Pitt plans to add new nationality rooms in ’08

The Turkish nationality room, the newest addition to the University’s famous collection of… The Turkish nationality room, the newest addition to the University’s famous collection of themed rooms in the Cathedral, will be breaking ground soon.

To honor the occasion, the Turkish nationality room executive committee hosted a formal showcasing this month.

Turkish citizens have been pushing for a new room for some time. Enigul Sonmez-Alpan, a member of the committee, said that Turkey is a beautiful place, with an incredible history.

“Good representation initiates diversity,” Sonmez-Alpan said.

She added that not many people knew about Turkish culture and having a nationality room will hopefully make that an opportunity to all students.

There are already 26 nationality rooms. The Turkish room is the first of eight new nationality rooms to be added to the Cathedral.

Maxine Bruhns, director of nationality rooms and intercultural exchange programs, expects that the Turkish room will provide an interactive learning experience.

“It will represent to the Turkish community and nation, and rest of the world a fine example of Turkish indigenous architecture,” Bruhns said.

The Turkish room is part of a long tradition that started many years ago.

John G. Bowman, Pitt’s 10th chancellor, wanted to build a tower that was committed to academic excellence. Construction began on the Cathedral in 1926.

According to Bruhns, Bowman envisioned the tower to be a neo-Gothic structure that would be a staple of the University for years to come. Inside what Bowman referred to as “the high building,” there were to be classrooms reflecting the cultural diversity of the world.

Thus the nationality rooms were born. There are, however, certain criteria each nationality room must meet.

There must be no political symbols inside the rooms except for the arch outside in the corridor, the rooms cannot include representations of any person and the room must be of a respected time period of that culture.

The architectural plans for the room are all under the supervision of Omer Akin, a Carnegie Mellon professor in the school of architecture.

The time period of the room will be 1700s to 1800s, and it will be of a typical Turkiye odasi (Turkish room). The entrance to the room will be garnished with four murals that represent Turkish history over different millennia.

Inside the room there will be sofas on each of the four sides. The floor will be artistically covered in a mosaic that looks like carpet – safety hazards prevent real carpet from being used – and display cases containing Turkish artifacts will line the wall.

At the showcase, the lower lounge of the William Pitt Union was transformed to represent Turkish culture. Guests were presented with a brochure on the Turkish room, as well as a CD-ROM that described in detail the plan for the new nationality room.

Yildiz Yagci – president of the Anatolian Artisans, a non-profit organization that promotes artwork by Turkish artists – was in the lower lounge.

Yagci, a self-described Turkish activist, said that the people of Turkey are proud to have a room among the other 26. Her initial reaction to the proposed plan was joy.

“The students will have a chance to learn about other cultures,” she said.

The Turkish room is predicted to be complete by 2008.

The Welsh room will also be preparing to open while construction of the Turkish room moves ahead.

According to a University press release, the Welsh room has already raised $180,000 of the $450,000 goal. The chairperson of the Welsh committee is Jack Owen.

Both rooms – Turkish and Welsh – are included in the eight room plan that includes Turkish, Welsh, Latin American/Caribbean, Danish, Finnish, Swiss and Thai rooms.