Ediz Tiyansan '09 might just redefine the term "international student." Sure he's from Istanbul, Turkey, but he also has four Foreign Study Programs under his belt and speaks six languages: Turkish, English, German, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. The surprising key to Ediz's success? Euro-trash techno music.
Why did you decided to leave Istanbul and come to Hanover?
I lived in Istanbul until I was 16. I then went to an international high school in Swaziland for about two years, one of the United World Colleges, with people from everywhere. UWC really made me want to experience more. I always had the option of going back home, but I didn't really want it at the time. Part of our curriculum at UWC was doing community service, so coming to Dartmouth, I had already checked out Tucker Foundation on the Internet and saw all the work they did. So yeah, I came to Dartmouth because I already appreciated its resources.
Was it difficult to the transition to the United States? To Dartmouth?
Well, the first time I came to the States was for the Dartmouth orientation -- I did struggle a lot my first year. I loved Dartmouth, but there were just certain aspects I struggled with. Maybe I was too idealistic to be up here in Hanover. I constantly wanted to be away, wanted to do certain things.
Were you disappointed?
Don't get me wrong -- I think Dartmouth has amazing resources. It's just that everyone keeps saying it, but nobody actually realizes what it means. Yes, everyone has his or her own perception of what amazing is. But when I look around, I see a lot of people who are just like this -- go to class, back to their rooms, go to class, back to their rooms. I have stopped being so judgmental because I saw that, for some people, what makes them so accomplished is the fact that they're so focused. But because we're a small group of students and it's a small location, I think it would be such a better experience for every single one of us if people actually took their time -- if they actually bothered to go out and actively engage with one another. It even took me a while to realize how resource-full this place is. But after discovering how great the study abroad programs are, I just kept taking one after another.
Which ones?
I went on the Berlin FSP first during sophomore fall, came back in the winter and went away on the Buenos Aires FSP in the spring. Going away to so many places made me think about my hometown, so I became a lot more interested and connected to Turkey, to the Middle East, to Islam. There are so many things going on in the Middle East, and just looking at it from a different perspective was so different. I realized that, apart from Turkish, all of the languages I speak are Western. I thought I was really biased, and I just had this urge to take something from the other side of the world, just to connect the two worlds. The year before, I had a lot of friends going on the Morocco FSP, so I applied because there weren't that many prerequistes. Then, coming back junior fall, I had another urge and started taking Chinese 1. I completed the Chinese series and went to Beijing last summer, which broke the record for the most FSPs. It just worked out. I loved it.
Wait, how many terms have you actually been on campus?
It's ridiculous! I've probably done as much as a sophomore. I'm back this term after being away since last winter, because Fall term I was away again.
Doing what?
I did an internship in New York working for the Turkish mission to the United Nations. It was fantastic. The elections for the Security Council happened while I was there, and Turkey was a candidate for one of the non-permanent positions. I was pretty involved with the campaign, and the diplomats saw how much I liked the work. They decided they could make me an assistant diplomat to the Security Council. I really couldn't believe it. That's not real! Coming back, I was so, so happy for the first few weeks of the term -- I was basically going to graduate early and go right back to New York.
But ...
But in Turkey, there are military requirements. Usually, it's no problem, you can postpone them. But the Security Council was like, "We didn't realize you hadn't done your service." And it was a huge bummer, and I was really depressed for those few days. Then I realized that I wasn't necessarily ready to stay in New York much longer, that I really wanted to go abroad again. I really want to go to the field, meet the people, utilize my languages and understand conflicts first-hand, rather than hearing about them at the UN after the fiftieth medium that they go through.
So what are your plans for the future?
As of Monday, I'm officially going to Palestine after graduation to work at a UNICEF-sponsored non-governmental organization called Palestinian Youth Association for Leadership and Rights Activation. They basically work with the Palestinian youth to empower them. It's all for unarmed, peaceful mediation. I find it very interesting.
Any new languages in the works?
One that I immediately have in mind is Hebrew, because of my job. I would also love to learn Hindi and Russian. Languages are this kind of addiction. I just start looking at things differently, I just start seeing myself being able to connect. I think, "Maybe I can learn this language too, because I know how better connected it will make me to those people, or arts or literature." It's definitely an addiction. You know how when you really like something, it just works? I love, I love, putting on my Euro-trash techno music and doing my Chinese characters for hours. It just happens. It just happens because I really love it.
