Spirit Week is one of the most anticipated events at Cherry Hill East, sparking excitement across the school as it presents a competition for clubs to compete in, namely, door decoration. This year, Turkish Culture Club has made its mark by sweeping second place in its first year of participation.
The Turkish Culture Club faced some initial challenges due to inexperience, but through hard work and dedication, the members were able to create something memorable and successful.
“It was really exciting and [we] were really proud once we learned about [our win],” said Ravza Yilmaz (‘26), co-president of the Turkish Culture Club. “It was our first year ever doing it so we’re really excited to have the club funds to be able to fund future activities and expand the activities we’re able to do.”
They modeled their door after Turkish culture as a whole—resembling a mesh of things that encapsulate what Turkish culture meant to the members. The club took inspiration from ebru, a Turkish marbling art, famous Turkish landmarks such as the Sophia Mosque, its geography, and other important aspects of Turkish culture to create its final product.
“We sort of started thinking about not just about what Turkish Culture Club is but also who we are as part of our Turkish identity, and I think that’s what made it so beautiful,” said Gulmira Yesilyurt (‘25), co-president of the Turkish Culture Club.
The Turkish Culture Club plans to use the $200 reward for future club activities, including increased crafting events and improvements to their MCD booth.
Founded in 2022 by Yilmaz and Yesilyurt, the Turkish Culture Club quickly established itself as a space for Turkish students to come together, find support in their new school environment, and share their culture with others. As the population of Turkish students at East continues to grow, the club has become even more vital, and its members are dedicated to building a caring and welcoming Turkish community.
“With the influx of new Turkish people, I feel like our club helps provide them a place, a new community, and a space where they can come together and share their culture,” Yilmaz said. “The Turkish culture club has always been a club for everyone, even people who aren’t Turkish…and it’s definitely really cool that there’s a lot more Turkish people coming in.”
With such a successful start to the school year, the Turkish Culture Club is eager to build on its momentum. Looking ahead, the club has big plans for Multicultural Day (MCD) this year to give East another new glimpse of Turkish culture. They plan to offer a booth of snacks and ebru, similar to last year, but also hope to put together a Turkish dance performance for the first time.
For now, the Turkish Culture Club continues its agenda of sharing Turkish Culture with the school. The club plans to organize new fundraisers, club trips, crafting events, and other cultural workshops.
“I feel like our club helps provide [Turkish students] a place, a new community, and a space where they can come together and share their culture,” Yesilyurt said. “The Turkish culture club has always been a club for everyone.”