The Student Council's new Executive Committee was elected on Wednesday, November 29. The outgoing Executive Committee members will hand their responsibilities over to their successors during a ceremony to be held at Mithat Çoruh Auditorium on Thursday, December 14, at 4 p.m. Ali Ekşi (IE/IV), who has completed his duties as Vice President during the 2005-2006 academic year was elected again this year as Vice President. We would like to take this opportunity to wish the newly elected members an eventful and productive year.

Sokak Lambası Project Shines
Circle of Hope


Many Bilkent students are familiar with the work of the TDP (Toplumsal Duyarlılık Projeleri), which is composed of Bilkent student volunteers and supported by other organizations such as Toplum Gönüllüleri Vakfı (TOG) and Uygar Görme Engelliler Derneği. The organization works on projects to help needy people, older people living alone and children who are working instead of going to school.

One of their successful projects, started in 2004 in the Altındağ Yahya Galip Primary School. Sokak Lambası (Street Lamp) Project provides outreach to children between the ages of 7 and 15 who delay education to work in the streets.(continues)

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Tekin Ertan, instructor and former Deputy Director of the School of Applied Technology and Management, was awarded the Wall of Fame "Class of Owners 2006" as owner/manager (retired) of Hotel Bulvar Palace, from his Alma Mater, Michigan State University, in recognition of his ever-constant link with his school and the hospitality industry. Mr. Ertan is a graduate of the School of Hospitality Business at Michigan State University and received an MBA degree in 1965. Having served his alma mater as the vice president of the MSU Alumni Association in Turkey, and a member of the Appointed Board of Directors of the Alumni Association of the School of Hospitality Business he continues his involvement by regularly organizing and sponsoring forums and informational meetings for Turkish alumni.

Mr. Ertan received his award on November 11, at the famous Waldorf Astoria in New York City.

Acclaimed Journalist Fikret Bila in Bilkent


On November 29, journalist Fikret Bila, who is a columnist in daily Milliyet, came to Bilkent and gave a discussion talk on “the press” as a guest of Atatürkçü Düşünce Topluluğu. In his introductory speech, Mr. Bila emphasized the importance of freedom of the press for its role in informing society and shaping public opinion. Mr. Bila criticized government-media relations in Turkey after 1980, which he said, depended on the commercial relations of media owners with the government. Mr. Bila depicted the press pre-1980 as being “the press of editorial independence,” and said that media owners did not have additional enterprises in sectors other than media. (contiunes)