Odiley FESTUS 

The year 2007 has come and gone and for many it ended so fast, while for some it is a wonderful and welcome change.

However for proximity sake we will limit our scope of interest in the EMU community. So some changes have happened and some are still happening in the EMU. More buildings are being constructed, ATARTURK Square will wear a new look this year, but we cant help but notice what occurred last year.

Well as a foreigner the most significant events for me were:

1. EMU SPRING FESTIVAL: It was quite some organization as it was my first experience on the island. I did appreciate the huge talent shows by students on campus.

2. The BAYRAM TRIP TO GIRNE: This was another interesting event. I will like to commend the school for its organization and especially the International Center.

3. The Bayram dinner organized by the outgoing rector for all students on campus. It was very impressive to have all students in participation despite being Christian or Moslem.

Most Insignificant events.

I. The strike by staff on EMU campus: Regrettably so, in as much as we empathize with our staff with the economic situation on the island we believe management should have handled the situation better and do hope a repeat of such an incident will not occur in the year 2008.

2. The Hostel situation: Time and time again it has shown that there should be an improvement in the hostel preparations for international students not just new students but for old students too who are far from home. It would be ideal if this annual problem is addressed with a final solution.

3. Language: More awareness should be placed on compliance of more English spoken in classes to effectively curtail this trend; as the only way to learn English is to speak it, by not speaking it in classes the teacher is not helping the students. This should be addressed, unless we are saying that EMU is not an English speaking University.