here atAUC for them.”

Assistant professor Moshira Hassanraved about Zein’s help in the lab and

especially on field trips.“When Zein isaround, instructors can just relax. He isalways looking for bits of work thatneed to be done, making sure thateverything is prepared and in order.Thebiology department would not survivewithout him. He is amazing.”

Students agree, viewing him as a keyperson on their field trips to Sharm ElSheikh, the Red Sea and the desert.Accompanying them mainly to assistwith their experiments, he also prepareslunches that are famous among biologymajors and faculty. Zein’s deliciouscooking is well known.

“You have to try his barbecuedchicken,” said Ameni Ismail ’05.“On allof our trips, he cooks really nice foodthat keeps us happy after long days ofwork.And here in the lab he is alwaysfriendly, sweet and very helpful.”

The most remarkable item inFatma Youssef ’s office is agiant bulletin board barely

visible through the layers of photossent to her by alumni she once caredfor as student housing director. Like amother boasting of her children’saccomplishments, she names each oneand gives an update on their lives sincethey’ve left AUC.

“I like to think that I am like theirmom when they are here,” says Youssef,looking adoringly at the photos.“I loveworking with students. It’s a very hecticand demanding job, but I’ve learned alot from them. I could relate better tomy own children after having workedwith these students for so long.”

In charge of the ZamalekDormitory,Youssef ’s responsibilities aretremendous.Along with the residencelife staff, she coordinates the details ofthe everyday lives of 435 collegestudents from all over the world. Herjob depends on each student’s needs,many of whom are experiencing life

away from home for the first time.Youssef ’s mobile phone is neverturned off, and she is always availablefor them.

“I get phone calls at all hours of theday and night, from the small thingslike the boy calling to get approval foran overnight visitor, to the girl whocalls from the airport at 3 am to haveme give the cab driver directions inArabic, to the mother freaking outbecause her daughter is in the hospital.I must say that I have acquiredtolerance beyond belief.”

Alexander Guindy ’03, residentdirector of the Zamalek Dormitoryand coordinator at the studenthousing office who has lived in thedormitory for seven years now, hasseen the difference she has made withmany students.

“She always changes the rascals, thetroublemakers,” he said.“She reallytakes time to help students. ...Youwon’t find anyone as patient as her.Toall of the resident advisers and students,she’s considered a mother.” r

By Lily Hindy


Around the World

Dubai alumni at a dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel inJanuary 2006.A special thanks to Heba Shaaban’92, ’05 for her efforts in organizing the dinner and toLamia Gabr ’96, Sally Atif ’97 and Dina Samhout’03 for their support and dedication to AUC.Thealumni chapter in the Emirates also held a Ramadaniftar on Thursday, October 20 at the Hilton JumeirahHotel in Dubai

Left:Alumni sohour at the King Hussein Club duringRamadan. It included a quiz game and live music bysinger Zein Awad; bottom: Senator Iman Mufti ’56addressing alumni as Mahmoud Obeid ’91 looks on

United Arab Emirates

Jordan

35

Alumni with President David (fourth from left) and Sherry Arnold (far right) gather at anAUC reception in Washington D.C. during the annual Middle East Studies Associationconference in November

United States

Sherif El Tantawy ’85, Natallie Jaggi,Walid Shash ’82,Violette Jaggi ’73,AUC President David Arnold, Samira Husseini ’51,Ambassador HassanDabbagh, Khalil Othman ’62 at a luncheon hosted by Ambassador and Mrs.Dabbagh at their residence in Geneva

Switzerland

Around 150 students attended the freshman and senior iftar hosted by thealumni office.At the event, which linked both incoming and outgoing AUCstudents,Associate Vice President for Alumni Affairs and Special Adviser to thePresident Mary Iskander ’76 introduced future alumni to the array of alumniservices and activities in Egypt and around the world.Active alumna SophieSarwat ’70 introduced the idea of establishing a Student Ambassador Team thatcan play a positive role in all alumni activities and events

Egypt


First Lady Suzanne Mubarak ’77,’82 mingled with alumni, donors

and special guests at the SemiramisIntercontinental Hotel in downtownCairo during the gala dinner held overhomecoming weekend.The eventtreated 360 guests to a night of food,fun and music. Dalia Issa ’90 andstudents in the AUC Music Groupprovided the entertainment, performinga variety of musical programs.

In her address, the first lady praisedAUC’s achievements, the highstandards the university has set and itsrole in the community.Afterhighlighting various programs atAUC, the guest of honor thenchallenged alumni to build upon this.“To support and sustain these andother initiatives,AUC alumni need tobe even more active and engaged thanwe have been in the past.AUC thriveson the kind of energy, enthusiasm,volunteer efforts and financial supportthat only dedicated alumni canprovide,” she said.“AUC has given usmuch. Only through our continuedsupport can we return part of what it

has provided us.”After discussing political and

economic reform in Egypt, the firstlady linked them to education.“Atthe core of this vision, ladies andgentlemen, is education. It is thepivotal foundation upon which webuild our hopes and dreams for thefuture.That future to which we aspirecan only be realized by providing ouryoung women and men with aneducation that fosters creativity, notconformity, originality rather thanimitation, inquiry and critical thinkingas opposed to rote learning.”

Alumni and donors at the eventresponded to her call, raising a total ofLE 5 million for the establishment ofthe Suzanne Mubarak Public SchoolScholarship, which will provide themeans to allow talented femalestudents to attend AUC.This couldnot have been achieved without theleadership of AUC Trustee Moataz AlAlfi and the support of MohammadAbughazaleh ’67, Hamza Al-Kholi,Ahmed Hassanein Heikal and AkefEl Maghraby.

Scholarships

Alumni Rally in Support of

Top: Hassan Abdalla ’82, ’94 andAhmed Hassanein Heikal; bottom: Firstlady Suzanne Mubarak receiving aplaque in honor of the scholarship in hername from AUC President David Arnoldand Mary Iskander ’76, associate vicepresident for alumni and trustee affairs

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Honoring an ActivistAn outstanding scientist, parliamentarian and women’s rightsadvocate, Farkhonda Hassan (MS ’67) was honored with aDistinguished Alumni Award at the alumni gala dinner.Hassan earned a master’s degree in solid state science atAUC, taught geology for 40 years at the university and iscurrently professor emerita. During her long and impressivetenure, she made invaluable contributions to the expansionand development of the science program.

“I am so happy and proud of my award,” she said.“Both ofmy children, their spouses and my grandchildren have beenmy students in geology and astronomy, so I have a very deepconnection to the university. It really means a lot to me.”

After graduating from Cairo University with a bachelor’s ingeology, Hassan went on to take a diploma in psychologyand education from Ain Shams University and a master’sfrom AUC. She received her doctorate in geology from theUniversity of Pittsburgh.

Of her many memories at AUC, the one she most fondlyrecalls is bringing a group of students to assist in hospitalsduring the 1973 war.“Patients and doctors alike werepleasantly surprised to see how helpful, hardworking andefficient AUC students were. Prior to this, people had thewrong impression that AUCians were delicate and uncaring.”

Hassan has been a leader in promoting women’s rights inEgypt and internationally.As secretary-general of theNational Council for Women in Egypt, she advocates theimportance of female participation in all areas of society,especially in technology and the sciences.

She is currently a member of Egypt’s Shura Council andchairman of the parliamentary committee on humandevelopment and local administration.” Her involvementwith many organizations all over the world includesmembership in subgroups of the United Nations and theWorld Bank.

A Philanthropist and BusinessmanIn recognition of his contributions as a businessman andphilanthropist, Mohammad Abughazaleh ’67 waspresented with the Distinguished Alumni Award from AUC.“It’s an honor and a privilege to be recognized by my almamater,” said the economics graduate.“It makes me happyand proud at the same time.”

Abughazaleh’s success spans numerous years of hardwork. His resume speaks volumes of his leadershipexperience in the Gulf, the United States and Jordan.Today, he is at the helm of Jordan’s National PoultryCompany, the Royal Jordanian Air Academy and DelMonte Fresh Produce –– a leading producer, packer anddistributor in more than 100 countries with approximately37,000 employees worldwide. It is also the world’s numberone pineapple producer. Previously,Abughazaleh waspresident and chief executive officer of United TradingCompany in Chile and Metico in Kuwait and Dubai.

“To be successful, set your goals straight and work hard toaccomplish them. It takes vision and determination,” he said.

In addition to his business strides,Abughazaleh is also adedicated supporter of education. He recently established the

Mohammad Abughazaleh Palestinian Scholarship to providefunds for five talented and deserving students from thePalestinian Occupied Territories to study at AUC.

“I firmly believe that education is the only path tosuccess for the individual and progress for any nation andthe region as a whole,” he said.“I am excited about theopportunity to play a role in shaping the future of fivebright Palestinian students.”

’72Debjani Chatterjee is a freelancewriter and editor who has published 45books for children and adults. SheffieldHallam University awarded her anhonorary doctorate in 2002. She livesin Sheffield, United Kingdom, whereshe chairs the National Association ofWriters in Education.

’74Nariman Marei is the owner of theFast Start Center for Scientific andArtistic Development of Children. Itoffers diverse activities and services,

ranging from daycare to after-schoolenrichment programs and supplementaleducation.

’81Mayar Farrag (MA ’84) is the directorof Mont-Blanc Asset Management S.A.,an independent firm specializing inprivate banking solutions for women inGeneva.

’85Samar Jarrah worked for Jordan TVafter graduation and interviewed thelate King of Jordan, Queen Noor,

Rajeev Ghandhi, Eduard Shevardnadzeand many others. She was also acontributor to CNN World Reportand author of Arab Voices Speak toAmerican Hearts. Jarrah now lives inCalifornia with her husband Mamoon.

Aya Maher (MA ’03) is working onher doctorate in public administrationand is a postgraduate instructor atAUC. She also teaches at the ModernSciences and Arts University, worksindependently with managementconsulting agencies and is a member ofEgypt’s Women’s Association. She hastwo sons, Mohamed, 14, and Omar, 11,and would love to see her colleagues atthe next homecoming or hear fromthem by e-mail [email protected]

’86Hala Afify lives in a small Englishtown called Grimsby. She has fourchildren: Omar,Ahmad, Habiba andMohammad. Her husband,AshrafSelim, is a consultant urologist at thelocal hospital.

’96Randa Kayyali (MA) recentlypublished her new book The ArabAmericans, which outlines theimmigration patterns, settlement,adaptation and assimilation of Arabs inthe United States. Kayyali is enrolled ina doctoral program at George MasonUniversity, focusing on globalization,migration and ethnography. She has juststarted teaching a class on globalizationand culture.

’98Hanan Ragheb (MA) was blessedwith a beautiful baby girl, Sandra, whowas born in October 2004 during atrip to Hawaii.

After four years of undergraduatestudy in biology at AUC, Marwa

Ahmed ’04 and Amira El-Sherif ’05are spending another four years incollege in pursuit of their lifelongdream of becoming medical doctors.

“Medicine has always been a naturalinterest of mine since I was in highschool,”Ahmed said.“Not only dodoctors help people feel better, butthere’s so much out there we don’tknow about the human body and theway God created us.”

Staying close to home, both Ahmedand El-Sherif joined Weill CornellMedical College in Qatar (WCMC-Q), an affiliate of Cornell University inNew York.“My parents live in theEmirates, so this was a good option forme. I am getting an American systemof education, while not being too farfrom my family,” El-Sherif said.

For Ahmed, the decision to go toQatar had to do with familiarity.“Having lived in Saudi for a longtime, I was familiar with life in Gulfcountries in general. I also heardabout WCMC-Q from my parents,and when I visited it, I liked theatmosphere,” she said.

With a field as demanding asmedicine,Ahmed and El-Sherif hardlyhave time to enjoy the atmosphere.Courses start at 8 am and continue forsix hours, after which the twoclassmates study for the rest of theevening. From general science andhuman anatomy to biochemistry andgenetics, the coursework is intense.

Although still in their first year,Ahmed sees herself in the field ofgenetics or neuroscience, while El-Sherif — a long-time diver — wouldlike to pursue either pediatrics orhyperbolic medicine for scuba divers.


Class NotesNew Alums Head to Qatar for Med School

Marwa Ahmed and Amira El-Sherif

39

Mazen Hefni has recently beenpromoted to third secretary at theMinistry of Foreign Affairs and iscurrently working on Egyptian bilateralrelations with 10 European countries.He is also a member of the ExecutiveCommittee of the Cairo YoungDiplomats. He speaks seven languagesand would love to hear from friends [email protected]

’99Marwa Al-Ansary (MSc ’01), receiveda second master’s in 2002 withdistinction from Strathclyde Universityin Scotland and is now pursuing adoctorate in engineering at CambridgeUniversity. She is a teaching assistantand has received the DemonstratorTeaching Award for 2005.Al-Ansary hasalso been awarded the National Awardof the British Federation of WomenGraduates 2005-2006 for demonstratingexcellence in her doctoral research.

’00Mohamed Ibrahim Hegab is an areasuperintendent at Turner Internationalin Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Herecently got married.

’03Beate Sayed moved back to Berlin,Germany. In August 2005, she receivedher master’s in philosophy and religiousand Jewish studies with highest honorsfrom Free University in Berlin, whereshe is pursuing her doctoral studies.

Marwa Farid has worked in variousposts at the U.S. Embassy’s politicalmission in Cairo and is currently ascholarship coordinator at the diversityscholarship and LEAD office at AUC.

’05Mai Mansour is currently working atACTIVE PR & MarketingCommunications.They have recentlyorganized the Universal Children’sDay in an attempt for Egypt to breakthe Guinness World Record for thelargest handprint painting done bychildren.The children have created a220-square-meter painting, in anattempt to break the previous recordof 210.

Special ProgramsHeather Behn Hedden (CASA ’89)started a freelance indexing business,Hedden Information Management, andwas elected president of the NewEngland chapter of the AmericanSociety of Indexers. She just indexedvolume three of the Encyclopedia ofWomen and Islamic Cultures.

In MemoriamZareh Soghikian ’51 died in SanFrancisco.

Tarek Emad El Din Kamel ’03,marketing assistant at Chipsy for FoodIndustries Co., died in Cairo onOctober 22, 2005.

Sameh Farag wrote to AUCToday:I was born in Egypt in 1960, but have lived in Toronto, Canada since 1969 when my parents emigrated. Myfather, Mahmoud Helmy Farag, graduated from AUC in 1952.This past year we celebrated his 81st birthday.This summer, my brother Moataz and I took our families, including five of my father’s grandchildren, to Egyptfor a visit to their grandfather’s homeland. It was an incredibly exciting and unforgettable trip for us, especiallythe children.Apart from visiting the wonderful historic sites of Egypt, experiencing the unparalleled hospitalityand generosity of Egyptians, the children got a special treat when they visited AUC and were able to sit intheir grandfather’s dedicated chair at Ewart Memorial Hall.

AUC Alum’s Family Takes Historical Journey

Ghassan Freiwat ’90 and Siham Kassabri weremarried on Thursday, December 22, 2005 at theAnglican Church in Jebel Ali, Dubai.The ceremonywas followed by a wedding reception at the JWMarriott hotel.They spent their honeymoon in theFar East

Amir Ibrahim (MA ’01) got married toMacarena Canada Del Real, a Spanish lawyer, onNovember 5, 2005 in Seville, Spain

Weddings


Last October, two of AUC’s presidential interns and Itraveled to Alexandria to eat copious amounts of fishand swim in the gleaming Mediterranean Sea.

However, we noticed that all the Egyptian women weresitting fully veiled in black, underneath an orange billow ofan umbrella.The solution to our worries came to us in theform of a galabeya vendor.After the requisite 10 minutes ofbargaining and halving of the price, the three of us emergedfrom the negotiation triumphant, armed with three oddlypatterned robes to wear over our swimwear.

Suddenly, for LE 10, I was an Egyptian. I was free to lookat anyone I wished because people were no longer staring atme, the khawaggaya. Unlike the beaches of SouthernCalifornia, no one was secretly eyeing each other to seehow they looked in their swimsuit. For the first time, I wasfree to walk out along the beach not sucking in.

After a swim, we dragged ourselves back to the beach.Laughter still ringing from our ears and mildly euphoricfrom the freedom of the sea, our emotions wereimmediately quelled by the silence and apparent disapprovalof our new Egyptian friends from one umbrella over. Ilooked down to see that my galabeya was clinging to me inan indecent manner, and when I tried to lie in the sun anddry out, one of the mothers sharply pulled the fabric backdown to my ankles, telling me that men would look at mycalves. Slightly annoyed at her perception of me andunconcerned about anyone looking at my lower leg, Iglanced away to catch several lecherous looks from Egyptianmen. She was right.

Here in Egypt, I live in the middle. Not a tourist, yet nota resident, I work in an office where I am the only non-Egyptian. I buy my food from local vendors on 26th of JulyStreet, but I still pay foreigner prices. I know better than towear a tube top, but I balk at wearing the hijab. I try to readAl-Ahram daily but still identify more with the HeraldTribune. I find it necessary to buy a clock, scissors and evenplants, but I know it is not worth it for me to buy a pet,pick out a nicer table or date someone. I am rooted inCairo but only temporarily. Should I buy a TV? Can I makejudgments about a culture that I’ve lived in for only

months, declare certain practices repressive or liberating?Has the West “figured it out,” whatever “it” is? Should I feelguilty, relieved or embarrassed when I see a new Cinnabon?

Life in Egypt is several months old to me, and 5,000 yearsold to the rest of the country. Every day I butcher thelanguage, walk in a shop where women don’t go, getannoyed that a guy is not allowed upstairs, assume peoplewill be patient with me or understand some English. It isexciting, invigorating, different and strikingly similar. Kidslike candy, 15-year-old boys try to act macho, mothers chidetheir children, and people alternate between stressed out,happy, tired and bored.

Living in Egypt is a self-reflexive process — donning thegalabeya at the beach allowed me to step into that world fora moment, only to re-examine my own perceptions andjudgments.These questions have no easy answers, thesedifferences may mean a lot or very little. I wonder what adifference a year will make.

Juliet Frerking is one of five presidential interns working at AUCfor the 2005-06 academic year. She is a 22-year-old native ofTexas, who graduated last spring with an honors degree ininternational relations and a minor in Arabic language fromStanford University.After completing her internship, Frerking plansto attend law school.

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.

In a Galabeya by the Sea

Frerking (right) under an umbrella by the sea with a woman she befriended

spring 2006 ()

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