Emre – Page 2 – Postcards from GW

Outdoor Adventure

AdminSeptember 20, 2016

Think of a class including hiking, rafting, kayak, spelunking and many more, and you will get one-credit for this class. I know it seems unreal but GWU offers that class called Outdoor Adventure, which is, I think, the best class one exchange student can take.

This is a pass-fail class which means that there is no examination. The grading policy depends on whether 25-hour-long participation, 11 hours of which is organized by instructors, including hiking, team building activities, kayak on Potomac River etc, is exceeded or not. The rest 14-hour-long participation depends on one's participation to activities organized by GW Trails, which is open to every student with a small fee, of course. One can participate horseback riding, rock climbing, hiking etc. as complementary hours to pass the class.

So far, even though I am not certain, I have chosen:

9/17 Buck Ridge Hike
10/1 Mount Vernon to Mount Vernon Bike Tour

I took Buck Ridge Hike because I wanted to experience the nature of the States, and the reason why I took the Bike Tour is that I love biking!

On the other hand, there are also American students and because of the concept of the class it is easy to find new friends and get along with people.

This courses can be found in Schedule of Courses web paged under the Life, Sports and Physical Activity section in which all kinds of sports' courses are listed. I highly recommend one to take LSPA courses in GWU and if one explores the city more, then Outdoor Adventure is the right course for one.

This week's trip was kayaking or paddling on Potomac River, which was like a medicine for a really busy week. My friend Margaux, an exchange student from Science Po, and I took a same kayak so that we pay less, which is 11 $ per person for an hour.

Kayaking to the spot where you can see both Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monuments reminds me that I am at the right city to be a student. Also, this experience show me that while Washington DC is urbanized in a complex way, it can protect the nature well.

New Jersey!

AdminSeptember 14, 2016

By emreceyhun

I have always heard New Jersey from movies and TV Series, and to be honest, the impression of Jersey was not a place worth to go. However, after seeing it, I can clearly say that this is wrong !

So, talking about my trip to New Jersey, I have to mention the Union Station which is the bus station nearly for all buses in DC. If one says that Washington DC is a living-history city, Union Station is one of the reason why one thinks that way. It was built in 1907 and has operated since then. The gorgeous architecture and the sculptures living in it are nothing but impresses one immediately.

Even though I missed my bus to Jersey, I could find a next bus one hour later thanks to the schedule of Megabus which is a company organizing bus trips to several locations such as Philadelphia, Atlanta, New York etc. , which means that every exchange student who wants to go outside of DC will use Megabus.

After 3 hour long trip, I arrived New Jersey and passed immediately to Atlantic City, where is called "Las Vegas" of the East Coast. I haven't seen the Las Vegas but I can clearly say that Atlantic city is really different in terms of gambling and, particularly, the size of gambling. I have to admit that I go to Bulgaria every month to gamble and may be a gamble-addicted. However, I think I can compare the casinos in Europe and in Atlantic city. The casinos in Atlantic city is, basically, big and different. I say that it is different because the games that I play regularly has some additional rules for example I saw a double zero bet in roulette, which you can not see in Europe.

Atlantic City is not, of course, just about its casinos. In there, I had a chance to enjoy last days of summer in Brigantine Beach, which is located close to Atlantic City, and it was my first experience of swimming in the ocean. Before that, I have always swum in the seas. Unluckily, I fell asleep under the sun and the suntan back of my body still hurts while I am writing these words. However, I think that beside all touristic places such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia etc. every exchange student should experience New Jersey and gamble there !!!

Labor Day

AdminSeptember 6, 2016

By emreceyhun

Before I came here, the classes' topics seemed really interesting and crucial for me to take. However, It was the first week of classes and I can clearly state that yes, they are really interested but also require hardworking. The courses at GW just showed me that even though I am at the heart of the States, DC is not the place to get relaxed and have fun. I have to work really hard and do my homework to be successful at classes.

In that first week rush, Labor Day was a rescuer taking me away from the courses' requirements which I have not been able to focus yet.

Labor Day, as oppose to European countries, is celebrated in US on 5th of September, which makes this holiday kind of national even though this is an international norm. So, I thought that since this is national in a way, I have to do something national. I have to created my national holiday in an international place, and the Embassy Row located in Dupont Circle is, I think, the best place to feel Labor Day in a way that US citizens feel. Embassy Row is a place where most of the embassies are located, and finding my national embassy made me think that it is something similar to Labor Day.

In that Row, Turkish Embassy was not located but I found Defense Attaché of Turkish Embassy, which was located between two European countries hanged European Union flag along with their national flag, which made me sad because I really think that Turkey should get into the Union but I am well aware of the fact that we have lots of things to achieve.

Also, you can find sculptures that represent cultures in front of the embassies and get informed about their culture briefly, which really amazing, I think.

I was thinking of being done with Turkish elements in that Row until I saw something that really makes me surprised. Our founding father's, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, sculpture holding Nutuk, which is the book he explains the Independence War by giving the documents that he had collected between 1919-1923, located 0.3 miles away from the Attaché building. Apparently, the building behind of the sculpture was bought by Turkey and used for several years as embassy. However, it is now used for Ambassador's residence.

All in all, I would recommend every exchange student to find his/her home country and explore Dupont Circle because apparently you can find something really interesting.

Two Experiences I will Remember Always

AdminAugust 30, 2016

By emreceyhun

Amazing!

I would like to describe my feelings with a brief explanation when I write my blog.

Yes! It is amazing to be DC and experience all the things organized by our EXO leaders who are cherry-picked and prepared accordingly. To be honest, every single activity can be a topic for this blog but I choose the topics that I wonder the most.The first is WHITE HOSE TOUR !

And Yes, we had a tour at White House which most of the Americans haven't been able to see yet. Even though, I had seen White House at my last trip to DC, I was really sad when I learned that visitors into the White House need a detailed and strict background check. (I am glad that I passed it !!) I believe that White House testify the modern history and every single brick would tell different story if it were able to. That's why, being able to feel modern history is nothing but amazing.

When you first get into the House, Obama family is welcoming you from a TV screen, talking about how the House testifying the history and, especially, being proud of how they let visitors take pictures. ( Thanks!!) When you keep walking, you would see the pictures from important moments such as those from WWI. The funny thing is that Obama's families pictures is located in the middle at every frame. For example, while seeing the diplomatic relations between UK and USA in 20th century, Obama family is smiling to you under this pictures, which ,I think, shows Obama's funny and colorful personality. After frames, you start seeing the rooms ( China, East Garden, Red, Blue, Green etc.). These rooms were used for receptions, and built in early-19th century, which made it even more amazing.Unfortunately, I couldn't experience Obama's fun personality face to face but I saw it from the things he changed at White House.

The second trip I would like to discuss is free-classical music concert at J.F. Kennedy Center for Performing Hall which is located so close to school that we didn't use to transportation, which is, I think, shows that GWU is so close to everywhere including art activities! The Hall consists of two halls, first of which has states flags getting hanged from ceilings, I haven't seen those flags before! At the second hall, you can see the countries flags that have relationships with USA. I think that this hall represents its name very well in terms of its architecture as well.

Kennedy Center organizes free concerts every day, ranging from rap singers to classical music concerts. Let me say this again, THESE ARE FREE CONCERT! I had chance to listen Nessum Dorma, the funerary march of Wagner and the death of tybalt from Romeo and Juliet. This was such an experience that ,I think, I will remember for the rest of my life.

Greetings from Turkey

AdminAugust 15, 2016

Excitement that can be only word describing the feeling I have right now, before attending George Washington University family.

Hello everybody, My name is Emre Ceyhun, student from Bogaziçi University, Istanbul. As an undergraduate, I began volunteering at two non-profit, service organizations. I did not imagine that these experiences could significantly shape my career plans, as I was already set on a career focus in public policy rather than politics. However, after two years of service to the underprivileged –both Syrian refugees and Roman communities in Turkey—I can clearly see that this is, by far, the greatest experience I have ever had. It has taught me the greatest reward of selfless service: to be able to touch and improve another’s life beyond his or her own capacity, and in turn have one’s own soul fed through validating smiles and warmth. In alignment with my volunteer experience, I chose to shift my career path toward conflict solution and negotiations between political bodies in order to touch and improve societies in the most direct way.

Choosing my school, I consider of having to choose the most valuable school, provides me with lots of opportunities, in terms of the courses helping me clarify my view and add American point of view to it, and the social clubs in which I can communicate and build networks with people who want to have the same career path with me. After my research, it is clear that the right choice for me is GWU because beside the easy application steps and helping exchange staff it also provides a great deal of opportunities at the heart of the USA, in Washington DC. So far, I communicated with No-Lost Generation when some representatives attend to World Humanitarian Summit in Istanbul, a student club aiming at being beneficial ( instead of helping because help includes the status in it and impose the fact that while one helping is superior, the other helped is inferior . At that student club, I find the right implementation of this thought, which makes me happy because it shows that we are at the same tone.) to Syrian children education which is the target group with which I have been studying for 2 years. Also, the professors of my courses such as Ethnic Conflict and Peacebuilding or Work, Poverty and Public Policy will help me to discern the structure of society in academic manner and add more on my career plans.
Having seen those opportunities provided by GWU creates nothing but excitement about the life in Washington DC and in GWU, as one clearly can see. I know the experience of being alone and of the family that I am about to attend will mature my thoughts on my future plans and the way I look to the life. I hope to come back to my home university with the culture of GWU and projects I aim to progress in Turkey with the help of the maturing process in DC.