SPRING / SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 56 RC QUARTERLY SPRING / SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 56 İÇİNİZDEN GELEN HER AN İÇİN... This issue’s cover is SPRING / SUMMER 2020 ISSUE 56 created by Kayansel Kaya RC L12 03, who also designed the cover for the previous RCQ, the Music issue. Kayansel said she wanted the image to Alumni Journal published periodically by the portray how we have RC Development Office for approximately been coping together 10,000 members of the RC community: as a community throughout the graduates, students, faculty, administration, pandemic. parents and friends. In its 157-year history, Robert College has lived through many turbulent times. 2020 proved to be one of them. This unique period is historical, and the RC Quarterly’s 56th issue documents how RC moved to online education, how teachers, students, and the community at large adapted, and how alumni from various walks of life coped with the challenges thrown their way. In Among the many accomplished alumni at RC, health professionals occupied a special place in everyone’s hearts. Their dedication and hard work at this time deserves a this special mention. The pandemic did not prevent much happy news from flowing in, including new job issue appointments, marriages, and babies! As always, we would love to hear from you. If you have any comments or would like to share news, please write us at [email protected] May the rest of 2020 be full of health and harmony! Happy reading! The RCQ Team Özel Amerikan Robert Lisesi Editorial Board Design & Production Kuruçeşme Caddesi 87 Nuri Çolakoğlu RA 62 Topprint Arnavutköy - Beşiktaş / İstanbul Deniz Alphan ACG 67 Merkez Mah. Seçkin Sokak DAP Vadi Tel: (0212) 359 22 22/289 Vicky Habif ACG 71 Jr. İ Blok No: 3/1 Kağıthane / İstanbul e-mail: [email protected] Leyla Aktay RC 72 Tel: (0212) 264 33 11 www.robcol.k12.tr Nükhet Sirman RC 72 www.topprint.com.tr Elçin Yahşi RC 79 Editors Nil Sarrafoğlu RC 89 Printing Zeynep Karaarslan Başaran RC 88 Umut Doğa Matbaacılık Lisa Johnson Advertising Manager Mas-sit Matbaacılar Sitesi 1. Cadde Betigül Onay Özman RC 02 Betigül Onay Özman RC 02 No: 160 Yüzyıl-Bağcılar, İstanbul Burcu Berent RC 96 [email protected] Tel: (0212) 438 02 05 Mehveş Dramur RC 96 M. Bertuğ Baloğlu Tel: (0212) 359 22 89 Basım Yeri ve Tarihi: İstanbul, Haziran 2020 Yayın Türü: Süreli Yayın Periyodu: 4 Aylık Your feedback on the RCQ matters! Did you enjoy this issue? Write us at: [email protected] RC NEWS COVER STORY 4 Message from the Head of School Robert College Navigates the Pandemic 22 5 What’s New with the Student Council? RC Alumni Help Interpret the Pandemic and the 6 A Special Send Off for the Class of 2020 Post-Pandemic World 38 8 Excellence in Science Award Washington, DC Trustee Reception ONES TO WATCH 9 Agile Response Transforms JARC Event Selin Gören RC 20 Inspires Her Peers To Take Community Shares Lockdown Stories Action on the Climate Crisis 42 10 Founders’ Day Tradition Relaunched Competition Highlights Student Artists AROUND THE WORLD 12 Installation Shows Art Doesn’t Stop Seeing Seven Continents on Foot 44 Turkish Symposium Explores Women in Literature 13 2020 Berker Fellows Announced ARTS Seniors Perform The Bald Soprano Tamer Tamar RC 92 Opens Solo Exhibition in Tehran 48 Naz Beşcan RC 12 Explores Healing in Latest Exhibition GIFTS 14 Erdoğan Güları RC ENG 69 Tells Why He Is Giving Back to RC BOOKS 15 ACG 69 Establishes Special Fund Duygu Alptekin Gürsu RC 92 Pens Leadership Guide 49 Cem Behar RA 64 Examines 16th Century Ottoman Music CIP Sargun Ali Tont RC ENG 56 ex Shares His Love of the Sea 50 16 A Project in Muğla for the Love of Bees Müge Mengü Hale RC 92 Debuts Children’s Book 17 Advisory Board Raises Social Awareness Belma Ötüş Baskett ACG 50 Pens Book for Hemingway Lovers 51 Community Projects Move Online Ayşe Odman Boztosun RC 90 Writes a Groundbreaking Novel ALUMNI ASSOCIATION ALUMNI NEWS 52 18 Stimulating Discussions at Bizim Tepe FACULTY AND FRIENDS NEWS 57 RC IN THE UK 19 UK Alumni Meet with RC Head OBITUARIES 59 GRADS IN THE NEWS FACULTY AND FRIENDS OBITUARIES 64 20 Emre Turanlı RC 97 Appointed CEO of Shell & Turcas JV Nazan Somer Özelgin RC 81 Named Board Chair of MAPFRE Sigorta 21 Sevin Yeltekin RC 89 Appointed Dean of the Simon Business School Ege Argüden RC 09 is Part of Porsche’s Design History 4 rc news Message from the Head of School Adam Oliver An Extraordinary Community in Extraordinary Times As Robert College’s new that have been as compelling as they Head of School, you expect a few would be in the classroom. Initially, we surprises. I would, however, be felt that our comprehensive club offer disingenuous if I suggested I expected would be hamstrung by the pandemic, quite how my first year has turned out! but I have been pleased and surprised Thinking back across the last twelve to see that many of our clubs have also months, there is much I want to say adapted to run successfully online. about the dedication and character Even our athletes have found ways to displayed by our faculty, staff and train at home, some of them sharing students, but before that I must amusing or challenging videos of their comment on the incredible work workouts. carried out by all those employed in Turkey’s health-care professions, so We have also continued to celebrate many of them RC alumni, who put their the creativity and excellence that own health at risk every day to ensure characterize our school. To give just that the rest of us remain healthy three examples, wonderful artwork and well. I know that I speak for our was produced for the Demirkan Aşetey entire community in thanking them all, Art Competition, and published in a especially those who are RC graduates beautiful online catalog. New Feyyaz and parents, for their selfless care. Berker Fellows will soon be appointed, continuing that strand of RC’s legacy In my title I chose the word “Community” of excellence. RC’s tradition of over “school” with purpose: it is at distinguished prose and poetry was moments of difficulty that human honored and renewed by the entrants beings generally show their best and winners of this year’s Jane Page qualities, and the last four months Awards for creative writing. have been no exception. I have seen all the different groups that comprise We head into September facing fresh RC working together to support each uncertainties, yet I look forward with other. Great support from the Parent optimism. We will enter the next Teacher Association has helped academic year with a full complement the school’s leaders to understand of faculty, including a group of highly parental needs and be responsive to enthusiastic new teachers from them. Our Board of Trustees, and our Head of School Adam Oliver America and the international circuit, distinguished Trustee Emeritae, have by RC’s usual high standards, and a complementing strong local hires. been invaluable sounding boards business-as-usual approach that has We have proven our adaptability and critical friends, helping us to enabled us to provide full coverage of to remote learning, and though we find optimal routes of travel through our curriculum. Personally, I am deeply hope to resume “normal service” in a landscape lacking any maps. thankful to all these people, as well as September, we will also have detailed Leadership from the Student Council, RC’s senior administrators and team plans in place to cope with all likely both formal and informal, has also leaders, for the work I see from them scenarios that might arise. helped us to understand and support every day. the experience of our most important If Covid-19 is the challenge, then community members, the present Despite the disruptions and difficulties education is the cure. Through generation of students. Our teachers brought about by the pandemic, the stimulating curiosity, encouraging and staff have shown unwavering vibrant life of our school has continued. creativity, and emphasizing commitment to maintaining a distance The medium has changed, but connection, the RC community will learning experience characterized teachers have delivered digital lessons continue to flourish. rc news 5 What’s New with the Student Council? The Student Council (SC) plays an important role in the lives of RC students. The RCQ asked SC advisor Colin Edmonds how the organization has evolved over the years. The 2019 Student Council served throughout the 2019 calendar year The 2020 Student Council took over in January How is the SC selected? in need. Assistance was provided to To improve student life in general, the This is one of the most major changes clubs needing support. Over the last SC has worked on projects such as over the years, with really positive few years, SC also began producing lowering canteen prices in association results. Starting a couple years ago, clothing - particularly for Seniors, with the Food Committee, promoting the new council takes over during but also for the school in general. On “green” initiatives by producing water the second semester instead of the FAF front, there has been a pivot bottles and posters, working to the beginning of the year so that to professional bands as opposed to manage indoor cat problems through outgoing SC members (L12 students) amateur bands and performers from awareness campaigns, procuring a can support the incoming members. other schools. foosball table, and working to establish Officer elections are done in person shuttle bus service for students in via paper ballots, emulating a What sort of activities is the SC the morning in coordination with the “real” election.