Inauguration of Greek Language Lab–Brian Joseph retirement event April 25, 6:30-8pm, Oxley Hall

Friends and members of the Greek community are invited to an open house on Thursday, April 25, to mark the Inauguration of the Greek Language Center in the Department of Linguistics, and to mark the establishment of the Brian D. Joseph Fund for Greek Dialectology. The event will be held from 6:30-8pm in Oxley Hall (1712 Neil Ave), with parking available at the nearby 11th Avenue (229 W 11th Ave) and 12th Avenue (340 W 12th Ave) Garages.

Starting at 6:30pm, the Greek Dialectology Lab will be open to visitors, food will be served, and starting about 6:50pm there will be a program in 103 Oxley Hall featuring remarks from the OSU Dean of Arts and Humanities, speakers from the Ohio State Modern Greek Program and Department of Classics, and distinguished scholars of Greek from around the world. On the occasion of his retirement Professor Brian Joseph will speak about the ongoing work of this Greek language center, including archival work on the historical dialect of Kefallonia, documentation of the Greek dialect of Mesta, Chios, by John Kellis, and an open-access publication series, Publications from the Greek Dialectology Lab. Professor Joseph has made a significant bequest to establish the Fund For Greek Dialectology, to ensure that this Center for the Greek Language will, in conjunction with the Marinakis Professorship in Modern Greek Studies, continue to foster Greek language research, promote Greek language teaching and pedagogy, and attract major scholars from Greece to Columbus for lectures to the University and the Greek communities. Information on donating to this Fund for Greek language studies can be found here or at give.osu.edu/Greek

Professor Brian D. Joseph

Spring 2023 newsletter, activities; Michail Marinis visit

As part of its mission to support Greek language teaching and research, the Modern Greek Program, together with the OSU Laboratory for Greek Dialectology, hosted Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Michail I. Marinis, Lecturer at the Hellenic Open University, for the month of April. Dr. Marinis is collaborating with Brian Joseph in researching the archive of the newspaper TA NEA from the 1920s to today, examining language change as reflected in the headlines of the newspaper. On April 26 he gave a lecture introducing this research project entitled The stylistics and structure of Greek Newspaper Headlines: The first decade of “Eleutheron Vima.” 

Dr Marinis also visited Modern Greek language classes of all levels, teaching students about palatalization in Modern Greek. He also spoke at the 2nd International Ohio State – Ca’ Foscari Joint Workshop on South Slavic and Balkan languages on April 22. His lecture was entitled A first morphological analysis of the toponyms of the Peloponnese.  This talk discussed the special grammar of Greek place names, including the phenomenon he calls “counter-defectiveness” in the inflectional system of toponyms.

Dr. Marinis’s visit was sponsored by the Miltiadis Marinakis Endowed Professorship in Modern Greek  and the Kenneth E. Naylor Professorship. We look forward to a return visit from Dr. Marinis later this year.

The Leontis lecture on April 6, well attended by students and the community, featured Professor Peter Jeffreys of Boston University discussing The Other Cavafys: The Creative Aspirations of John, Aristides and Paul. 

The Spring, 2023, newsletter of the Ohio State Modern Greek Progam has been mailed out and is available online at this link. The newsletter features news of faculty activities, departmental events, and OSU students studying in Greece. There are extracts from a new Greek language textbook featuring the OSU Modern Greek Program and the work of alumnae Marissa Kazes and Maria Nicoloulias, including an interview with Mrs. Nicoloulias. Photographs and descriptions of our graduating and recently graduated seniors are included. If you would like to receive the Modern Greek Program newsletter by mail, please respond to this announcement with your mailing address.

Over the March 28 weekend OSU Modern Greek faculty  visited Greek communities in Campbell and Steubenville.

The academic year ended with a Modern Greek Program celebration on Friday, April 21 in University Hall. Graduating seniors were recognized, and Mauretta Patitsas ’23 showed a video she prepared with classmates.

 

Join us Tuesday 2-4pm for live Greek broadcasts & year-end celebration

Join us Tuesday, April 26 from 2-4pm in Crane Cafe, Hagerty Hall for live Greek broadcasts and the OSU Modern Greek Program year-end celebration

On Tuesday from 2-4pm students, parents, and friends of the Modern Greek Program are invited for a party in Crane Café of Hagerty Hall on the Ohio State campus (parking next door in Ohio Union South Garage). This event features the final Greek radio broadcasts of the year by Avgero Kopasakis, Linda Tiano, Andrew Manokas, and Thanasi Tsigas, with an intervention by Yanni Patitsas, broadcast live. Food will be catered by Mediterranean Foods Imports courtesy of the Greek Olympic Society and the OSU Modern Greek Program.

There will also be a brief ceremony to recognize our graduating seniors, Yanni Patitsas, Andrew Manokas, Anna Boulas, Chloe Kargiotis, recent graduates Stephanie Duros, Nikhil Punwani, Christopher Haritos, Alexandra Mustric, and others.

More information on broadcasts can be found here.

If you cannot attend, and would like to listen live, click here between 2-4pm on Tuesday.

For the event poster, click here.

The schedule of broadcasts is as follows:

2pm: Avi Kopasakis & Linda Tiano on heritage and family history

2:55pm: Recognition of graduating students

3:05pm Andrew Manokas and Thanasi Tsigas on Greek sports

 

Catering by Mediterranean Food Imports courtesy of the Olympic Society and OSU Modern Greek Fund

Alumnae in Athens

Three recently graduated Modern Greek Majors, Anna-Maria Thalassinos, Stavroula Pabst, and Emily Pandis (the latter two are now living in Greece) met up in Athens recently and sent us this lovely photograph.

lecture on Asia Minor Greek by Dr. Konstantinos Sampanis of Bogazici University

On Friday April 1 at 4:00 in Oxley Hall room 103, there will be an in-person lecture by Dr. Konstantinos Sampanis, of Bogazici University (Istanbul) on “Typological Shift in Asia Minor Greek”.  He will discuss the effects of contact with Turkish on the structure of the Modern Greek varieties spoken in Asia Minor into the early 20th century.  Dr. Sampanis is a visitor at the Laboratory for Greek Dialectology in the Linguistics Dept here at OSU.

For those who want to view the talk via Zoom, the Zoom invitation is given below (the space will be open at 3:30 but the lecture will not begin until 4:00.

Hope to see you there – Asia Minor Greek is  very controversial within study of Contact Linguistics, so this promises to be an interesting presentation.

Time: Apr 1, 2022 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)Join Zoom Meetinghttps://osu.zoom.us/j/96673300670Meeting ID: 966 7330 0670Password: 361347One tap mobile+13126266799,,96673300670#,,,,0#,,361347# US (Chicago)+16468769923,,96673300670#,,,,0#,,361347# US (New York)Dial by your location        +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)        +1 646 876 9923 US (New York)        +1 651 372 8299 US (Minnesota)        +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)        +1 408 638 0968 US (San Jose)        +1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)        +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)        +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)Meeting ID: 966 7330 0670Password: 361347Find your local number: https://osu.zoom.us/u/adsM36XrPGJoin by SIP96673300670@zoomcrc.com

Interview with Prof. Gregory Jusdanis

Gregory Jusdanis

Voices of Excellence: Gregory Jusdanis looks at the poet C. P. Cavafy and blossoming in middle age

Gregory Jusdanis, a professor in the Department of Classics, researches modern Greek literature and culture, including the poet C. P. Cavafy. His recent work is a biography of Cavafy, co-written with Peter Jeffreys, exploring, among other areas, how Cavafy rejected his early poetry and found new expressions in his later years. For more of Jusdanis’ discussion with David Staley, listen to this week’s Voices of Excellence on Soundcloud and iTunes.

Markaris reading Mondays at 1:30pm starting January 24

We meet Mondays at 1:30pm Eastern Standard Time (8:30pm in Greece). Below is the link where you can join us this Monday as we begin the first chapters of of ΛΗΞΙΠΡΟΘΕΣΜΑ ΔΑΝΕΙΑ by Πέτρος Μάρκαρης.

OSU students have prepared presentations including translation, vocabulary and illustration of this text, available here. The texts without translation are available here.

Follow this link to join our Zoom Meeting at 1:30pm Columbus time Monday (link is not active at other times):

https://osu.zoom.us/j/96136412895?pwd=cUM1OVNuVkkwVmg1VUo4dlNKNXF3dz09

Marinakis Professorship: discussion on Culture and Education among Greek Americans

On the occasion of the establishment of the
“Miltiadis Marinakis Endowed Professorship for Modern Greek Language and Culture” at The Ohio State University
&
of the appointment of the first Professor, Dr. Yiorgos Anagnostou

You are cordially invited to the
Capital Link Webinar discussion on the topic of:

“Culture and Education among Greek Americans”

follow this link to register:

Culture and Education among Greek Americans

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS:
• Mr. Nicolas Bornozis, President – Capital Link Inc.
• His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America
• H.E. Mrs. Alexandra Papadopoulou – Ambassador of Greece in the US
• Mr. Evangelos Marinakis, Chairman – Capital Maritime & Trading Corp.
• Mr. Yiorgos Anagnostou Miltiadis Marinakis Professor of Modern Greek Language and Culture – The Ohio State University

MODERATOR:
Mr. Gregory Jusdanis, Modern Greek Humanities Distinguished Professor – The Ohio State University

PANELISTS BY ORDER OF INTERVENTION:
• Mr. John P. Calamos, Sr., Founder, Chairman & Global Chief Investment Officer – Calamos Investments ; Chairman -National Hellenic Museum
• Mr. Drake Behrakis, The Behrakis Foundation ; Board Chairman – National Hellenic Society Organization ; President – Marwick Associates
• Mr. Robert Buhler, Chairman – PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation; President and Chief Executive Officer – Open Pantry Food Marts of Wisconsin, Inc.
• Mr. George G. Horiates, Supreme President – Order of AHEPA
• Mrs. Artemis Leontis, C.P. Cavafy Professor of Modern Greek and Comparative Literature Department of Classical Studies – University of Michigan
• Mr. Nick Larigakis, President & Chief Executive Officer, American Hellenic Institute

Apr 7, 2021 12:00 PM in Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Penelope Foudeas

It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Penelope Foudeas. There will be a Trisagion service in the Cathedral of the Annunciation in Columbus on Thursday, April 1 at 3pm followed by viewing of the funeral service in Alaska at 4pm in the Reception Hall.

A native of Anchorage, Alaska, Penelope came to Ohio State in 2017 to study Psychology with a Minor in Modern Greek Studies. Over the course of her undergraduate career, she took a range of classes in Modern Greek language and culture and, with her friends, produced several memorable videos, including one documenting her father’s journey to the United States from Greece.

As a student of Modern Greek, Penelope excelled in all her courses. Her careful preparation and lively personality were always in evidence. She continued to the fifth semester, Modern Greek 4002, and earned excellent grades. With ten of her peers in the Modern Greek Program, Penelope participated in the THYESPA 2018 summer course in Modern Greek at the University of Athens. Her joyful, considerate, and responsible character cemented friendships and made the experience more enjoyable for everyone.

After graduation, she attended Case Western Reserve, pursuing a Master’s Degree in Nutrition while working as a patient care advocate at the Cleveland Clinic.

Her professors in the Modern Greek Program remember her often insightful and always enthusiastic participation in discussion, and her bright, cheerful presence in class.

She was loved and appreciated by her peers as an unusually kind and considerate person who worked well with other students and was very much a team player. An enthusiastic member of Sigma Epsilon Phi for three years, she attended meetings with passion and optimism.

Penelope’s studies in Biology reflected her longstanding interest in the field. Already in high school she aspired to a career in a biomedical field, particularly physiology. Her interest in physiology constituted an important aspect of Penelope’s life that shaped her character.

Penelope was a dancer. Having danced ballet since she was 10 years old, Penelope continued ballet at Ohio State’s distinguished Department of Dance. She did gymnastics in high school, and also danced tap, hip hop, jazz, and acrobatic dance. Contemporary dance was her favorite. She taught at the Marjorie Jones School of Dance and continued to develop as a dancer. Dance was inseparable from her personality, part of what made her such a disciplined, conscientious, but also fun, expressive, delightful, and authentic human being.

The faculty and students of the Modern Greek Program at Ohio State as well as her fellow members of Sigma Epsilon Phi will miss Penelope greatly. May her memory be eternal.

The students of Sigma Epsilon Phi in conjunction with the Modern Greek Program are establishing a fund in Penelope’s memory to provide an annual scholarship to a deserving member of Sigma Epsilon Phi. A link will soon be posted for donations to the memorial fund.

The 32nd Annual Thomas E. Leontis and Anna P. Leontis Memorial Lecture in Modern Greek Studies

Leontis Memorial Lecture Flyer 2021

The 32nd Annual Thomas E. Leontis and Anna P. Leontis Memorial Lecture in Modern Greek Studies
March 24, 2021
6:30PM – 7:30PM
Islands on Fire: Fighters, Pirates, Slaves in the Greek Revolution
Sakis Gekas, Hellenic Heritage Foundation Chair in Modern Greek History, York University
Please register in advance for this event here: https://classics.osu.edu/events/32nd-annual-thomas-e.-leontis-and-anna-p.-leontis-memorial-lecture-modern-greek-studies
The Lecture
When we think of the Greek War of Independence in 1821, land battles often come to mind. Yet events in the Aegean and Ionian Seas determined the course of the Revolution. The sea engulfed refugees and the enslaved alike, while revolutionaries, pirates, merchants, and battleships were riding the waves and determined the course of the war. Moreover, the battles and many victories of the Greek navy sustained the war and turned the tide in favor of the Greek cause. At the same time, loyalties were shifting and the revolutionary war left some islands and many lives in a desolate state. In 1830 only some of the Aegean islands formed part of independent Greece. Τhis lecture shifts the gaze away from the “continental” point of view towards a maritime history of the revolution and focuses on piracy, slavery and the plight of refugees to shed light to previously little-known aspects of the great event.
The Speaker
Sakis Gekas (ΒΑ History, Ionian University; ΜΑ, Ph.D. History, University of Essex) is Associate Professor and holder of the York University Hellenic Heritage Foundation Chair in Modern Greek History. He teaches history of Modern Greece, history of Greek migration in the 20th century, and Mediterranean and European history. In 2012, he co-founded the Greek Canadian History Project and between 2017-2019 helped “build” a virtual museum of Greek immigration to Canada (Immigrec). His recent book projects include, Xenocracy: State, Class, and Colonialism in the Ionian Islands, 1815-1864 (New York – Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2017), which will be published in Greek as «Ξενοκρατία.Οικονομία, Κοινωνία και Κράτος στα Επτάνησα 1815-1864» (E.A.Π. (Hellenic Open University Press, 2021). Another forthcoming book is «Τα λείψανα του αγώνος». Απόμαχοι, χήρες και ορφανά των αγωνιστών της Επανάστασης, 1821-1850 [“The Relics of the Struggle”: Veterans, Widows and Orphans of the Revolution, 1821-1850] (National Research Foundation, Athens 2021).

The Lecture Series

The Thomas E. Leontis Lecture in Modern Greek Studies was established in 1987 by the Board of Trustees of The Ohio State University with gifts from Dr. Thomas E. Leontis. In 1995, Anna P. Leontis made additional gifts in memory of her late husband to create the Thomas E. Leontis Endowment in Modern Greek. The purpose of the Endowment is two-fold: first, to serve as a catalyst in the Modern Greek Program at the University in generating a keener awareness of the importance of Greek history and culture, especially since 1204; and second, to bring annually to the Ohio State campus a distinguished speaker of international reputation who will contribute to the cultural growth of the University and the community by offering new ideas and historical and cultural interpretations of important past and current situations. In addition to the lectureship, the Endowment supports regular conference activities.