Just Another Day in Devrim

Ever since the pandemic started, we have been playing a weird hide and seek. Covid-19 were looking for us in closed, stuffy rooms, whereas we have been hiding from the it in plain, wide open-air spaces, ironically. So, the importance of open-air spaces was once again on the table. People began to spend their time in parks, gardens and even roadsides (I regularly see the same six people on the roadside near my apartment. They are playing card games ever since).

So, what does this tell us? Are open air spaces going to be the future of our social life? Temporarily or permanently? Many scholars say that this is a temporary issue, and once the impact of virus cools down, our social life will gradually turn back to normal, and we won’t be sweating underneath our masks. (I was actually kind of happy with the whole mask thing, it’s oddly satisfying to lip sync to the song in the grocery store, without being seen.)

One thing is for sure though: we seem to be going to spend much more time on the lawns. And speaking of all these, reminds us of a magnificent open-air space: Devrim Stadium! If you’re a METU student, you must have spent time in Devrim at least three times, and that’s even an unrealistic guess. If you’re not a METU student, you still must have spent time there at least for once. And once you were there, you must have seen the colorful life happening in Devrim. Basically, it was planned as a football stadium, but then it evolved into something totally different. For many years, Devrim Stadium has been a public life generator. The range of activities happening there is simply countless. With children playing, adults chatting, students dancing, sporting, singing and playing their instruments, doing yoga, taking photos and etc, Devrim is a place to be experienced at least once before it all ends!

Especially during the days of Covid-19, when we were in lockdown for a good amount of time, Devrim has been a mental therapist for many. Since closed spaces were off limits for a good while, Devrim had many visitors from 7 to 70. For those of us who live in Ankara, it was just the right place for socializing without being concerned that much. Even people from outside of Ankara literally came running to Devrim! I have a friend that once found a cheap flight ticket and came to Ankara from really far, just to enjoy the sunny weather in Devrim Stadium (he was literally not going to leave. I forced him to not freeze to death at night).

What’s more is that Devrim Stadium hasn’t just escalated after Covid-19. It has always been a place to consider for socializing. For a long time, it has been a public life generator. Many of our happy memories in METU take place in Devrim. Like the spring festivals, graduation ceremonies, snowball fights… and me kissing someone for the first time, but let’s not go into details for now.

Long story short, Devrim has always been a spectacular place to spend time in, and with the restrictiong of Covid-19, it has been the main choice for most of us who missed socializing with their friends. My main advice for you is to spend time there at least once, in a sunny and warm day, and see how wonderful life may actually be! 

Eser Delice