My name is Dancu Mihaela and I’m teaching mathematics at the Technical College of Marine “ Alexandru Ioan Cuza”, Constanta, Romania. I teach math for 7 years and I got second degree in education in 2010. I participate in this project, coordinating the ninth grade students: Iancu Valentin Gabriel and Damian Marius Andrei. Both me and my students are very excited to work together on this project and we hope to achieve something exciting and interesting same as the project theme :” Mystery Circle”.
I am grateful to Mrs. Iordache Anisoara, who informed me about this project and its themes, and I hope that we’ll be working together and she will guide us on the project because she has experience.
Also, I hope in the future to involve other students , because many of them have shown interest to participate in this project or future projects.
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Constanța Casino History
Since the 1880`s takes great attraction of Constanța, then a simple hut of planks, installed near the Genovese lighthouse, Elizabeth Avenue plateau (the current Casino sit, built three decades after). The first arrangement included a ballroom, two reading rooms, two games rooms and a terrace on the waterfront. The first Casino have the disavantage that, being built of lightweight materials and perishable, was destroyed by storms that hit part of the coastline. After the 1891 storm that caused the collapse of the roof, the City Hall decided to demolish the building (January 29, 1892). The second Casino was located also on Elizabeth Avenue, was built of wood and worked between 1893-1910. It had an area three times larger than the first, a terrace on the sea floor where you can go down to the Black Sea, but it still looks modest. Only in 1903, the architect Daniel Renard (of Swiss origin, but with Romanian mother) made plans for imposing building which would become the symbol of the city. The Casino, as we know it today is the clearest example of Art Nouveau arhitecture in Romania (”Art 1900”). The inauguration takes place in an exquisite way, in the presence of Prince Ferdinand, on August 15, 1910. The Casino was becoming not only an entertainment center, but also a cultural one (theatrical performances, symphony concerts, operetta, literary meetings or circles) and during the Two World Wars it became a hospital. The building was constructed in the baroque style, the top of the building was decorated with antique vessels arhitectural elements, having ram heads and seaweed garlands. The interior had walls of marble and columns covered with stucco.
After the Second World War the upstairs hall becomes a cinema, and the other halls turn into restaurant. In 1977, the building is restaured, and the big hall returns to its original purpose – a place for entertainment and a restaurant. After 1989, the Casino continued its activity for 10 more years and then it was closed because of the degradation. Because of administrative problems and not only, the symbol of the Constanța City and a jewel of ”the 1900” architecture is degrading continuosly and thus goes of the body and the heart of the City.
”Free man, you will always love the sea” (Ch. Baudelaire)
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The symbolism of the circle
The geometry and symbolism often interfered in the cultural history of mankind, geometry representing a practical interpretation of the magical mysterious configurations of points, lines, spots and combinations of theirs. In this approach, the triangle is considered a cardinal figure, the geometric symmetry and a symbol of God. The square is considered as of non-human origin (but still symbolizes mankind) signifying earth, matter and stability. Most important symbol, the Circle (as fundamental symbol with square, centre and cross) is Heaven, the Universe and Infinity. In a relationship of opposition, the circle symbolizes the Deity and Heaven, and the square - Humanity and the Earth. The circle has a direct connection point with center, as well as three – dimensional variant, the sphere.
„Concentric circles” are the degrees of existence, hierarchies of everything manifested, moments of evolution. So, the circle is a box that hides in itself some mysterious law of forces which are still waiting to be discovered or rediscovered by man. The Circle is the symbol that best expresses geometric infinity, the Universe, the eternal absolute.
The one who is inside its boundaries is feeling better protected and strong as a fortified city residents felt in the past, as the believers in their temples, as the gods in Olympus, as „The Knights of the Round Table”, as a magician in his magic circle.
ELEV: Strambeanu George clasa a 9 D
COORDONATOR: PROFESOR MIHAELA DANCU
