Howdy!
I get the feeling I'm not supposed to spill it, but I'm a new columnist. All the columnists who write this year are, in fact, new. It's the law of nature, trees wither and die and are replaced by budding pinecones. Similarly, senior columnist's graduate and are replaced by new ones. But let's give credit where it's due; I'm sure Bilkent folk will miss the previous columnists for their great contributions to the world of journalism. Who can forget the literary hide-and-seek? A brilliant remake of the traditional children's game played by having someone submit a sentence -preferably something poetic, or at least something that rhymes- and then a columnist would find the person and interview him or her. Too bad no one thought of copyrighting it. Major publications now use the idea and rake in the cash, while Bilkent News is still only a few pages long and has to run with volunteer staff. Oh well, what are you going to do?
Speaking of "what are you going to do?", it’s that time of the year when young people of various ages who made it past the entrance exam rush to fill the classrooms, eager for lectures that last hours, and the opportunity to quench their thirst for knowledge in order to get themselves a nifty diploma. Its also the time of the year when the one and only official book store on campus performs the fall harvest, meaning the checkout queue stretches all the way back to the far end of the store.
Don't get me wrong; I appreciate the effort to prepare us for the "real world" where you may have to wait in line for hours just to get a question answered. It's just that the master plan behind making us wait in line for pretty much everything we have to do to survive (food, registration, books) is lost on me. The bookstore, for one, seems to be crowded from the moment it opens until they shut the doors in the late afternoon. This terrifically resembles the television footage of middle school kids charging at the bookstores to get their copies of the latest Harry Potter book on the day of its release. Furthermore, the overly complicated computer registration system looks much prettier, but is less effective than it's more stable predecessor. Because the registration system does not allow a student to change a section, it has to be done manually. This means you have to fill out forms and get the signatures of people you'll probably never, ever see again in your life. I don't know about the rest of the students, but without proper reasons as to why, and the leftover sunshine from summer calling, I'd rather not wait 4 hours for something I could do in 10 seconds. There has got to be a way to make the registration process simpler and fairer, and I think an explanation by the officials is in order. In the meantime, I suggest dueling for the right to register. It HAS to be better than the current system of "brute luck" that rules over who gets to register first.
In other news, our adorable little campus took another step towards reaching the cuteness level of a fluffy kitten with all the new construction sites around. This will undoubtedly add to the number of tourists (foreign and local) wandering around campus with a look of awe on their faces. And would you believe the LUCK? The newly constructed faculty building goes to (ta DA!) the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department. It's only fair that the Science Departments renovations match those made to the buildings inhabited by Humanities students. Take G building for example. The computers, in the free lab in the basement, got an upgrade last spring. Sure, the door to that free lab might have gotten "stuck" after the upgrades and no one could get to the computers, but at least they were there. Not only that, but the building had its toilets completely redesigned and pimped out! What more can you ask for?
But, hey, that's the beauty of life! It's not perfect, it's random, it's crazy, but that's what makes it interesting. Enjoy the nice weather while it lasts and relax knowing that there are no exams waiting around the corner!
Onur Çelik (AMER/II)
o_celik@ug.bcc.bilkent.edu.tr
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