The Olympic Games

Did you know that Olympic Games first began in 776 B.C. in Greece, originally as religious celebration in honor of the god, Zeus, not as a competition between the big countries for big awards? It was the highest honor to be allowed to participate in the Olympics, and only males of good character were chosen to take part in these sports events. Women, slaves, non-Greeks, and people who had ever been in any kind of trouble in society could not participate. Because the participants performed naked, that is they did not use wear any clothes, the women were not allowed to watch the Olympic Games. At the first Olympic Games, in 776 B.C., there was only one event, footrace of 200metres. After the thirteenth Olympic Games, however, other events were included, too; wrestling, disgus rowing, and chariot racing. The competitions were held every four years, just as they are today. The Olympic athletes had a ten-months training period to prepare for the competition. They devoted themselves entirely to their training during this time. They had a special diet and followed a difficult but carefully designed training program. The athletes did not work, instead their families and home city-states supported them completely. Olympic winners were given many exceptional privileges by their city-state: they did not have to pay taxes, and they were given the best seats in the local theater for the rest of their lives. People believed that winners not only chosen by gods, but also they became like gods themselves through the winning. In 394 A.D. the Olympic Games were stopped by Emperor Theodosius II of Rome because he think that Olympic Games were bad for Christian society in the point that Games encouraged people think about their body rather than the spirit. In 1896, the modern Olympic Games began. Baron Pierre de Coubertin of France was the father of the modern Olympic Games. He believed that an international sports competition would be good way to create peace and good feelings among the people from different countries. Women were first invited to participate in the modern Olympics in 1912. Since then, women’s events have become very important and popular. People look forward to watching the women’s gymnastics and volleyball events in particular because women have shown great sports ability in these actions, but they also excel in many other sports as well. Female athletes have changed people’s ideas about what women can do with their lives.

Before coming to university I have been reading so many books and I was really interested in literature. However, after taking literature class I was too surprised with deepness of the literature that all the books I have read now seem to be like I read them just for nothing. I just read them and I never thought that all the meaning of our life written between the lines. If only I knew all the things I know now maybe I could little learn meaning of life or part of it, answer to the questions that in my head which disturb me all the time, or just easily understand people around me, because in literature so many psychological and philosophical knowledges that could be learned even without experiencing them.
Let me also share with you one of my favorite poem, which impressed me too much, “Not Waving, But Drowning”. When I was reading this poem for the first time I saw only exact meaning of the words, just drowning of the man in the sea and not the deepness of meaning of those words. But after analyzing it I could not even imagine that behind of these words was hidden the nature of the words, the real meaning, that the sea is our life and he is drowning because of the problems of our life, and waving because he wants to be escaped, but nobody could understand him. It was really amazing……… because it is real and understanding these things now is greatly important for me.

America.... black and white.....

İn our other lesson we were given a homework related to the most impressive event of the year and when i was thinking about it, i realized that for the most impressive event of the year I would like to choose the election of American country. Cos it really unexpectable and unknown changes in this big country. Since I always thought that American people hate the black men I never could imagine that they will choose the black person for presidency, being a head for all American people and so on. When I have learned it was deeply shocked and impressed news for me because once the black men were slaves for white American people and now all of them will be under the black president. It is really interesting situation, isn’t it?

The Taj Mahal and true love story.....

In this paragraph I would like to share with you about the one of the seven wonders of our world”Taj Mahal“and beautiful love story behind this monument. Shah Jahan, the son of Jehangir, the fourth Mughal emperor of India, he fell in love in Arjumand Banu Begum at first time. At that time he was 14 years old and she, a Muslim Persian princess, was 15. After meeting her, Shah Jahan went back to his father and declared that he wanted to marry her. However, in that time they could not get married but five years after they could achieve their goal to be together. Shah Jahan had other wives also, but, Mumtaz Mahal was his favorite and accompanied him everywhere, even on military campaigns. Unfortunately, when Mumtaz Mahal was giving birth to their 14th child, she died due to some complications. Poor Shah Mahal was so heartbroken after her death that he ordered the court into morning for two years. There was no music, no feasting, and no celebration of any kind. Before the death his wife permitted him to love another woman but eventhough he had so many wives he never could love them as his first wife. Some time after her death, Shah Jahan undertook the task of erecting the world's most beautiful monument in the memory of his beloved. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers to construct this monument, which is also said to be the last wish of Mumtaz Mahal.
Some legend says that when this monument was building the wish of Shah Jahan was that the main enter of this monument had to be located so that when he desire to look at the monument he could see it from his personal palace. But he could not see that because he was imprisoned by his son because of the emperor throne. Before he went to the prison he was asked his last wish, and his last wish from his son was, seeing the monument of his beloved from the window of the ward. This is the true story of the Taj Mahal of India, which has mesmerized many people with its bewitching beauty. And also loved and admired by meeee.

Konya Konya Konya............

On fourth day of holiday I went to Konya with my friends. It was really nice place, not greatly exciting and impressive, but amazing and calming. There are many historical places to learn and enjoy; for example, if I am not wrong it was”Mevlana turbesi” where we went first. I was really shocked when I saw handwritten books done with difficulties and love. Then we learned how they lived, where they lived and also how they was learning to dance with their own way.
Then we went to eat Konya’s famous meal namely “Etli ekmek”. It was absolutely delicious, if somebody has not tried it, yet, I highly recommend it to try. It was really enjoyable thing in Konya, more enjoyable than”Mevlana turbesi”. I am not joking, by the way.
However, we could not walk much because of the cold weather. So we decided to come back little early than we planned. But it was satisfying and lovely journey anyway.

MIT University

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. MIT has five schools and one college, and also contains 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological research. William Barton Rogers founded it in 1861 in response to the increasing industrialization of the United States. MIT researchers were involved in efforts to develop computers, radar, and inertial guidance in connection with defense research during World War II and the Cold War. In the past 60 years, MIT's educational programs have been expanding the physical sciences and engineering into social sciences like economics, linguistics, political science, and management.

Academics and research
MIT is a large, highly residential, majority graduate/professional research university. The four year, full-time undergraduate instructional program is classified as "balanced arts & sciences/professions" with a high graduate coexistence and admissions are characterized as "more selective, lower transfer in". The graduate program is classified as "comprehensive". The university is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Classes
Undergraduates are required to complete an extensive core curriculum called the General Institute Requirements (GIRs). The science requirement, generally completed during freshman year as prerequisites for classes in science and engineering majors, comprises two semesters of physics classes covering classical mechanics and electricity and magnetism, two semesters of math covering single variable calculus and multivariable calculus, one semester of chemistry, and one semester of biology. Undergraduates are required to take a laboratory class in their major, eight Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences classes (at least three in a concentration and another four unrelated subjects), and non-varsity athletes must also take four physical education classes.
Research activity
In 2007, MIT spent about $598.3 million for on-campus research. The federal government was the largest source of sponsored research, with the Department of Health and Human Services granting about $201.6 million, Department of Defense about $90.6 million, Department of Energy about $64.9 million, National Science Foundation about $65.1 million. MIT employs approximately 3,500 researchers in addition to faculty.
Tuition
Tuition is $37,750 for nine months, although 64% of undergraduates receive need-based financial aid and 87% of graduate students are supported by MIT fellowships, research assistantships, or teaching assistantships.

Franklin D.Roosevelt President of the U.S.A.

These days, most of us are interested in presidency and, as well, give the questions about being a president. So, now I decided to share with you the life and presidency of one of my favorite president, Franklin D.Roosevelt., the president who led the U.S.A during both the Great Depression and World War II, paralyzed from the waist down. Even though, he was suffering a bout of polio, he overcame his disability and was elected president of the United States an unprecedented four times. His power to live and fight with the barriers that life gives always deeply impresses me.
In 1900th he entered the Harvard University, but his political career begun when he was only 28 years old, winning the senate seat in Duchess County in 1910 and 1912.
Roosevelt's career as a state senator was very short in 1913 because he was appointed by President Woodrow Wilson as the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. This position became even more important when the United States began making preparations to join in World War I.
At age 39, Roosevelt had lost the use of both of his legs because of the poliomyelitis (i.e. polio). Before the vaccine was created in 1955, polio was an unfortunately common virus that, in its severest form, could cause paralysis.
In 1928, Franklin D. Roosevelt was asked to run for governor of New York. While he wanted back into politics, FDR had to determine whether or not his body was strong enough to withstand a gubernatorial campaign. In the end, he decided he could and that year he won selection and also two years after.
1932nd’s in America begun the economical crisis which then was called The Great Depression and in that year Franklin D. Roosevelt was selected as a president of the U.S.A; however, this crisis was not solved until The World War II finished. In 1944, Roosevelt won his fourth presidential election; however, he did not live long enough to finish it.
On April 12, 1945, Roosevelt was sitting in a chair at his home in Warm Springs, Georgia, having his portrait painted by Elizabeth Shoumatoff, when he stated "I have a terrific headache" and then lost consciousness. President Roosevelt, having led the United States during both the Great Depression and World War II, died less than one month before the end of the war in Europe. Roosevelt was buried at his family home in Hyde Park.