Several Bilkenters earned high honors at the Annual Japanese Speech Contest on Saturday, November 14. Three weeks prior to the contest, which was organized by the Japanese Embassy and other related institutions, candidates were required to submit an essay on any topic related to Japan. These essays were judged and 20 were chosen as suitable to participate in the competition. Five Bilkenters were among those chosen to compete.
Contestants were grouped in two categories: Group B was made up of students of Japanese Language and Literature and those who have either studied Japanese in Japan or have lived in Japan for more than one year. Other participants competed in Group A.
Burak Elibol (MAN-IV), Eyüp Sabri Konak (CS-IV), and Nermin Fenmen (CAA/CAD-Chair) were the Bilkenters competing in Group A, while Erhan Yenilmez(PHYS-IV) and Müge Ergün (ELIT-I) represented Bilkent in Group B. Each contestant was given a set amount of time to appear in front of the jury and an audience of some 70 people to deliver a speech on the topic he or she had chosen. After his or her speech, each contestant was asked questions related to their presentation.
After deliberating for nearly half an hour, the jury emerged with the results. The jurors admitted it was hard to pick the winners because of the high quality of the presentations and the wide range of topics. In Group A, Eyüp Sabri Konak and Nermin Fenmen received the first and second prizes respectively, while Erhan Yenilmez, competing in Group B, received the award for the Best Research. It was a proud group of Bilkenters who, together with their Japanese instructors Saeko Ohashi and Yuko Shida, celebrated their success in the face of such tough competition.
