September

If the beginning of college weren't exciting enough for a new freshman class, AU’s newest students had the added excitement of an earthquake and a hurricane. On August 25, bagpipers led 1,550 students into Bender Arena for the Opening Convocation that formally began the new academic year. Classes started on August 29. September offers a variety of activities and events for neighbors to enjoy, including the opening of the new fall exhibitions and artists’ reception at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, a human rights film series, the play Dead Man Walking, a special town hall meeting with Jane Goodall, and fall soccer and field hockey games. It’s also a beautiful time of the year to walk through the campus, enjoy coffee outdoors at the School of International Service, or buy some raisin-pecan bread and fresh vegetables at our weekly farmers’ market on the quad.

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Fall Art Opening and Artists' Reception

The Early Fall Exhibitions opening Saturday, September 3, at the American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center showcase an exciting array of artists’ works ranging from photography to sculpture, along with works from the Heather and Tony Podesta Collection, and works gifted to the museum by the Phillips Collection’s co-founder, Duncan Phillips. A free artists’ reception celebrating the new exhibition will be held Saturday, September 17 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at the museum. The new show features a major retrospective examining the work of Louise Rosskam (1910 - 2003), an elusive pioneer of the golden age of American documentary photography, that includes photographs of Southwest Washington, D.C., before urban renewal. Photographer Wayne Barrar’s An Expanding Subterra focuses on subterranean places where people work, live, study, and play. Classic paintings, dreamy films, flamenco dress, and raw photographs by groundbreaking contemporary artists comprise Inner Peace from the Podesta Collection. Works gifted by Duncan Phillips now serve as the foundation of the AU museum collection. (This exhibition runs in conjunction with 90 Years of New, a celebration of the opening of the Phillips Collection in 1921.) Bruce Conner’s An Anonymous Memorial in the AU museum’s show features scrolls with leaves, created by the artist after 9/11. Seismic Dream, a sculpture and sound installation in the museum’s Sylvia Berlin Sculpture Garden by Pattie Porter Firestone and composer Barbara Buchanan, combines original sculpture, music scores, and poetry into a "dreamscape" experience.

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Reflections on the Eve of 9/11: What’s Changed? What Hasn’t?

Join us for a special discussion on September 1 from 6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. with Professor Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at AU, and Dr. Edward Kessler of Cambridge University’s Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths. This fall, they are co-teaching an e-course Bridging the Great Divide: The Muslim-Jewish Encounter. Discussion is free and open to the public in the Abramson Family Founder’s Room in the School of International Service. The event will be moderated the Dr. James Goldgeier, Dean of the School of International Service, which is co-sponsoring the event with the College of Arts and Sciences’ Jewish Studies Program, The Center for Israel Studies at AU, the Kay Spiritual Life Center, the Intercultural Management Institute, the Muslim Student Association, and the Jewish Student Association. A reception will follow the program. Free parking is available at the parking lot at Nebraska and New Mexico Avenues.

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Joined by War: A Conversation between Afghans and Americans

Join WAMU 88.5 FM and Kojo Nnamdi on Thursday, September 8 at 7 a.m. at AU’s Katzen Arts Center for a live candid conversation between Afghans and Americans about the impact of ten years of war. With the anniversary of September 11th approaching, and with the U.S. troop draw-down in Afghanistan under way, America Abroad Media, WAMU 88.5 FM, and Radio Killid Afghanistan will bring together an audience in Washington, D.C. and an Afghan audience in Kabul to talk about one of the longest wars in U.S. history, and its toll on Afghans and Americans alike. Thousands of lives have been lost and millions of lives have been touched. This event is free, but an RSVP is required to Paul Mozzocci at mozzocci@wamu.org. It will be a morning you won’t forget.

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A Town Hall Meeting with Jane Goodall: A Conversation on Peace

AU’s School of International Service and its Global Environmental Politics Program, along with the United Nations Association of Washington, D.C., will present a town hall discussion with Jane Goodall on Sunday, September 18, at 1 p.m. in the outdoor Woods-Brown Amphitheater on the AU campus. Goodall, a United Nations Messenger of Peace and founder of the Jane Goodall Institute, will preside over this event celebrating the 30th anniversary of the UN International Day of Peace resolution and the annual Roots & Shoots International Day of Peace. The town hall will be moderated by NBC4 Washington’s Wendy Rieger. Tickets: Students: $10 with valid ID; $15 for the general public. Tickets are available at http://aueagles.tix.com. All ticket proceeds benefit the Jane Goodall Institute. For more information, contact Mary Catherine Manning at manning@american.edu or call 202-885-2159.

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Fall Arts Colloquia: Sculptural Works by Courtney Smith

Join us on Tuesday, September 20 at 6 p.m. for the Fall Arts Colloquia: Anti-Heroic presents Courtney Smith. Known for her complex pieces of deconstructed/reconstructed furniture, Smith works in two seemingly disparate directions. Her conceptually incisive sculptures transcend their Minimalist roots by delighting in the intellectual practice of conjugating order and disorder. In some of her sculptural work, she breaks down whole furniture pieces into myriad modular parts, which serve as building materials. In other works, she introduces uniform, fixed constructions as newborn objects of furniture. Feminine in their attention to pattern and repetition, but fearless in their constructive rigor, these works achieve a coy but intelligent sensuality. This event is free and open to the public in the Abramson Family Recital Hall at the Katzen Arts Center. Free parking is available under the Katzen building.

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Local Universities Host Jobs Fair in DC

American University joined other members of the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area and the D.C. Department of Employment Services to host an all-day jobs fair this summer. More than 1,500 people attended the jobs fair. This effort was aimed at reaching out to the D.C. community to connect job seekers with open positions at universities in the D.C.-metro area. AU lists available full- and part-time jobs at www.american.edu/hr. AU also offers AU Ready Hire, a staffing program in the Office of Human Resources that works with candidates interested in office support positions at the university. AU Ready Hire candidates are pre-screened and interviewed. The program works with hiring managers to speed up and streamline the hiring process for administrative openings throughout the university. For more recruiting information, contact theworkline@american.edu, or Work@AU LinkedIn Group, or call 202-885-3563.

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Farmers’ Market Returns to the AU Quad

We are delighted to have our popular farmers’ market return to the campus quad on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Stop by the white tents by the Ward building on the quad and check out the late summer fruits and vegetables, cheeses, and honey from Dan at Agora Farms and the wonderful hearth-baked breads, cookies, scones, and more from Chris at the Upper Crust Bakery stand. They will be here every Wednesday until Thanksgiving, so mark your calendar and get out your cookbooks.

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Office of Alumni Relations Hosts Reception at U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

If you haven’t been to the Capitol Visitors Center, here is a great opportunity. AU’s Office of Alumni Relations is hosting a reception there on September 27 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. featuring remarks by James A. Thurber, Founder and Director of AU’s Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies in our School of Public Affairs. He will talk about his recently published book Obama in Office: Assessing the First Two Years and review the president’s first two years in office – what was accomplished and what was left undone. Thurber also will discuss what problems emerged that may influence events in the remainder of this term as well as the President’s prospect for a second term. Location: Capitol Visitor Center, Congressional Meeting Room North, East Capitol Street, NE. RSVPs are required. Walk-ins will not be permitted. Tickets: $15 for alumni and guests. For more information and tickets, contact Melissa Bevins at bevins@american.edu or call 202-885-5933.

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Fall Schedule for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at AU

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at AU is part of a national network that includes 119 institutes in all 50 states, and offers a unique opportunity for older people to continue learning at the university level. This fall, OLLI offers 71 study groups based on peer learning and teaching. As OLLI’s fall 2011 catalog notes, “Word on the street is that it has become very cool to be a Study Group Leader at OLLI.” This fall’s catalog offers courses on politics, history, immigration foreign affairs, health care, art, music, and much more. There also are no tests or grades. OLLI members can use the AU library, computers, parking, shuttle service, campus store, dining facilities, and join the Jacobs Fitness Center at a reduced rate. To find out more about the OLLI fall semester and how to become a member and register for study groups, visit www.OLLI-DC.org, or stop by the open house on September 15 from 1 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. at Temple Baptist Church, 3860 Nebraska Ave., NW. Fall classes run from September 22 to December 7. A lottery will be held on September 7 for classes that are oversubscribed. OLLI’s Fall Speaker Series (free) kicks off on Tuesday, September 27 from 12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m. at Temple Baptist Church with AU President Neil Kerwin talking about “Rulemaking and Governance of the United States.”

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Woods Gate Parking Lot Closed on Campus

If you walk or drive on Nebraska Avenue past the AU campus, you may have noticed a new green space before Ward Circle where our Woods Gate parking lot and access road to the quad existed. Both the parking lot and access road were eliminated along with the curb cut to the street. This was done in accordance with D.C. Zoning regulations in conjunction with the building of AU’s new School of International Service. Reserved parking spaces for individuals with disabilities are available in the new SIS garage and the Ward Circle side of the Nebraska Avenue parking lot. AU’s Public Safety Office posts alerts for road work and any temporary road closures on campus on the Parking Alerts page of the AU Web site.

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September Events

Thursday, September 1 from 6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Reflections on the Eve of 9/11: What’s Changed? What Hasn’t. A conversation with Professors Akbar Ahmed, Ibn Khaldun Chair of Islamic Studies at AU and Dr. Edward Kessler of Cambridge University’s Woolf Institute of Abrahamic Faiths, co-teachers of the ground-breaking fall e-course Bridging the Great Divide: The Muslim-Jewish Encounter. Student Q&A and reception follow the discussion moderated by Dr. James Goldgeier, new Dean of the School of International Service (SIS). Free and open to the public. Founder’s Room in the SIS building.

Friday, September 2 at 4 p.m. AU women’s soccer team plays Robert Morris University at Reeves Field.

Friday, September 2 at 5p.m. AU field hockey team plays University of Pennsylvania at Jacobs Field.

Saturday, September 3. Early Fall 2011 exhibitions open at the American University Museum in the Katzen Arts Center featuring international photography collections by Wayne Barrar and Louise Rosskam, contemporary works from the collection of Heather and Tony Podesta, sculptures by Patty Firestone, and works gifted to AU’s Watkins collection by Duncan Phillips. Free parking is available under the Katzen building.

Sunday, September 4 at 12 p.m. AU women’s soccer team plays University of Iowa at Reeves Field.

Sunday, September 4 at 2 p.m. AU field hockey team plays Princeton University at Jacobs Field.

Friday, September 9 at 5 p.m. AU men’s soccer team plays Liberty at Reeves Field.

Tuesday, September 13 at 7 p.m. “An Israeli Love Story” – critically acclaimed one-woman show written by playwright Pnina Gary and starring award-winning actress Adi Bielski. In the summer of 1942 a chance meeting at a bus stop brings together young and vibrant Margalit and Ami, an idealistic Kibbutz pioneer and soldier in the “Palmach.” Talk-back and reception follow performance. Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. Free and open to the public. Contact Laura Cutler at cutler@american.edu for tickets. Free parking under the Katzen building. Co-sponsored by AU’s College of Arts and Sciences and The Center for Israel Studies, and the Embassy of Israel.

Friday, September 16 at 1 p.m. AU Men’s soccer team plays California State Fullerton at Reeves Field.

Friday, September 16 at 4 p.m. AU women’s soccer team plays Mount St. Mary’s College at Reeves Field.

Friday, September 16 at 7 p.m. AU volleyball team plays Villanova at Bender Arena. For tickets ($4 - $6), visit http://www.aueagles.com/tickets/index or call the Athletics ticket office at (202) 885-TIXX.

Saturday, September 17 from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Free artists’ reception at the AU Museum for the opening of the Early Fall 2011 Exhibitions. Free parking under the Katzen building.

Saturday, September 17 at 7 p.m. AU volleyball team plays Missouri. Bender Arena. For tickets, visit http://www.aueagles.com/tickets/index or call the Athletics ticket office at (202) 885-TIXX.

Sunday, September 18 from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Louise Rosskam Film Event: Southwest Remembered – A story of Urban Renewal. Free and open to the public. Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. Free parking is available under the Katzen building.

Sunday, September 18 at 2 p.m. AU field hockey team plays University of Louisville at Jacobs Field.

Sunday, September 18 at 4 p.m. AU men’s soccer team plays University of Central Florida at Reeves Field.

Tuesday, September 20 at 6 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences’ Fall Arts Colloquia presents: Anti-heroic: Courtney Smith. Free and open to the public. Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. Free parking is available under the Katzen building.

Thursday, September 22 from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. Human Rights Film Series presents If A Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front followed by Q&A with director Marshall Curry and AU human rights experts. The film follows the controversial story of Daniel McGowan who was arrested in 2005 on charges of domestic terrorism as a member of the radical environmental group, the Earth Liberation Front. Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. Free parking under the Katzen building. Event is sponsored by School of Communication’s Center for Social Media.

Friday, September 23 and Saturday, September 24 at 8 p.m. New Student Showcase: Almost Me and Outta Here follow the lives of incoming freshmen students as they face the trials and tribulations of their first year in a higher education institution. Book by Caleen Sinnette Jennings and Javier Rivera. Music by Rob Rokicki. Lyrics by Rob Rokicki and Michael Ruby. Cara Gabriel, director. Derek Bowley, musical director. Harold and Sylvia Greenberg Theatre. Tickets: $10 regular admission; $5 seniors. For tickets, visit www.american.tix.com or call the Greenberg Theatre box office at (202) 885-2587.

Friday, September 23 at 7 p.m. AU volleyball team plays Bucknell. Bender Arena. For tickets ($4 - $6), visit http://www.aueagles.com/tickets/index or call the Athletics ticket office at (202) 885-TIXX.

Saturday, September 24 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Ninth AU-GW Art History Symposium. Free and open to the public. Katzen Arts Center. Room 112. Free parking is available under the Katzen Building.

Saturday, September 24 at 12 p.m. AU men’s soccer team plays Colgate University at Reeves Field.

Saturday, September 24 at 2 p.m. AU volleyball team plays Colgate University at Bender Arena. For tickets ($4 - $6), visit http://www.aueagles.com/tickets/index or call the Athletics ticket office at (202) 885-TIXX.

Saturday, September 24 at 3 p.m. AU women’s soccer team plays University of Richmond at Reeves Field.

Sunday, September 25 at 1 p.m. AU Field hockey team plays Boston College at Jacobs Field.

Sunday, September 25 at 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. Louise Rosskam Film Event: Documenting the Face of America – Roy Stryker and the FSA/OWI Photographers. Free and open to the public. Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. Free parking available under the Katzen building.

Sunday, September 25 at 3 p.m. AU alumni red/blue teams swim meet at Bender.

Monday, September 26 at 4 p.m. AU women’s soccer team plays George Washington University at Reeves field.

Tuesday, September 27 at 3 p.m. AU men’s soccer team plays Virginia Tech at Reeves Field.

Tuesday, September 27 at 6 p.m. College of Arts and Sciences’ Fall Arts Colloquia presents Anti-Heroic: Matt Rich. Free and open to the public. Abramson Family Recital Hall in the Katzen Arts Center. Free parking is available under the Katzen building.

Tuesday, September 27 at 7 p.m. AU volleyball team plays Morgan State University at Bender Arena. For tickets, visit http://www.aueagles.com/tickets/index or call the Athletics ticket office at (202) 885-TIXX.

Thursday, September 29 through Saturday, October 1 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, October 1 at 2 p.m. The play, Dead Man Walking, based on Sister Helen Prejean’s book and the critically acclaimed film of the same name, is Academy Award winner Tim Robbin’s uncompromising inquiry into violent crime and the issues surrounding capital punishment. It explores the complex relationship between Matthew Poncelet, a convicted rapist/murderer on death row, and his spiritual advisor, Sister Helen Prejean. Studio Theatre in the Katzen Arts Center. Tickets: $15 general admission; $10 seniors. For tickets, visit auarts@american.edu or call 202-885-ARTS. Event co-hosted by Katzen Arts Center, School of Communication, SPA: Justice & Law Society, Washington College of Law, and the Office of the University Chaplain.

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For event details and a full list of all upcoming events, see the University Events Calendar.