OPPORTUNITIES TO STUDY IN GREECE
Phaedon J.Kozyris, Professor of Law, OSU & AristotelianUniversity,Thessaloniki
One of the best ways for our offspring to establish and maintain contact with our Hellenic heritage is for them to visit Greece. The beneficial results of such a visit are enhanced if they can combine fun with business, and “business” can include study, especially improving their knowledge of the Greek language and culture.
Fortunately, there are many high school and college level programs, mostly but not exclusively in the summer months, which are open and available to Greek-American students, sometimes offering scholarships or staying at a subsidized facility or camp. Some are run or subsidized by the Greek Government, educational institutions, Churches, whereas others are operated privately. The programsoften combine instructional component with a beautiful, often island, location. Such programs offer academic creditthat is recognized by American schools where the students are regularly enrolled.
The enormous choice a student has can be seen in the electronic sites of universities and even high schools. PrincetonUniversity compiles annually and publishes in its website, all the offerings in Hellenic Studies, including contact information for study programs and opportunities for research, internships, and work in Greece. For information on funding study or travel, there is a section on financing such studies in the Mediterranean in general and Greece in particular.
By the way, let me mention that I, as a Professor of Law, have taught courses, for the better part of the last 20 years, at summer programs offered in different parts of Greece (Thessaloniki, Athens, Komotini, plus the islands of Crete, Rodos, Spetses, Skopelos,), programs that are credited by Tulane, Capital, or Temple Law Schools. A good number of Greek-American students attended these and have reported that they benefited both technically and culturally.
PROVERBS–APHORISMS-APOPHTHEGMS by Nikos Apostolakis
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. I am sure you have heard and probably used the above proverb. Proverbs, sayings, apothegms, aphorisms, etc. abound in all languages and cultures. Many times you encounter almost verbatim the same proverb in many languages as in the above example. But there are some strange exceptions like my favorite one for “paying dearly”: I paid through the nose [American];
[Greek = I paid the hair of my head]. Pagare los ojos de mi cara [Spanish = I paid the eyes of my face]. Je payai le peau de mes fesses [French = I paid the skin of my butt].
I leave it up to you to interpret the socio-ethno-linguistic significance of why in each of these languages “paying dearly” is expressed in such different ways. What does it say about the national character for each of these countries?
As one would expect a culture like the Greek, which has endured more than 3500 years, has a wealth of proverbs. Kostas Strategakis has collected 1760 modern Greek proverbs in his book and lists for some of them the equivalent in Byzantine Greek and in classical ancient Greek. Here are 3 proverbs from the category [LYING]:
The liar is not believed even when he tells the truth]. Byzantine Greek:
[What good does the liar have? That he tells the truth and no one believes him]. Ancient Greek: [This is what liars achieve, when they tell the truth, no one believes them]-Aesop.
WHAT IS IN A NAME? ALEXANDROSIS MY NAMEby Alexander Mahylis
It is November 1, 1988, and my mother is in labor. She wants to name me Alexander, after the famous Greek conqueror; my father prefers Benjamin, the quintessential American scientist/diplomat. You know who won.
Since then, I have noticed some parallels in the direction of my life so far and that of Alexander the Great; of course, this is quite a pretentious claim, so let me clarify. My pursuits and successes thus far have come on a significantly smaller scale than Alexander’s, whose legendary achievements border on the mythical.
Nonetheless, Alexander came first in the class being taught by the great philosopher Aristotle, while training his horse Bucephalus; I, too, graduated first in a class of 530 students from Upper Arlington HS, while juggling two varsity sports and serving as the president of two clubs.
Alexander the Great was not one to rest on the laurels of his past success, as evidenced by his rapid fire conquest of an empire that eventually spanned over 5,000 miles from East to West in 8 years. I am enrolled at the University of Chicago on an academic scholarship. I plan to double major and/or graduate with bachelors and graduates degrees in 8 years.
I plan to do as Alexander the Great did when he embarked on his expeditions into what was then the unknown. I, too, want to probe the edge of human understanding and then stride boldly out into the unknown. This is where I hope to be most similar to Alexander, as I feel that what makes him most remarkable was his fearless desire to conquer the what lay covered in mystery’s shroud.
Shakespeare once wrote, “What’s in a name, that which we call a rose by any other would smell as sweet?” Perhaps this is true, but a man of the great Greek’s caliber, and of the caliber I one day hope to attain, could only be named Alexander.