A BITTERSWEET PRELUDE TO THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR AT TARSUS AMERICAN COLLEGE
Tarsus American College (TAC), one of the long-established schools of Turkey, and its sister schools Tarsus SEV Elementary and Middle School, the class bells rang earlier this year. The opening ceremonies at the Tarsus Schools, which started the new academic year on Monday, September 7, were shadowed by the news of the fallen soldiers and officers coming one after the other.
The ceremony which took place in the historic campus of Tarsus American College was well attended by many parents and Mehmet Yaltır, the Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees of Health and Education Foundation (SEV), as well as students and teachers. Senior students, who traditionally make a very animated and festive entrance into the opening ceremony with drums and horns, arrived in a downcast and bittersweet procession this year because of the news of the martyrs which deeply saddened the entire country. TAC seniors who entered the ceremony area carrying with a big Turkish flag and torches joined the parents and school administrators in observing a moment of silence for those fallen while in service of Turkey.
In their remarks, Mehmet Yaltır, Principal Günseli Yüksel,Andrew Leathwood, the Director of Tarsus Schools and Ali Cerrahoğlu, the President of the TAC Alumni Association shared their feelings, goals and wishes for the new academic year.
Following the opening remarks, TAC students took their seats in their classrooms for the first class period of the academic year.