Stockton College Celebrates “Greek American Dream”
Whether you are from Europe, Africa, or Asia, the experience of immigrating to America marks a dramatic rupture from the way of life in the Old World. On October 7, 2007, the Hellenic Studies program at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey celebrated the particular Greek immigration experience with guest speaker, retired US Senator Paul S. Sarbanes (D-MD 1977-2007), and the showing of the film, The Journey: The Greek American Dream. The event, organized by The Friends of Hellenic Studies, was attended by over 200 students, community members and supporters.
The film, written, directed and produced by Maria Iliou in collaboration with Haverford College historian Professor Alexander Kitroeff, an expert in Hellenic diaspora history, tells the story of the Greek immigration to America from 1890 to 1980. Interviews with prominent Greek Americans included Senator Sarbanes, writers George Pelecanos and Elias Kulukundis, poet Olga Broumas, film critic/historian Dan Georgakas, Ellis Island Archivist George Tselos, Hellenic Studies professors Martha Klironomos and Artemis Leontis, and Father Bob Stephanopoulos complement the photographic and filmic archival footage.
Senator Sarbanes responded to the film by discussing his own family’s experience as immigrants and his life as a Greek-American in public service. He recounted how he had been born on Maryland’s Eastern Shore to Greek immigrants, Spyros and Matina Sarbanes, who had emigrated from Laconia, Greece.
Sarbanes identified four values that mark Greek immigrants and led them to success in the United States: family, faith, hard work and education. He expounded on each, offering examples of how these impacted his own life. He went on to discuss the importance of education, and how important it is to support programs such as the exceptional Stockton Hellenic Studies program. He also noted that it is essential that anyone who wishes to attend college, in this day and age, should be given the chance. It is the duty of our society to educate its people for the health of the society. Senator Sarbanes remarks were greatly appreciated and enjoyed by the audience.
The chairman of the event, and Master of Ceremonies was Prof. Tom Papademetriou, who holds the Georgiou Endowed Professorship of Modern Greek history. Papademetriou also serves as the Executive Director of the Interdisciplinary Center of Hellenic Studies at Stockton. “While today’s program is a departure from the many Ancient Greek cultural events we have offered in the past, this one is quite appropriate as it displays the diachronic range of the Greek spirit from Antiquity to the modern times,” he said.
The Provost Dr. David Carr, and President, Dr. Herman Saatkamp offered greetings, highlighting the College’s commitment to educating young people and the value of Hellenic Studies to a liberal arts education. President Saatkamp also received several donations that day, one for $10,000 from Dr. Peter Yiannos of Wilmington, DE on behalf of the Tri-State American Foundation for Greek Language and Culture (AFGLC) to support the Interdisciplinary Center for Hellenic Studies. Dr. Yiannos, with his wife Stella, previously personally donated $100,000 for the Peter & Stella Yiannos Endowed Professorship in Greek Language and Literature. Other benefactors who were present were Dean and Zoe Pappas (The Clement and Helen Pappas Endowed Professorship in Byzantine Civilization and Religon), Mr. Constantine Georgiou (The Constantine and Georgeian Georgiou Endowed Professorship in Greek History), and Mr. Petros Tsantes (The Petros and Despoina Tsantes Endowed Professorship of Ancient Greek Philosophy in honor of Katerina Batouyios). Yiannos explained the AFGLC itself sponsored the fifth endowment, but “we are still looking for a Nouno!”
Six $1,000 scholarships that were awarded to students who excelled in Hellenic Studies were announced. The scholarships are named in honor of Rev. Dr. Demetrios Constantelos, the founder of Hellenic Studies at Stockton, as well as in the names of James and Soteria Roumbas, and Phokas and Lily Angelatos, other New Jersey benefactors.
Rev. Dr. Demetrios J. Constantelos, the internationally renowned historian, theologian and professor emeritus and the founder of Hellenic studies at Stockton, offered closing remarks and the benediction. Fr. Constantelos emphasized the ideas of faith and knowledge (pistis kai gnosis) and the importance of supporting Hellenic Studies at Stockton College and across the country.
