Beyond Ward Circle

AU's School of Public Affairs Kicks Off 75th Anniversary Celebration

The School of Public Affairs kicked off its 75th anniversary celebration last night with a nice reception at the Katzen Arts Center. SPA Dean Bill LeoGrande and AU President Neil Kerwin both gave excellent speeches. The highlight may have been when Kerwin suggested he had lots of tales to tell about LeoGrande from the old days when they were both assistant professors, but that he would be kind enough not to share them. Perhaps someday we can get him to spill the beans here on BWC.

Stay on top of anniversary news and events here or at http://spa.american.edu

Jehan Harney Draws Praise for Short Film

More than a decade ago Jehan Harney made the trip from Egypt to study international journalism at American University. Today, she is profiled by the Washington Post as her film-making talents draw attention:

Harney, a TV journalist, filmmaker and Muslim, set out to capture a different story. Her short film, "Soul Mechanic," about a Muslim car mechanic and artist in Cambridge, Mass., was selected as a finalist in the "One Nation, Many Voices" online film festival last week. The documentary tells the story of a Muslim mechanic who uses his garage to display sculptures that fuse Islamic, Christian and Jewish symbols.