Bee Writer by ITU Writing Center 2014/6 by ituwritingcenter

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From the editors

Index

Dear readers, th

We are very sorry over the news of the mine accident in Manisa, Turkey, and our hearts and thoughts are with the families who lost their loved ones and the survivors. We've come to the end of the 2013-2014 school year. Over the course of the year we've had many exciting interviews and interesting issues. However, the final issue for this year has something a little bit extra. The June proficiency will soon be here, and for this issue the Bee Writers, Sarper Doğa Öngen, Aylin Adsalan, Hava Nur Yavaş and Mert Menekşe interviewed a selection of SFL students, both current and former, to find out their thoughts about preparing for and passing the proficiency exam. We also have a culmination of interviews from Yasin Baktır, our writer abroad in the U.S.A. who spoke with other English language students to find out about why they are learning English. Mert Menekşe, Gizem Karabulut and Sarper Doğa Öngen also wanted to share their thoughts on May th 19 Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day. For our traditional columns, Mert Menekşe interviews Assistant Professor Dr. Cuma Yarım about the Astronautical (aerospace) Engineering Department and Jindar Geleri takes a tour on Büyükada, a paradise island in Istanbul. Aylin Adsalan and Hava Nur Yavaş prepare a rather literary interview with artist and museum-owner Sunay Akin who was kind enough to give us an interview and tour of his toy museum in Istanbul. Keeping with this literary theme, we have two amateur poems from two of our current students; Said Çakmaker and Doğancan Telli. Passing from poetry to music, Gizem Karabulut writes about the activities held at ITUFEST this year. We hope you enjoy this final issue before the end of term. Good luck to everyone on their final exams and the English proficiency exam. Have a restful summer.

İlknur Karaman Meridith Paterson

beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

May 19 Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day, 4

The Interview with Sunay Akın, 5 poet, author and museum-owner

A Closer Look at One Department, 20 Astronautical Engineering

A Landmark, 22 Büyükada Research into ELL and Proficiency Exam, 26 conducted among students at ITU SFL

Reflections on Learning English as a FL, 32 conducted among EFL students in Chicago

ITUFEST 2014, 34

Poetry, 37 Beyond Dreams and My Dream

the cover photo by Özer Özsarı

www.writing.itu.edu.tr writing@itu.edu.tr

Message tojhgManisa

We offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and relatives of the miners killed in Manisa, Turkey. We are sorry beyond words for your loss. Also, we wish a speedy recovery to the injured and those affected.

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May 19: Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day

In this issue, some of the Bee Writer contributors wanted to write their own comments about the May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day.

‘‘Today is the May 19th Commemoration of Atatürk and Youth and Sports Day. Today is the beginning of our War of Independence. On May 19, 1919, Mustafa Kemal, the founder of the Turkish Republic, went for a journey from Istanbul to Samsun and began the War of Independence because the Ottoman Empire wasn’t independent anymore. Our enemies besieged the country, and even the Ottoman Empire was called a ‘sick man’ by European countries. Consequently, someone had to do something to save the country and Mustafa Kemal and his friends stepped in to save the Turkish Republic for the sons and daughters of our future. Finally, after much difficulty, they succeeded and they saved the Turkish public. Moreover, Mustafa Kemal and his friends gave a gift, which is the Republic, to the Turkish public. For women, they gave the right to elect officials and be elected, too. In short, they gave freedom to us. I don’t know what people think; however, I think that we owe our freedom to them. This Republic is our responsibility. It has been beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

inherited from our ancestors. Mustafa Kemal and his friends, who are my heroes, moved this country from the 16th century to the 20th century in terms of the living conditions. Turkish people have to protect this country for our past remembrance, present and the future. Thank God for sending Ataturk to us. Happy May 19th.” Mert Menekşe

‘‘It is so obvious that under current circumstances, it is crucial to be aware of the importance of our remaining national values and raise awareness about them. As Turkish youth, we bear the honor of accomplishing that sacred mission. Happy May 19th.” Gizem Karabulut

‘‘One of the main tasks of the Turkish youth is protecting our national unity and solidarity. I invite you to be respectful to this essential date in terms of remembering Turkish history and keeping our national values alive together.’’ Sarper Doğa Öngen

The Interview With Sunay Akın

unay Akın was born in 1962 and received his higher education from Istanbul University in the Physical Geography Department, but he is living proof that one’s education isn’t only connected to a university diploma, but that he can do any kind of profession in accordance with his capabilities. From his story, it is understood that education is about lifelong learning.

things that it was a unique experience for all that day. After the interview, he showed many of the pieces from his special collection and gave a private tour of the museum as a kind host. Listening to Mr. Sunay is like reading a book. It is so easy to be engrossed in what he is saying and to step into a different world independent from time and space. In every sense, it was a very enjoyable interview and hopefully the reader will feel the same pleasure.

Where exactly would you place museums in the process by which humans have turned into today’s human beings? How do you think museums will contribute to this process in the future?

On the day of the interview Bee Writer arrived at a mansion surrounded by giraffe statues in Göztepe. An interesting setting for the interview with Sunay Akın, who embodies a variety of titles including author, poet, researcher and journalist. He inherited the mansion from his family, and turned it into a toy museum. Seeing this place, visitors can easily understand that museology requires much more effort than people would guess. Interviewing Mr. Akın created a deep excitement and happiness in the Bee Writers present, but he was so sincere that the tension disappeared immediately. During and after the interview, he taught so many beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Mankind was ruled from palaces and castles for centuries. In addition to this, there were institutions which acted as religious authorities such as the church, papacy or caliphate. They all came together, and ruled mankind. They played a major part in shaping people’s futures, thoughts and lives. On the other hand, people became curious. They were curious about what was there beyond the horizon or underground. They observed the animals, and were curious about them. They were interested in science and art. Over the course of time, works of science and art have increasingly accumulated in various places. Then, people built structures for them. I mean, when works of science and artwork, created by people questioning, increased where have people gathered them together? In museums. Why did people call these structures 5

“museum”? What does a museum mean? In mythology, the god Zeus has nine beautiful daughters, and they live on Mount Helicon. Apollon, whose mountain is Helicon, is a god of light and the arts. Zeus’ nine beautiful daughters are known as the Muses, who are referred to in three scriptures - the Torah, Bible and Qur’an. The mission of the Muses was to bring inspiration to people on Mount Helicon, so the Muses are actually muses. Consequently, in this process, science and artwork were gathered in a place, and this place was named muse. As museums increased, the churches and the palaces were incarcerated in their own gardens. People started to think that ‘you can’t think and decide for us’ because all science and artwork have become the memory of a questioning society and free thought. Let’s look at a question: Did the more advanced countries than Turkey today firstly gain these values and then establish museums, or firstly did they establish museums and gain these values by walking the corridors of knowledge? It is no doubt that they established museums, and the memory spreading from museums created democracy. The evolution of people is told through occupations, wars and the power changing hands, like this king died and this one took his place, which is wrong. Civilization has a different source, and to understand it, you must visit museums. If I ask you the name of a king or a minister who had the most authority in the past, you can’t remember; however, if I say to you ‘Galileo’, you all know him. Tell me a king's name from 400 years ago; you can’t. A knight's name? ‘Don Quixote.’ There is no one who beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

doesn’t know him. He is just a protagonist of a novel who never gives up his dream, but everybody still knows him.

How did you decide to establish a museum? Turkey needed a crazy man. 'You mustn’t attempt to open it,' they said to me. I love museums so much. I have enjoyed myself the most at museums. I have travelled all over the world as a guest in a lot of cultural, literary and art events. In these cities, I allocated time for myself. In those moments, I was in museums, booksellers, antique shops or libraries. I saw the Eiffel Tower from a far distance when I went to Paris for the fourth time. The Eiffel Tower never attracts me. Why would I go near it while there is the d’Orsay, the Louvre, science museums and a lot of other museums in Paris? I spent my life at 6

museums. I still do. When I went to Nuremberg about 25 years ago at the beginning of the 90s, I allocated one day for myself, and I planned to visit museums in Nuremberg. I would go to the home of Albrecht Durer, the famous painter, the Nazi courts, industrial museum and so on. One day. All of them would be visited in just one day. I would rush from one place to another. In the hotel I stayed in, I saw a brochure. It belonged to the Nuremberg Toy Museum. I was very surprised. Could there be a museum comprising of toys? I had never seen a toy museum. I thought I would go there first because I could leave in an hour. However, by evening, a German attendant came to me and said, “Sir, we must close here.” So, I filled my whole day with the Nuremberg Toy Museum. I came back to Istanbul. Then, the next week I went to Nuremberg again. I was in only one museum, the Toy Museum, for two days. I was very impressed. The museums always attract me, but the toy museum fascinated me so much. When I went back to Turkey, after my first visit to the toy museum, I said to myself “What did I see? Where was I? What was it?”I was very impressed. The feeling was like that of the rain which can be described, but is necessary to get wet with in order to realize what it is. I tried to tell my friends about the toy museum, but I couldn’t. How do you tell one who has never seen the rain about rain? You can’t. Furthermore, Turkey was deprived of this ‘rain’. Then, I visited all the toy museums in the world. As I explored, I thought that Turkey didn’t know this. There was no toy beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

museum in Turkey. I really coveted them as I explored. I didn’t envy, but I coveted, admired. I felt bad because my country didn’t know this. An idea I saw there was that dreams should be the first principle, not truths. Actually truths follow in the footsteps of dreams. It has been like that throughout history. If there were no dreams, science and art couldn’t progress and humans couldn’t be human. Besides, the tangible evidence of dreams is toys. The toys are important for a person’s dream which is the universal language of humanity as much as the value of words in a language.

At the same time, I began to research the history of toys. I gathered hundreds of books about it, and read all of them. Also, I went to both museums and antique shops. I began to see toys in antique shops from a different aspect. Firstly, I studied 7

and learned about them. When I saw a toy, I could easily predict which brand it was; however, learning and especially recognizing them took years. To illustrate, when an archaeologist finds a piece in an archaeological dig, he/she knows which civilization it belongs to. I learned to evaluate the toys I saw in antique shops like they were pieces found in a dig. The antique shops were the fields that I exercised in. I would try to prove myself by seeing if I could predict a toy’s brand in museums. I memorized all the brands’ products, but it took five years.

People usually think that I gathered old toys that children didn’t play with any more or were sold at flea markets in order to establish a toy museum, but it would have become a garbage house in this way, not a museum. In a state art museum, whose works are exhibited? Works of important names like Dali, Chagall, Nuri İyem, Osman Hamdi, Bedri Rahmi, Fikret Mualla, Hoca Ali Riza, İbrahim Çallı, da Vinci, Monet, and Goya. These are the names you all know. They are the top artists. Toys are the same in a way. There were numerous toy factories, but all products weren’t exhibited in museums because they didn’t have the right qualities to be a work of art. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

At the end of five years, I established the Istanbul Toy Museum. I have learned all the knowledge of this profession. I finished its university, so to speak. I read books fifty times more than you did at university. I did exercises five hundred times more than you. Isn’t this a university? There is no exam and nobody says to you “you are accepted into this university.” However, it is a university to remove the difference between looking and seeing. Actually, everybody is his or her own university. After this accumulation of knowledge, I decided to establish a toy museum. I am not a collector, and have never been a collector. A toy collector specializes in a particular subject, and collectors set up the basis of museums. Let me explain it with another example, kids were treated by doctors specializing in adult diseases for centuries. Then, scientists realized that childhood disease is a distinct discipline, and it was separated. Similarly, in museums, I specialized in children and toy museums. Now, there are programs about museums in the universities in Turkey. However, it seems to me like the medicine of 300 or 400 years ago. All the disciplines were in one. In Turkish films 50 or 60 years ago, doctors came to a sick person’s house with a bag including some medical tools. In those years, the knowledge of doctors was equal to that of the bag’s size. It had a thermometer and stethoscope. There was no other thing. All diagnosis had to fit into that bag, but today medicine has developed a lot. Currently the sense of museum in Turkey is like the doctor's bag. I'm not saying this is bad. It must start 8

from somewhere, but we are still like this. So, when you ask me about the museum, I must explain it to you by treating it as a science because I want it to be understood in Turkey. Five years after doing all this work and studying, I saw a 100 year old, white German-made antique horse at an antique shop in Berlin. And, it said, ‘buy me’. It was like it spoke to me. I still do not know why, but I picked it and I just brought it on the plane. I traveled with such an antique horse into the airport. No one was looking at me, surprisingly. It was checked by the security. They were looking at it to see if there was anything in it. It was my first piece. Then, I allocated all the money I earned to buy these toys and I am still continuing. Whatever I had from my family I spent to found the Istanbul Toy Museum. The rain is out there. After the interview, go and get soaked by it.

What is your favorite toy in the museum? All of them. I wanted all of them like asking a woman’s father for his daughter’s hand in marriage. All the toys belonged to collectors. Why does a collector sell a toy? Because he/she needs money; otherwise, he/she never gives it up. However, it doesn’t mean that you can buy it just because you have money. He/she must recognize you as a serious buyer and be convinced that you are the right person to sell it to. All dealers sold me their toys as the most precious thing they owned. Maybe, they could have sold them for a higher amount because there were many people who wanted to buy them.

In addition, finding collectors wasn’t easy. I bought eighty percent of them from the dealers’ own houses. They were personal belongings of the collectors. Can you enter a German, Dutch or French person’s house easily? Is it possible to be accepted as a stranger? They usually meet people outside. However, they invited me to their homes. Nonetheless, until they invited me, I met them out a lot of the time, and then they were convinced. Firstly, I just won them over. After experiencing the process for five years, I have learnt that these collectors meet with each other on certain days of the year. I have started to beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

join these meetings. People think running a museum is an easy job; however, what you see is just the tip of the iceberg. Making contact with collectors is not easy. These connections are very important, still continue and become stronger. If you aren’t always in touch with them and lose their friendship, maybe he/she won’t call you for the toy that he/she will sell later. Consequently, having enough money and finding toys aren’t enough to run a museum.

My uncles said, “Son, submarines don’t have any windows.” However, I didn’t understand the reason. It should have had. My father’s job required him to go to Istanbul sometimes in order to buy commodities. I always wanted him to buy a toy submarine for me. Whenever he came back home, and opened his suitcase, I would keenly look at it. He bought many toys for us, but none of them was a submarine because he couldn’t find it anywhere. Actually there were submarine toys in the 1960s in Turkey. Exploring the history of toys, I learned that they used to be sold in the Beyoğlu Japanese Store. However, how could my father know that? I’ve never had a submarine toy, but I made it from medicine chests myself. Maybe this craving resulted from “Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea” by Jules Verne because we were a generation growing up by reading tales like this. However, I didn’t know the song “Yellow Submarine” by the Beatles in those years. Are there any books that you read when you were a child and still remember?

Was there any toy you especially wanted to have when you were a child? A submarine. I love submarines so much. The Navy set sail from Trabzon port for Cabotage Day. There was a submarine there. I’ve never forgotten the first time I entered the submarine with my uncles. I was so scared. It didn’t have any windows. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

When my brother, one year older than me, started school at the age of eight, I was sorry because my brother would go to school and I was alone at home playing alone. My brother would become the center of interest because he learned to read and write. When my brother learned to read, I learned myself, too. I don’t know how I learned, but I did. When I started school, I was very bored at first. I hated school all the time. I thought, 'there can’t be a place as boring as school.' Knowledge 10

is everywhere. I never went to school in order to have a job. I went to school to obtain information and be knowledgeable. Why are you at the university? Just to have a job in the future? If the answer is “Yes”, shame on you! Go to university if your aim is walking towards darkness by holding a light. Otherwise, study at one of the vocational schools. I am not underestimating these schools. I think they are more important. I would convert some universities into vocational schools if I had a power to do this. However, university is a different field. In university the most important thing isn’t circling the right answer; it is finding a logical way to solve a problem.

Folktales”. I was awarded with a prize twice, but I didn’t even join its ceremony because I don’t care about prizes. The true prize is the story that I talked about just now. Can you imagine how I felt touring Japan? When I took my first step there, it conjured up the book with the blue, leather cover that my teacher gave me, my class and the red ribbon. Then, me in Japan, the plane, and the pilot saying “We are landing in Tokyo airport.” I see Mount Fuji, the sun going down, and the book which I know all tales in. Imagine! What about prizes? What are they! Of course, there are important prizes. The life gives them to you. The prizes that time gives you are very valuable.

But, I digress. To get back to what I was saying, at school my teacher noticed I could read, but never said “Sunay can read” among my friends because it would damage my social relationships with my friends. In those years, those who could read were rewarded with a ribbon. I was the first person to get a ribbon, and I got a book as a gift. By then, I would read especially the back side of the calendar sheets that poems and stories were written on. The Saatli Maarif Calendar was the piece of writing I first read. Of course, I also read many storybooks. However, the book that my teacher gave me as a gift changed my life.

So, from your example, we can say that teachers play an important role in her/his students’ lives?

2010 was the year of Japan in Turkey, and the Japanese government wanted to invite a Turkish artist. I was chosen from among all the artists. Hence, in 2010 I was in Japan as a guest of the government, and I toured all over Japan. The book my teacher gave me as a gift was “Japanese beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

They are everything for a student. I hated schools, and I wanted to destroy all schools. However, I loved teachers the most in my life. Besides, I think they never fit in these schools. What do you think about the education system in Turkey? If, in a country, the young want to be accepted by a school while the schools don’t care how to win them over, nobody in this country can tell me about education, the enlightenment and democracy. The education is just like tailoring in a way. My father was a tailor. If you brought fabric to my father, he could say what could be made of it by just looking at it. What can be made of which fabrics? A tailor gives an answer for this

question. This is the true education. We make our children go to school from six to eighteen. Moreover, without considering their skills, we send them into a minefield. We placed mines: A, B, C, D, E. Whoever can cross without causing the mines to explode will have a job.

Why did you choose Geography Department?

We care about the concept of 'job' so much. Education starts in the family; however, the family doesn’t know what education is. All the family wants is for their children to have a job and not depend upon anybody for money. They are right here, and I can understand their anxieties. However, they guide their children incorrectly. These anxieties and fears become an obstacle to improvement in education. They do it without knowing, but it is wrong. You, today’s generation, shouldn’t make the same mistakes. Know your children’s fabrics. What can be made of him/her? You should consider their wishes, dreams and hopes. When you die, what will you take beside you to your grave, this 2 meters deep pit? Will you fill this pit by living others’ lives or will you be able to say “Once, I was up” when you lie there? When you are chained by the angel of death, will you able to say “I was free.”Otherwise, will you think that you lived with chains and obediently? beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

the Physical

I chose five different departments to study. One: veterinary medicine because I liked to spend time with animals. I am one of the real documentary viewers. I never watch anything else except documentaries. I am enamored of them. Two: Faculty of Forestry. Three: Physical Geography. Four: Oncology. Five: Dairy Technology. How different they all seem, right? But actually, all of them are about nature. I chose the Physical Geography Department because I loved the world map so much. I loved all maps. When I was at high school, I always joined the Map Club because I wanted to be the person carrying the map to the class and I was honored to take that responsibility. While I was carrying it in my school’s corridors at Haydarpaşa High School, I would shout, “Go away! Transoxiana (the region between the Amu Darya and Syr Darya rivers) pours up, and you may be drowned; the Alps, they are sharp and they can hurt you. Go away!” I would carry it like that. I would look at the map for hours. I still do.

How did you decide to publish your first book? The one deciding to publish was not me; but *Cemal Süreya. There were many literary magazines in those years and these were the kitchen of literature in Turkey. Cemal Süreya published my poem in the Milliyet Art Magazine. It was an important event because my poem was chosen to be published alongside the poems of well-known names such as Karacaoğlan, Nazım Hikmet and Neruda. Then my poems were published in Yarın, Yeni Olgu, Broy by Seyyit Nezir. These literary magazines were very significant. In those years, if your poem was published by a publishing house, it meant you were accepted in the literary world.

among thousands of poems sent, and one or two were published. We were chosen from among them. Then, we could join their conversation. They would tell us about what we should do, and educate us. I mean it was a mentor system. Now we are in this position thanks to them. If they hadn’t been there, who would I have become? As I told, I hated the schools, but I loved my teachers so much. Which one affected you the most among the stories you told in your books? All of them, and none of them. I run away from all of them. When I release a book, I like all the stories in it so much at first. I feel relieved seeing them together as a book. Then I read it and think that it is good. I read it again and think it is not bad. Then I read it again and say that I wish I had told this story in a different way. When I read it again, I say, “Alas, it isn’t good, either. ”When I read some of my stories, I say, “Why did I write it like that! I should have written it in another way.” Will you publish a new poetry book?

Cemal Süreya wanted me to publish a book. Also, he agreed on the name Makiler (Maquis) for my first book, and wrote its foreword. This process was a kind of university education, too because we were approved by outstanding names such as Can Yücel, Vedat Günyol, Melih Cevdet Anday, Cahit Külebi, Salah Birsel and Atilla İlhan. They all had the authority to decide which poems must be published beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

My poems have been accumulating in drawer. Poems aren’t written to only make a book. So, they accumulate. Moreover, my poems are difficult to be written. Writing a poem doesn’t mean to arrange verse one under the other; it is something different. Besides, in social media, some sayings are shown as if they were mine. However, if I were the owner of some of them, I would probably commit suicide. (laugh) It is a bad effect of social media. I attach importance to

communication, enough.

nothing

else.

That’s

I still love phone boxes and tokens. If we didn’t have telephone boxes, where would superman undress? (laugh) I would continuously enter and exit them, and jump in them, and each time I would say, “Bother! It isn’t superman’s phone box, either.” I used to imagine that there was a magical phone box, and it enabled superman to fly, and whenever you would enter and leave there, you would gain strength. However, superman uses it as a changing cubicle. (laugh) I was such a child. Nevertheless, there is a phone box like that out there. I will find it.

What is the relationship between art and politics? Imagine a small basket of fruit. You don’t know which vitamins the fruits contain, do you? You don’t need to know, either. If you eat them, you’ll get the taste. In the same way, in artwork there is absolutely a world view and outlook on life of their beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

creators. It is impossible not to have this. However, if you impose your ideas on the reader like a mother saying “Open your mouth my child. I am giving you vitamins”, it can’t become artwork. You should offer the fruits only. When your child eats them, he/she gets the vitamins. Similarly, when you read a book, you take in the writer’s opinions. You shouldn’t expect the writer to shout slogans. My book sold seventy five thousand copies. It is a good number, but four hundred thousand people follow me on Twitter. It means four out of five people didn’t read my works, and people send me messages on social media like, “Why are you silent about this occurrence? What do you think about it? Write something!” They expect me to shout slogans; however, they have never read me, so they don’t know what I said. I am not this kind of person. They try to hunt Sunay Akın by holding a fishing rod; however, they don’t know that I am a whale. Come if you have a harpoon which enables you to hunt a whale! What a pity. This darkness is increasing more and more. It started to bear down on us. I don’t say it to regret or be hopeless, but I mean we should gather more light. Bring more light to illuminate. Strengthen the fire more. It’s getting dark. Don’t leave the light and enlightenment. So, how can we do it? I don’t accept this question. Namely, you know the answer. Why are you here? Fly! Do not be afraid. Ascend Galata Tower, and jump down; you’ll fly, so don’t be afraid. What did Hezarfen do? He relied on 14

his wings. What were these wings? “Knowledge” He succeeded thanks to his knowledge, didn’t he?

Do the designs of the museum belong to you? This toy museum was designed by stage design artist Ayhan Doğan and his friends. Ayhan Doğan is a very talented artist preparing the city theater decorations. He is a scenery decoration artist. While preparing this museum as a classical scene, I was searching for cabinet presentation equipment and appropriate lighting. However, I was not content with something, and I didn’t know what. I made two or three samples of cabinets as samples from the ones which were most presentable, the toys were going to be put there, but something was disturbing me. When the samples arrived, we put the toys inside of them. They were the best we had seen in other museums. I asked my brother what was wrong with it. He said this museum needs a poet. Then everything changed. We first designed the space room. There would be no cabinets; we would bury them on the wall. Children cannot touch the toys on the wall, as you cannot touch the items in a museum, and the children would learn this, but they are children, so we wanted them to feel like they were in a playground. Therefore, space toys were represented in a space-like area. The floor is metal for them to feel as if they are in a space shuttle. The metal disappears on the walls turning to stars on the ceiling. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Likewise, for the train toys, we set up a train station area and presented them there. In this way, you look at the trains from a real train perspective even by sitting on the real train compartment chair.

Of course, all we could do was what fit into our budget. Sure, we could do better things, but we do not have enough money for it. Besides, we never had enough money and we rushed to do lots of things. None of our artist friends charged us for this. Already you cannot repay their contributions in anyway. In the room that we call the map room, aircrafts and ships are shown. You saw American Indians, rooms having baby houses, and there are columns in the room including war toys and castles. The designs were made by Ayhan Doğan, but the metaphor is my design.

The writing based on the Nazis and World War II is perfect. The things remaining from this war are destroyed and disrupted...

Yes, yes. Here, they are crushed broken... What was left of the war, the children played with the toys in the dark, so what's left? What's left from that game? Pain was left, wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t it? Hitler invaded the dreams of children with toys. When Hitler came to power in Germany at 33 years, the first thing he did was to make the firm Hauser in Stuttgart manufacture toy soldiers, and children playing with these toys grew up and replaced the toy soldiers when the war began. What else can explain the importance of toys in the history of humanity and civilization?

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In the 1920s, American children played with space toys and Americans went to the moon. Is this a coincidence? A country's future is not in the promises of politicians, but it is in the dreams and games of its children. Bringing up a child means creating the future of all humanity. Therefore, it is very important to raise children well. The state requires you to get a driving license in order to drive a car. So what does the state require you to do to be parents? Nothing. You wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to crush three people in your lifetime, but you can easily darken the future of a child.

shape just as the sperm fertilize the egg in the womb of a woman. In this way creativity starts like pregnancy begins. It is like childbirth. Each box is like a mother's womb. I do not know what will come out, so I'm thrilled. In time the ideas mature. When writing, a writer does not know where he will go, like a painter moving his brush across the canvas Writing is my favorite process, and I am creating a symphony out of different ideas. No matter which branch of art we are talking about, the most important thing is fiction. When you look at a painting, you can say that the painting belongs to Dali. What distinguishes Sunay Akın is the fiction again. I don’t know if I’m writing it or it makes me express it. How do you find the stories that you are writing about in your books? Tough question... I do not know. I'm like a fish unaware of the sea. The important thing is fiction. I'm turning information to fiction. I'm from a generation of explorers and explorations. What does that mean? We've always cared about explorers’ discoveries. We looked at the maps. I told you I love to look at maps, explore, blend with the knowledge to make sense of it, to play chess... I am not only reading. I'm going to hang around museums as you read books, to antique shops. I collect information. Each object is information. It is the knowledge you get from antique objects. My bookcase is composed of small boxes and I collect every piece like a magazine or a letter in them, classifying them. Then, in my mind I associate all the fictions and texts I searched through while looking at these boxes. They start to take beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

And how do you keep all the stories you are telling in your mind? I'm a writer who sits down once and writes. The stories accumulate and when they get mature, I sit down to write them. When I finish writing, I don’t go back to them again. It is like birth, so the child should be born healthy, right? It is painful to deal with orthopedic disorders after birth. Thus, I do not start writing before my ideas get mature in my mind. Art is like this, too. An artist waits looking at a blank canvas. And he/she is afraid of the blank canvas. Similarly, a writer is terrified of the blank paper. What I fear most is the blank paper. I am not a writer playing with the text and making changes after finishing writing it. The inspiration suddenly arises. It is like snowfall. If it is the time for snow, it snows. You cannot make it snow artificially with snow machines.

What is your favorite place in Istanbul? My favorite place in Istanbul is Istanbul itself. I think Istanbul is beautiful as a whole. I can say that Tahtakale is interesting for me. In Tahtakale, I like the streets, old commercial buildings and the interesting jobs people are doing in those buildings. For example, a man paints buttons in a store, while the other guy is making puppets in the next store or selling zippers. In one shop clocks are sold, in another one pots and pans and stationery in a next shop. They are all together. Is it not strange? Tahtakale is such a surreal and strange place.

What about the Maiden's Tower? I do not go to the tower. In 1992, the Maiden's Tower was defined as a 9000 m2 construction site in the scope of privatization. Defining a historical monument as a construction site made me concerned a lot, so in May, 1992 I went to the Maiden's Tower on a fishing boat with my friends in order to occupy it. Our weapons were books, sculptures, guitars and paintings. I declared it “Şiir Cumhuriyeti” (Poetry Republic). It would be a museum and people would go there for art activities such as concerts, exhibitions and theatre plays. I wanted it to be a museum, a symbol of Istanbul. However, they made it a restaurant.

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So, what’s your favorite city in the world? I have visited so many cities, but I wanted to live in the most beautiful city in the world. That's why I'm in Istanbul. I think in the world there is no place more beautiful than Istanbul. While I’m traveling, I like to visit the cities in Middle Europe such as Salzburg, Nuremberg, Ruthenberg and Zurich. I’m a Central European lover. I like it because nature and history are intertwined. I love the history, nature and small towns. I also like Japan. It is such a large and spectacular civilization.

What advice would you give to college students, to us? Nothing. I don’t like to dictate anything to anyone. The only thing you should not forget is that a water drop hollows a stone not by force, but by falling often. Do not go to school just to get good grades, but go beyond that and ask questions. I value a person not by the answers he gives to the questions, but by questions he asks to find the truth. Also, be yourself and do whatever you want to do and do not care about what others think. Life is a beautiful gift; do not waste it because it is ending so quickly. Hence, ask yourself deep inside what you want to do. Set off on a journey in yourself. There is a way between your brain and heart and you will find the right answers there.

*Editor’s Note: Cemal Süreya was a remarkable poet and member of the Second New Generation of Turkish poetry.

Aylin Adsalan Hava Nur Yavaş Photography by İlknur Karaman

The first photo was taken from http://www.istanbuloyuncakmuzesi.com/hikayemiz.php? lang=en

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A Closer Look at One Department

Dear readers:

n this issue, I wanted to talk about astronautical (aerospace) engineering, so I interviewed Assistant Professor Dr. Cuma Yar覺m about this field of study. Assist. Prof. Dr. Cuma Yar覺m was born in Antakya, Hatay in 1966. His education includes a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering in 1988, an MSc in Space Sciences and Technology in 1994 and a PhD in Space Sciences and Technology in 2002, all from ITU. His brief resume includes working as an Aeronautical Engineer at 1st Air Supply and Maintenance Center of the Turkish Air Force between 1989 and 1990 (in Eskisehir for 1 year) during his military service. Between 1991 and 2005, he was a research assistant at ITU in the Faculty of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Astronautical (aerospace) Engineering Department. In 2005, he was appointed to an assistant professorship at ITU in the same department. His research interests are plasma transport theory and orbital mechanics. He is the vice-chairman of AED, a member of the assessment and evaluation committee, a member of the PhD qualification committee of the aerospace engineering graduate program and a member of the ABET committee of faculty of aeronautics and astronautics.

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What does astronautical (aerospace) engineering mean? Astronautical (aerospace) engineering includes design of vehicles and tools that are used in space, such as spacecraft and satellites, and their manufacture. Besides, they are tested and put into orbit for their missions by astronautical (aerospace) engineers. For example, two satellites were sent into space by ITU, and another one has been just produced.

Where can astronautical (aerospace) engineers do for work? Astronautical (aerospace) engineering students take common courses together with a lot of other engineering students in the university; hence, they can work in various sectors in many industries such as the aerospace, automotive, white goods, software and aircraft industry.

In Turkey, is there any institution which specializes in the aerospace sector? If there is, what are their names? In our country, there are a lot of institutions like TAI (TUSAŞ Aerospace Industries), TEI (TUSAŞ Engine Industries), TUBITAK-UZAY, TUBITAK- MAM, TUBITAKSAGE, ESA, THY (Turkish Airlines), other airline maintenance centers, ASELSAN, ROKETSAN, HAVELSAN, VESTEL SAVUNMA, İTÜ-UHUZAM, INTA, DELTA Aerospace, TEKNODROM, ALTINAY ROBOTICS, INFOTRON and so on. Why did you choose to be astronautical (aerospace) engineer?

A lot of people are interested in space like me because space is different from our living environment, and it is still an unknown place. Furthermore, I wanted to know how vehicles and tools work there. I had to learn about the space environment, and how to manufacture new space devices.

studying at university, and I think they should choose one of them in order to specialize in it. However, they shouldn’t neglect studying other subjects when they specialize in one. For students who want to enter this department, Aerospace Engineering is sometimes confused with astronomy and also the department of space science. These are different subjects. While aerospace engineering is a department which intends to teach how to design, produce and use tools working in space, the Astronomy and Space Sciences departments deal with the structure and motions of natural objects of space (stars, planets, satellites, meteors, galaxies, etc.) Therefore, they evaluate and perceive the light coming from these formations.

Mert Menekşe Photos were taken from the following links: http://www.uubf.itu.edu.tr/Icerik.aspx?sid=2752 http://www.uubf.itu.edu.tr/Icerik.aspx?sid=2101 http://www.euractiv.com.tr/telekomunikasyon/article/y erli-uydu-2011de-uzayda-014441 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/shuttle/shuttlemis sions/sts123/multimedia/fd15/fd15_gallery.html

What is your advice for students who already study or want to study in this department? For students of astronautical (aerospace) engineering, it is advisable to gain knowledge on different subjects when beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Büyükada Büyükada (Big Island) is the largest of the nine islands, which are known as the Princes’ Islands, in Istanbul. Its name was Prinkipos which means Prince in ancient Greek. Actually, Büyükada was used as a place of exile, and had a monastery in the Byzantine Period. It was conquered by Fatih Sultan Mehmet after the one month conquest of Istanbul in 1453, and became the Ottoman land. The island has a glamorous and dazzling appearance with its mansions and waterside lanes which were built by pashas and former ministers after the Second Constitutional Era in the period of Abdulhamid II. In addition, Leon Trotsky, who was a leading political scientist in the period of Lenin, stayed in Büyükada for four years because he was banished by Russia in the period of Stalin. Also, in the 1920s, more than ten thousand White Russian people who fled the civil war in Russia settled in Büyükada. The cosmopolitan view of the island got stronger because of this settlement.

In fact, after World War I, the island, which lost its Greek population dramatically, lost its brightness as well by beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

the 1930s. However, the island gained its renown for being a summer resort again in the Republic Period of the 1940s. Besides, in this period, the island was beautified with new mansions, amusing structures, and it took precedence among excursion spots. The most ancient discovery concerning Büyükada are 207 golden coins which were found around the Greek Cemetery in 1930, and belonged to Filip II who was Alexander the Great’s father. The treasure of Büyükada is exhibited in the Istanbul Archeology Museum to show the depth of the history of the island.

The island has two hills which are arduous hills: Yorgi Hill at the south end of the island and Hristos Hill (İsa Tepesi) at the north end. There is a monastery called Hristos Monastery, one of the most important places of worship for Orthodox Christians, on Hristos Hill. The former 22

Greek Orphanage is also on this hill. Even though the structure is like a ruin nowadays, this unique building is one of the biggest wooden mono-block structures in the world.

Aya Yorgi Church and Aya Yorgi Monastery are on the hill which is the highest hill on the island, Yorgi Hill. Aya Yorgi Church was erected in the 6th century A.D. in the name of Saint George. There are many remains of churches and monasteries in this area. While some of them have retained their appearance until today, some of them have been completely wrecked. Interestingly, numerous people climb the hill, which is more than 200 meters long, to pray every April 23rd and September 24th. This traditional event which brings

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together many people from different religions is based on a legend.

According to the legend, in the Byzantine Period, priests under military occupation buried valuable icons and holy goods to conserve them. One day, after many years, Aya Yorgi, who was a saint and was called Aya Yorgos by Greeks, came in a dream of a shepherd. Aya Yorgi said to climb the hill, which would be destined for the church, and dig up the ground until hearing the sound of a bell. The shepherd applied all these instructions that Aya Yorgi said to him since he had the dream again and again. Eventually, the shepherd found the icons and holy goods which are shown at the church now. Thus, people climb the hill every year because of believing that their wishes and prays will come true.

As a matter of fact, it is believed that people who climb the hill barefoot and mute, like the shepherd of the legend, are ranked as pilgrims according to Orthodox Christianity. Even if you do not believe the legends, you should climb the hill though itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s toilsome. You will agree when you reach the peak and see the fascinating landscape, by all means it is worth it.

Ayios Dimitrios Church is also significant for the Orthodox Community, who organized their great rites at this church. Ayios Constantinos, Ayia Fotini, Ayia Paraskevi, Ayios Yeorios, which are holy springs, are also precious to Orthodox Christians.

Adalar Museum has also opened on the island. It is the first modern city museum of Istanbul, and has hundreds of objects, 20,000 documents, 6,000 photographs beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

and hundreds of documentary films are shown at the museum now. B端y端kada has many beaches, casinos and copses that you can travel to and have fun visiting. In my opinion, the most beautiful feature of the island is that you cannot see any motor vehicles there. Only phaetons and bikes are allowed which help to maintain the naturalness and incomparable beauty of the island. Visitors can travel by phaeton to see the marvelous waterside and mansions, such as Con Pasha Mansion, Agopyan Mansion, and Halife Abdulmecid Efendi Mansion, or they can travel by bike to discover the island by themselves.

Jindar Geleri

Finally, if you visit B端y端kada, you should not come back before tasting the delightful ice-cream of the historical island.

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Research into English Language Learning and the Proficiency Exam The proficiency exam is the most essential issue for students in the English preparatory year of university. This exam can affect many students in a positive or negative way regarding their future studies and career. There will be a proficiency exam in June, so Bee Writer interviewed a select group of students to learn what they think about the preparatory school of ITU and preparation for the exam. Thirty students were interviewed in total. The participants were ten students from B level, ten students from C level and ten students from D level. The results of these interviews are summarized below.

Do you think that you can pass the proficiency in June? Why? Büşra-B Level (average score now: 90): I think I can pass the exam in June as these two semesters taught me many things about English. Çisil-B Level (average score now: 58): If I continue studying regularly, I think I can pass the exam easily. Hava-C Level (average score now: 82): If I study more vocabulary, I do not think that I will have problems. Aleyna-C Level (average score now: 72): I am afraid of the June Proficiency. If I do not work harder, I think it is impossible for me to pass the exam. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Abdullah Sefa-D Level (average score now: 58): If I get a high enough average to take the exam, because my average score is not adequate now,I can be successful in the June proficiency although it might be difficult. Hüseyin-D Level (average score now: 80): It can be difficult for me now. I will study regularly, and I think I will pass the exam easily.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for the proficiency's basic section? Berker-B Level (average score now: 60): I have benefited from the books that were prepared by ITU and worksheets that were given to us by our lecturers. In addition to these, I am studying vocabulary. Ahmet-B Level (average score now: 70): I am studying Grammar Way 4; also, I am studying vocabulary in the Proficiency Practice Book.

Tuğba-C Level (average score now: 55): I listen to the teacher all the time. I have never missed a grammar lesson. Also, I receive support from my classmates. Ali Rıza-C Level (average score now: 82): I study topics that are done in the class again, and I sometimes solve restatement exercises. Dilara-D Level (average score now: 80): I checkthe topics of the units from our grammar book, and do restatement

exercises from the ITU Proficiency Practice Book.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for the proficiency's writing section?

Abdullah-D Level (average score now: 58): I check some grammar exercises, rules of restatements and some solutions of old proficiencies.

Çisil-B Level (average score now: 58): I am memorizing some sentence patterns. In addition to that, I am memorizing some word groups and ideas because sentences must be long and can't be simple.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for the proficiency's reading section? Naz-B Level (average score now: 60): I am using the book ‘Reader at Work’ and studying the worksheets that are given by our lecturers. Büşra-B Level (average score now: 90): I follow some magazines and books in English such as the Economist, the Guardian, National Geographic, Little Prince, The Hobbit, and Life of Pi. Sıddık-C Level (average score now: 95): I am using English Articles Online. Tuğba-C Level (average score now: 55): I study vocabulary in books. I sometimes read some articles; also, I do some reading practice from the Proficiency Practice Book. Mert-D Level (average score now: 64): I am studying with the old proficiency reading texts at lessons. Erdem-D Level (average score now: 50-55) I am studying the Proficiency Reading Practice Book, and read some texts from the Proficiency Practice Book.

Ahmet-B Level (average score now: 70): I think the work that we do in class is enough for passing the proficiency. Nurten-C Level (average score now: 65): I am studying Sharpening Academic Skills. Hava-C Level (average score now: 82): I readessay samples; furthermore, I have received help from the Writing Centre a couple of times. Erdem-D Level (average score now: 52): Generally, I choose a topic from the Proficiency Practice Book, write an essay about that and have my essay checked by my writing lecturer. Hüseyin-D Level (average score now: 80): The Writing Center is my biggest helper about writing; I can check the materials on their website, and I can also get an appointment to get one-to-one feedback on my writing. Also, I sometimes study on my own and try to develop my writing skills.

What are you doing to prepare yourself for the proficiency's listening section? Büşra-B Level (average score now: 90) I follow the news and watch some videos

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from Ted talks; also, I watch films in English. Çisil-B Level (average score now: 58): I am learning the usages of some word groups and the pronunciation of proficiency vocabulary words. Elif-C Level (average score now: 78): I do not do any extra work except from what we do in lessons. Ali Rıza-C Level (average score now: 66): I watch films and series without subtitles. Abdullah Sefa-D Level (average score now: 58): I think that it does not necessitate any extra study. I sometimes do some notetaking exercises from the Proficiency Practice Book. Hüseyin-D Level (average score now: 80): I do listening exercises from the Proficiency Practice Book.

According to you, which part of the proficiency is the hardest part? Sercan-B Level (average score now: 59): Reading. I think it is very long, and I sometimes can't endure the reading texts' length. Ahmet-B Level (average score now: 70): I think reading is the hardest part of the proficiency because I can't concentrate on the texts, in general. Hüseyin-C Level (average score now: 55): Writing. I have difficulties even if I write a Turkish essay, so doing this in English is harder for me. beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Elif-C Level (average score now: 78): Reading. I think it is a very long section, so sometimes it is becoming very difficult for me.

What are you going to do if you can't pass the proficiency in June? Mümtaz-B Level (average score now: 68): I will go to an English course for 3 months and enter the exam in August. İnci-B Level (average score now: 60-70): If I can't pass the exam in June, I will struggle until I can pass the exam. Ali Rıza-C Level (average score now: 66): My only plan is studying. I already want to go to a good English course whether I pass or not. Elif-C Level (average score now: 78): If I can't pass the June exam, I’ll study harder and harder for the July Proficiency. Aslıhan-D Level (average score now: 58): If I can't pass the exam in June, I will go to my hometown and study hard by myself. Furkan-D Level (average score now: 60): I will study for the July exam by myself because I do not have any choice. My life will be very bad and my psychology, too.

Do you think you will be satisfied in terms of English when you graduate from the ITU Preparation School? Naz-B Level (average score now: 60): No. I can't state my ideas easily, and I can't

speak fluently. I think I need more practice. Metehan-B Level (average score now: 70): The basic and reading education issatisfying for us; however, listening and speaking levels are not going to be enough when we graduate from ITU. Ali Rıza-C Level (average score now: 66): The English education is satisfying for us in terms of reading and writing; however, the education of listening, speaking and grammar leave us at the same level as a ten year old native-speaker. Tuğba-C Level (average score now: 55): No. We do not do anything in terms of speaking. The speaking education is not satisfying for us. Aslıhan-D Level (average score now: 65): No. I do not think like that. We have many deficiencies in practice. Muhammet-D Level (average score now: 50): No. Maybe we will be satisfied in terms of Grammar, but Speaking can't be like that.

As a result, each student is in a different situation depending on his/her average and weak points. All the students were excited about a very essential exam that is the Central University Exam taken before becoming students at ITU. Some students adapted easily to that exam, but some students seem like they couldn't adapt to that exam system. Now, they face a similar situation with a standardized English exam. Many students in the ITU Preparatory School can't enter the June beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Proficiency due to lack of preparedness. It means that many students won't be able to take holidays; they will have to spend their summer studying at school, private courses or alone to try to improve themselves enough to pass this additional exam. The students interviewed reflected many common thoughts about the ITU School of Foreign Languages. For example, nearly all the students say that speaking education is lacking; they will not feel confident in their speaking abilities even if they pass the June exam. Also, many students at ITU indicated that they are most wary of the reading section because the reading is difficult and takes a very longtime. Furthermore, there are some students that can't enter the June Proficiency at all and will spend this summer studying because they couldn’t get the required average grade. Despite these difficulties, a high percent of students really trust themselves about passing the proficiency.

The interview with students who have failed the Proficiency Exam many times, and are still trying to pass the exam.

Ersan (is also an educator for high school students) What do you think about the ITU Foreign Language School education system in general? I entered the ITU School of Foreign Languages as a D level in 2011-2012. I thought I would not have any problems in 29

school because the high school that I graduated from was satisfying in terms of English education. However, I was not interested in English in the tenth, eleventh and senior year because I had to study to succeed in the central university exam; therefore, I forgot many things about English. In spite of that, I trusted in myself, and I thought I could pass the exam easily. That is why, I think that I and my classmates lacked the knowledge of how we should prepare ourselves for the proficiency exam. I think the orientation whose purpose was informing us about the preparation year was not informative and helpful enough. What I am trying to say is we did not learn what they would want from us to pass the exam at the end of the year; hence, that caused uninformed self-confidence. When I noticed I couldn't pass the proficiency exam without studying, the year was about 2013. I had prepared myself for the January proficiency, but I couldn't pass the exam. I mean the main problem was knowledge about the proficiency in the beginning of the preparing year. The second problem was that the education that is given to us in the preparatory school was not satisfying for us. I think the pedagogy that was implemented was not at a good level. For example, when I was in the school, we sometimes studied one tense for three weeks. That was a very long period for one tense, and the lecture absolutely could have been more effective. Unfortunately, I also must say something beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

about inability of our lecturers. We have very good, very qualified and very selfsufficient lecturers. On the other hand, we have many frivolous lecturers in the school. They would just come to classes, sit on their chairs, open the books and say what is written in the books. Also, every minute of the lecture was wasted with unnecessary dialogue between the lecturers and students. I think they had better keep the attention of the students on the units and questions for the proficiency. If we cannot pass the proficiency after one year, what kinds of situations are waiting for us? The most important negative point is that you cannot stay in the ITU dormitories if you cannot pass the exam. That is really a difficult situation for a student. Also, your student credit is banned, and your student ID card is taken away from you. That is one of the main causes of why students fail at the proficiency again and again. I think the college should take care of these students more.

Neslihan What do you think about the ITU preparation school education system in general? I was a C level student in the 2012-2013 education years at the ITU School of Foreign Languages. I have taken the proficiency exam four times, and every exam became worse and worse. If we check the fundamentals of the English 30

education in Turkey, we started to take English lessons at a very early age when we were about nine or ten years old, and we do not learn anything except ''am, is, are''. There are some high schools where they can educate their students well. Contrary to that, there are some high schools where they can't educate their students enough. I graduated from a classical high school and my English lessons were not satisfying for anybody. I did not even know what an essay meant. Everyone came from different places and different cultures. Also, everyone had different levels of English. When we started at ITU, we took a placement exam to classify us according to our English level. In my opinion, this system is wrong for us because nobody studies for this exam. Also, everybody tries to reach the high English level class instead of their real level class. I think it had better change.

Sarper Doğa Öngen Also, Aylin Adsalan, Hava NurYavaş and Mert Menekşe contributed to the research.

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Reflections on Learning English as a Foreign Language As our readers will notice I have been in Chicago since February. Having only two more weeks to spend in Chicago, I am writing this article for our last issue of this season. The three months I spent in Chicago have been very helpful for my English education. Also, I came here right after I finished the preparation class in İstanbul; thus, I felt like I had been speaking English since I started university. This situation was also helpful for me because I didn’t have so much trouble adjusting to the United States and also to English as a daily language. Nonetheless, I had trouble, of course. I wasn’t a native speaker after all, and I realized that other people who come here to learn English from other countries have some troubles, too. This was kind of a relief because it made me understand that the problem wasn’t about me, personally. It caused me to be curious about their situation with the English education in their countries, and what difficulties they are having. I believe we came up with a good variety of questions and managed to bring a remarkable understanding on the mentioned issues. What makes you want to learn English? Mohammed (Saudi Arabia, 24, Business): I always had the dream of living in the United States. I graduated from college, and all the lecture were in English. So, when I first arrived here, I believed that I already knew English. But, when I came here and had problems communicating beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

with native speakers, I realized that I didn’t really know English. Moises (Brazil, 25, Marketing): When I graduated from marketing, I tried to find a job in Brazil. But, apparently, without a proper English level, finding a good job is impossible. So, here I am learning English. Yu-Yin (Taiwan, 22, Nurse): Mostly academic reasons, I guess. I finished my nursing degree back in my hometown, but I wanted to attend a master’s program here at UIC. I needed to learn English to do that. Why did you specifically choose the United States and Chicago to attend a language course? Mohammed (Saudi Arabia, 24, Business): The aim for me was to come to the United States, but I choose Chicago because I have a cousin here, and he insisted I come to Chicago. Moises (Brazil, 25, Marketing): Definitely not because of the weather! But, yeah Chicago is an awesome city. Good food, good attractions. I knew that before because my older sister lived here for three years. The first time she came back to Brazil, all she did was talk about Chicago. I think because of that, I didn’t feel like a stranger In Chicago. Yu-Yin (Taiwan, 22, Nurse): Frankly, I didn’t choose Chicago. It was my boyfriend’s decision, and when I found out about the program in UIC, I didn’t really question it, you know.

What’s the most compelling difficulty you faced during your English education?

the city is beautiful. I don’t know. As you can see, I still need to make up my mind.

Mohammed (Saudi Arabia, 24, Business): The alphabet, totally. I can speak fluently to a point, but I sometimes still have a hard time spelling stuff. Other than that, I guess I would say grammar. Don’t we all!

Yu-Yin (Taiwan, 22, Nurse): I am not going to go back to Taiwan, but I will not stay in the United States either. I think after I have finished here, I am going to go to Nikaragua for a volunteer job. After that, I am going to Switzerland, probably, to work. But, I know I need to learn some other languages, too. It’s OK for me because with every language you learn, you get to communicate with a whole other nation.

Moises (Brazil, 25, Marketing): For me I think it was understanding people. If a native speaker speaks quickly, it is usually impossible for me to understand. It is like that even in Portuguese; I mean, it is really tough to understand fast speakers. Yu-Yin (Taiwan, 22, Nurse): Pronunciation, I guess. For us, Chinese speakers, it is usually hard to make the “R” sound. Also, there are some other sounds, too, of course. I remember the first time I came here, even when I was in a grocery store or something, I had trouble telling people what I wanted. Do you plan on going back to your own country for work or education, or staying in the United States? Mohammed (Saudi Arabia, 24, Business): I hope I can stay here. But, I don’t know. It’s not easy, man. You have to have a work visa. Even if you do, you need to find a job, you know. But, I hope I can.

For many various reasons everyone in the world tries to improve themselves, and learning a foreign language is a major way to do better our knowledge and life skills. Everyone has some difficulties, but the most important key to success is to have motivation. I hope this article is helpful and informative for you as you continue your English education. Yasin Baktır Chicago, IL, USA

Writer’s note: Questions were created with the assistance of editor Ilknur Karaman

Moises (Brazil, 25, Marketing): I was so sure that I would go back to Brazil when I finished here, but now, I’m not sure. I mean, of course, it’s very hard to not be at your home. I still have my family there. But, I have been here in Chicago for so long now. I kind of built a life here. I have my friends here; I even got a job offer, and beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

ITUFEST 2014 Despite bad weather conditions, ITUFEST, which is held every year, was very enjoyable. Like every year, many of Turkey's significant musicians came to ITU. These activities and performances culminated in a delayed performance by world-renowned artist, Tarkan.

Moreover, various games were played. The most enjoyable game was bubble football. Also, food stands were set up, and very popular according to their long lines. The young enjoyed these activities until the concert time. Of course, the concerts marked the most important time at ITUFEST.

Before every concert, many entertainment activities were available. A lot of music groups took the spotlight on the alternative stage. On the first day, Istanbul 12 Orchestra and ITU’s musical and dance groups took the stage. Then, the big master Bülent Ortaçgil sang his significant songs. The opening day of the festival finished in a calm and pleasant way.

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On the third day, Mirkelam and Kenan Doğulu took the stage. Mirkelam made the audience enthusiastic. He reflected his energy toward the crowd of listeners.

On the second day, Teoman and MFÖ performed in the evening. It was incredibly crowded. Teoman stormed through the fest. Besides, his emotional songs, charismatic behavior and cool attitude fascinated everybody, especially the girls. He and his songs heated everybody in the cold weather. After Teoman, MFÖ made everyone have an otherworldly experience with their famous songs.

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Then, Kenan Doğulu showed off in a wonderful performance. He came with his brother Ozan Doğulu. He entranced everyone with his amazing stage performance and his loveable behavior.

Gizem Karabulut

Photos of musicians were taken from the following link:

On the last day, megastar Tarkan was ticketed to take the stage. However, the concert was postponed because of bad weather conditions.

http://www.ismailakin.com/

After the concerts, after-parties were held with DJs to keep the young dancing all night long.

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Beyond Dreams

My Dream

I want somewhere like a cup of tea Like narrow, but a deep sea

Mine isn’t only love Years later, I found you who know my own self.

Warm, peaceful, equal and red Not the blood, only the rose red

Don’t worry, I love you dear S.I.

The peace stops blood of war The noise of fighting is no more

Really, I believe in what you give to me.

Only the sounds of laughs or

Every day, I hope you won’t hurt me.

The fun of children in their core

Anybody can see, but none can understand me. There is no enemy, everybody is my brother Every kind of nation loves each other

My dream in this life came true. Thank God.

There is not ''me,'' only ''all of us'' Eating, drinking, working together as family does

Doğancan Telli No more poorness, no more richness Everyone is equal-no weak, no powerless People share most of their own money Coz they want to feed everybody We need all of this in our century Almost breathing with money Humankind should erase the value of gold In that time we can live peacefully in our world This is the world where I wanna live It's the same as a cup of tea That's like narrow, but a deep sea Warm, peaceful, equal and red Not the blood, only the rose red

Said Çakmaker

beewriter ITU Writing Center Student Magazine

Contact

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