Erkinalp Kesikli ’09 comes naturally by his interest in contentious politics, territorial disputes and religious movements. He grew up in Turkey, a nation with a secular government despite a Muslim population that comprises 99.8 percent of its population of 72 million.  And despite being mostly in Asia, it is petitioning to become a full-fledged member of the European Union within the next decade.

Recently, Kesiskli was named a St. Lawrence University Fellow for 2008.  His summer fellowship focuses on the political situation in Turkey and the influence of religion and nationalism on an otherwise secular government.  “As a citizen of Turkey and a student of global studies, understanding the dynamics behind these political trends is essential to me,” Kesikli says. “The SLU fellowship is helping me pave the way towards this understanding.”

Kesikli, a double major in music and global studies, spends much of his free time noodling on the guitar.  He experiments mostly with flamenco and classical styles.  Last spring, he put together a radio program for KSLU, St. Lawrence’s student-run AM station featuring a multitude of world music.  He also enjoys performance and visual arts, cycling and philosophy.  St. Lawrence has given him the opportunity to dabble in a little bit of everything, he notes.

“The major gain from St. Lawrence, in addition to all the priceless knowledge, is the ability to think critically – or even how to think,” Kesikli explains.  Using his summer fellowship as a platform, Kesikli hopes to further his liberal arts education and “become a well-rounded person,” he says.  “Not everyone gets the chance to do such an expansive study as this.”