Issue: 2 Spring 2007InternationalCenter

EEAASSTTEERRNN MMEEDDIITTEERRRRAANNEEAANN UUNNIIVVEERRSSIITTYY

ERASMUS IPSpring School at EMUERASMUS IP

Spring School at EMU

3. University of Graz students visit EMU

6. Pakistan Day

8. My North Cyprus

10. Robotics Champions

11. EMU students say: ‘I DO’

12. Home Sweet Home: Iran

14. It’s just a game

16. Campus News

18. Out and About: Mavi Köflk ‘Blue House’

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Dear Staff and Students,In this edition of our newsletter I want to reflect on my culture, the

Turkish Cypriots; the carefree, sun worshipping citizens of theMediterranean. Sometimes Middle Eastern, sometimes European andsometimes just plain Cypriot. We are ruled by our emotions, quick tolaugh and just as quick to explode. Our generous hearts and appetitesdictate that we welcome strangers with open arms and unbound hospi-tality. In addition to our wonderful characteristics, we also have a few irri-tating habits. For instance, we have no concept of time. Ask someone todo something for you and the answer is “Don’t worry , no problem” or“Insallah”. Does that mean they are going to do it? Or what? Does thismean today, tomorrow, next week, whenever....?

The definition of ‘deadline’ does not exist in our dictionaries. Tellsomeone 5 o’clock and that could mean anything between 5 to5:59.When it comes to time, some of us also have problems with ournumbers and seem to confuse 5 and 6!! Or even 7 for that matter!! Itdoesn’t matter that others are waiting for us. We waltz in late, don’t evenbother to apologise for our tardiness, sit down and start talking to the per-son sitting next to us, as if nothing has happened. Suddenly we are deafto all the people grumbling and complaining around us. (What do youexpect from the citizens of a country where even the cats and dogs taketheir time when crossing the street; oblivious to cars, their frenzied driversand the blaring noise of the car horn).

However, what really prompted me to write this editorial was a fewmemorable incidents that happened when I went abroad to Europe withmy fellow kinsmen.

We are a nation that manages to conquer any country we go to.Whoever said “ When in Rome, do as the Romans do” got it all wrong.It should be “ When abroad , do as the Cypriots do!!!” We are the onlynation that can go to one of the most civilized countries in Europe andwreck total havoc in their airports. Take a look at the departures loungein the airport. Look at all the people neatly lined up in queues of two,

slowly progressing towards the airline staff for check in. Now, look at thecheck in desk where we are standing. A queue that once upon a timewas two neat lines, has suddenly turned into 8 haphazardly formed dif-ferent lines that stick out in all directions! We are experienced hagglers.Our sweet tongues trying to convince the airport staff that 35 kilos is stillwell within the baggage limits and with another 30 kilos stashed awayin our hand luggage. We have an ongoing love affair with duty freestores, that has reached its peak with the introduction of credit cards. Weare so hypnotized with our shopping crusade that some of us even forgetwhere we are. By pure luck or by persistent calls over the airport loudspeaker, we manage to remember where we are and just about find ourway to the boarding gate. When we finally get to the gate, we are thank-ful to God that it wasn’t us standing in the bus, sweating for the past 45minutes, while waiting to be taken to the plane.

As we climb the stairs to the plane, we think that the red faced pilotwho is standing in the doorway and looking at his watch has blood pres-sure problems and we feel sorry for him. We climb aboard, fill the over-head cabins above our seat and also take complete control of the cabinbin space on our left and our right, telling others that it’s perfectly OK tostore their bags under their seats.

We complain that the airplane is delayed, demand a blanket andpillow and give our fellow passengers a nasal concerto throughout theflight.

We applaud when the plane lands safely at Ercan, jump out of ourseats while it is still taxiing down the runway and whip out our red “European passports”, shoving in an attempt to make a quick dash topassport control.

We may have our red passports, we may consider ourselves to beEuropean citizens but I guess that passports do not maketh the man, asTurkish Cypriotness is embedded in the very depths of our souls.

Asst.Prof.Dr.Salime Mehtap - Smadi

Contents

Edi tor ia l

Address: Eastern Mediterranean UniversityTel: +90 392 630 2444 international.center@emu.edu.trhttp://ic.emu.edu.tr

Print: EMU Printing-house

Publisher: On behalf of EasternMediterranean University

Rector

Prof. Dr. Halil Güven

Editor-in-Chief Asst. Prof. Dr.

Salime Mehtap-Smadi

Asst. Editor

Meryem Ezel

CoordinatorAssoc. Prof. Dr.

Majid Hashemipour

Cartoonists

Mert Bal Farnaz Pakdel

Layout Artist

Hüseyin Pekün

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My semester in Cyprus has been a very rewarding experience. I havemet many great and helpful people, experienced a welcoming and kindculture, traveled to many interesting places, and taken a few wonderfulcourses. I could not have asked for a better place than Cyprus to haveexperienced all these wonderful things. The weather is beautiful, the foodis delicious, the people are genuinely kind, and EMU has provided mewith so many opportunities. I appreciate everything that the school hasoffered me, from the material I learned in my classes to the facilities avail-able to students and to the people who helped me experience much thatthis part of the world has to offer. I am sad to go home because I consid-er Cyprus to be a big part of my life now, and to leave will be difficult.

Ellyn Mitowski - Central Connecticut State University

As part of the protocol signedbetween EMU and University of Graz(Austria), 19 students and one professorcame to EMU to participate in a 10 dayworkshop that was organized by Assoc.Prof. Dr. Slobodan Ilic, Head of theHistory Department.

Graz students had the opportunity totake classes with EMU History studentsand to visit historical sites throughout the

island. Students visited places of attrac-tion in the old town and surroundingFamagusta area, the Karpaz peninsula,Nicosia, Kyrenia and the archealogicalexcavation site in Kaleburnu. Asst. Prof.Dr. Jan Asmussen acted as the groupstour guide and students were given infor-mation about the history of the places vis-ited in both English and German. Miniworkshops were also held at the various

historical sites, giving students the goldenopportunity to see textbook theory inpractice.

The second project with GrazUniversity, focuses on student exchangeand will start in September 2007. GrazUniversity has invited six EMU students toattend their university as exchange stu-dents for either a semester or the wholeacademic year.

American exchange student

University of Graz students visit EMU

It was like “walking into a celebration at

the United Nations”. That’s how the CNN

camera crew who were visiting North

Cyprus described the night- completely sur-

prised by the extent of multicultural diversity

at our university. “We have been around the

world” said the CNN Turk program director

“nothing shocks us anymore, but your stu-

dents really did. The world can take a few

lessons from this place in terms of integration

and tolerance towards ethnic and religious

differences….”

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Student Ambassadors Shine at the EMU International Night

More than 600 EMU international stu-dents, staff and locals gathered at the BeachClub on Wednesday the 7th of March to cel-ebrate “EMU International Night”. The cere-mony was organized by the InternationalCenter and had the dual aim of displayingEMU’s multicultural heritage and welcomingnew students to the EMU community.

The occasion was purely a cultural one,as students cooked their traditional dishesand wore their traditional regalia. A total of21 different national dishes were cooked byEMU students and displayed at a long buffettable for guests to enjoy. The students whohad spent a good part of the day slavingover the hot stoves of the Beach Club kitchen,helped to serve the dishes to the guests, giv-ing them a chance to explain about theirnational dishes to those who were interested.Fried Cabbage from Cameroon, Beef andVegetable Noodles from China, Fried Riceand Chicken Stew from Nigeria, Magloubefrom Jordan, Curry from India, Zereshk Polofrom Iran, Fried Chicken and Coleslaw fromthe USA , Pakistani Biryani and wonderfulAzeri baklava were just a few of the tempt-ing dishes presented that night.

Activities that marked the evening includ-ed a “Makossa” dance from Africa. This isactually a dance from Cameroon, but , itwas amazing how students from otherAfrican countries like Nigeria danced it sowell. We also had traditional folk dancesfrom North Cyprus and the Aegean region inTurkey. The Famagusta Municipality FolkDance Team, performed a dance thatdepicted traditional scenes from a TurkishCypriot wedding celebration and harvesttimes in the villages.

The Beach Club was decorated in theflags of the 68 different countries that arerepresented at EMU. Guests entering the

Beach Club also had the chance to view cul-tural exhibits on display at different stands atthe entrance. A mini fashion parade of dif-ferent national costumes and a competitionto choose the best dressed EMU student alsotook place. The crowds cheered as the bestfemale costume of the night was awarded toa student from Pakistan and the best malecostume was awarded to a student from

Nigeria. That night, every student was trulyan honorary ambassador of his/her coun-try.

The night wound down with a live DJplaying the lastest dance hits from all cor-ners of the world. It’s no wonder that at theend of the night, none of the students want-ed to go home.

Lem Helvesia

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March 23rd, known as Pakistan Day, isan occasion observed to commemorate the passage

of the famous resolution of the “All India Muslim League”in Lahore in 1940. This was when a demand for a separate

independent state for the Muslims of South Asia was made. Every year, Pakistani students at EMU celebrate this day at the Beach Club

by introducing this national holiday event, through exhibitions of cuisine, culture,slide shows, fashion and dance.This special evening is known as “Pakistan Night”.This year, the biggest hit of the night was the Fashion and Dance show. This show was

organized, directed and designed by Shama K. Hussain with the cooperation of the EMUFashion Club president Ruyam Karaca and its lovely members. The Pakistani dances of

“Dandiya” and “AnarKali” were also performed. Dandiya is a social dance, where couples dancewith sticks. AnarKali is a legendary slave girl from the Mughal period. She was supposedlyordered to be buried alive by Mughal emperor Akbar for having an illicit relationship with PrinceSalim. A beautiful Pakistani dance was performed by Ruyam ( who coincidently is of Turkish ori-gin) with great expertise and grace. Her dance turned out to be the highlight of the evening caus-

ing a standing ovation amongst the guests. There were 350 guests from various nationalities (stu-dents,faculty and locals) whose hands could not stop clapping throughout the show. Guests were served a tradition-al Pakistani dinner of Biryani, Roast and Halva.

Kashif HUSSAIN PhD Student

Pakistan Day

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Before I begin I would like to say that no matter how glam-ourous the world of TV looks from the outside, it is alot of hardworkbehind the scenes. Yes hardwork, goof ups, re-takes, unexpectedsurprises and tragic-comic events that leave you with tears of laugh-ter streaming down your face.

My current boss (the Vice Rector for Promotion and InternationalAffairs Majid Hashemipour) took one look at me and said “Your justthe man I am looking for!” I didn’t like the shine in his eyes, but, Iwaited for him to continue...praying to God that he wasn’t planningon sending me to the airport at five in the morning or some remotevillage on the other side of the island in search of news. He said “CNN Turk have a big project they want to film at EMU. Your job isto coordinate it and make sure you get the logistics right!” I wasshocked for words. Yes, I must admit that I do tend to be a jack ofall trades. I can cook, do the odd plumbing, even some electricalwork, I love to tinker with car engines, I am not shy to grab a micro-phone and talk in front of a crowd, I even babysit if I have to but.....Iam a couch patatoe! That’s as far as my TV experience goes. Whatdo I know about filming with a professional crew????

Oh well, a job is a job, so I rolled up my sleeves, said a silentprayer and got down to work. CNN wanted to do a 45 minuteshow on a day in the life of Tony Angostiniodis who is an expert inpeace journalism and who teaches in the Faculty of Communicationat EMU. Tony is a Greek Cypriot, who was ostracized by his ownpeople for producing a documentary on some of the atrocities com-mitted by Greek Cypriots during the 1974 war. His documentaryfocused on the mass graves in the village of Murataga andSandallar. With the help of Dr. Onur Eroglu, we came up with atenative scenario which was sent to the program’s producer Güven‹slamo¤lu for approval. There are so many small details to thinkabout when filming a show. Everything has to run like clockworkand there are so many people and so many places to cover. By thetime the day of the filming finally arrived, I was living, eating andsleeping CNN; paranoid that something would go wrong and anx-ious not to make a fool of my self in front of such an important cam-era crew. Well to cut a long story short, everything went asplanned. The program was aired 6 times on CNN Turk and friendsfrom all over rang to congratulate us on its success. You knowwhat? I actually do believe that “ I was just the right man for thisjob.”

Here’s some comic memories of some of the events that tookplace while we were filming in different parts of the city.

In one scene, two of Tony’s students were late for the filming.We didn’t have time to waste, so we asked a female student sittingat one of the cafes by the old mosque if she would help. I was askedto stand in for the other guy that was late. I was supposed to walkup to the girl, greet her by kissing her on the cheeks and them joinTony at his table. The girl was quite pretty, so I didn’t mind havingto kiss her. But on the otherhand, I was thinking that if my wife seesthis, I am going to spend the night sleeping on the doorstep with thecats. Well, all is fair in the line of duty and I did what I was told.Meanwhile a big crowd had gathered around the film crew.Cypriots are notorious busy bodies. Suddenly an old woman tookone look at me and said “ AHHH, I know this actor, he is reallyfamous. Look he is in Cyprus to film a new movie.” On one side I

could feel my head expanding in volume, delighted to have beenmistaken as a famous movie star and on the other side I wanted tothrow myself on the ground and have a good laughing fit. It musthave been the dark black sunglasses! You know, I am sorry I didn’tstart giving out autographs.Everyone has their moment of glory andI wanted to make the most of mine. Little did I know that, this wasjust the start of a change of events where people mistook me to besomeone either famous or important.

The second ‘identity crisis’ happened when we went back to thevillage where Tony filmed his documentary on the mass graves.When a long convoy of cars arrived in the village and started tounload their equipment, the village coffee house was packed withmen enjoying their morning coffee ritual. When they understoodthat it was a camera crew, the villagers deserted the coffee houseand started to follow us. Suddenly I found my self surrounded by vil-lagers and their complaints about the state of their village. Theythought I was some hot shot government official who had come tothe village to film the state of their roads and lack of infrastructure.I found myself receiving petitions and requests for all sorts of help.Of course, I was too embarassed to admit who I really was, so I justlet them go on with their complaints. One villager even asked me tofind a job for his son, who had just completed his military service.

Another villager asked which TV channel was accompanyingme and i told them it was CNN. You could not imagine the look ofdisappointment on his face when he turned around and said “ Wehave no business with an American TV channel. We thought theywere from BRT ( Local Turkish Cypriot TV station). Don’t tire yourselftoo much, we can’t watch your program anyway, because our TVantennas only pick up BRT!!!!

BLESS HIM.Cemal Kilic

EMU Graduate, Class of 1996

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BEHIND THE SCENES WITH CNN

NOCOMMENT

What first brought me to North Cyprus was university and the attraction ofbeing part of a cosmopolitan society – I’ve always lived in a big city.

The thing that keeps me in North Cyprus, is the fact that you can never bebored (only lazy!), which continues to fascinate me.

My first memory of North Cyprus is of being in a car with my friends anddriving through Lefkosa (the capital city) when I first arrived. The changes in sur-roundings as you drive from west to east is amazing – from the picturesquemedieval city walls, to Kyrenia Gate and the Ataturk Monument in Gonyeli.

Something residents in North Cyprus often overlook, is having everything we could possibly need pretty muchat our doorsteps. Not only that, but we have a whole variety of choices, from mobile phone providers to news-papers and more importantly, education. It’s not like that everywhere, especially not in the places I grew up.

If there’s one thing North Cyprus needs, its more smiles. People are busy, but it never hurts to smile at the per-son walking past you.

The thing that interests me most about North Cyprus is getting swept up by its exciting lifestyle which makesme forget about the stress in my life. Then again, that is one of North Cyprus’ attractions-something for everyone.

Three words that best sum up North Cyprus is: cosmopolitan, modern yet traditional.

mynorthcyprus

Dieudonne A. Asambang

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Eastern Mediterranean UniversityFaculty of Architecture organized the‘First Erasmus Intensive Spring School’themed ‘Tourism and Architecture’ withthe cooperation of Gazi University andPolitechnico di Milano/Italy and withthe participation of students and lectur-ers from Bochum University, Germanyand the Coppenhagen Royal DanishAcademy of Fine Arts.

The program is supported by theEU Education Commission as anErasmus Intensive Program. PaolaLeardini, a member of PolitechnicoMilano University declared that: “It isinspiring to try and make a country thatis so rich in history , like Cyprus, a morebeautiful place. This Spring School willbe beneficial for the groups who havejoined, as well as for the country itself”.

Turkan Torun who is an EMU postgraduate student of Architecture, has been organising such activities for the last two years. She declared that in her field, it is very impor-tant to work in a place where there are lots of different languages and cultures, which reflects on the work being carried out. She alsostated that “We are trying to design a city which embraces the sea without destroying its natural and historical heritage.”

Ankara Gazi Univeristy Architecture student Rabia Yilmaz, stated that she had always imagined Cyprus as a city of entertainment,until she started working on the project. Now she appreciates the fact that the city of Famagusta has embraced many civilisations andcultures and now looks at the town from a historical perspective.

Students worked on making the medieval city walls of Famagusta more attractive for tourists, by trying different methods of design,renovation and art work. They worked on themes which incorporated the towns close proximity to the sea. The aim was to allow the cit-izens of Famagusta to receive maximum benefit from the sea and to also still feel the presence of the city’s ancient past.

The workshop ended with an exhibition of the particpants different designs in ‘Somineli Ev’- Chimney House, which is an historicalfocal point within the old city walls.

ERASMUS IP: Spring School at EMU

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The Robotics Competition was held on3rd & 4th of March 2007, in Middle EastTechnical University (METU) in Ankara,Turkey. We participated with four robots in 3Catagories.

The competition started with an officialceremony. There were many stands and itwas incredibly crowded. We set up ourrobots and explored the neighbouring stands,meeting other robot enthusiasts. There were anumber of experienced teams from universi-ties across Turkey. We were the only universi-ty from Cyprus, so we had the honour of rep-resenting our whole country at METU.Although METU students know English verywell; they lack practice in the language.Therefore, METU students had difficulties incommunicating with some of our team mem-bers, who were international students. At thatmoment we felt proud of the level of Englishwe receive at our university, although, I mustadmit that the internet infrastructure at METUis more advanced. Our stand was very popu-lar and visitors to our stand asked many ques-tions about our robots and life in NorthCyprus and at EMU.

Some students and their commander fromthe National Turkish Air Force Academy visit-ed our stand and were impressed with thetechnology used for our upgradedCooperative Labyrinth Discovery Robot. NTVchannel also interviewed us about the robots.

The Award CeremonyAfter two days of displaying and talking

about our inventions it was finally time for theaward ceremony. We were so anxious as wewaited for the announcements, yet sure thatwe would definitely get a prize. Five cate-gories: General, Sumo, Mini Sumo, Climberand Line following category would be award-ed prizes. The general category was the mostsignificant one because design, innovation,creativity, design and applicability were themain factors that were going to be judged.METU had asked six jury members who wereall professors from various fields such asIndustrial Engineering and Computer andElectronics Engineering to evaluate the com-petitor’s robots.

We could not contain our excitementwhen the board called us to the stage toreceive the award for the first prize from theRector of the METU, Prof. Dr. Ural AKBULUT.There was the prize! We got it! Yes, we did!We were so happy to be the winners. Severalteam leaders congratulated us and wenoticed that everyone was very impressed byour university. A minute later we called oursupervisors Dr. Atilla Elçi and Dr. HasanDemirel to tell them the wonderful news. Wewere proud that we had made them happywith our achievement. A few minutes later, theDean of the Faculty of Engineering Prof. Dr.Izzet Kale called us and congratulated us on

our success. It was the most valuable prize forus, more important than what we wereawarded by METU.

On our Way back to CyprusWe had half a day to visit Ankara, so we

decided to visit the founder of modern Turkey-Ataturk`s Mausoleum, before we returnedhome. It is a well-organized place that wehave never seen, and a tribute to this greatleader.

If you wonder what we have learned with-in four days, it is the friendship of two Iranianand two Turkish students. Having a differentculture, language, belief, age or position isirrelevant. What is important is acting as ateam and having a clear vision of the goalbefore you. We believe that success is notsuccess unless it is continuous. Therefore, wewill continue to carry out our projects andactivities in the future, always striving to bebetter. We all welcome you in the ActivityCenter of our University and our RoboticsLaboratory at Computer EngineeringDepartment for future projects.

We will always be grateful to our profes-sors for their encouragement, guidance anddedication. We sincerely thank all of you andthe university for giving us the chance to provethat we really do receive top quality educa-tion at EMU.

Team Members: Behnam RahnamaPh.D. Student of Computer Engineering

Reza AbrishambafM.Sc. Student of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineering

Ali Kemal YetiflenB.Sc. Student of Mechanical Engineering

Mustafa AkkoçB.Sc. Student of Computer Engineering

EMU Students Win the First Prize atMETU Robotics Competition

Before The Wedding:This was how it all began.We went to the same pri-

mary school back in Nigeria andalthough we didn’t hate eachothers guts, we never really likedeach other either. Then we left toseparate secondary schools.One day, Ayo came to my houseafter I had graduated from sec-ondary school. I was surprised tosee him because it had been solong. He was already at universi-ty.

After catching up on oldtimes and going out, Ayo had toleave for London and his girl-friend who was waiting for him.I was sad but chose to find con-solence by also leaving for anew life at university. When hecame back from London two anda half years had passed and hewas now free and single.

We decided to go to thesame university together andtravelled to North Cyprus tobuild a better life for ourselves.Coming here was very challeng-ing for both of us. Our parentswere afraid that we would nottake our studies seriously. Westudied, we fought, we cried andwe laughed. We broke up andwere miserable but deep down,both Ayo and I knew that wewere meant for each other.

Our last separation taught us that life is too short to waste and that it was the time to take the big step and get married.

After The Wedding: I would like to say it’s fun to be married even though sometimes

it’s not a bed of roses.We have found our soul mate and have invit-ed God into our relationship. We both now enjoy peace, joy, hap-piness, and have learned to overlook each others faults. If there isanything marriage has taught me, it is to be patient, honest andselfless, while my husband would say marriage has taught him tobe more loving, caring, honest, and devoted.

I would tell my friends that marriage is a serious affair. It real-ly is for better or for worse, in sickness and in health. It is two peo-ple walking the journey of life hand in hand. It is no longer “me”.It now becomes “us”.Everybody has their soulmate. So makeabsolutely sure that you have found yours, before committing your-self . We want to use this opportunity to thank our close friends thatsupported us, especially Jonathan, Alexis, Ovaie, Tony, Toun,Anita,Jumoke, Mushood, Celine, Paula, Margret,Hauwa, Josiah,Mohammed and Musa. Thanks to all the other well wishers, as wellas some friends who prefer to remain anonymous and who sup-ported us in every way both financially, physically and materially.May God reward you abundantly.

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EMU Students say:

I d o . . .

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This is Home Sweet Home, this is Iran. One of the oldest cradlesof human civilization, which has a multitude of archeological, histori-cal, cultural and national monuments to offer it’s visitors. A visit to Irangives one the feeling of contact with a “different”, but not incompre-hensible world, a country which is accessible, unusual and diverse.

Iran is the land of Dariush; the great king; the king of kings; Theking of many countries and many peoples; The son of a Persian,'Aryan', from the Aryan race. (Taken from the Darius the Great'sInscription in Naqshe-e-Rostam)

QUICK FACTSl Iran was formerly known as Persia and is located in the territories

of Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus, with a populationof over 70 million people.

l The name Iran is a cognate of Aryan and literally means “Land ofthe Aryans”.

l The capital city is Tehranl Iran has one of the oldest histories in the world, extending nearly

6,000 years.l Languages spoken in Iran are Persian, Turkish, Kurdish, Arabic and

many local dialects. l The Iranian Revolution transformed Iran from a monarchy under

Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to an Islamic Republic underAyatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the leader of the revolution andfounder of the Islamic Republic(1979-1988).

l The political system of Iran comprises several intricately connectedgoverning bodies and is based on the 1979 Constitution. The high-est state authority is the Supreme Leader, currently served by AliKhamenei.

l Iran- Iraq war was a disagreement about the border between thetwo countries, lasting from 1980 to 1988 and resulting in heavyloses on both sides.

HOMESWEETHOME

IranIran

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l Iran ranks second in the world in terms of natural gas reserves andthird in oil reserves.

l About 98% of Persians are Muslims (Shi'a 89%, Sunni 9%), and theother 2% include Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, and Baha'i.

l The local currency is the Iranian Rial (Rls). 1 US$= 9260 Rls.

PLACES TO SEEFars Province

l Fars Province is located in the south of Iran and is considered to beone of the most famous provinces.

l It was the capital of Iranian Kings for centuries.l Shiraz is the centre of Fars province.l Shiraz was the capital for sometime and is well-known and famous

for poets such as Sa'di and Hafez who lived and died there.l Shiraz is a centre of science and civilization with pleasant weather

and good natured people.l Sightseeing in Shiraz: Takht-e-Jamshid Palace (Persepolis), Naqsh-e-

Rostam, Pasargad, Naqsh-e-Rajab, Takht-e-Rostam, Shahr-e-sha-pur, Shah Cheragh, Atabaki Mosque, Bazaar-e-Vakil, Bagh-e-Eramand Arg-e-Karim Khan.

Esfahan Provincel Esfahan is situated in a wide area in the centre of the Iranian

plateau.l Zayandeh Rud which is the greatest and the most famous river in

the centre of Iran is located in Esfahan.l It is counted as one of the richest provinces in Iran.l Construction of the city is attributed to Keykavus in stories, but some

historians attribute it to Tahmures-e-Divband, 3rd king ofPishdadian.

l Sightseeing in Esfahan: Emam Square (Naqsh-e-Jahan), MenarJonban, Church and Museum of Jolfa, Chehel Sotun Palace, Pol-e-Khaju, Bazaar of Esfahan, Si-o-Seh Pol (Pol-e-Allahverdi), ChaharBagh School and Ali Qapu Palace.

Kish Islandl Kish is an Iranian island and city in the Persian Gulf and is part of

Hormozgan Province.l It is known as a consumer’s paradise with numerous malls, tourist

attractions, and resort hotels.l Dariush grand hotel, a 125$ Million five star hotel with over 200

guestrooms which is located near the eastern sandy beaches of theisland, was built to be a reminder of Persepolis, a symbol of gloryand splendor of the ancient Iranian civilization.

l Dolphin Park in Kish Island is surrounded by over 12,000 palmtrees. The park includes a Dolphinarium, Butterfly Garden, SilkWorm Compound, Exotic Bird Garden, Artificial Rain Forest,Volcanic Mountain, the World of Orchids and a Cactus Garden.

Qeshm Islandl It is situated in the strait of Hormuz off the south coast of Iran and

east of the Persian Gulf.l Qeshm is a free trade zone, which makes the Island very important

in terms of international trade.l It is famous for a wide variety range of ecotourism attractions such

as the Hara Marine Forests.l An ancient Portuguese castle, historical mosques, Seyyed Mozaffar

and Bibi Maryam shrines, various ponds and Mangroves forestsare among the tourism attractions in the island.

l Fishing is a leading occupation practiced by the inhabitants of theIsland

l Salt is mined on the southeast coast.l Qeshm is also considered a supposed site of the ‘Garden of Eden’

according to Cassells Bible.

TRIVIAl One of the Iranian’s national dishes is so called Abgoosht which is

made up of meat, red beans, potatoes, onions, tomato sauce,spices and served with bread.

l Iran is one of the world's biggest producers of luxury foods. Thecountry has the right to catch more sturgeon (the source of caviar)than any other Caspian Sea nation. It is also the world's biggestproducer of pistachios, as well as saffron.

l Yalda Night which is the longest night of the year and occurs onDecember 21st is celebrated in the Iranian culture. Ancient Iraniansbelieved that at the end of this longest night, the evil darkness wasdefeated by light (Sun) allowing the days to become longer. Shab-e Yalda (Yalda Night) refers to the rebirth of the sun.

l Noruz is a traditional Iranian festival which starts at the exactmoment of the vernal equinox, commencing the start of the spring.It is considered as the start of the New Year among Iranians.

l The Music of Iran has thousands of years of history dating back tothe Neolithic age.

By Ladan Zargartizabi

aa ggaammeeit’s just

The just concluded 9ja 3 on 3 basketballtournament became the greatest half – courtcompetition ever played in the school’s giantmulti purpose complex; Lala Mustafa Pasa.Do you know!!! The auditorium has a seatingcapacity of about 3500, NBA standard syn-thetic floor, electronic score board and a mov-able upright. Although it was a game organ-ized by the Nigerian Students Associationand sponsored by the International Center,many nationalities which included Iran,Turkey, Pakistan, Cyprus, England and USAfeatured in the contest. These few countriesmentioned are a simple test in evaluatingEMU’s assertion as a varsity with 68 interna-tional students. In fact I am proud to say “myschool” brings the world in one place, underan experimental ground and it is great howpeacefully we live, study and play together asone entity.

Back to the gameSaturday 31st March 2007 was a day

set aside on campus for an exciting 8 hours3on 3 basketball tournament. The tournamentstarted off at about 11:30. Look …… this

clean game is a practical combination of bothindoor and street ball rules, but somethingmakes the pattern of the game more different;the ten registered teams consisting of 3 play-ers and 1 substitute, had their team headscome together to form 5 rules for the game:l No fightingl The referee’s decision is finall If there’s a foul play and ball possession and

basket, all teams are required to clear theball outside the three point line

l Five team fouls equals to one free throw l Other normal rules of basket ball; no double

bouncing, steps e.t.c apply.Interesting rules! Isn’t it? Who was under

the impression that the Jordan’s, Wade’s,Kobe’s and like can only be found in theUnited States? Only an eye witness can at thispoint testify, that at least three players in thistournament would have been drafted into theNBA if only the talent scouts had been invitedto Cyprus.Do ‘U’ want to bet on this!!!

Nearly every player had in mind that thegame would be breath taking; little did theyknow the parameters of fun they’d be gettingout of it. Of course the game was exhaustive

and at the same time a better way of havingsome fun on a weekend. Dj Rasheed dis-played some latest musical jamz which moti-vated players to dance while the game wason.

The day ended with a presentation of tro-phies to the first three winning teams. The aceplayer of the day was Ozan who emergedfrom the first winning team with 45 points ina 60 minute game. I’d say an NBA nominee- you know!

As the DJ gradually packed his gadgets,players exchanged pleasantries and snapshots were taken. Everyone expressed satis-faction with the fun that the game brought,looking forward to nothing less than a contin-uous repetition of the programme. Probably towin the trophy! Ha Ha HaHa……………………..

Many thanks to all the participants in thetournament, the Nigerian StudentsAssociation for organizing the programmeand to International Canter for their enormoussupport.

Mabur Sunday YelwaPublic Relations OfficerNigerian Students Association

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Turks love a good game of soccer ( what we refer to as football in Turkish). In fact theperformance or lack of performance of our favourite teams is a matter of life and death.We take our game very seriously. But did you know that Turks are also starting to loveAmerican football? I dont mean the games you watch on cable TV, I am talking about theAmerican football team at EMU- known as the EMU Crows. The name comes from thefact that once upon a time, the town of Famagusta was famous for this particular speciesof birds.

The first American football team at EMU was formed in the year 2000 and enjoys theprivelage of being the only team in the whole of the island. The team members consist ofa mix of both talented Turkish and International students studying at EMU. We even havean American coach- Mr. Haydon Flowers. Our coach happened to watch us in trainingin Istanbul and asked to take the team under his wings. He has moved his whole familyto North Cyprus and now trains us with alot of dedication. Though I must admit that hesometimes pushes us to the limit during our weekly training sessions. Whenever he does-n’t mange to kill us, we spend the rest of our spare time, training in the gym, as this is avery high condition sport.

EMU Crows competes in the American football league in Turkey. Last year we man-aged to finish third in the Turkish league, however, this year we lost in the semifinal play-offs againt Gazi Universitry 36-28.

American football is really not that hard to understand and a fun game to watch.Come on EMU we need your support at our matches. We need to hear you say “ GOCROWS GO!”

Volkan UzarNumber 20

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goCCRROOWWSS

!

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MEMBERS OF THE UK HOUSE OF LORDS VISIT EMUMembers of the United Kingdom House of Lords: Lord Maginnis, Lord Ahmed, Lord Harrison,and Lady Harrison, currently in the TRNC for a series of contacts, visited EMU on Monday,April 2nd, 2007. The lords and lady, who were welcomed by EMU Rector Prof. Dr. HalilGüven, were given information on our university and higher education in North Cyprus. Theguests declared their support towards lifting isolationist policies against institutions of highereducation in the TRNC and expressed their appreciation of Eastern Mediterranean Universitycampus. Following their detailed visit, they further stressed that the Eastern MediterraneanUniversity leaves nothing to be desired in terms of infrastructure and technological equipmentas compared to European universities.

SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY OFFICIALS VISIT EMUProf. Dr.Alan Sweedler ( Vice President for International Programs), Prof.Dr.Pual Ganster (Director, Institute for Regional Studies of the Californian’s) and Prof.Dr.Nancy A.Marlin(Provost) visited EMU between the 24-28th of March 2007, in order to discuss ways toexpand the thirteen year old protocol that exists between San Diego University (SDSU) andEastern Mediterranean University. SDSU staff also gave two seminars on Energy and Securityand the American Higher Education system.

EMU-FAMAGUSTA TOWN GET TOGETHEROn the 6th of April members of EMU family and citizens of the town of Famagusta cametogether at EMU Beach Club to strengthen ties between the university and its host town. Theget together was sponsored by EMU-Coop Ltd with the support of the EMU Rector Prof.Dr.HalilGuven, the Mayor of Famagusta Mr. Oktay Kayalp and the Governor of Famagusta Mr.IsmailGundost. With the opening of the University in 1979, Famagusta has been transformed froma small town relying on sea trade, to a thriving town that hosts students from all over theglobe.Citizens, house owners, proprietors and prominent Famagusta businessmen cametogether to discuss how they can help the university integrate with the town and look for waysto solve problems concerning EMU students and the town they live and study in. The Head ofthe National Union of Students in Europe, Mr Bastian Baumann and Mrs Karin Resetarits whois an Austrian MP in the European Parliament, also gave a speech at the cocktail, commend-ing the university and the town of Famagusta for their collaborative efforts.

EMU CAREER DAYS‘Career Days’ was organised between the 9-11th of May with successful businessmen andwomen from top companies in Turkey participating as speakers at the event. It was a memo-rable occasion for EMU, as some of the participants were former EMU graduates who nowhold top executive positions in international companies such as DHL and Vodafone. It was alsoa sentimental moment for our graduates; some who had not returned to the island since gradu-ation. The guest speakers talked about their journey to the top, what companies are looking forin job applicants and what students need to do in order to prepare for work life. Tips onpreparing C.V’s and how to act during interviews were also presented.Many of the graduatespromised to offer traineeship positions in their company to EMU students who would like tohave a taste of real worklife.

CAMPUSNEWS

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CAMPUSNEWS

PAKISTANI EDUCATION MINISTER MEETS RECTOR GÜVEN Pakistani Minister of Education Javed Ashraf Qazi paid a visit to EMU on

20.3.2007.

Speaking at the meeting, Güven pointed to the friendly ties between Turkey and

Pakistan, and indicated that, “Turkey and Pakistan always acted together on interna-

tional matters.”

“In the wake of the earthquake in Pakistan, the Education Ministers of the Turkish

Republic of Northern Cyprus and Pakistan joined forces to help those in need.

University students in the TRNC sent their pocket money to the Pakistani victims," he

added.

On the other hand, Qazi stated that his visit aimed at boosting bilateral relations

between the two countries in the field of education. Qazi said that his government

wanted more Pakistani university students to be educated in the TRNC, “these stu-

dents will boost our relations, that alredy have deep historical roots.”

Qazi also met with Pakistani students at the University and discussed their various

needs and accommodation problems.

43RD LIBRARY WEEK CELEBRATED AT EMUThe Turkish Cypriot Librarians Association came together at EMU to celebrate the

43rd Library Week with a series of seminars and panels on the topic. A book dona-

tion campaign that was started as part of the celebrations, managed to collect over

1000 books that were donated to a local primary school that was in serious need of

resources.

CHARITY BAZAARAs part of EMU’s ongoing commitment to community service programs, the team in

the Press and Public Relations department organized a Charity Bazaar on the 4th of

May, in aid of the Cancer Patients Association, Leukemia Foundation and the

Turkish Cypriot Diabetics Association. EMU staff and students were asked to donate

goods and food for sale at the various stalls that were erected at Ataturk Square.

Local companies also donated goods and their services during the day and the citi-

zens of Famagusta flocked to the university to lend a helping hand. All proceeds

from the bazaar were donated to the 3 organisations mentioned above.

STUDENTS FROM AZERBAIJAN CELEBRATE

INDEPENDENCE DAYStudents and lecturers from all over the island gathered in Lefkosa to celebrate the

Independence Day of Azerbaijan on May 28th, 2007. A presentation on the life of

M.A Rasulzade- the founder of the Republic was given. Students enjoyed the tradi-

tional get together and the chance to meet with fellow nationals who are studying at

other universities on the island.

We all love tales about secret agents and espionage. Who hasn’t heard of Mata Hari,the famous Dutch exotic dancer who worked as a double agent for the French and Germansin World War I. Or the Cambridge Spies, who all held prominent positions in the Britishgovernment and who were recruited to work for the Soviet KGB. And then there’s theworld’s most famous spy, the elusive secret agent James Bond, otherwise known as 007.

In this edition we take you to a location in North Cyprus, which is one of the most pop-ular day trips that are requested time and time again by EMU international students.

We take you to Mavi Kosk (Blue House) in the small village of Camlibel. A gangster’s paradise in North Cyprus; home of the promi-nent Greek Cypriot business entrepreneur and arms smuggler Byron Pavlides. This place looks like a scene out of a 1970’s 007 movie.

It’s hard to collect accurate information about this place, so I have had to rely on different sources and write down information thatall parties seem to agree on.This tale is what legends are built on.

The house was completed in 1973 by Byron Pavlides who comes from a widely respected family involved in the motor trade. ThePavlides family is believed to have originally been of Italian origin. Byron Pavlides, a flamboyant man known for his eccentricities wasalso the lawyer of Archbishop Makarious and one of the biggest arms smugglers in the Middle East. In addition to building the Blue

OUT and ABOUT

A Gangster’s Paradise in North Cyprus

Mavi Köflk ((BBlluuee HHoouussee))

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House, he was also responsible for build-ing the famous White House on the roadto St Hilarion Castle. Mr. Pavlides built hishouses in remote areas, to ensure his pri-vacy. He was resident in the White Housein 1963, when the persecution andoppression of the Turkish Cypriots byGreek Cypriots was renewed after thebrief period of calm that followed inde-pendence in 1960. The Turkish Cypriotstook refuge in the mountains and in doingso, took over the White House.

Coming back to the Blue House, thereis a legend told by the guide, that thereare so many secret passages and under-ground chambers built to hide contrabandand smuggled arms that Pavlides had allthe building workers and the architect shot

upon completion of the task! The rooms in the House are very reflective of the

architectural and psychedelic trends that are a trademark of the 1970’s.The upstairs rooms provide sprawl-ing views of the landscape and the main bedroom hasthe supposed “800 metre long escape tunnel” throughwhich Pavlides is said to have got away during the1974 war. The air-conditioning system in the house ishighly sophisticated for its time and run by a centralsystem that can be controlled individually from eachroom. There is a couch that is supposed to put you tosleep within 7 minutes, a mirror that shows the wholeroom from every angle while you are praying, a nichethat has interesting echo properties, and soundproofcurtains to drown out the noises coming from the out-door pool. There are also chairs whose backs becomehard in order to stop a person from slouching or sleep-ing during meetings and a chameleon skin drinks cab-inet said to change colour at different times of the day.That’s the end of our sneak preview. If you want a tasteof the stuff that spy legends are made of, then you willhave to make sure you don’t miss out on the nextInternational Center trip to the Blue House.

By the way…Legend has it that Blue House was oneof the favourite hideaways of the movie actress SophiaLoren.It is also rumored that until his death in 1982,Pavlides kept sending money for the upkeep of thehouse and furniture in the hope of someday being ableto return.

The Blue House is preserved as a museum by thearmy and is open to visitors for a small entrance fee. Itis advisable to have some sort of identification withyou, if you want to visit the House on your own.

Compiled by Meryem EzelLecturer

EMU Prep School

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The name “Famagusta” literallytranslates into “Ghost Town” andthis was the theme for this year’sSpring Festival. Here is a fewsnapshots from the week long festivities.......