SPRING / SUMMER 2016 ISSUE 49 RC QUARTERLY SPRING / SUMMER 2016 ISSUE 49 the Sporting Life Murat Karamancı Student Center I Measuring Social Impact A Fund for Documentaries I Shakespeare on the Green I Reunions In this issue… RC QUARTERLY SPRING / SUMMER 2016 ISSUE 49 The cover story of this issue is the Sporting Life at Robert College, and focuses on how student-athletes at the school are always encouraged to put forth their best effort, to “win with grace, and lose with dignity.” The article has been penned by Headmaster Dr. Charlie Skipper, whose views on education affirm that, “… the serious business of schooling is best done when combined with a serious sense of play and of joy” (p. 32). Alumni Journal published periodically by the RC Alumni The sense of joy was very much in evidence on campus this & Development Office for 9,000 members of the RC spring, with the Murat Karamancı Student Center becoming the community: graduates, students, faculty, administration, new place to be on campus. Read about the transformative power parents and friends. of a generous gift that provides students a brand new dining area and social spaces (p. 10). Özel Amerikan Robert Lisesi Kuruçeşme Caddesi 87 Arnavutköy, İstanbul The following pages include stories on a variety of student Tel: (0212) 359 22 22/289 activities, from building sustainable gardens to Shakespeare on e-mail: [email protected] the Green and the debut of dinner theatre in Bingham. As always the RCQ strives to inform its readers of the exciting activities at www.robcol.k12.tr the school, while highlighting the vast array of achievements, milestones and news from alumni, faculty and friends. Editor-in-Chief Leyla Aktay RC 72 Let us know what you are up to, for inclusion in the upcoming 50th issue of the RCQ, by emailing us at [email protected]. Editors Lisa Johnson Wishing you a good summer! Çiğdem Yaz›c›oğlu Mehveş Dramur RC 96 The RCQ Team Banu Savaş Contributors RC NEWS Yasemin Sim Esmen Di Gino RC 93 4 Dr. Charlie Skipper Appointed Headmaster Pelin Turgut RC 92 5 Excellence in Science Award 2016 A Sustainable Garden for All to Enjoy Editorial Board 6 The Hamlin Players: Dinner Theatre Comes to Campus Nuri Çolakoğlu RA 62 Seeing the Campus through Shakespeare Deniz Alphan ACG 67 7 Music and Literature Explored at Turkish Symposium Nükhet Sirman RC 72 Global Social Entrepreneurship Summit Elçin Yahşi RC 79 8 Real World Business Experience through JARC RC Robotics Team Wins Rookie Award Advertising Managers Çiğdem Yaz›c›oğlu [email protected] GIFTS 10 Murat Karamancı Student Center Banu Savaş 12 Silent Auction Experiences [email protected] CIP Tel: (0212) 359 22 89 14 Beyond Academics Design & Production UNIRC Topprint 16 Creating Bridges: UNIRC turns 10 Esentepe Mah. Atom Sok. Kanyon Apt. 20/1 Şişli, İstanbul (0212) 264 33 11 • www.topprint.com.tr ALUMNI ASSOCIATION (RKMD) 18 RKMD Courses Printing Coding for Kids Scala Basım Yayım Tanıtım San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti. Improve Your Photography Yeşilce Mah. Aytekin Sok. No:21 Go for Kids 4.Levent - Kağıthane - İstanbul Tel : 0212 281 62 00 / 0212 269 07 34 Basım Yeri ve Tarihi İstanbul, Haziran 2016 Yayın Türü Süreli Yayın Periyodu 4 Ayl›k Scriptwriting with Haluk Özenç RC 88 Yoga in the Morning 19 Dead Poets Society Gala at RC One Hour with Ayşe Kulin ACG 61 Political Polarization Report The Living Library at Bizim Tepe Being in the Film Business in the 2000s RC IN AMERICA 20 Boston and Bay Area Alumni Meet the Headmaster Photo: Mine Kasapoğlu Abdullah Keleş L9 raises the baton Boston Spring Dinner after his team wins the relay race 21 An Afternoon at the Met Philadelphia Brunch 47 Nancy Atakan: Sporting Chances Exhibition RC Bay Area Party New Film Fund to Support Documentaries RC IN EUROPE BOOKS 22 London Alumni Meet the Headmaster 48 The History of Modern Turkey through Family Photos 22 Amsterdam Mini-reunion A Guide for Measuring Social Impact 49 The Story of Transformation: Turkey’s Banking System GRADUATES IN THE NEWS From Ottoman to Turk: Shimmering Threads of Identity 24 Kamil Uğurbil RA 67 Receives Vehbi Koç Award 50 The Olive Grove that No Longer Is Mustafa Abadan RC 77 Given 2016 Ellis Island The Politics of Halide Edip Put Under the Scope Medal of Honor 25 Muharrem Kayhan RC 73 Rare Ancient Coin MEMORIES Collection Exhibited 52 Remembering Fallen Diplomats Arwa Damon RC 94 Wins Top Media Award 26 Cem-Papandreou Peace Award RC REACHES OUT A Cultural Leader at the World Forum 54 “Why Reporting on Conflict is Not Enough for Me” 28 Sedat Ergin RC 75 Recognized by Deutsche Welle 55 Providing Turkish Women and Syrian Refugees TÜBİTAK Project on Artificial Touch for Lasting Support Prosthetic Limbs 29 Classmates Featured in Forbes Magazine REUNIONS A Life Dedicated to Theatre 56 Class of ACG 63 30 Documentary on the Life of Ara Güler ACG 67 Judas Tree Reunion Sinem Hallı RC 06 Receives Prestigious Design Award 57 RC 72 Mini-reunion RC 75 A Good Year to Remember COVER STORY 32 The Sporting Life ALUMNI PROFILES ONES TO WATCH 58 Back to the Future with a Band From 1969 40 Creating a Better World through Science 41 A Unique View Through the Lens AROUND THE WORLD 60 ALUMNI NEWS 42 A Quick Break between Lives 60 FACULTY & FRIENDS NEWS ART 60 OBITUARIES 46 Demirkan Aşetey RC 76 Art Competition Sibel Horada RC 98 Revives Forgotten Monument Your feedback on the RCQ matters! Did you enjoy this issue? Write to us at: [email protected] 4 RC NEWS Dr. Charlie Skipper Appointed Headmaster he RC Community recently got news that a familiar face, Dr. Charlie Skipper, who started as interim headmaster in the fall, has been appointed Headmaster by the Board of Trustees. In the previous issue (RCQ 48, p. 10), an excerpt from an article that ran in Köprü student magazine gave readers a glimpse of who Dr. Skipper is. The RCQ asked him what his impressions are of the school after being here for a few months. What has impressed you about RC? The list of things that have impressed me is too long to enumerate unless I have a few volumes of space! One of the things that struck me from the start and remains with me is the aspirational sense of our community. We are a place of striving students and adults, and the power of that culture in a school community is immense. There is also a wonderful family feel to Headmaster Dr. Charlie Skipper addresses the RC community RC. Over 1000 students, over 200 adults, and yet it is really like a family. There are community filled with high achieving groupings, and we have a role to play the moments of love and support and students and adults we can sometimes in leading those groups. We are already being there for one another. In a recent lose sight of the great pleasure and doing this in a number of ways, and so flag ceremony I said that in our learning happiness - the definition of joy - that we are building on a firm and secure community there is no “us” and “them”, being part of this community provides. I foundation. only “we together.” Having met with am not one who confuses learning with alumni in Turkey, the UK and around the happiness; in fact, my most important Dr. Charlie Skipper has been a teacher US, I know this feeling extends over time lessons over the years have taken and administrator in schools around and space. blood, sweat, and tears. Yet, the serious the world for the last 30 years. Prior to business of schooling is best done when Robert College, he was most recently I am grateful for the opportunity to have combined with a serious sense of play Headmaster of the American School joined the RC community, and now for the and of joy in the experiences that make in Switzerland (TASIS), a boarding and chance to continue as part of the RC story. up teaching and learning. day school with three campuses in Lugano, Switzerland. His experience What are your plans for RC over the Where would you like to see RC in a also includes having been the Head, for next few years? few years? eight years, of the Escuela Americana The first priority is to maintain and build That is an interesting question for one of in San Salvador, El Salvador, a bilingual on the excellence that is RC. There are a the world’s great schools. Where do you English/Spanish school with significant number of faculty and faculty/student work go when you are at or very near the top of outreach efforts to other institutions in groups reviewing different aspects of our something? To me the answer lies in two El Salvador. operations to determine how to improve. directions, one internal and one external. An honors graduate in History of Another is to find ways to foster a The internal answer is that we have in our Old Dominion University in Norfolk, community atmosphere that is mutually minds an image of the best RC, and we Virginia, Skipper holds MEd and supportive, engaged, and care-filled. To need to take the necessary steps to align PhD degrees from George Mason quote the memorable phrase of one of our our reality to that image. When we do University in Fairfax, Virginia in the seniors, I want to make sure that we have that, we will even more fully realize our areas of educational administration a “healthy platform” for even difficult life- changing, world enhancing mission.