CNES student spotlight: Sienna Merrill
Turkish classes help Arabic major gain additional language knowledge
Sienna Merrill has spent many Sundays teaching fourth-graders at a local mosque. For each lesson she taught, Merrill tried to incorporate Arabic words that relate to the weekly session. She credited these experiences with making her want to have a career as an ESL or Arabic teacher.
“This is my second year teaching fourth grade, and I really like it,” the Binghamton University sophomore said. “That’s what made me want to pursue education. I know it’s different from an actual classroom where you teach from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. five days a week, but I like being able to make up my own lesson plans and have that range. There’s a book, and the children have to learn a chapter a week, but I can teach it however I want. I like having that kind of freedom.”
The Binghamton native’s knack for languages began when she was in high school, where she took both Chinese and Arabic. Merrill has added to her language skills by taking Elementary Modern Turkish I and II in the Department of Classical and Near Eastern Studies (CNES) with lecturer Gregory Key. In Turkish II, Merrill and her classmates have learned the language through watching and discussing a Turkish drama, which she said provides a way to learn colloquial language easily.
Merrill always had an interest in the language, but it was in spring 2019 when she went on the Istanbul Global Crossroads program that she knew she wanted to learn it.
“It was amazing! The professor, Kent Schull, had a massive knowledge about Ottoman-Turkish history, and he would share it everywhere we went,” Merrill said. “We each got to research one thing — Topkapi Palace was mine.”
Known for its impressive architecture and courtyards, Topkapi Palace served as the administrative center and the home for the royal Ottoman court from the late 1400s to the 19th century. After the abolishment of the Ottoman monarchy in 1922, Topkapi Palace was converted into a museum and receives more than three million visitors per year.
“Instead of just having a tour guide and listening to them, or wandering around, we were able to present to our class what we learned,” Merrill said. “That was one of my favorite parts of the (Istanbul) class. I’d want to go back and do a language immersion program.”
Outside of the classroom, Merrill is the events coordinator and secretary for the Muslim Student Association (MSA) on campus. MSA is a cultural student organization that aims to educate the Binghamton community about Islam. It also acts as a safe space and support group for Muslims on campus and within the community by providing programs that help them practice their faith. As events coordinator, Merrill organizes activities, banquets and discussions for people of all religious backgrounds.
In November 2019, Merrill organized a community discussion that was co-hosted by several other cultural organizations on campus, including the Pakistani Student Association (PSA) and Indian International Student Union (IISU).
“The discussion was called ‘You Don’t Look Muslim’: What it means to be visibly Muslim or not,” Merrill said. “People think if you’re a certain ethnicity, you’re probably Muslim, and if you don’t wear a headscarf, you’re not Muslim. But that’s not true. We have a very wide spectrum. ... Some people bring their friends who are not Muslim to our events, so they get exposure. Anyone can come!”
As a double major in Arabic and linguistics, Merrill enjoys the tight-knit community that CNES fosters.
“I really love the Arabic classes here,” Merrill said. “They’re small classes and having that small type of class makes it more one-on-one, so you get to know the professors and you get to know your classmates. You’re not just a number on a list. You make a real connection.”