Academy Blue & Gold Student Newspaper, Spring 2012

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Cafeteria Clutter By Laith Kalai If you noticed that last week there were three intimidating and hungry seniors taking notes as you ate your lunch innocently (or not) in the cafeteria, we (Carli, Ioanna and Laith) would like to inform you that it was all for a good cause. Contrary to popular belief, ACS HS students do not litter as much as they have been assumed to do. Or at least this was not the case during the month of February. Questioning the validity of recent thought within the ACS HS community, three IB Psychology students decided to use the knowledge acquired from an in-class qualitative/quantitative research project and apply it to the real world—the ACS environment they live in. Carli Venter, Ioanna Tzigou and Laith Kalai (Class of 2012), conducted a covert observational research study to see to what extent does the ACS community litters during lunch time. At first, being concerned with the amount of garbage left behind, we deemed a quantitative approach was necessary to quantify the amount of garbage ACS HS students leave behind. Something still seemed missing, however. Not satisfied with a simple statistical approach, we decided to tackle the issue using a secondary approach that is concerned with the why and how aspect of the equation, aiming to see why ACS students tend to leave their garbage behind. During every lunch break for one entire week, we divided the ACS cafeteria into three sections, each of us responsible for one section and that held five lunch tables; approximately five students per table. Students were observed for 30 minutes and their garbage disposal patterns were recorded anonymously. Once students decided to leave the cafeteria and their garbage behind, they were approached by one of us for a short interview that consisted of the following questionnaire: Out of a high school student population of approximately 350 students, 155 were observed and questioned. Note: The study conducted only covers students who ate their lunch in the cafeteria during the specific week. To our surprise, an impressive 15% litter rate took place during that specific week. Out of 155 hungry students, only 24 left their garbage behind (garbage includes containers, bottles and/or utensils). As you can note on the graph on the next page, the biggest three sections are concerned with the quantitative approach while the smaller two sections are concerned with the qualitative measure. However, just as most qualitative research studies end up, the qualitative approach ends up being quantified as well. 1.Are you responsible for any chores at home? including but not limited to: cleaning up after yourself or other family members, doing the dishes, taking out the trash, other chores. Yes No 2.Why do you tend to leave your garbage behind? a.) You assume someone else will clean up after you. (friend, janitor, someone else) b.) You don’t necessarily care. c.) You forget Spring 2012 Edition

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ACS Athens Academy Blue & Gold Student Newspaper, Spring 2012

Transcript of Academy Blue & Gold Student Newspaper, Spring 2012

Page 1: Academy Blue & Gold Student Newspaper, Spring 2012

 

Cafeteria Clutter By Laith Kalai

If you noticed that last week there were three intimidating and hungry seniors taking notes as you ate your lunch innocently (or not) in the cafeteria, we (Carli, Ioanna and Laith) would like to inform you that it was all for a good cause. Contrary to popular belief, ACS HS students do not litter as much as they have been assumed to do. Or at least this was not the case during the month of February. Questioning the validity of recent thought within the ACS HS community, three IB Psychology students decided to use the knowledge acquired from an in-class qualitative/quantitative research project and apply it to the real world—the ACS environment they live in. Carli Venter, Ioanna Tzigou and Laith Kalai (Class of 2012), conducted a covert observational research study to see to what extent does the ACS community litters during lunch time. At first, being concerned with the amount of garbage left behind, we deemed a quantitative approach was necessary to quantify the amount of garbage ACS HS students leave behind. Something still seemed missing, however. Not satisfied with a simple statistical approach, we decided to tackle the issue using a secondary approach that is concerned with the why and how aspect of the equation, aiming to see why ACS students tend to leave their garbage behind. During every lunch break for one entire week, we divided the ACS cafeteria into three sections, each of us responsible for one section and that held five lunch tables;

approximately five students per table. Students were observed for 30 minutes and their garbage disposal patterns were recorded anonymously. Once students decided to leave the cafeteria and their garbage behind, they were approached by one of us for a short interview that consisted of the following questionnaire: Out of a high school student population of approximately 350 students, 155 were observed and questioned. Note: The study conducted only covers students who ate their lunch in the cafeteria during the specific week. To our surprise, an impressive 15% litter rate took place during that specific week. Out of 155 hungry students, only 24 left their garbage behind (garbage includes containers, bottles and/or utensils). As you can note on the graph on the next page, the biggest three sections are concerned

with the quantitative

approach while the smaller two sections are concerned with the

qualitative measure. However, just as most qualitative research studies end up, the

qualitative approach ends up being quantified as well.

1.Are  you  responsible  for  any  chores  at  home?  including  but  not  limited  to:  cleaning  up  after  yourself  or  other  family  members,  doing  the  dishes,  taking  out  the  trash,  other  chores.    

   Yes                                                No    

2.Why  do  you  tend  to  leave  your  garbage  behind?  a.) You  assume  someone  else  will  clean  up  after  you.  

(friend,  janitor,  someone  else)  b.) You  don’t  necessarily  care.  c.) You  forget  

   

Spring  2012  Edition      

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ACS HS POPULATION

~350

STUDENTS WHO EAT IN CAFETERIA =155

STUDENTS WHO LITTERED

=24

LITTERERS WHO ANSWERD Q1

WITH NO =15

LITTERERS WHO

ANSWERED Q2 WITH (B)

or (C) =21

So what do these results mean? Well

first of all, the case of littering at ACS is not as severe as we

previously thought it was.

Litter rate for that specific week was a

relatively low 15%. One should keep in mind however that this information cannot be generalized to the whole school as it simply covers students who ate food inside the cafeteria during that week. Students who tend to eat their food outside the cafeteria might have a higher tendency to litter simply because they are not being directly monitored and are more scattered around campus. Another reason why this data cannot be generalized is because it covers one week out of a whole school year and the patterns might fluctuate over the course of a year. So now that the quantitative part of the equation is analyzed, what does the qualitative approach tell us about ACS students? In a nutshell, most students who litter have responded to the responsibility based question with NO. In other words, students who do not have many responsibilities at home tend to litter a bit more. Students who do have responsibilities at home

like cleaning up after themselves and/or other family members tend to mimic the same behavior in school and clean up after themselves. In order for us to slap an attribution on this statistic's back, we decided to question these students' behaviors. We simply posed a multiple choice question (refer to Q2) and asked why they chose not to clean up on that specific day. 22/24 students, or 92% of litterers claimed to have

forgot or simply didn't care. The remaining 8% expected someone else to clean up after them like a friend or a janitor. Despite the low percentage of litterers established through this research, at least now we have acquired the names of students who are responsible for littering. See next page for the full list of names including grade level and home address. Just kidding! Research was fully anonymous. However what we can truthfully say is that our eyes were indeed opened wide as now we can focus on coming up with a solution. One possibility is to better advertise a clean cafeteria so that the 22/24 litterers who claimed to 'have forgotten' about their garbage, will remember next time. On a final note, we thank the ACS student body for being flexible, honest and cooperative. We hope that our research sheds some light on this topic and that appropriate action would be taken.

A Season of Success Fall Sports 2011

By Rachel Todd

The 2011 varsity fall sports season was full of great successes. The Varsity Boys Volleyball placed second at the ISST Division Two tournament in Vienna, Austria; the Girls Volleyball secured ISST Division Two first place in Zurich, Switzerland; ACS hosted the SCIS 2011 Cross Country Championships, where the High School Boys placed second as a team, and Alex Apostolides (Boys 2nd), David Johansson (Boys 10th), and Daphne Apostolides earned individual medals; Daphne and Alex Apostolides placed first and second respectively at the ISST Cross Country Division Two Championships in Bonn, Germany. ACS athletes also represented their school proudly on the all-tournament teams – Nate Todd and Dimitri Garis (Boys Volleyball), Hannah Amis (Girls Volleyball), and Alex Kazakeas (Boys Soccer). But medals aside, 2011 was a season of fun. ACS athletes pursue sports passionately, training in rain, wind, and sweltering sun. Lancers are dedicated to their sports, and the sportsmanship, drive, and commitment which drive them on the court, field, or course and which carry over into their everyday lives. At ACS, sports are not hobbies, sports are life.

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ACS Varsity Girls Volleyball and their first place medals in Zurich, Switzerland

ACS Varsity Boys Volleyball and their stylish sweatshirts (and silver medals) during the ISST

tournament in Vienna, Austria

ACS Varsity Boys Volleyball - “A memorable run to the finals after perhaps the greatest game my

team and I have experienced.” (Nate Todd)

ACS Varsity Girls Soccer showing team spirit during their local tournament

Cross Country at ACS By Rachel Todd

“Cross Country is more than just a sport, it’s a way of challenging yourself beyond limits. Anything that you fear and anything that you have avoided all your life can be achieved through cross country. It is the ultimate sport that truly pushes you beyond all other limits. Would I do it again? My answer

is that I would do it until the day I die, because cross country has become an extremely significant part of my life. I think I speak for everyone on the team when I say that cross country is the only sport where one can truly come in touch with ones feelings, thoughts and soul. It lives within any person who has stretched their legs... and run.” (Daphne Apostolides)

Beware the dangers of running… Lancers XC (L-R: Samuel Reed, David Johansson, Daphne Apostolides, and Carli Venter) relax after the SCIS Cross Country

Championships in October 2011.

Winter/Spring Sports Photo Exhibition

ACS Varsity Boys Basketball team takes First Place in the ISST”S in Brussels, Belgium

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ACS Varsity Girls Basketball takes First Place in the ISST’s in Brussels, Belgium.

ACS High School Swimming Team takes Second Overall in Munich, Germany. At the SCIS Boys took Second place and Girls took Fourth place.

ACS High School Track Team wins Second Place in Vienna, Austria

ACS Tennis Team wins First place in ISST’s Division II Championships in Athens, Greece

The Hague International Model United Nations 2012

By Rachel Todd (Nepalese Ambassador, THIMUN 2012)

For a week in late January, ACS students in suits, ties, high heels, and pencil skirts convene on the seat of international justice in The Hague to debate issues of international importance. They carry briefcases full of resolutions on water pollution, ballistic missiles, anti-discrimination initiatives, conventional disarmament, and environmental degradation. The mornings are brisk and the days long - the delegates leave the hotel at dawn and return in the deepening dusk. This is THIMUN. THIMUN (The Hague International Model United Nations) is an annual conference attended by thousands of high school students, including twelve ACS students. Hannah Achorn, Alex Tziolis, Angelo Angelides, Nikos Efstratudakis, Nate Todd, Nick Papaconstantinou, Kalomira Papadakis, Christine Simou, Demitri Kakaris, Jimena Navarrete, Ioanna Schuppert and I, Rachel Todd, travelled to The Hague to represent Nepal in THIMUN. While there, we explored the canals of Amsterdam, visited the Escher Museum in The Hague, and had the opportunity to visit picturesque Delft and downtown Hague. But more importantly, we were given the chance of a lifetime to participate in the largest international Model United Nations conference. MUN is not only an opportunity for high school students to discuss contemporary global issues; it is an opportunity to grow as a person. Through the

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resolutions and debates, students gain confidence in public speaking and learn how to work together in a group. And while I can't deny the valuable academic skills I have learned from MUN, I have to admit that THIMUN is simply fun. The papers, note-passing, points of information, and spirited debates enlighten the dreary January days. THIMUN is a week of brand-new experiences, every single one "mind opening and fun" according to Nate Todd (Disarmament Sub-Commission 1). This year's delegation was extremely successful. Several of our delegates co-sponsored resolutions which were passed in their committees, and every single delegate had the opportunity to speak during the conference. Moreover, Nate Todd and Kalomira Papadakis gave opening speeches for the Disarmament and Human Rights Sub-Commissions. All around, it was a productive conference. I was the main submitter of a resolution in the General Assembly Committee 1, and spoke for the resolution in committee as well as in the plenary session of the General Assembly. It was exhilarating to speak in front of hundreds of fellow delegates defending my resolution and the work of my co-submitters. And even though my resolution was only one of three resolutions passed in the General Assembly, as Ambassador, I am proud of the work of the entire delegation. Every single ACS delegate worked hard to contribute to an extremely, dare I say it, fruitful week. As, I am a graduating senior, THIMUN 2012 was my final THIMUN, and I believe I speak for all of our senior delegates when I say that THIMUN, and MUN in general, will be greatly missed. Model United Nations is a chance not only to explore and debate issues affecting our generation, but also an unparalleled opportunity for learning how to work in a group setting. The first day at THIMUN is rather surreal; watching thousands of students in business attire march to the World Forum, walking into a committee with at least one hundred strange faces, and trying to merge resolutions while maintaining the integrity of their own ideas. THIMUN is tough, but it is so very rewarding. It is an experience like no other, and one which brings about strange cravings. For a couple of weeks after THIMUN, former delegates feel the urge to wear professional

attire, speak in diplomatic language, and introduce motions to move into recess. Unfortunately our heels never fare well on the annex stairs, our diction sounds strange, and the motions always fail. But for one week at least, the dream that is THIMUN is very much alive. All good things must come to an end, and so Hannah, Alex, Angelo, and I must say goodbye to THIMUN. Yet ACS delegates will return next year, ready to write, debate, and enjoy themselves. Model United Nations is not just an activity; it is a lifestyle -- a lifestyle which creates knowledgeable, educated, and passionate adults. We enter the World Forum Monday morning as scared teenagers and leave the building on Friday afternoon as adults. THIMUN is not just about creating resolutions, it is about shaping people.

A New ACS Era Creating Internationalism

By Dominic Lauren

We live in an integrated world, a world overflowing with culture. But what is culture? In our modern day, perhaps the concept of culture is something indefinable as we live in a global society and have the ability to assimilate to new styles of life. Of course culture exists and is unique for every country, but when viewing culture in an international sense, it is difficult to distinguish the single elements that make up a specific culture as everything is somehow interrelated.

So, what about each one of us? What is our culture? Is it related to our nationality or ethnicity? Is it the culture in which we grow up

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or the culture to which we were born? At ACS we celebrate the internationalism of our students. The collaboration of certain nationalities and ethnicities join in creating our culture. Students are not only exposed to internationalism through the interaction with other students, but also are taught to be global citizens as ACS promotes the acceptance of diversity.

This internationalism does have pros and cons.

Pros of Internationalism: • Global citizens • Awareness of other cultures • Multicultural societies • Recognition and acceptance of other cultures

Cons of Internationalism: • Single cultural elements may fade (i.e.

language) • Some cultures may be ‘praised’ more than

others (i.e. American culture exists everywhere).

A single culture in itself is identifiable, but when visiting multicultural societies, single cultural elements seem to fade. The world is at a crucial time. Our global society is changing cultures rapidly. Individual cultures are in the process of donating specific elements to the formation of a world culture. However, ACS has already established its own international culture, the ACS culture.

CommonApp Essay By Katalina Holland

I missed my

school bus today, and felt especially doomed. The metro, buses and taxis were on strike, again, and my parents couldn’t

pick me up because they live in another country. Five years ago, I would never have imagined that I would choose Greece over my parents.

After spending the first 13 years of my life on St. Maarten, a 37-square-mile bubble in the Caribbean, Greece meant only two things to

me: cradle of Western civilization and good yogurt. My first year in Athens was marked by uncertainty: I was unsure of my ability to acclimate to Greece, and I was scared to try. I vetoed all attempts of putting me in a Greek class, arguing it was a dead language (everywhere else, of course). Instead, I continued with French and resisted change, until one day, while enviously watching my younger brother speak Greek, I felt compelled to give Greek—and Greece—a chance.

I soon began confidently to use public transportation. I conversed in broken Greek with cab drivers and wracked my friends’ brains for Greek phrases I knew I would need in my future excursions. Although I spoke like a Greek preschooler, I could now order a gyro like a local. Greece was not so bad after all. Of course, this was when my parents informed me we would be moving to France.

There’s nothing wrong with the French Riviera. I would be able to improve my French while enjoying the Franco-Italian culture and scenery, and I could embrace all the new cultural experiences France had to offer. I knew I could handle change, so my hesitancy towards this move was no longer an issue of acclimation, but of priorities. I looked up pictures of Nice, “stalked” the kids at The International School on Face book and tried my best to fall in love with my fate. However, the problem with France wasn’t what it offered, but what it didn’t.

What France did not and could not offer was a senior year at my high school in Greece. ACS Athens has known me since 8th grade. I’ve grown with my classmates, and I want to graduate with them, in front of the teachers I love. I like being fully invested in my school’s community, and I have this at ACS. Senior year was my last chance to participate in the Pan-Hellenic Forensics Tournament. There was too much to lose by moving to Nice, even if it meant being apart from my mom, dad, and little brother. So when a family friend offered me a place to live in Greece, my parents agreed that I could decide: should I stay or should I go?

Despite occasional bouts of separation anxiety, I am happy. I am in a crash course on living alone with new people and becoming

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more self-reliant, similar to what I expect to experience in fall 2012. I know I can do it. I am not frightened to leave home for college, because home already left me.

Visions By Peter Mitropoulos

In the beginning of July, I embarked on

my four-week trip to the southern state of Mississippi, full of apprehension. I had little knowledge of what exactly Visions Service Adventures was about; all I knew was that it would be a month full of rigorous volunteer work, in an unfamiliar place, with about 15 other unfamiliar faces from all around the world. I had no clue of what to expect, nor was I feeling much excitement about the trip.

After over 15 hours of flying on three different planes, I finally reached my destination: Gulfport, Mississippi. No more than 50 people crowded the one-room airport, where I first met Abby, the staff leader, who popped up off the floor and greeted me with probably the most profound and comforting hug of my life. The friendly 27 year old immediately made me feel at home, and I knew from that point on that the trip would be better than I thought.

The first few days mainly revolved around getting us to know one another, and settling down. We were stationed in a Methodist Church’s Sunday school; originally, thinking that we would be camping in tents, it was quite a pleasant surprise. In addition, it turned out that all the other kids were just as nervous as I was, and we soon all became close friends.

The work we did was tiring, but very fulfilling. Working in an extremely poor African American community, we had three main goals:

to renovate and re-paint a small house that would be used as an affordable housing unit, to construct a series of raised garden beds which would produce fruits and vegetables for the community, and finally to construct a 6 meter tall chimney swift tower, which houses the endangered “chimney swift” bird species. The work was long and hard, but words cannot describe the profound feeling of being appreciated by others. Many community members would pass by whilst we were digging out the garden, drilling pieces of wood on the roof, or even using the circular saw to construct garden boxes. Each person would stop by, introduce themselves, and explain how much our help meant to them. We soon became members of the community, we were accepted with open arms into a world completely different than the one we had been used to.

However, Mississippi was not all work; we had our fun times too. Every night, when the weather would cool down, we would head to the beach to play football, go fishing on the docks, or hang out with the locals. We spent a weekend in New Orleans where we explored the French Quarter, participated in the Creole summer activities, and visited Hurricane Katrina’s most serious victim: Ward 9.  

My Visions trip was definitely the most memorable experience of my life, as I had never previously exited my comfort zone. I got to know, and become a part of a culture that I would have otherwise never discovered. Finally, and most importantly, I realized how important it is to give back to your community and lend a helping hand, because nothing quite beats the feelings of being appreciated and making a difference.

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A Trip to Holland and the Coldplay Concert By Dimos Papaleonardos

On December 15th we departed for our four day adventure trip to Holland, Nicolas Kalantzakis and myself. Once we arrived after our 6 hour journey, considering the traffic, transportation, the actual airplane trip, we were finally in our hotel at around 10 pm. It was a great feeling being in another country with no parents, just by ourselves, feeling free to do whatever we wanted. Our first stop was Amsterdam, where we would be staying for 2 nights. It was an amazing place to be, so crowded and full of life. As someone would expect, the famous coffee shops were everywhere. And for those who do not know, coffee shops in Amsterdam are shops where cannabis is legal. Of course, you have to be 18 and older to go there; thus it was not possible for us to do so. The two days passed as we cruised around Amsterdam and the famous places in it. On the 17th, we travelled via train to Rotterdam, which was the venue for the Coldplay concert. We arrived at 11am, so we had the whole day to look around and see what was happening. Since Nicolas and I had our own preferences, he took a boat ride around the famous port of Rotterdam, which is one of the biggest in the world, if not the biggest. I went to a modern art exhibition located next to our hotel, and after that, I just went for a walk around the city. An amazing place to be but it felt a bit empty. It’s so modern with all those modern buildings and places but not many people are in the streets. I don’t know if it was the season or if it’s like that in general, but it seemed empty. At last when our

independent adventures were over, we went back to the hotel, chilled a bit, killed some time and then it was time for the Coldplay concert, which was half an hour away from our location. We took the metro to get there, which I must say, is very organized, not like our metro. When we got there we faced 5 huge lines waiting to get in the Ahoy Arena. We waited for half an hour and then the gates finally opened. We walked in and then we entered the magical area where Coldplay would perform. Before Coldplay, there was a warm up band, that wasn’t that bad, but, of course, we all expected Coldplay. When they finally came on, the crowd went crazy, it was just amazing. The concert finished at around 9pm, so we had plenty of time to go out and entertain ourselves. We fooled around in the city and then crashed in our hotel room. The following day we woke up, packed our stuff and walked 20 minutes to the train station which took us to the Amsterdam Airport. We arrived in Athens at around 2 am on Monday morning exhausted but happy. The next day we went to school and well, winter break was only two days away. What a legendary trip. I sure hope it will happen again.

Going down the Yellow brick road…

By Natalia Kyriakopoulou Dorothy may have had a path made of yellow bricks to lead her to her destination, but some of us may not be that lucky. Finding your way around Athens, even with a specific destination in mind, is not always easy, unless you have been blessed with the gift of map-reading (which sadly I was not) or have lived around long enough to not need a map. I often have heard from newly arrived students that finding their way to school if they’re not taking the bus can be troublesome. Here are some of the less costly alternatives:

By Metro: Popular for both students and teachers. (I should know. I take it twice every day…) For students the fee is currently 70 cents and for adults 1.40€. The school is only a block from the Agia

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Paraskevi metro station (blue line on the map). The metro stations are spread over the greater Athens area, however keep in mind that strikes happen often (welcome to Greece!), and it is wise to check the morning news to see if there is a strike on your line. Usually the only stations that close down are the stations from Doukissis Plakedias to the Airport on the end of the blue line.

By Bus: For the more patient (or willing to miss first block for something other than sleeping in…) there is also the option of taking the bus. The fares are the same as the metro fares, and these tickets that can

be used on all public transportation. However, this option will need a bit more planning. The bus lines in the table have a stop at the Agia Paraskevi metro station but it is best if you check on your own through the website since you might need more than one bus line to get to your destination. Personally, I prefer the metro since it’s easier to navigate and more likely to be on time.

By Car: I’ve heard from friends that a taxi can also be an option, especially if you are running late, but I do not encourage it. Aside from the fact that they are often hard to find (empty that is), they can also be overpriced, especially if the driver decides to take the “long way” to get you to your destination. Moreover, taxi drivers are as likely as public transportation workers to be on strike, in which case you are left stranded. The other, car-related, option is to have someone drive you to and from school. When there is a strike some of us have only this option, resulting in roads that look something like this:

Not a pretty sight, I know. This is the case where unfortunately you can only arm yourself with patience and lots of coffee (or tea) and grin your way through it. For the Greek speakers, there are loads of good early-morning programs at the radio. Other alternatives: ü School bus ü Bicycle (if you have one of those that fold, you

can even bring it on the metro) ü Your feet (for the cross country team and those

that live near) Useful links:

Metro official site (in Greek by default, it has the option of English): http://www.ametro.gr/page/ Bus lines official site (in Greek by default, it has the option of English): http://www.oasa.gr/index.php?id=index To check on strikes (currently only in Greek but it offers a Google translate link): http://www.apergia.gr/index.php Cartoon from: http://815406.blogspot.com/2011/06/drive-or-not-drive.html Map from: http://www.urbanrail.net/eu/athens/athens-map.gif  

Bus # Name of Line

125 ST. NOMISMATOKOPEIO - PAIANIA - BARKIZA

302 STAΘMOS DOYK. PLAKENTIAS - GERAKA

303 ST. NOMISM. - GERAKAS (through AG. NEKTARIOY)

304 ST. NOMISMATOKOPEIO - ARTEMIS (BRAYRΩNA)

305 ST. NOMISMATOKOPEIO - ARTEMIS (AG. NIKOLAOS)

307 ST. D. PLAKENTIAS - GL. NERA - PROAST.KOROPIOY

308 ST. NOMISMATOKOPEIO - PAIANIA - KOROPI

315 ST.NOMISMATOKOPEIO- PALLHNH

316 ST. NOMISMATOKOPEIO- ARTEMIS

319 ST. METRO DOYK. PLAK. - SPATA

406 ST.NOMISM.-AG.PARASKEYH- ST.PLAKENTIAS

407 ST.NOMISMATOKOPEIO- NEA ZOH - ST. DOYK. PLAKENTIAS

421 AG. ANARGYROI - AG. PARASKEYH

A5 AKADHMIA - AG. PARASKEYH - ANTHOYSA

B5 ST. LARISHS - L. ALEXANDRAS - AG. PARASKEYH

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Roadside Parkinson’s

By Hannah Achorn “Oh, god,” my mother mutters. I glance in her direction, and then back out my window. I guess she saw him too. “What?” my brother asks from the backseat. Mom sighs. “Someone should be taking care of him. It’s not right,” she states and stares out the front windshield, gripping the steering wheel. “It makes me nauseous.” A young man has settled himself against a telephone pole on the side of the road. ‘Settled’ really isn’t the right word, though. He’s bent at the waist so that his back doesn’t fully touch the telephone pole and his head hangs low, as though his neck won’t support it. This makes the shaking all the more noticeable. He stares grimly up at the passing cars, despite the angle his neck has his skull hanging at, and jerks his head back and forth constantly. In his left hand is some sort of cup, I suppose. My mother tells my brother that he’s begging for change, so I assume that’s what he’s holding. His right hand rests in his lap, cradled by his bent torso, and like his head, it trembles violently. His right foot also spasms wildly, which is why he’s slumped against a telephone pole. He doesn’t look much older than me. “What’s wrong with him?” Jacob asks as we’re driving past. Despite myself, I stare at him as we pass. His eyes glide over our car. He looks absolutely miserable. “Parkinson’s,” my mother mutters again, but in the backseat Jacob can’t hear her over the roar of traffic. “He probably has Parkinson’s disease,” she says loudly. “It causes muscles to spasm and clench like that. It’s so tiring that he must be exhausted from just standing there.” We’ve passed him now. Jacob voices his understanding, and then falls silent, tapping his feet to the beat of his music. I think back to the erratic shuddering of the man’s head, hand and foot; the slump of his body against the pole; the steely look in his eyes; the hard line of his mouth as he holds himself up. It makes me nauseous, my mother had said. Maybe it’s because he is being forced, by necessity or by another person, to capitalize on the

pity of strangers. Instead of having his spasms cared for and perhaps eased, he’s leaning against a cold telephone pole, making money off of those same tremors. I think that it’s the shame I imagine he feels, and the anger that I think I saw in his hard eyes that makes my throat and eyes burn. I want to feel grateful for what I have, for my own abilities and comforts, but I can’t. How would that help? How could my gratitude change anything? The car moves along. The busy, bruised sidewalk slides past my window. I close my eyes.

Protein: an essential nutrient for teenagers participating in sports

By Nicolas Kalantzakis

There are a number of sports enthusiasts, trainers, and dieticians that suggest that teenage athletes should include an extra amount of protein in their daily routine. Protein, along with fats and carbohydrates, is one of the nutrients that provide energy for the body. In particular protein contributes to muscle growth as well as the growth of hair, tendons, bones, and tissues. This occurs because of the amino acids in protein, which combine in different ways to trigger the growth of these body structures. Protein is something that is essential to every human being. According to dietaryfiberfood.com the right daily intake of protein, or DRI (from age 10 and on), is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass. Therefore, a typical teenager that weighs 80 kilograms should eat 64 grams of protein every day. This amount of protein should generally not be exceeded. However, when participating in sports, protein is essential as a power booster and as an aid in building muscle. Teenagers who are training more than 4 hours a week or who are participating in Varsity sports need to keep fit and build strength to keep up their competitiveness. Though, they need to remember that when they are still growing they should not attempt to build muscle excessively. The suggested DRI formula for a teenage athlete is 1 – 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body

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mass depending on how rigorous the sports activity is. This level of 80 to 140 grams of protein for an 80 kilogram teenager should not be exceeded. Smoothies (400ml) -- using different fruits in combination with either a food with a large amount of protein or with whey -- are an easy way to increase protein in your diet. Teenagers can also be creative using the information in the table below in providing their body with protein. The only thing that they need to remember is to be sure to use the formal above or consult a doctor/dietician to determine the appropriate amount of protein that they should eat on a daily basis. Some recommended foods, and their approximate protein content:

Food Amount Protein Fish 3 oz 21 grams

Chicken 3 oz 21 grams Turkey 3 oz 21 grams

Beef 3 oz 21 grams Milk 8 oz 8 grams Tofu 3 oz 15 grams

Yogurt 8 oz 8 grams Cheese 3 oz 21 grams

Peanut butter 2 tbsp 8 grams Eggs 2 large 13 grams

(http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm Sources: http://www.dietaryfiberfood.com/protein-requirement.php http://www.livestrong.com/article/416062-gym-protein-drinks-to-tone-gain-muscle/ http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/HighProteinDiet.htm http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/sportsnutrition/a/Protein.htm

Cheap Eats in Greece Daddy’s Bread, Giavasi 5, Agia Paraskevi

By Samuel Reed One cold, windy afternoon in December, I found myself walking around the main square in Agia Paraskevi. I was looking, first of all, for a warm building, as it was only about five degrees out.   But second of all, I was looking for some warm, comforting food. I stumbled upon a narrow storefront with tall windows, framed by natural wood, and a large wooden rolling pin below the words “Daddy’s Bread.” I went inside to find the beautiful original interior of an old coffee bar with a black and white tile floor, a copper ceiling, and more beautiful natural wood paneling. Daddy’s

Bread is a café and a bakery with old-world charm. Their fresh-baked apple pies are flaky, warm, and redolent of cinnamon and clove, perfect for a chilly day. Also delicious are their fresh-baked cheese sticks, a fluffy, crunchy snack. You can find yourself easily satisfied here for under 5 Euros.

Acropolis as a symbol By Joy Krasopoulou

“What I would prefer is that you should fix your eyes everyday on the greatness of Athens as she really is, and should fall in love with her.” Pericles the great Athenian leader said this in the 5th century BC. He was talking about the beauty of the Acropolis and its buildings. These monuments have been inspiring since the day they were built. Their beauty and design have influenced the art and architecture of the Western world through the ages, and they have become a symbol of civilization and democracy. In fact the History of this site is very closely linked with politics and democracy from the time it was built to Greece’s war of independence in the 1820’s and WWII. In their complete and original form, the monuments on the Acropolis were truly striking in their bright colors, but even today though they are white and half standing, their greatness is still clear and we

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still have reason to fall in love with Athens. For people today, the Acropolis should still be a source of pride and a symbol of the greatness of mankind. It can still be an inspiration to get through the difficult times we are experiencing. In spite of our current situation, we were once the greatest power on earth. Just as America has been the main influence this past century, Greece and particularly Athens has had a dominant effect on the world. This can be seen very clearly from the fact that the architecture of the Acropolis and its monuments have been copied and imitated in many other countries throughout the Western world. And these copies are famous buildings like Euston Station in London, the British Museum, also in London, the Reichstag in Berlin, l’eglise de Madeleine in Paris and Capital Hill in Washington, D.C. All these buildings use classical columns and other aspects of classical architecture, including the perfect symmetry on which the buildings were based. This symmetry and style make these buildings impressive, because they remind us of the great classical past and the products of that time, especially democracy. Believe it or not we used to be rich! The Parthenon and Erechthium, the two most famous buildings on the Acropolis, were built with Athenian public money. After the Persian Wars, the Athenians had to rebuild their city, which had been burnt and destroyed by the Persian army. They decided, under the leadership of Pericles, that they should spend their money on this great symbol of their democracy. And being a democracy, they agreed on this project through voting. As a result of this, the Acropolis became the symbol of the national identity of Athens just like the Pyramids are in Egypt and the Eiffel Tower is in France. The Acropolis is a product of 5th century democracy not only because it was funded by the city’s money, but also because of Athen’s cultural and political revolution. Athenian democracy put an end to aristocratic rule and gave power and freedom to the people. This allowed them to flourish creatively because they were free. In this way democracy is a central part of the Acropolis. Throughout its history, the Acropolis has continued to be associated with politics and freedom. The best example of this is seen during WWII under the German occupation. The Germans had replaced the Greek flag on the Acropolis with a Nazi one which stirred up feelings of hatred and nationalism. On May 30th 1941 Apostolos Santas and Manolis Glezos secretly climbed the Acropolis

and put the flag back. This act inspired Greeks to resist German occupation through their desire to maintain their Greek identity. So the Acropolis is a powerful symbol of Greek heritage. Another striking example of the power of the Acropolis occurred during the Greek War of Independence in 1821. Many Western intellectuals such as Lord Byron and Samuel Howe were moved by the beauty and their passion for the classical past to fight in the War of Independence. So what can the Acropolis be for us today? Well, today we are experiencing one of the worst crises that our country has faced since WWII. One of our biggest problems is that we are not united and do not work all together. In the past, the Acropolis helped to unite us and helped us to regain our independence by reminding us of our common identity. Today, we need the Acropolis again as a symbol of independence and of the ability of men and women to inspire, to pull together and to stop fighting against each other in order to be liberated from this crisis. If we reunite and begin to hope again, then we might fall in love with Athens again.

ACS Blue and Gold Student Newspaper Staff

Editor: Natalia Kyriakopoulou Layout Editor: Nick Zervoudis Text Editors: Hannah Achorn and Rachael Todd Reporters: Hannah Achorn, Katalina Holland, Nicolas Kalantzakis, Laith Kalai, Joy Krasopoulou, Natalia Kyriakopoulou, Dominic Lauren, Peter Mitropoulos, Dimos Papaleonardos, Samuel Reed, Rachael Todd Faculty Advisor: Leigh Anderson