The New England Scene By Sophia Nibi

The New England Scene
This month, we will begin with some news from the granite
state-picturesque New Hampshire with its majestic white
mountains and beautiful lakes.
Dartmouth College in Hanover boasts at least three well
known, admired and respected a·' ~tiemicians with Greek
roots: John Rassias, Peter Bien and Chrysanthi Bien: They
have made profound contributions to this institudion of
higher learning and to academia worldwide.
Professon Rassias will admittedly "go to any extreme to
make a point" in his French 2 Class. In fact, he says that he'd
"rather die of exhaustion than boredom!" And this is not an
exaggeration. The Rassias Method, used internationally by
colleges, business groups and others, "weaves drama with
total immersion in a foreign language", says Deborah Schupack in a recent article entitled "Teachers in the Grand
Manner."
In his classrom, furniture is not safe, clothing is not safe.
Nor is decorum. Nor inhibitions. Professor Rassias believes
deeply in tactile teaching, believes his message shines
through his madness. He tears apart his shirts - "and they
are good shirts" - to symbolize breaking through one's
inhibitions. "The intellect functions best while fueled by
emotions," he says. You have to hit them with a megaton of
emotion." And this is exactly what he does in his classroom.
He sits on a student's lap to coax an answer, then kisses the
student's head in approval! "People connect this way," he
explains. "It's as the faith healer says: Touch someone and
their whole body's metabolism changes." Needless to say,
Professor Rassias' often explosive, always unpredictable
class is a hit with his students.
Professor Peter Bien is a scholar of English and Greek. He
finds comfort in students whose lifestyle help them seek
answers to moral and spiritual dilemmas. Yet, most of Professor Bien's scholarship has concentrated on a man who
was more or less an advocate of war, the twentieth-century
Greek author Nikos Kazantzakis. His involvement with
Kazantzakis began in 1959 when he translated "The Last
Temptation of Christ." He followed this with translations of
Kazantzakis's "Saint Francis" and the autobiographical war
novel "Life in the Tommb" by Stratis Myrivilis. Professor
Bien has published critical studies of Kazantzakis' work and
has just completed the first volume of a biography, "Kazantazakis: Politics of the Spirit," which sees Kazantzakis' political involvement as more religious than political.
Chrysanthi Bien, a native of Greece, is an instructor par
excellence of the Greek language at Dartmouth. In her, the
students see not only a "terrific" teacher but also a friend
whose unmistakable love and respect for the Greek language
and her students is a great asset and a tribute to the teaching
profession. Several textbooks that apply the Rassias
Method of language instruction to modern Greek have been
MAY, 1991
By Sophia Nibi
published through the cooperative efforts of Peter and
Chrysanthi Bien and John Rassias.
The Hood Museum at Dartmouth College is a splendid
facility whose collection reflects the breath and quality of
the artistic traditions of Dartmouth. The collection includes
a significant group of 19 Greek icons, purchased for the
college in the late l800s by archaeology professor George
Dana Lord while on a class trip to Greece. One of the most
impressive works is a 17th century, 461/2 by 40 1/4 in, oil on
canvas on wood icon titled "Three Church Fathers". (The
Three Hiearachs - St. Basil, St. John Chrysostom, St.
Gregory Theologian). In the same room, there is a 16th
century, 18 1/4 by 143 / 8 in tempera on canvas on wood of
"The Annunciation."
The Hood Museum's ancient art includes a large collection
of Cypriot antiquities, including the "Head of a Bearded
Votary," and a fine collection of glass and pottery from
Cyprus. Another magnificent piece is the "Panathenaic
Amphora", a sixth to fifth century B.c., terra-cotta
(Amphorae were given as prizes at the Panathenaic games
held yearly in Athens on the birthday of the goddess
Athena).
Lee Michaelides is the managing editor of the Dartmouth
Alumni Magazine. The son of George and Mary Michaelides of Keene, NH (parishioners of the st. George Parish in
that town), Lee and his wife Margo are the parents of
one-year-old Alexandra. They reside in Norwich, Vt. On the
editorial board of the magazine is Michael Choukas, Jr.
(Dartmouth '51) whose father was one of the most respected
professors of this Ivy League School. Michael Choukas Sr.
was a Greek immigrant who was educated at Dartmouth
and stayed in Hanover to teach and bring up his family.
Who could blame him?
At this time, it seems appropriate to congratulate Lynn
Leventis, Dartmouth '84, who will soon be called Dr. Lynn
Leventis. Lynn will graduate from the Dartmouth Medical
School next month. A brother, Nick, Dartmouth '86, is
pursuing a career in architecture in California. Lynn and
Nick graduated from Fall River High School in Massachusetts. Their father, the Rev. Peter Leventis, was the Priest at
the St. Demetrios Church in Fall River till he and Presbytera Despina were assigned to Cheyenne, Wyoming two
years ago.
The Consulate General of Greece in Boston, with the cooperation of the George Sideris Chair of Modern Greek Studies at Harvard University and the Hellenic Arts Society of
Worcester, MA, offered a multimedia presentation on April
26 entitled "Greece: Poetry in Landscape." The light and
sound event featured: Orientations to the Aegean - a photographic approach by Dimitris Taliantis to the poems of
Odysseas Ely tis, 1979 Nobel Prize recipient (literature) with
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music by Elia~ Andriopoulos, sung by Alkistis Protopsalti;
Rust And Bnne - the photographs of Talianis allude to
lines, narrated by Christos Tsangas, by poet George Seferis
1963 Nobel Prize recipient (literature), with music by Eleni
Karaindrou; The Third Day - a journey to the austere
landscape of Meteroa with the camera of Talianis and the
music of Stamatis Spanoudakis sung by Manolis Mitsias.
Proceeds framm this cultural program will benefit the
Diocesan 'philoxenia House, the Hellenic Nursing Home for
the Aged m Canton, MA, and the Hellenic Children's Cardiac Fund.
The
~onsul General of Greece in
IS a s?ugh~ after speaker
Boston, Vassllis Papaioawho always delights his
audiences Wit? his expertise and personality. The Department of ClassIcs at Brawn University in RI, along with the
Hellenic Cultural Society of Southeast New England
invited. Mr. P~paioanno~ to speak on the prospects fo;
Greek mternatlOnal relatIOns. The large audience learned
some characteristics of Greek foreign policy and was
reminded of the importance of Greece in southeastern
Europe.
nou~
A~ least four special ~ouples that we know are celebrating
milestone anmversanes, surrounded by their wonderful
families. Their long and happy lives together is a reminder
that love can truly be divine! Pages can be written about
these couples, inspiring pages of love, respect, understanding overcoming. hardsh~ps - in short celebrating life
together as promised dunng the sacrament of their marriage
long long ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Samaras of Haverhill, MA have
their 72nd (yes, 72nd) wedding anniversary. The
occasIOn was marked at their home with their children and
frien~s. Both Mr. Samaras, 94, and his bride of 72 years,
who IS 89 years young, are natives of Greece. A highly
respect~d manager in the then thriving shoe industry in
Haverhill, Andrew Samaras has, over the years, delighted
family and friends with the mandolin and piano music and
his knowledge of Greek Mythology and Ancient Greek
History. Mrs. Samaras has been instrumental in the work of
the Friends of the Blind in Greece which have assisted
thousands of blind individuals over the years. The well
traveled couple enjoys reminiscing with their children
grandchildren and great grandchildren.
'
celeb~ated
Anthony and Christine Constas of Quincy, MA are celebrating their 63rd weeding anniversary. The couple, 92 and
87 years young, respectively, attend the Divine Liturgy every
Sunday and their Parish of St. Catherine. They truly serve as
an inspiring example to their wonderful family and to the
young people of their Parish and the community at large.
The parents of three sons and one daughter, Mr. and Mrs.
Constas now happily follow the progress of their grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Still another wedding anniversary milestone was observed
by Mr. and Mrs. John Patsavos of Cambridge, MA. Love
still radi~tes. from within this wonderful couple, most likely
from their kmd hearts, as they mark 58 years of life together.
They are the parents of a son and a daughter and the
grandparents of three, all of whom follow their belief that
the home is a spiritual haven where love, respect and trust
abide; a place of closeness and togetherness.
The golden wedding anniversary was celebrated by Angelo
and Aliki Bassett of Newton, MA among their family and
friends. Their philosophy was beautifully expressed in the
wording of the invitation marking the auspicious
anniversary.
Wedding Dreams Come True
Elegant cathedral ceilings, beautiful landscaping, marble staircases, step-up balconies with
stained glass ceilings, imported marble floors
and smoked gold leaf mirrors set in hand carved
Mediterranean moulding.
Off Rt. 22, Scotch Plains, N.J. 07076
Tel.: (201) 322-7726
Fifty years of life together
Fifty years of love that bloomed
Fifty years of growing family pride,
Fifty years of building a business.
Fifty years of community devotion,
Fifty years filled with unique character.
But most important ...
Fifty years of friendship shared.
Mr. and Mrs. Bassett are the parents oftwo sons and four
grandchildren.
The Church has always been an integral part in the lives of
Known for
generations
for sizzling steaks
seafood & Lobsters
th~~e four c?uples. Much is being said of the present moral
C~ISIS ~f society, the break-down of family life, the alarming
high divorce rate. ~hese fo~r couples serve as inspiration
and a hope that thmgs don t have to be all that bad. We
congratulate them and wish them many more years of love
and happiness.
Think about it: A noble heart is like the sun - it displays its
greatest glory when at the lowest point!
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GREEK-AMERICAN REVIEW