The Deree College Observer

There's More to Athens than Riots March 13, 2013 - Maria Soulandrou
	Foreign and - often - Greek television reports often relay to audiences images of rioters and police battling in the streets of central Athens against a backdrop of flames and smoke. But that is a lopsided view of things. Maria Soulandrou reports. Play Video


On Their Bikes, Riders Conquer the Night June 16, 2012 - Teri Peppas
	This Friday the journey will make history. Everyone gathers in Assomaton Square in Thissio, waiting with anticipation for the adventure to begin, snacking gazing at the Acropolis a short distance away. The lighted Parthenon at night makes the eyes glow with the reflection of Greek heritage. Full Story


In Bohemian Psiri, Substance Flows into Essence June 15, 2012 - Alexander Overholser
	The pungent sting of teargas seeped into the car, while a swarm of faceless riot police, alien in gasmasks and segmented armor, lumbered into the square. As we sat in the car philosophizing the value of "dude let's get outta here" vs. "dude relax it's nothing", several sharp explosions punctured the night, followed by shouting and the dull thud of flashbangs. Full Story


Media Pros Look to a Digital Future May 24 , 2012 - Chris Baskakis
	Communication industry professionals and students explored social media and the changes that our digital lifestyle has brought to news, brands and NGOs at Communication Contexts 2012: Digital Pathways. Full Story


Minimal Jazz House Music Swings the Votanikos Arena May 17 , 2012 - Georgina Makri
	Driving down to Iera Odos one evening in April, I came to realize that the Votanikos Arena is sometimes used for alternative events and not just as a bouzouki place. When I arrived at Votanikos 9:30, more than 300 people were waiting anxiously to enter the concert area. Amazingly, It looked like it would be a sell-out. How many fans can an Austrian band have in Greece, anyway? Plenty. As I found out, I am not the only one who is up on emerging music genres. Full Story


A Diving Instructor Finds Salvation in the Sea March 26 , 2012 - Idylli Tsakiri-Karazaferi
	A world of hidden beauty normally draws scuba divers into the sea. But for one diving instructor, suiting up has been a form of deliverance. Idylli Tsakiri Karatzaferi has the story of a man whose attitude to life is the biggest lesson his students learn. Play Video


Recession Builds a Wall of Despair around Heroin Addicts February 20 , 2012 - John Keimalis
	Every day that passes by, Kostas feels his body stronger and his mind more lucid. For the past four months he has been walking daily four kilometres in order to reach his destination. But he does not mind, because he chose to live. Full Story
In One Greek Town, a Day of Sacrifice Remembered November 16 , 2011 - Dimitris Apostolopoulos
	At 2:30 on the crisp afternoon, the snow is clear in the hills that surround the town. The German soldiers point their machine guns at the five hundred male residents and start shouting. Two hours later the execution has ended. There are 12 survivors. Full Story
Theatre Goes to the Streets May 25 , 2011 - Gina Vagia
	The night has just fallen on the streets of central Athens. There's not any national celebration or anything special to keep people outside their houses. It's not even the weekend; it's just an ordinary day of October 2010. Full Story
The Greek Navy SEAL Devotion Leads to Excellence May 20 , 2011 - Idyli Tsakiri-Karatzaferi
	Neoprene diving suits under the camouflage uniforms, air tanks with 95% oxygen that recycle the air so that no bubbles will give away their position, mines tied to their backs and gloves with cuts in the fingers for better feeling of the trigger. Something between dolphins and spidermen, the Greek Navy SEAL are getting ready for a training dive and they do not stop, not even for a moment, to smile and sing. Full Story
Visitors to Ioannina’s Little Island Discover a Big Past February 24, 2010 - Chrysanthi Kontou
	“Hey, mom, look at the mosque’s tip over there! Can you see the birds flying all around it?” said the little girl, her finger pointing at the mosque. Her name was Nadia and she was in Ioannina with her mother on a three-day vacation, as I heard them explaining to a man next to them. Full Story
Behind a Doctor’s Smile Stands Patients’ Gratitude December 10, 2009 - Sofia Bisa
	Dr. Apostolos Belos stood at the entrance of Sismanoglio hospital. He has dark hair, a mustache, touches of grey, and a sweet smile. We took the elevator to the third floor and, as we walked through a long dark hallway, pale people walked around in their pajamas, some holding their serum in one hand. Full Story
*Before Copenhagen Climate Summit, Greenpeace and WWF Screen Age of Stupid* in Central Athens November 4, 2009** -Andreas Aktoudianakis
	Greenpeace estimates the annual cost of environmental catastrophes around the world at $1.25 trillion. This is why the organization considers cutting green house gas emissions a global priority. And, to make its point, its screening of the film Age of Stupid in Syntagma Square on October 22 literally cost the environment nothing, said the organizers of the event. Full Story
Outside Comfort Zone, U.S. Student Grows and Learns July 9, 2009 - Jane Goodman
	When I decided to study in Greece for a semester, I was thrilled by the opportunity that lay before me. I wanted my abroad experience to push me outside of my comfort zone and to teach me things that surely only coming to Greece could do. With its rich culture, strong history and beautiful landscape, I knew Greece would change me for the better. Full Story
Bananas Make Ends Meet May 11, 2009 - Andreas Aktoudianakis
	You can spot them in big roads around Athens, and usually you wave your hand negatively when the time comes. Han, the nineteen-year-old Pakistani who sells his bananas at the traffic lights of Stavros in Agia Paraskevi, didn’t want to talk in an interview. He was obviously scared, thinking I might be some kind of threat, so he called somebody on the phone and asked me to speak with him. Full Story
Marooned in the Past, an Islander Survives in the Present May 9, 2009 - Effrosyni Karafotia
I waved with one hand, since the second was busy holding bags. It was a Tuesday afternoon and I had just made it for some shopping downtown. The taxi stopped a few feet away from me and I squeezed myself in. What hit me first was a peculiar smell of fruity hair gel mixed with smoke, and a slight odor of sweat. Full Story
Pigeons Fall Prey to Poison April 1, 2009 - Oliver Bailey
	Life in the upper square of Aghia Paraskevi has habitually featured the sounds of cars rolling past, people talking and pigeons and flapping their wings. But the atmosphere of the upper square was recently disrupted by the poisoning of the pigeons. Full Story
Stratos Kourakis, a Veteran of Dachau November 7, 2008 - Andreas Aktoudianakis
	As I was wandering around the central square of Vrilissia, holding an ice cream and some napkins, I approached the church of the Analipsi. The crowd was perky, parents standing like proud peacocks in anticipation of their sons and daughters marching by in the annual October 28th parade commemorating Greece’s rejection of an Italian ultimatum to surrender at the outset of World War II. Full Story
For Cypriots, Going Home Stirs Painful Memories May 29, 2008 - Agapios Papaioannou
	It’s been 30 years now, but Eleni Theodorou, 65-years-old, can still hear the war siren which woke her up on July 20, 1974. At first she thought she was having a bad dream, but a few seconds later she felt her husband jumping out of bed and turning the radio on. She screamed as she listened to the news and ran to wake her kids up. An hour later, the Theodorou family got in the car and drove away from their house. Full Story
Massage Your Babies May 29, 2008 - Agapios Papaioannou
	Over the last few years, more and more Greek parents have been enrolling in classes on how to massage their infant babies in health centers and become familiar with benefits that they and their babies enjoy from it. Full Story
Dead Whale Discovered in Cephalonia May 27, 2008 - Angelos Sfyroeras
A dead whale was found Friday afternoon floating in Sami Bay of the island of Cephalonia Friday afternoon. The mammal was spotted by a fisherman and scientists and the port authorities of the island were alerted. During a nocturnal operation, the dead whale was carried to the port, where it remains. Full Story
What Dog Owners Need to Know About the Kalazar Virus May 19, 2008 - Dominique Weaver
	Seven years ago the Ellinas family learned that their two-year-old dog, Ada, had contracted Kalazar, a parasite carried by a type of sand fly. It commonly affects dogs in the Mediterranean and Greece, where about 500,000 housedogs have been diagnosed with the disease. It is unknown how many stray dogs have it. Full Story
Device Promises Cosmetic Relief May 19, 2008 - Anastasia Georgakopoulos
	Women have a new ally in the struggle for beauty. Dectro International has launched a new device that promises to battle the problems of body hair, aging and grog-blossoms. Full Story
Monastiraki, the Multicultural Center of Athens November 15 , 2005 - Electra Astrinidou
	The shop owner stops at the exit of his store and studies the crowds. “I love it. I never get bored, even on the slow days,” said Nikos. “The people are so colorful. They’re fun to watch.” It is a weekday at Monastiraki square. The Acropolis looms overhead as Athenians and tourists mingle and assemble into groups to watch street musicians perform their daily show. Full Story
*The koulouri* has Never Left Greek Homes December 2 , 2005** - Georgia Savvidi
Anyone can make them. “You just need flour, salt, sugar, sesame and water,” said Manolis Kolovos, owner of the Ionia bakery. Koulouria, or bread rings, originated with the Greeks of Smyrni, on the coast of what is today modern Turkey. Full Story