Çanakkale is Impassable!
The Çanakkale Victory and Martyrs’ Day Assembly (March 18) this year was organized by the Turkish Language and Literature Department of TAC. A Moment of Silence and the National Anthem were followed by a tribute to all the fallen Turkish soldiers, especially our Great Leader Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. The event took on greater signficance with the remarks by the Assistant Principal, Mr. Orhan Vatansever, about the circumstances within which the National Campaign of Indepedence was won. Next, 10th grade student, Selcen Ileri, read a very moving letter written by Ileri in the voice of a Turkish soldier to his wife while he was on the battlefield. As part of the Turkish vertical curriculum initiative between the middle and high schools, Sude Ekici, an 8th grader from Tarsus SEV Secondary School, impressed the audience by reading a poem she wrote. In the assembly, designed and presented as an entire drama performance, the folk dance show, which culminated with the reflection of "Shadow of Ataturk", received a big applause from the audience. This was followed by a performance by students singing folk songs and then, a short Turkish drama performance. Following the video screening by the students, the final part of the assembly was dedicated to announcing the winner of the "Send a Letter from the Battlefield" writing contest. The excitement of Volkan Derya Bagdatoğlu, a student from 9A who took the first prize from Mr. Önder Şit, the Chair of the Turkish Language and Literature Department, was worth seeing. The determination towards maintaining the unity and integrity of the Turkish homeland, which cost many young lives in Turkey in 1915, was once again embodied in the famous slogan: "Çanakkale is impassable!"