 The
Physical Education and Sports Center offers orienteering courses for those who are
interested. Orienteering is a sport where you use your mental and physical ability
together. Orienteering is said to be "chess being played while running." The
sport involves not only running but also finding control points. Orienteering is different
from many other sports because there is not a leader to follow or a signed racecourse.
There are many different ways from the starting point to the finishing point depending on
the competitors. Participants have to choose the best path in the least amount of time in
accordance with their own abilities while considering the abilities of their competitors
and the terrain's qualities. In other words, the competitors have to use their mental
abilities in addition to their physical abilities. The differences in the competitors'
physical abilities are not very important and they are nearly equal at the beginning of
the competition.
There are different kinds of orienteering such as orienteering on foot, ski orienteering,
mountain bike orienteering and trail orienteering. Participants use a map and a compass
but the map is not the same as a typical geographical map. Although orienteering maps
contain everything that geographical maps contain, they also show the fences, the
vegetation, special objects, rock groups, the roads, energy transportation lines and
everything that is in the terrain. In a standard orienteering racecourse, there are only
the signs posted at the starting point, destination points and the finishing point. As can
be understood, orienteering does not need buildings, structures or areas. It is a natural
sport that takes you away from the stress of city life. This sport is given as a course to
primary school students in western countries.
Almost every neighborhood and every school has an orienteering club or a team. If you are
also interested in orienteering, you have a chance to apply for the orienteering course in
the Students Dormitories Sports Hall. For more information please call ext. 1993.
Yeşim Şağban (IE/III)
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