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Greece Is the Word

The Day’s Most Fascinating News Stories from Throughout the Greek Diaspora

Vol 20, 11 MAY 2021


This edition sponsored by the American College of Thessaloniki. Click on their logo (YOUR CURSOR MAY NOT CHANGE TO A HAND—CLICK ANYWAY) to visit their website:

A bumblebee in Tristeno, Greece glittering magically as it gets its fill of pollen. What have you planted in your garden or windowbox lately to be a friend to bees and other pollinators? (Photo Credit: Michalis Mantelos @mmantelos)

A bumblebee in Tristeno, Greece glittering magically as it gets its fill of pollen. What have you planted in your garden or windowbox lately to be a friend to bees and other pollinators? (Photo Credit: Michalis Mantelos @mmantelos)

1. 

THERE IS ONLY ONE CLASSICS DEPT. LEFT IN AN HBCU

And it’s on the chopping block. Why should anyone care

2.

NO TRAVEL PLANS, BUT NEED AN ESCAPE?

Try these books based on ancient Greek myths

3. 

THINKING ABOUT WHEN TO HEAD TO GREECE? 

There’s never a bad time to go to Greece, but here is a month-by-month breakdown from Lonely Planet about what each month has to offer

4. 

THE ODYSSEY 

Or you could always try to retrace Odysseus’s steps, like this woman did

5.

SAY IT AIN’T SO, HOMER(S)

“Born middle-class in Oakland in 1902, Milman Parry became famous posthumously for his idea that The Odyssey and The Iliad, thought by many to have been written by an individual human being named “Homer,” were actually the accumulated results of centuries of oral performance by different people.”

6.

LET’S PLAY (SAID LIKE THE AUDIENCE YELLS “WHEEL! OF! FORTUNE!”) GREEN! YOUR! PARISH! 

We love that the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America is doing this “How-to” Green Your Parish video series. This edition’s Bravo Sou Award goes to them. (Read more about their “Greening the Parish” initiative here, and search for “how to green your parish” on YouTube to watch more episodes of “How-to” Green Your Parish as they are released.)

7. 

STAMMER, STAMMER, ORATE

Demosthenes wasn’t born a great orator. He had to practice. A lot

8.

STRONG GREEK WOMAN

Stella Theodore Manios just celebrated her 104th birthday. Her “baby brother,” 92-year-old former SC Lt. Gov. Nick Theodore, was the only man invited to the celebration. Stella has lived through two pandemics and two world wars, and she is still dancing. Opa! 

9. 

THESE LEGO MASTERS GOT THE SPARTAN SPIRIT RIGHT (IF NOT THE HISTORY)  

“Unfortunately for these hopeful Lego Masters, the city of Sparta was not famous in the ancient world for its walls — but for its lack of them.”

10. 

OUR LIFE STORIES 

We here at Greece Is The Word are committed to preserving Greek American history one life story at a time. We failed to capture our father's extraordinary life story in his own words before he died, and we don't want others to make that same irreversible mistake. We are currently scheduling 60-90-minute Zoom interviews, and the price is $195. Check out a sample clip here, and reach out to us if you’d like to discuss.


You are probably already aware that our man Mike “Stonie” Woods, who’s been on the Greece Is the Word team since day one, is on hiatus until August. If you haven’t already, subscribe to his YouTube channel so you are notified when he publishes a new video. As Stonie says, “There’s money on the streets that can’t be ignored. If you wanna win big, you gotta bet big. GOODLUCK2YA!”


We don’t know what the weather is like where you are, but it is heating up here in California! Don’t buy anything just for the sake of buying it (#reduceyourfootprint), but if you or your kids have no short-sleeve tops to keep cool in this warming weather consider picking one up from our online shop.

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Stay healthy and safe!

Opa!

Peter and the Greece Is the Word Crew

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