Events

Listed below are this year's Year of Greece events through the 2022 spring semester. Time and location information will be added as that information becomes available. If you have any questions about the events listed below, please contact Todd Harper at tharper@kennesaw.edu

We hope to see you at some of our events this year!

• 

  The Olympic Movement

  Date: Sept. 13
  Time: 3:30 - 4:45 p.m.
  Location: Leadership Room, Carmichael Student Center

  During the 1870s, Greek nationalists eager to assert Greece’s new independence on the world stage planned the first modern Olympic games in Athens.  This revival, which led to the founding of the Modern Olympic Movement, helped establish Greece as a nation and to connect Greece to its past while looking forwards towards its future. Join us as Dr. Louis A. Ruprecht, Director, GSU Center for Hellenic Studies, discusses the role of the Modern Olympic Movement played in formulating a Greek national identify.    All are welcome.
• 

  Year of Greece Grand Opening

  Date: Sept. 15
  Time: 6 p.m. - 7 p.m.
  Location: KSU Commons

  Come join us in the KSU Commons, located on the Kennesaw campus, for the “Year of Greece Grand Opening” with a celebration of food and fun.  The Commons will feature Greek dishes at each of its stations throughout the day. An accompanying description of the food, including a description of its historical connection to Greece. “Year of Greece” T-Shirts and Information for fall events will also be available at a table manned by the “Year of Greece” planning committee in the evening. 
• 

  Celebration of Stone Carving

  Date: September 23
  Time: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
  Location: Campus Green, Kennesaw Campus

  Elizabeth Thomas, Education & Outreach Coordinator at the ZMA, presents a unique perspective on Ruth Zuckerman’s artistic work, process, and associated tools Ruth Zuckerman utilized to create her sculptures. Thomas will draw comparisons of Zuckerman’s work and process to that of Ancient Greek statuary which was created to represent idealized human forms of athletes and gods. To celebrate the Year of Greece and Ruth Zuckerman’s birthday, students will have the opportunity to try their hand at chiseling stone and create their own carvings in plaster on-site outside on the Green.

  • Register Here
• 

  Hellenic Influence on the Development of Early Modern Dance

  Date: Sept. 29
  Time: 2:30 - 3:30 p.m.
  Location: Stillwell Theater, Kennesaw Campus

  Distinguished College of The Arts (COTA) guest scholar and dance instructor, Meg Brooker, will lecture on the Hellenistic influence of early modern dance.  Brooker, an Isadora Duncan Dance Artist, will also include demonstrations of various movements and styles that made their way into modern dance of the early 20th century. In addition, Duncan will be hosting a Master’s Class for COTA Dance students.  All are welcome to attend the lecture and demonstration. 
• 

  The Paradox of Freedom: Present Day Reflections on the Greek War of Independence

  Date: Oct. 14
  Time: 12:30 - 1:45 p.m.
  Location: Leadership Room, Carmichael Student Center

  As Greeks and Greek-Americans celebrate the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence, noted Harvard anthropologist Michael Herzfeld will discuss the cultural and political tools that a newly emergent people used to create their freedom, which became both the treasured traces of a historic responsibility and a potential threat to authority.  By looking at the revolution through the eyes of today’s Cretan shepherds, Herzfeld will discuss ways that threats to authority sometimes get the upper-hand.  He will also use this material to reflect on some common misunderstandings of what freedom and democracy – the latter a concept vaguely attributed to “the Greeks” without close attention to its significance in the Greece then and now – have evolved in the English-speaking world today. This is a Journey Honors College sponsored event in collaboration with the Georgia State University Center for Hellenistic Studies.  All are welcome. 

  • Register
• 

  Fact vs. Fiction About the Most Well-Known Greek Letter: An Interactive Historical Summary of Pi

  Date: Oct. 20, 2021
  Time: 10 - 11 a.m.
  Location: Virtual
  
  Bagwell College of Education Faculty members David Glassmeyer and Brian R. Lawler will facilitate an interactive math talk highlighting a) Facts & Myths about ancient Greek mathematical discoveries, b) the civilization of ancient Greece/innovations in mathematics & technology.  They will use familiar shapes to Approximate Area/Circle circumference. This virtual talk will be interactive and geared for both students and faculty. 

  • Virtual Event Link
  • Register
• 

  Greek Economy and Sustainability Models

  Date: Oct. 21
  Time: 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
  Location: University Rooms, Carmichael Student Center

  All are encouraged to attend this University-wide event, which will showcase Greek and Greek-American contributions to business.  This discussion is especially timely as the large Greek-American community of the southeastern region of the United States begins to reflect upon the cultural and financial resources that brought many Greeks to this region as well as the post-pandemic road that lies ahead. The panel of five moderated by Dr. Jennifer Hutchins will include four distinguished guests, including Ted Diamantis, president of the largest U.S. wine distributor; Endy Zemenides, the executive director of the Hellenic-American Leadership Council; Mary Waters, Deputy Commissioner of Trade, Georgia Department of Economic Development; Theodoros Dimopolus, Consul of Greece in Atlanta; and Aphroditi Doritis, president and managing director of Bright Color S.A. 

  We encourage all to attend, especially the Greek-American community of Atlanta, the KSU business community, and KSU faculty, staff, and students. 

  • Register
• 

  Myths and Self-Deceptions about the Greek Debt Crisis

  Date: Feb. 9
  Time: 10:10 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
  Location: Burrus Building 151
  
  The long-running Greek public debt crisis has been accompanied by an
  information war that has obscured many important aspects of what has occurred.
  
  The misconceptions, self-deceptions, and myths associated with the crisis have been at least partly responsible for the obviously inadequate response to the crisis that has not only damaged the economy and society of Greece, but has also harmed the euro zone project. 
  
  Stergios Skaperdas argues against a number of such myths about the
  effects of default: the primary cause of the crisis, the likely effects of an exit from the euro zone, the bargaining power of the Greek government in its negotiations with the EU/ECB/IMF troika, and other related issues. He will also discuss the context of the wider retreat
  of democracy in the European Union and its future prospects.
  
• 

  Greece's Impact on the Restaurant Business in Atlanta

  Date: Feb. 17
  Time: 6:30 p.m.
  Location: Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Marietta

  This panel will feature a discussion of locally-owned and operated Greek and Greek-American restaurants in the Atlanta area.  An adjacent room will feature Greek food from Atlanta area restaurants. 

  *This event is by invitation only.
• 

  KSU Indoor Sprint Triathlon

  Date: Feb. 19
  Time: 8 - 11 a.m.
  Location: Siegel Student Recreation and Activities Center

  
  Come be part of the first KSU Indoor Sprint Triathlon from 8am to 11am on February 19, 2022! Whether you are a seasoned triathlete ready to kick start your racing season, an active fitness-goer looking for a new adventure or a supporter of a loved one, this is the family-friendly event for you. Participants will compete in heated timed events: 300-yard swim, 5-mile bike ride, and one-mile run. All participants will receive a swag bag, and awards will go to the top winners for each event and fastest overall times for men and women. Entry fees apply and registration will open November 15; discount registration is available prior to January 1. Check out the Department of Sports and Recreation website for more details. All are welcome.

  Registration Fees:

  · $5 - Students

  · $10 - Recreation members

  · $20 - Other KSU affiliates

  · $30 - Non-KSU affiliates
• 

  Stingers Return to Campus Event

  Date: Feb. 23
  Time: All Day with Special Emphasis from 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
  Location: Stingers/Marietta

  Please stop by Stingers, the dining hall on the Marietta campus, to celebrate the return of the school year and the first Year of Greece spring event.  The dining hall will feature Greek-themed art and trivia along with Greek food.  The event will run throughout the day with special emphasis from 5:00 p.m.  to 7:00 p.m.  This is a University event.  All are welcome.
• 

  Fifth Annual EQUINOX Week + Year of Greece

  Date: March 1 - 4

  Time: Multiple*

  Location: Multiple*

  *Fifth Annual EQUINOX Symposium: UN SDGs will be held virtual on Tuesday, March 1st, 2022.

  The annual EQUINOX Week unfolds a diverse set of multidisciplinary programs across the KSU both campuses focused on the Sustainable Development Goals. To foster cross-pollination, team-formation, and actions on the UN SDGs; the EQUINOX seeks to bring together institutions of higher education, professionals, policymakers, stakeholders, community members, and advocates. Promoting also the KSU R2 Roadmap strategic and shared goals, the EQUINOX Week advances research and collaboration among the KSU community and beyond through various programs -- including the annual EQUINOX Symposium: UN SDGs; EQUINOX_Exhibit; Sustainable Development Awards; EQUINOX FORUM: Sustainability through Multiple Lenses; and Sustainable Development Career Pathways. A multi-sponsored platform with invited international, regional, and local speakers, the initiative was among one of the first in the region dedicated to the UN SDGs. For further info on the upcoming Fifth Annual EQUINOX + Year of Greece, in March 2022, stay tuned here.

  • Register Here
• 

  Myths and Mayhem, Opera Scenes from Greek Mythology

  Date: March 1
  Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. 
  Virtual Event

   

  Eileen Moremen, School of Music Director of Opera Theatre; M. Todd Harper, DGA Annual Year of Country Study Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of English

  School of Music Director of Opera Theatre, Eileen Moremen, and DGA Annual Year of Country Study Faculty Fellow and Associate Professor of English, M. Todd Harper, will present a prerecorded recital of opera theatre students performing opera scenes from Greek Mythology, including Orpheus and Euridice, Acis and Galetea, La Calisto, Dido and Aeneas, and Semele. Following the

  performance, Professors Moremen and Harper will host a “talk-back” to discuss Greek Mythology and its role in Opera. All are welcome.

  • Virtual Reservation
• 

  Rare Perspectives: Library Book Highlight

  Opening Ceremony: March 17
  *Will be open Spring and Summer semesters

  Rare Perspectives pays homage to a lesser-known area of Greek history: the establishment of modern Greece. This exhibition uses rare books in the English language to explore the intersection between European Romanticism and the struggle for Greek independence in the nineteenth century.  Works featured in this exhibition are part of the Bentley Rare Book Museum’s seed collection of historical texts on modern Greece that address themes such as freedom, nationalism, and identity. These works demonstrate how the printed word influences and interprets a national revolution. 
• 

  Minoan Tastes: Presentation

  Date: March 24
  Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. 
  Location: University Room B, Carmichael Student Center

  Jerolyn Morrison is the founder of Minoan Tastes, which is a social enterprise promoting the culinary history of ancient Crete by working together with a network of food experts, historians, potters, and archaeologists. Minoan Tastes was developed out of the desire to present scientific knowledge in a more tangible way for modern people so that they can better understand how ancient people that lived during the Minoan time period (ca. 3000-5000 years ago) performed daily activities.

  Dr. Morrison will lecture on how plant and animals remains from archaeological sites in Greece contribute to our understanding of life in the past.
• 

  The Greek War for Independence: American Interest and Perceptions in the Fight for Golden Age Greece

  Date: March 24
  Time: 12:30 p.m. - 1:45 p.m. 
  Location: University Room B, Carmichael Student Center

  KSU historian Diana Honey will discuss America’s interest in the Greek War of Independence. This is an area of Greek Revolutionary history often either minimized or overlooked, altogether. The war, itself, and the many issues, people, individual battles, and the economics of it, were of keen interest to many in western societies. Some in the west felt a vested interest in the survival of Greece and its heritage. Many offered support based on the legacy of a long past Golden Age. That support took the form of debates in both the British Parliament and the U.S. Congress.

  She will review the official bottom line for the U.S. government which was shaped by America’s own recent independence as well as an ambivalence toward becoming involved in, as Washington framed it, “…foreign entanglements.” However, as she will note, non-involvement seemed not to be the answer for most Americans, in general. American Interest and Perceptions only touches the surface of how Americans did in fact supported the Greek War for Independence materially, financially, and ethically.
• 

  Costaki Economopoulos:  An Evening with a Greek-American Comedian

  Date: March 24
  Time: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
  Location: University Room B, Carmichael Student Center

  We will host an evening with Greek comedian Costaki Economopoulos. Costaki will perform a comedy show for faculty, staff, and students during the evening of entertainment. Costaki, who now lives in L.A., grew up in Marietta GA and attended Sprayberry High School and UGA. The comedy show will highlight a variety of Greek Myths & Mythology, while providing clean laughter for all.  

  All are welcome. 
• 

  Minoan Tastes: Demonstration

  Date: March 25
  Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 
  Location: Iron Pour (outside the Visual Arts Building)

  Jerolyn Morrison is the founder of Minoan Tastes, which is a social enterprise promoting the culinary history of ancient Crete by working together with a network of food experts, historians, potters, and archaeologists. Minoan Tastes was developed out of the desire to present scientific knowledge in a more tangible way for modern people so that they can better understand how ancient people that lived during the Minoan time period (ca. 3000-5000 years ago) performed daily activities.

  Dr. Morrison will prepare food in ceramic Minoan-style cooking pots using food ingredients that were available only during the Minoan times over a hearth-fire to allow visitors to the event to engage all of their senses while investigating ancient life.
• 

  Speech Olympics

  Date: March 25 
  Time: 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. 
  Location: University Room C, Carmichael Student Center

  On Friday, March 25, 2022, the School of Communication along with the Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences will be hosting the "Speech Olympics" as part of KSU's Year of Greece programming.  The event is open to all KSU students, and will include free food, opportunities to practice public speaking, fun swag, and more!  

  The "Speech Olympics" will be a fun-filled event from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. and a great line item on your resume.  All participants will be emailed a digital certificate upon completion of the event, and prizes will be awarded to the top speakers.  Don't wait, this campus-wide event is limited to a total of 48 students.  Online registration is available through Friday, March 18 at the link below: 

  • Registration Link
• 

  A Tale of Two Wells: Infant Death in Ancient Athens and Eretria, Greece

  Date: March 29
  Time: 11:00 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
  Location: Leadership Room, Carmichael Student Center

  The death of one or more infants would have been a nearly universal part of the lives of women in Ancient Greece. Yet until recently, other than a very few burials of women and infants together, there has been almost no evidence for this. Infant remains are rare in cemeteries of nearly all periods. However, the analyses of two wells in the Athenian Agora and Eretria, Euboia provide some of the first evidence for perinatal death and the decisions that were made regarding infant remains. They offer insight into the role of midwives, the interventions that could take place in difficult births, and the causes of infant death. The informal disposal of infant remains in wells also provides some evidence for the process of acquiring a social identity in Greek society. We cannot know how much agency the mothers of these infants had in the decisions made about them, but these infant remains provide unusually detailed evidence for the practice and outcomes of childbirth, a central event in the lives of ancient Greek women.
• 

  Transformation of Urban Form in Coastal Cities of Greece

  Date: April 15
  Time: 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.
  Location: The Pit, Building N, Department of Architecture, Marietta Campus

  Coastal cities in Greece are studied as they transformed over time from their ancient and Byzantine origins, by adopting Venetian and Ottoman influences to undergoing Napoleonic planning interventions after the independence in 1829. The study of urban morphology in the Ionian and Aegean littoral is focused on street patterns, which have resulted from the dynamic balance between socio-cultural effects and the constraints of coastal terrains. The presentation brings together Dr. Shpuza’s ongoing research on coastal cities with student work developed as part of the Year of Greece initiatives at the Department of Architecture KSU. All are welcome