Davidson Community’s Mixed Response to Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria

A7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6, 2023, taking the lives of more than 47,000 people with thousands still under the rubble and many more injured. Another earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 struck the TurkeySyria border region on Feb. 20.

Dr. Yener Ulus, visiting Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, has family in Turkey who were impacted by the earthquakes.

“I was able to hear from them [my parents] after five or six hours through a very short, 20 second voice message as phones were not working, electric lines were damaged and communication was cut,” Dr. Ulus said. “After a day, I was able to Facetime them. I’m constantly thinking about them, checking the news, Twitter and social media, calling my relatives and siblings. It’s in my mind all the time.”

Despite his initial “state of shock,” Dr. Ulus continued to hold classes. He was able to do so due to the support he received from his students and colleagues.

“International Student Programs (ISP) and Shelley Rigger, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Faculty, offered support and directed me to counseling services,” Dr. Ulus said. “They tried to reach me multiple times, not only once. My friends, colleagues and the head of my department here [at

Davidson] emailed me and genuinely asked me if I needed anything.”

Dr. Ulus is also working to contribute to rescue efforts.

“I am using Twitter trying to help people to locate other people under the rubble,” he said. “We get the information [on survivors] and relay that [to rescuers].”

Experiences with the earthquakes differ strongly across members of the international community.

Abigail Ruby ‘25 is Turkish and has friends and family that live in the country.

“A lot of my family is in areas that were heavily affected, and I haven’t heard back from my friends,” Ruby said.

After the first earthquake, Turkish and Syrian students immediately began collaborating on aid efforts. They contacted the American Turkish Association (ATA) in Charlotte, receiving information on how to assist ATA’s effort’s in collecting and sending relief aid through the Turkish embassies in the United States. They decided to hold a donation drive outside Union, with the support of the Davidson International Association (DIA). Both the DIA and ISP circulated emails, posted on social media, had individual students make announcements in classes and sent emails to many departments, offices and organizations. On Feb. 18, 26 students volunteered at the