F
all has arrived with its usual seasonal rush as the 2 0 0 6 - 2 0 0 7
school year gets underway. Reflecting on how every opening
day manages to be both unique and yet similar, we decided to
feature a cover spread of ''a day in the life'' that we hope will send
more than a few of you down m e m o r y lane.
In addition to welcoming a vibrant crop of incoming students, in this
issue we also bid farewell to 2 0 0 6 graduates, who did exceptionally
well in terms of university acceptance both in Turkey and a b r o a d . Out
of 132 students taking the O S S , 76 scored within Turkey's top 5 . 0 0 0
and 9 7 % were placed in a university of their choice. Of the s a m e class,
71 applied abroad for higher education, 67 were accepted and 56 have
already begun their freshman year at US, Canadian or UK universities.
Three quarters of those received financial aid.
After a busy summer, this issue is chockablock with graduates who
have been making headlines in various and inspired ways. A n d to top it
off, the news we received as we were just about to go to print made us
all proud. Congratulations to our very own Nobel Laureate, Orhan
Pamuk, RA 70.
Please do keep your news c o m i n g , we love hearing about what
you're up to in your corner of the world.
The RCQ Editorial Team
Alumni J o u r n a l published guarterly
by the RC Alumni & Development Office
for 8 0 0 0 members of the RC community:
graduates, students, faculty,
administration, parents and friends.
Robert Lisesi tarafından dört ayda
bir yayımlanır. Sayı 30
Robert College
P.O. Box 1 Arnavutköy-istanbul
Tel: (0212) 359 22 2 2 / 2 8 9
e-mail: alumnl@robcol.k12.tr
www.robcol.k12.tr
Editor-in Chief:
Leyla Aktay '72
Editors:
Pelin Turgut '92,
Çiğdem Yazıcıoğlu
Reporting:
Ayşe Turgut RC 93 Ex
Editorial Board:
Deniz Alphan '67, Nuri Çolakoğlu '62,
Sedat Ergin '75, Nükhet Sirman '72,
Elçin Yahşi '79
Advertising Manager:
Çiğdem Yazıcıoğlu
Tel: (0212) 359 22 89
cyazicioglu@robcol.k12.tr
Printing:
Ümit Matbaacılık
Gümüşsuyu Caddesi Litros Yolu
2. Matbaacılar Sitesi ZA-6
Topkapı, istanbul
Tel: (0212) 5 6 5 42 69
Basım yeri ve tarihi:
istanbul, Ekim 2 0 0 6
Yayın türü: Süreli
Yayın periyodu: 4 Aylık
4
RC NEWS
6 Farewell to Retiring Teachers
8 RC 2 0 0 6 - Where are they studying now?
10 Young Alumni Publish New Magazine: Unique
RC Students Chosen for Summer Research Projects in the US
12 Soli Özel, RC 76, Gives 2 0 0 6 Commencement Speech
14 S u m m e r Camp 2 0 0 6 - Bigger and Better
RC Students Vote for Girl Power
16 Young Graduates on Board for RC Advancement
PROFILE
18 ismail Cem RC 59 Not J u s t Politics as Usual
GRADUATES IN THE NEWS
20 Orhan Pamuk, RA 70, Becomes First Turk to Win a Nobel Prize
22 Intrepid War Reporter Damon, RC 94, Carves Out
Career as CNN Correspondent
23 Google Picks Karabey to Lead New Turkey Office
World Bank Turkey Head Vorkink, RA 65, Retires
24 Suna Kıraç, A C G 60, A Tale of Courage
25 Journalist Metin Ergin, RC 4 6 , Publishes Memoirs
26 Geotechnical Engineering Researcher Honored in China
27 Arman Manukyan Celebrates 50 Years at Boğaziçi
28 Kenan Şahin, RA 6 0 , Honored For Contributions to US
Boğaziçi Educator Honored
29 Leading Turkish Banker Karaçam Publishes Yapı Kredi Memoirs
30 Helping Tiny Babies Live - Doctor Leads Turkey's Neonatal Care Field
FROM OUR MAILBAG
31 Feyyaz B e r k e r RC Eng 46
FUND RAISING
32 RC Launches 2 0 0 6 - 2 0 0 7 Annual Giving Campaign
COVER STORY
34 Celebrating an Age-old Tradition -Opening Day 2 0 0 6
MEMORIES
42 Commemorating an A C G Graduate: Selma Ekrem'22
VENUES WE RUN
44 Turks Tune Into Karaoke
45 New Arts Center Nurtures Budding Picassos
ONES TO WATCH
46 Economist Takes Know-how to Online Dating Market
47 Young Designer Taking the Fashion World By Storm
REUNIONS
48 RA 66 Celebrates 4 0 t h Reunion
49 Class of A C G 71 - 35 at Heart
50 RC 76 Celebrates 30th Reunion
51 25 Years On - The Class of 1981
52 Class of 96 Celebrates 10th Year Reunion
RC REACHES OUT
53 S.O.S - Protecting Turkey's Cultural Heritage
ALUMNI NEWS
53 What are RC alumni up to?
62 OBITUARIES
66 SHARE YOUR NEWS
Farewell to Retiring Teachers
R
obert College bid farewell to a group of dedicated teachers in different fields who took retirement at
the end of the 2 0 0 5 - 2 0 0 6 a c a d e m i c year. These included English L a n g u a g e and Literature teacher
J o a n Altunbaş, who retired after 32 years of s e r v i c e . Her d e p a r t m e n t head Philip Esposito wrote the
following: " J o a n has been a valued colleague and friend for the past 32 years. I was her student teacher
my s e c o n d year at RC when I was informed by the M E B that I had to complete s u p e r v i s e d training in the
c l a s s r o o m before I could officially b e c o m e a teacher. In many ways J o a n has remained my " h o c a " . I have
always looked up to her as the ideal, dedicated teacher who is not only interested in having her students
learn English, but who is also interested in them learning to be good people. I will miss her."
A n o t h e r dedicated t e a c h e r to retire was G e r m a n studies teacher Güler Karabatur, after 28 years at
R C . In a farewell s p e e c h , her d e p a r t m e n t head Süheyla Yenerer gave the following address: " Y o u work
tirelessly to resolve everyone's problems. You are always full of energy and available to everyone...for
dinners, concerts, funerals, s c h o o l , social activities, to relatives, family, grandchildren and students. You
e m b r a c e novelty and immediately adapt to c h a n g e . You were not just a G e r m a n teacher but a teacher of
life to your students. You taught t h e m how to be real humanists, from the way they walk and think to the
values they uphold."
Güler Karabatur continues to be a part of Robert College in a whole new capacity. Her new
responsibility is the coordination of the CIP c o m m i t t e e (Community Involvement Project). This project,
under the advisorship of several RC faculty, staff and administration m e m b e r s , aims to promote RC
s t u d e n t s ' awareness of their c o m m u n i t y and its needs. The RCQ will be covering this project in more
detail in an u p c o m i n g issue.
S e m a Ulcay, long-standing P s y c h o l o g y teacher at RC, also retired from both teaching and her position
as head of the Child Development C e n t e r for pre-schoolers on c a m p u s . Her d e p a r t m e n t head Gülhiz
Yüksek said of Ulcay, " H e r expertise in her field, her intellectual background and life experience made
her an irreplaceable friend and teacher." Ulcay had been teaching at RC since 1982.
Of retiring Religious Studies teacher Fahri E r d e m , Yüksek s a i d : "We will miss him and his friendship,
o p t i m i s m and loving a p p r o a c h towards his s t u d e n t s " . Fahri Erdem had been at RC since 1998.
A n o t h e r long-standing teacher to retire in J u n e was Bilgi Haner, Turkish L a n g u a g e and Literature
teacher at RC since 1979. Her d e p a r t m e n t head M e h m e t Uysal s a i d : " E l e g a n t , patient, likeable, competent
and decisive...These adjectives are certainly not adequate to describe Bilgi H a n e r but they are the first
that spring to my mind. We are all aware of her contributions to Robert College, where she worked
tirelessly and successfully for many years. Outside of the c l a s s r o o m , she was also invaluable to the
development of t h o u s a n d s of students with her contributions to theater, charitable clubs and field trips."
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