Awards Ceremony

A listing of last night's presention and the names of those who won awards.


2008 Idea Debate and C/J Institute Awards
Introduction
Thank Yous and Awards for the Decemko Staff

Certificate Walk
Turkish Ambassador Award – Oya Gokalp (dictionary)
Most likely to break curfew Jaan Viru – watch
Casanova and Best Runner –Vladimir Bok (pimp hat)
Best beachware -- Maxim Zhbankov (shorts with Ataturk)

CJ Introduction - Shelby (and Alexesandyrs?)
1st CJ Video Presentation

Biggest surprise on the football field - Ntambi Kharim (Turkey hat)
Turkish Culture – Chin Wang (Turkey Flag)
Post-It Award – Shelby Surdyk (post its and pin)
Intensive English Awards
Best smile – You Ya (smile and gum)
Telecommunication Award (phone)-- Ravshan Abdullaev
Most likely to end up in prison – Mirismayil Rzayev (cop car)
Advanced Argumentation and Debate Awards
Run a tea house in turkey –Sierra Moran ( tea and tea cup)
Best New Jugglers – Female Shelby Surdyk; Male Wei Guo
Most likely to become a movie star or the Pulp Fiction Award-- Chrismedonne Fleurantin(glasses)

2nd CJ Video Presentation

Pasqual Photo Award – Pan Di (camera)
Table tennis --Wei Gou (Turkey hat and tennis socks)
Best voice – Ania Gateau (skarf)

Country Expo Awards
3rd Place – China (certificates)
Wu Mian
Pan Di
You Ya
Li Ruoxi
Chen Ying
Wei Guo

2nd Place – Belarus (certificates and Ataturk pins)
Maxim Zhankov
Anastasia Zhvalevskaya
Korzun Vladislav Sergeevich

1st Place – Russia (certificates and Evil Eye medallions)
Anastasia Solovyeva
Olesya Fomina
Polina Dmitrieva
Tamara Glybina

Most likely to give a rant about America's greatness at 3 am or the quiet award – Jonah Hanft (mic)
Most likely to not wear a t-shirt-- Davit Sioridze (Turkey tee shirt)
Best facial hair – Forest Kvasnikoff (comb and perfume. Pin)
3rd CJ Video Presentation
Citizen Journalism Awards
Most likely to be in the news – Effie (Wu Mian)
Funniest Debater - Ajar
Most likely to smoke in the bathroom of a plane and invited the pilot to smoke with her (cigarette case) – Ance Zemzane
World Schools Debate Awards
Assistant Activities Coordinator – Orlen Shiba (soccer shirt)
Revolutionary Award – Katerina Vaskovska (Che pillow case)
British Parliamentary Debate Awards
Most likely to becme President (Ataturk Award) – Petra Vachunova (Ataturk Eye)
Congeniality – Gorjan Lliwcaki (flag)
BorFest Awards and Speech Slam Awards
Best Song Act – Abdujabborav Sherzod
Best Dance Act – Cha Cha Cha
Chrismedonne FleurantinAsya Boric
Jonah Up All Night Drinking Too Much Coffee Speech, Rant and Slam Championship CHAMPION - Shelby Surdyk

Final CJ Video Presentation

Most likely to stay up late – Mihaela Soimaru (coffee)

Speech Slam Champion

Shelby Surdyk of Alaska won Jonah's Up All Night Drinking Too Much Coffee Speech Rant and Slam Championship. For those of you who missed the contest, it ran over 2 hours, included 17 speakers, and the humor made some of us fall off our chairs. Bor, Jackson and Jonah provided in-between acts improv.

Up All Night Speech Slam

Jonah's Up All Night Drinking Too Much Coffee Rant and Speech Slam Competition!!

Tonight at 8:30. Event will begin with a trio art collaboration featuring poetry by Kate Hamm, artwork by Bor and music by Khalin. Kent Fielding will EMCEE and give an example impromptu speech.

Contest Rules:

1)Each competitor will draw three topics and choose one. They will have ten minutes to prepare.

2) Each speech must be between 2 and 5 minutes. Students who are over or under will be disqualified. There is a fifteen second grace period after 5 minutes.

3) Judges will be chosen from the audience and will grade each speech from 0 to 10 based on 5 points for performance and 5 points for content. As far as content goes, judges are asked to look for originality, form, and ideas.

4) Any form of speech is acceptable - poetry, stand-up, traditional oratory, improv acting, ranting, etc.

5) The audience is asked to cheer for people the like, boo if they don't like judges scores, and hiss if someone says something they disagree with.

Juggling Workshop

Juggling Workshop tonight at 8 PM on the Beach.

Table Tennis Championship

Wei Guo of China won Idea's International Table Tennis Championship last night. Wei Guo defeated the local favorite, Onur of Turkey, 21-16.

Table Tennis Tournament

The Idea International Table Tennis Tournament starts tonight at 8 pm. Brackets are posted at the reception area of Decemko Resort.

Decemko Football Tournament

A small but fierce football tournament blared last night on the Decemko beach. The USA teams were pounded heavily and often as the Russians and Chinese cheered. After two hours of play, the internationally team of Korzun (Belarus), Ravshan (Tajikistan) and Gorjan (Macedonia) won the championship over Uganda (Kharim, Tonnie, Jackson).

Volleyball Champions

Team 4 sweeps the volleyball tournament with a 4-0 record. Team members include: Megan (USA), Jaan (Estonia), Arthur (Russia), Spela (Romania), Vladimir (Czech), Jonah (USA).

Final Standings:

Team 1: 2-2
Team 2: 3-1
Team 3: 2-2
Team 4: 4-0
Team 5: 0-4

Football (Soccer) Tournament

Football tournament starts tomorrow night! Sign-up sheet on announcement board.

Volleyball Continues

Tonight is the final night of the volleyball tournament. Games start at 7:30 on the beach!

Game 1: 5 vs 4
Game 2: 3 vs 1
Game 3: 5 vs 2
Game 4: Championship if needed.

Come out and cheer!

Are you ready for BorFest?

Are YOU ready for BorFest?
ARE you ready for BorFest?
Are you READY for BorFest?
Are you ready for BORFEST?

I located Bor at the meat and beer pit late last night as he passionately worked on this year's production. I saw juggling acts, and heard talk about a multi-media poetry performance. After a few cokes I jotted down some random notes.

(Note: content edited to remove profanity).

Bor: It will be ***** amazing. Probably the best BorFest ever.
Noel: Bademli Village is making a statue of Bor to be placed outside Decemko.
Alex: He will be worshipped.
Nat: Students will make a prigrimage to this place.
Noel: And leave random artwork.
Alex: Pieces of ****.
Jackson: I think Kate worships him.
Bor: No, I worship Kate.
Kate: Bor- quit talking and rub my shoulders!

Bor gave me a line-up of events but I wrote them down on napkins and somehow the napkins got wet after Bor threw me into the ocean. So, I have no clue. Here is a list of events out of order:

"Good-bye Polar Bears" - A readers theatre by Alaska
Azerbaijan National Dance by Azer and Mizismayil
"Top Secret" by Russia
Multi-media performance poetry by Ancee, Ruoxi, Nat, Bor, Pasqual and Kate.
Turkish Dance
"A game" by Nastya
"Cha Cha Cha" by Asja and Chris
"Fire Spinning" by Sierra
Poetry by Kate
Poetry by Kent
Georgia National Dance by Mariam
Kazakhstan National Dance by Azhar
"I put a spell on you" by the Onions
and one more national dance.

Come out and join the fun!

Volleyball Tournament

After two nights of fierce competition, the team standings are:

Team 1 ( W 1 L 2)

Roster: Sierra, Mizismayil, Tonnie, Petra, Gorjan, Kharim

Team 2 ( W 2 L 1)

Roster: Alexsander, Azer, Mariam, Ravshan, Korzun Vlad, Orlen

Team 3 ( W 1 L 2)

Roster: Ioana, Jackson, Anatasia, Nat, Jesse, Kent

Team 4 ( W 3 L 0)

Roster: Megan, Jaan, Arthur, Spela, Johan, Vladmir

Team 5 ( W 0 L 2)

Roster: Sher, Asia, Max, Davit, Madi, Hojik

Final night of games will be on Saturday.

Chess Exhibition

Nine chess players came out to play John and Jesse Towsen. While no-one could beat John or Jesse, it was an interesting night - especially for those in the audience. Many photos clicked and flashed.

Chess Tournament

Announcing IDEA Debate and Citizen Journalism Institute 2008 Chess Tournament
Place: Decemko, Bademi Village, Izmir, Turkey in the Ataturk Game Room.
When: Saturday or Sunday 7/12 or 7/13.

Riley Kellogg has offered to run a round-robin debate tournament. Anyone who is interested should sign-up. List will be posted on the announcement board.

Idea World Basketball Championship

Team 7 wins the basketball tournament after defeating the Humans in the championship.

Team Members:

Gorjan Llievski (Macedonia)
Kent Fielding (USA)
Abdullaev Ravshan (Tajikistan)

Chess Exhibition

Tonight in the Ataturk Game Room John and Jesse Towsen will Chess Exhibition by playing, simultaneously, anyone and everyone who wishes to play. Chess sets will be lined up down the room and John and Jesse, playing together, will go from board to board. John playing the even moves and Jesse playing the odd moves. The could play up to fifteen individuals at the same time and if anyone beats them - a beer or ice cream!

Idea World Basketball Championship

After last night's play only six teams remain: Humans and Team 9 in the winner's bracket and Balkans and Baltic, Riders on the Storm, BorMeat, and Team 7 in the loser's bracket. Six games lined-up for tonight including the championship. Heavy odds are being laid on the Humans but upsets happen. Tune in and worship.

Dikili

Idea CJ and Debate Institute went to town yesterday and shopped. There's a great park there with all these weird exercise machines (but I left my camera at the resort because we had Readers Theatre practice).

Chief Iffucan

All proceeds of sales donated to next year's BorFest.

Country Expo

Judging this year's expo was tough. China, Russia, Uganda dressed up. Belarus offered vodka; Turkey, raki; Macedonia, wine. Kazakahstan gave out postcards and gave me a hat. Haiti had jewelry. Turkmenistan presented an extended tour. Tajikstan handed out keychains. Latvia handed out garlic bread (my favorite). The U.S. presented crude humor through irony (as noted by their list of political heroes - all members of sex scandals). Food - chocolate, bread, deserts, Turkish Delight- great feasting and festivalizing. Country flags hanging from the walls and maps of country and regions decorating the tables. Students hugging students, cheering, and more cheering. Oh what a great night. We did come up with winners and prizes for winners but I can't reveal the secret until next week.

BorFest

Rumor holds that Ferlinghetti will be reading poetry at BorFest along with Kent Fielding, Kate Hamm, Ron Whitehead and Ron Seitz. Above is a press photo. Don't forget to pick-up a copy of my book, Chief Iffucan, for the signing.

Rosters for Idea World Basketball Championship

IDEA World Basketball Championship starts Monday 7/7 at 8 pm

Game 1: Divits vs Anatolid

Divits Roster: Ance, Tonnie, Forest

Anatolid Roster: Harun, Umut, Onar

Favorite: Anatolid

Game 2: Baltics and Balkans vs Humans

Baltics and Balkans: Orlen Shiba, Alexander, Jaan

Humans: Jesse Towsen, Nat Towsen, Alex Dukalskis

Favorite: Humans

Game 3: Riders on the Storm vs BorMeat

Riders on the Storm: Johan Hanft, Sherzod, Mizismayil

BorMeat: Noel, Marian, Jackson

Game 4: To Be Announced vs Team 7

To Be Announced: Sierra Moran, Mihaela, Petra

Team 7: Gorjan, Raushan, Kent

Dikili Running Club

We meet on the beach at 6 am with the sun rising from the blue Aegean, and we run through the countryside noting the baby camel, the donkeys, cows and horses. The clean air here, smooth, lovely to breath, to breath in the rhythm of legs and arms. Usually, there are six, but at times we've reach ten. We run thirty minutes, but will increase the time as the institute goes. Tomorrow - hill sprints. Photos coming.

Pergamon next week

We head to Pergamon next Sunday. Here are a few interesting facts about the site:

1) Pergamon had the steepest amphitheater in the ancient world with a 10,000 seating capacity. It also used a wooden stage that was removed after performances. Apparently, the Pergamenes liked to sit in the theater at dusk and look out at the countryside without their view being obstructed by a stage.

2) The Pergamon Library held 200,000 volumes and was the second largest library in the Hellenistic world - after Alexandria. Mark Anthony bestowed the library on Cleopatra as a wedding gift.

3) The church at Pergamon was one of the seven churches to which to Book of Revelations was addressed.

4) The Pergamenes invented parchment. Paper made out of sheep and calf skin.

Country Expo

Country Expo tonight! The event happens in the Agora Debate Area. Each country will receive a table to showcase photos, food, drink, traditional crafts, maps and other items that they may have brought. IDEA will be awarding prizes based on preparations, creativity and the extent each participant goes to teach others about their culture and history. Judging this year are Noel, myself and Kate. I'll be taking notes on each table and will update the blog afterwards.