BULLETIN #3. A new partnership and new opportunities for the JTG program!

Transcription

1 SESSION TWO A H E P A E D U C A T I O N A L F O U N D A T I O N E - N E W S B U L L E T I N JULY 20 - JULY 26, 2009 JOURNEY TO GREECE 2009 BULLETIN #3 A new partnership and new opportunities for the JTG program! Session #2 of the 4th Annual Journey to Greece began on July 19th. This year our students would have the opportunity to participate in a wonderful program provided by the partnership of the University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus and the AHEPA. The AHEPA Journey students will be spending an eventful four weeks in Greece while earning six units of transferable college units. All of our students will choose two courses from: Modern Greek I; Modern Greek II; Ancient Greek Plays; The History of the Orthodox Church; and the EU and Greek Foreign Policy. Each course is offered for two hours daily along with an equal amount of required work for each class. In addition to the course work, students will be attending a variety of special events specifically GREEK DANCE LESSON WITH DORA STRATOU WELCOME RECEPTION ISLAND CRUISE TO POROS, HYDRA, AND AEGEINA

2 New opportunities (continued) designed for the Journey to Greece students. This session, our students will be visiting the US Embassy for a briefing by the US Ambassador, the Archbishop of Athens, the Director of the IOCC as well as other special programs. In addition, our students will take part in some great activities provided by the AHEPA HELLAS Family. This year, however, the Journey to Greece will have the additional benefit of a new partnership between the National Hellenic Society and the AHEPA to provide the Journey students with some unique programs and activities. This year, the NHS will provide additional financial support for the AHEPA program to provide new opportunities for an exciting new program for our students. The first benefit to our students has been the addition of a NHS Dora Stratou Night. Our students were provided with a private seminar from the President of Dora Stratou, Mr. Alkis Raftis. In addition, students were shown some of the antique costume collection, that dates back up to 150 years. The seminar was followed by a private dance lesson for all of the A NEW PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN T H E N A T I O N A L H E L L E N I C SOCIETY AND THE AHEPA TO P R O V I D E T H E J O U R N E Y STUDENTS WITH SOME UNIQUE PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES. JTG students. Finally, after the lesson, our students attended the performance of the Dora Stratou Dancers. The evening was topped off with a traditional Taverna Night at the famous Plaka restaurant, "Stamatopoulos." A special evening with such a rewarding experience. On Saturday, July 25th, the Journey to Greece students were able to visit the islands of Poros, Hydra and Aegina onboard a one day cruise! Following the first week of classes and studies, our students FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: STUDENTS ENJOYING A FANTASTIC DINNER AT T H E T A V E R N A S T A M A T O P O U L O S FOLLOWING THE DORA S T R AT OU P R O G R A M; A D D I T I O N A L P H O T O FROM THE TAVERNA; STUDENTS DANCING A SIRTAKI DURING DINNER LEFT: DORA STRATOU GROUP PERFORMING THE T R A D T I O N A L KALAMATIANO FROM THE PELOPONESSIAN REGION.

3 DORA STRATOU NIGHT FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, TOP TO BOTTOM: ALKIS RAFTIS, PRESIDENT OF DORA STRATOU LECTURING STUDENTS ON THE HISTORY OF GREEK DANCE; LEARNING A DANCE WITH MR. RAFTIS, DORA STRATOU PERFORMING A DANCE FROM THE ISLAND OF POROS; SEEING SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL GREEK COSTUMES; DORA STRATOU PERFORMING PELOPONNESIAN DANCES.

4 were afforded this great opportunity to visit the historic islands of the Saronic Gulf. Famous for their contribution to the Greek Revolutionary War, our students were able to visit and enjoy a day at sea with stops at all three island ports. This Journey opportunity was another program provided by the AHEPA with the generous support of the NHS. Additional programs will be offered to the Journey as the program continues, with the highlight of the summer coming during the final week with a most special excursion to Northern Greece and Turkey. The students will be visiting the ancient m o n a s t e r i e s o f M e t e o r a, t h e Macedonian treasures of Vergenia, Salonika and Constantinople. With the support of the National Hellenic Society, the Journey will also be visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate for the first time! Students will attend Vesper services and a special reception with the Ecumenical Patriarch, His Holiness, Bartholomew I. The addition of this special week is provided by the additional funding coming from the NHS grant for the Journey to Greece. The first week's activities culminated with a visit to the famous changing of the Presidential Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Here the Evzones changing is accompanied by a military band and a full unit of the famous guards along with a tribute and wreath placed at the tomb. Following the Evzones, the students were taken to a private sports facilitiy to an AHEPA Pool Party that gave them the entire afternoon to relax and enjoy themselves, after a most busy first week! The Journey would like to thank, the Pericles Chapter of the AHEPA for their generosity and hospitality. WEEK ONE ITINERARY MONDAY, JULY 20 Students arrive on the Group flights & are met at the airport for their private coach transfer to the campus. Students are settled in their new apartments and taken to campus. Our first lunch for all students at "Peresteria" taverna! Afternoon orientation meeting along with registration for classes and review of rules & procedures All students needing Greek cell phones & calling cards are assisted in the later afternoon. TUESDAY, JULY 21 First day of classes for everyone. All students will attend classes 5 days per week for 4 hours per day. After lunch at leisure to get acquainted with the campus, computer lab and programs. Evening welcome reception & dinner for our students at the UINDY Cultural Center on the rooftop below the Acropolis and near the Tower of the Winds on the Roman Agoura! WEDNESDAY, JULY 22 After classes, students are taken to the new Acropolis Museum for a wonderful afternoon viewing the museum to house the Parthenon freezes and artifacts from the Acropolis itself. Designed to capture the imagination and give the full impression of what the Parthenon would look like complete! THURSDAY, JULY 23 A special performance of the play, The Rest of Oedipus, by Robert Montgomery was presented at the theater at Colonus in Athens. The CUNY University production takes place after the Oedipus trilogy. FRIDAY, JULY 24 The Dora Stratou Night is a special evening where our students were provided a special lesson by the President, Mr. Alkis Raptis followed by a dance lesson and performance by the award winning dancers. The evening ended with a special taverna night at the "Stamatopoulos" Taverna in Plaka. SATURDAY, JULY 25 All day cruise of three islands of the Saronic Gulf. Students visited Poros, Aegina, and Hydra. Dinner was provided, before returning to Athens. SUNDAY, JULY 26 Changing of the Presidential Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Special Pool Party provided by the Pericles AHEPA Chapter at a new sports facility providing an afternoon of swimming, volleyball, lunch and activities.

5 OPENING NIGHT SESSION TWO STUDENTS AT THE MAIN UINDY CAMPUS BUILDING WELCOME RECEPTION AT THE UINDY CULTURAL CENTER

6 Background on the resident advisors and JTG 2009 college students Billy Fotopoulos is currently studying anthropology at Cal Poly Pomona. He is a JTG alumni from 2007 and 2008, and on the 2009 program as a resident advisor. Billy hopes to seek an internship or job where he can work with various organizations to promote Hellenic cultural preservation. Holly Smith just graduated from Kansas City University where she received her masters in business administration. She participated in the Journey to Greece program last year and returned this year as a resident advisor. Before joining the journey program this summer, Holly was finishing her studies at CIMBA university in Asolo, Italy. She will be starting her job at Cerner on September 14, 2009 in Kansas City, Missouri. Students from the 4th Annual Journey to Greece represent 32 Universities from 14 states and Canada! Universities attended this year include: 1. George Washington University 2. University of Chicago 3. Penn State University 4. Cal Poly University, Pomona 5. Cal Poly University, San Luis Obisbo 6.University of California, Santa Barbara 7. University of California, Los Angeles 8. University of California, Irvine 9. Fordham University 10. Cornell University 11.University of Chicago 12. Northwestern University 13. Catholic University 14. University of Rochester 15. Drexell University 16. El Camino College 17 University of Tampa 18. College of Southern Nevada 19. University of Utah 20. Massachusetts College of Pharmacy 21. Jefferson Community College 22. Cal State University, San Diego 23. Claremont McKenna College 24. Loyola Marymount University 25. University of Manitoba 26. University of Calgary 27. University of Wisconsin, Madison 28. CUNY, Hunter Graduate School 29. SUNY, Cortland 30. Santiago Canyon College 31. Bellarmine College 32. Binghamton University 33. Kansas State University 34. Boston University 35. Boston Conservatory NATIONAL HELLENIC SOCIETY The National Hellenic Society celebrates Hellenic heritage by sponsoring and organizing programs and activities that promote and preserve the values and ideals of our Hellenic culture thereby enriching our community and nation. For more information, please visit: UINDY ATHENS The University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus was charted in 1989, with the purpose of offering a quality American education experience. Since its inception, the University has grown to become one of the leaders in higher education in Greece. As well as its 39 bachelor's degrees and 11 master's degrees the UIndy Athens offers the Odyssey in Athens semester study abroad program. UIndy Athens also partners with AHEPA to offer the Journey to Greece Program and many other institutions in the US and other countries to create special study abroad experiences for stu dents. For more information, please visit, THE NEXT GENERATION INITIATIVE The Next Generation Initiative is an independent, non-profit educational foundation committed to helping today's students become tomorrow's leaders by helping the young men and women of the next generation gain the skills and experience their careers will demand - and the global perspective that future leadership will require - through internships which match young leaders in their fields of interest. For more information, please visit In the 4 years of the Journey to Greece, students have come from 27 states and Canada represented 51 Universities.

7 ISLAND CRUISE FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, LEFT TO RIGHT: STUDENTS AT LUNCH ABOARD THE ANNA MARU ; STUDENTS ENJOYING COFFEES AT A CAFE ON HYDRA; TANNING AND RELAXING ON THE TOPSIDE DECK EN ROUTE TO AEGINA; GIRLS POSING IN FRONT THE BEAUTIFUL WATER AT HYDRA; SWIMMING IN AEGINA.

8 National Hellenic Sponsorship Will Expand Program s Academic Curriculum WASHINGTON - In its fourth year, the AHEPA Journey to Greece Program, in cooperation with the University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus, is off to another successful start, completing the first of two sessions; and will expand to include additional venues of study thanks to a $13,000 sponsorship provided by the National Hellenic Society (NHS), announced Supreme President Nicholas A. Karacostas. "We are thrilled and grateful to the National Hellenic Society for its generous sponsorship of the AHEPA Journey to Greece Program," said Karacostas. "The sponsorship is a testament to the program's credibility and ability to provide young scholars with fully transferable college credits while gaining the experience of lifetime abroad. It is also an excellent example of collaboration within the American Hellenic community to benefit the youth." "The National Hellenic Society's collaboration with AHEPA serves as a blueprint for Greek American organizations working together to achieve common objectives benefitting the next generation," wrote Fanis Economidis, chair, NHS's Program Committee to Journey to Greece Program Director Dr. James F. Dimitriou. According to Dr. Dimitriou, the generosity of NHS will allow students to expand their educational horizons as the curriculum will include study at venues such as the E c u m e n i c a l P a t r i a r c h a t e, Thessaloniki, Meteroa, and Sounion. For example, students will learn firsthand about the impact and relevance of Byzantium, and also have the opportunity to meet with His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, because of NHS' sponsorship. The 2009 Journey to Greece Program has two sessions. The first o n e c o m m e n c e d Ju l y 5 a n d concluded July 18. The second session commenced July 20 and will conclude August 12. The 2009 Program will have 70 student par ticipants representing 35 universities from 14 states and Canada. In the four years since the program was resurrected under Dr. Dimitriou students have represented 51 universities from 27 states and Canada. "The success of the AHEPA Journey to Greece Program is due to organizations such as the AHEPA Educational Foundation, NHS, The Next Generation Initiative, and of course, the University of Indianapolis- Athens Campus, all coming together to work toward a common goal," said Dr. Dimitriou. Follow the Journey to G r e e c e P r o g r a m o n l i n e a t or visit the blog, journeytogreece2009.wordpress.com being written by Joseph Skarzenski, a Next Generation Initiative-sponsored Student Correspondent of the Journey to Greece Program. From AHEPA.org

9 PHOTOS FROM WEEK ONE SOCIIS MAURIS IN INTEGER, A DOLOR NETUS NON DUI ALIQUET, SAGITTIS. FELIS SODALES, DOLOR SOCIIS MAURIS, VEL EU LIBERO CRAS. INTERDUM AT. IPSUM PURUS PEDE PORTTITOR CLASS, UT ADIPISCING, ALIQUET SED AUCTOR, IMPERDIET ARCU PER DIAM DAPIBUS LIBERO DUIS. ENIM EROS IN VEL, VOLUTPAT NEC PELLENTESQUE LEO, TEMPORIBUS SCELERISQUE NEC. AC DOLOR.

10 A GREAT FIRST WEEK STUDENTS ON THE ATHENS ONE DAY CRUISE UINDY STAFF SUPPORT Mr. Vasil Botopoulos, Chancellor Dr. Peter Wilkins, Vice Chancellor of Institutional Advancement Mr. Bill Kiritsis, Vice Chancellor of Admissions Mrs. Dina Skias, Director of Student Affairs Mr. Tom Mazarakis, Director of University Housing and Security Mrs. Maria Tsahas, Registrar Nadim Hamzic, RA AHEPA JOURNEY COUNSELORS Dr. James F. Dimitriou, PSP Mr. John Defterios Mr. Nick Perdaris AHEPA RESIDENT ASSISTANTS Billy Fotopoulos Holly Smith HELLENEXT INTERN Joseph Skarzenski Background on the UIndy The University of Indianapolis, Athens Campus was charted in 1989, with the purpose of offering a quality American education experience. Since its inception, the University has grown to become one of the leaders in higher education in Greece. As well as its 39 bachelor s degrees and 11 master s degrees the UIndy Athens offers the Odyssey in Athens semester study abroad program. UIndy Athens also partners with AHEPA to offer the Journey to Greece Program and many other institutions in the US and other countries to create special study abroad experiences for students. -Peter Wilkins, Ph.D. Vice-Chancellor of Institutional Advancement, UIndy Journey to Greece Coordinator Greetings from Greece! Session two is now under way with a brand new group of kids. From learning how to Greek dance with Dora Stratou to seeing a modern sequel to the Oedipus plays, there is not much the group has not done already. With another week and a half in Athens before we depart for our excursion to Constantinople, it is obvious that the journey is just beginning. For those who thought this week was busy, there is much more to come! Make sure to check the blog so you can follow the students every step of the way. Thanks for reading! -Joseph Skarzenski Student Correspondent