Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sevgi Gönül Art Night
On Friday, 27th of March, the annual Sevgi Gönül Art Night took place in our school. This night is a tradition of Koc School to celebrate all the wonderful things Sevgi Gönül contributed to development of art throughout her life. It was in fact a wonderful night. The Koc Family and guests arrived around 6. First of all there was the art exhibition of Koc students. There were lots of magnificant photographs and paintings. At 7:30 the show in the auditorium started. Many students sang, danced and performed different shows. They were really great. Especially dances were breath taking. The shows make you feel like you are watching proffessional dancers and listening to professional singers. The night ended around 11. It was definetely a huge success. I'm hoping that everyone gets to be a part of this wonderful event.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Movies
DuplicityThe movie Duplicity is about two corporate spies (Julia Roberts and Clive Owen) who have a past relationship getting together to deceive their bosses and get rich.
Since the leading actor and actress are very famous the movie is a big hit. It's a good movie, but i was expecting something better.
It's generally fun to watch; however because of going back and forth in time, things get really confused at some point. I was expecting it to be funnier and less complicated.
Even though I didn't like the movie very much, it can be a great way to kill time if you don't have anything to do. It's a good chance to relax and enjoy for a while.
Seven Pounds
The movie Seven Pounds is about an IRS agent who tries to pay his atonement by changing the lives of seven strangers.
First of all, I must say it's a real "drama", so if you are going to the movies to relax, don't see this movie.
Even though it's a "drama", I enjoyed the movie. First of all Will Smith is the leading actor. I really enjoy his acting. Secondly, it is an unusual story. It has a surprising ending. It is very interesting.
I recommend you to go if you are looking for something little different.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Heavy Backpacks
In my last post, I talked about the heavy backpacks that we have to carry around in the school. Here is a research at University of California in Riverside that shows how serious this problem is:
"Shouldering a hefty load can cause back pain, according to a study by researchers at the University of California in Riverside.
The study was led by David Siambanes, DO, of the Inland Empire Spine Center in Riverside, Calif. Participants were 3,500 students aged 11 to 15 at four middle schools in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Researchers weighed the children's backpacks and asked the kids how often they used their backpacks and how much pain, if any, they felt as a result.
Most students said they hurt, at least a bit, from their backpacks; 64% reported having back pain at some time. Two of every five children said they felt pain while wearing their backpacks. In students reporting pain, about 12% said it was "not bad," while almost 90% said their back pain was "bad" or "very bad."
Of those reporting back pain, 21% said their pain lasted more than six months. About 16% said they had missed school, gym class, or after-school sports because of the pain, and almost 17% said they had seen a doctor for their back pain. Most students with back pain said the pain was recurrent."
Source: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20040813/heavy-backpacks-can-hurt-student-backs
This research shows that students face a lot of physical problems caused by the weight of their backpacks. We might not understand the importance of the situation and say that the bags are "not that heavy"; however they cause us a lot of pain eventually.
This problem started as the amount of books that the students have to carry increased enormously. We have at least a notebook, a folder and a very thick book for every class. As we carry the materials of more than one lesson in our bags because there is no time to go to our lockers, our backpacks become very heavy. We have to understand that this is a serious situation and we have to carry less weight in our backpacks for our own health even if it means that we will be late for a class...
"Shouldering a hefty load can cause back pain, according to a study by researchers at the University of California in Riverside.
The study was led by David Siambanes, DO, of the Inland Empire Spine Center in Riverside, Calif. Participants were 3,500 students aged 11 to 15 at four middle schools in Riverside and San Bernardino counties.
Researchers weighed the children's backpacks and asked the kids how often they used their backpacks and how much pain, if any, they felt as a result.
Most students said they hurt, at least a bit, from their backpacks; 64% reported having back pain at some time. Two of every five children said they felt pain while wearing their backpacks. In students reporting pain, about 12% said it was "not bad," while almost 90% said their back pain was "bad" or "very bad."
Of those reporting back pain, 21% said their pain lasted more than six months. About 16% said they had missed school, gym class, or after-school sports because of the pain, and almost 17% said they had seen a doctor for their back pain. Most students with back pain said the pain was recurrent."
Source: http://www.webmd.com/back-pain/news/20040813/heavy-backpacks-can-hurt-student-backs
This research shows that students face a lot of physical problems caused by the weight of their backpacks. We might not understand the importance of the situation and say that the bags are "not that heavy"; however they cause us a lot of pain eventually.
This problem started as the amount of books that the students have to carry increased enormously. We have at least a notebook, a folder and a very thick book for every class. As we carry the materials of more than one lesson in our bags because there is no time to go to our lockers, our backpacks become very heavy. We have to understand that this is a serious situation and we have to carry less weight in our backpacks for our own health even if it means that we will be late for a class...
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Current Events In Our School (continued)
EXAMS
The common exams start next week. My problem with the common exams is that all of the "important" exams are in the same week. For example two weeks from now, on monday we have history and physics exams, on tuesday biology and on thursday german exam. These are the hardest exams for many students in our school including me. It doesn't make any sense to put them all in the same week. First of all he biology exam always has to be on a monday because it takes the most time to study. Secondly, physics and history should never be on the same day because they also take up a lot of time study for. The exams should be spread out into three or four weeks so that we can study for them properly.
LATES
There is a 5 minute break between most of the lessons. The distance between the classrooms is huge. There are A,B,E and F blocks. Each block has 3 floors. So I'm not going to say impossible, but it's really really hard to get from one classroom to another. That is why we are late for classes many many times. However it's not like we are 10 minutes late or anything. It's mostly less than one minute, but our teachers write us as late anyway. It's not our fault that we are late. So either the breaks should be longer, or the late system should be changed. I will give an example. On fridays our first two lessons are math. Then, we have a 10 minute break. Third and fourth lessons are English. Math lesson is on A block 3rd floor. English is on E block 2nd floor. Our math book weighs like 10kg, so it's impossible to carry both math and english materials at the same time without fainting. Also since I get hungry by the third lesson, I have to buy a toast from the canteen. So in ten minutes I have to go down 3 floors, go to my locker, put back by math materials and take english my stuff, go to the canteen, wait in the line, pay the money for the toast, buy the toast, go up 2 floors and make it in time for the english lesson. Can somebody please tell me how is that possible!!!
The common exams start next week. My problem with the common exams is that all of the "important" exams are in the same week. For example two weeks from now, on monday we have history and physics exams, on tuesday biology and on thursday german exam. These are the hardest exams for many students in our school including me. It doesn't make any sense to put them all in the same week. First of all he biology exam always has to be on a monday because it takes the most time to study. Secondly, physics and history should never be on the same day because they also take up a lot of time study for. The exams should be spread out into three or four weeks so that we can study for them properly.
LATES
There is a 5 minute break between most of the lessons. The distance between the classrooms is huge. There are A,B,E and F blocks. Each block has 3 floors. So I'm not going to say impossible, but it's really really hard to get from one classroom to another. That is why we are late for classes many many times. However it's not like we are 10 minutes late or anything. It's mostly less than one minute, but our teachers write us as late anyway. It's not our fault that we are late. So either the breaks should be longer, or the late system should be changed. I will give an example. On fridays our first two lessons are math. Then, we have a 10 minute break. Third and fourth lessons are English. Math lesson is on A block 3rd floor. English is on E block 2nd floor. Our math book weighs like 10kg, so it's impossible to carry both math and english materials at the same time without fainting. Also since I get hungry by the third lesson, I have to buy a toast from the canteen. So in ten minutes I have to go down 3 floors, go to my locker, put back by math materials and take english my stuff, go to the canteen, wait in the line, pay the money for the toast, buy the toast, go up 2 floors and make it in time for the english lesson. Can somebody please tell me how is that possible!!!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Current Events In Our School
First of all, I want to begin my post by writing about the fact that I guessed only one of the Academy Award winners correctly; the best picture: Slumdog Millionaire. So congratulations to Slumdog Millionaire for both being my only correct guess and also winning 8 Oscars.
Anyway, I have been writing about global issues for a while, so this time I decided to write about current events in our school.
HOMEWORK
Since the start of the Second Semester, all of the teachers are giving so much homework that even though the exams haven't started yet, everyone is in a huge stress. I don't know why, but this is how our school system works: At certain periods of time teachers all together decide to not give homework at all and at certain periods of time all of the teachers come together and make an evil plan to burden students with so much homework that they finally become suicidal. This is one of those evil times. So I'm saying this to all of the teachers: Please stop giving so much homework!!!
AUDITORIUM
I'm guessing that our auditorium has the capacity of at least 800 people. During a ceremony there are at least 700 students in that auditorium. It is IMPOSSIBLE for 700 teenage students to be dead silent through a whole ceremony. It is inevitable that there will be some talk and that doesn't mean that no one is listening to the speaker. Our school administration tries to stop this talking by using different methods. What I'm trying to say is that these methods not only do not work, but they also makes students criticize the administration in a terrible way. Interrupting a speaker because people are talking or threatening the students with not having a Talent Show are not options to prevent people from talking in the auditorium. In my opinion the administration should try other ways to solve this problem, or they will just be fooling themselves.
(to be continued...)
Anyway, I have been writing about global issues for a while, so this time I decided to write about current events in our school.
HOMEWORK
Since the start of the Second Semester, all of the teachers are giving so much homework that even though the exams haven't started yet, everyone is in a huge stress. I don't know why, but this is how our school system works: At certain periods of time teachers all together decide to not give homework at all and at certain periods of time all of the teachers come together and make an evil plan to burden students with so much homework that they finally become suicidal. This is one of those evil times. So I'm saying this to all of the teachers: Please stop giving so much homework!!!
AUDITORIUM
I'm guessing that our auditorium has the capacity of at least 800 people. During a ceremony there are at least 700 students in that auditorium. It is IMPOSSIBLE for 700 teenage students to be dead silent through a whole ceremony. It is inevitable that there will be some talk and that doesn't mean that no one is listening to the speaker. Our school administration tries to stop this talking by using different methods. What I'm trying to say is that these methods not only do not work, but they also makes students criticize the administration in a terrible way. Interrupting a speaker because people are talking or threatening the students with not having a Talent Show are not options to prevent people from talking in the auditorium. In my opinion the administration should try other ways to solve this problem, or they will just be fooling themselves.
(to be continued...)
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