The city was also a buzz with the start of the International Film Festival.  It is the 50^th anniversary of the Film Festival and draws directors, actors, etc. from all over the world.  We have 13 students who have been working all semester as part of their service learning experience with the festival.  They are writing blogs, film reviews, helping with street performances, etc.  Here is a link to the festival’s website so you can get more information if you are interested:  http://www.filmfestival.gr/default.aspx?lang=en-US&page=448

Additionally, please see ACT’s Study Abroad Newsletter for more general updates from the campus.  Some of our students complete their service hours writing articles, interviewing their peers, etc. for the newsletter too.  The most current newsletter is attached to this blog in a pdf version. 

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Ask your students about their travels around the city and around Europe over break!

The week prior to our Fall Break was buzzing with travel plans and a few activities to specifically highlight.  First, our City State Competition this week was a trivia night organized by Alex, ISA.  Students competed in teams of 5 for their city state answering questions ranging from sports to geography to music and film.  Argos was victorious this week!  However, the real highlight of the evening was the boys who arrived to the competition in full suits…shirts, ties, blazers and all.  Although the trivia suits did not win points for their teams, the City State spirit was alive and well!

Jillian, ISA organized two programs this week that focused on exploring the city and learning more of its history.  First, students went to the archaeological museum in Thessaloniki where they saw more of the history of the city and the greater Macedonian region.  The following day, Jillian took students around the city for a more in depth/hands on exploration of the sites.  The sites included the Palace of Galerius, the Rotonda, Saint George Church, and finally the Marketplace for lunch. 

Please see the email below that was recently sent to your students from myself and the ACT Doctor regarding the H1N1 vaccine in Greece.  Please let me know if you have any questions. 

Thank you,

Leighanne

Hi everyone,

Please carefully read the important information below regarding vaccinations for the H1N1 flu virus in Greece.  This information is from Doctor Katerina.  If you have any questions, please ask me immediately.  I will need to have a list of students by tomorrow Thursday, November 5th at 5pm who fall into the “high risk/first priority” category as outlined by the doctor below.  I’m guessing those folks from our group that fall into this high risk/first priority category are those with asthma.  Please speak with your parents immediately, if you haven’t already, to determine whether you would like to get the vaccine in this round. 

Leighanne

EMAIL FROM DOCTOR KATERINA

New flu vaccines will start to be given to first priority individuals on November 10-25.  This first group will include health care personnel and people in high-risk groups, listed below.  

First priority individuals include:

- parents of very young children

- women in the 2nd and 3rd trimester of pregnancy

- young people with: 

      - lung disease, mainly asthma, or recent bronchitis or pneumonia

      - heart disease

      - compromised immune system due to chronic conditions and/or medication

      - diabetes

      - obesity may be factored in as a risk factor but not given priority

For those not belonging to any of the above groups, but still interested in being vaccinated, there will be a second round by early-mid December.  Priority group then will be healthy individuals between the ages of 15 and 40. 

For all practical purposes, as most of you fall under the 2nd category, you may have to spend the gist of this semester relying basically on your own immune system.  This is not terribly problematic, since (regular) flu outbreaks in Greece typically don’t occur before January or February, which means that actually this is a low-risk season.  Also, you may have heard that the numbers and severity of new flu cases in Greece have so far been (fortunately) quite low.  In case, however, any of you feel you might benefit from some extra protection, the regular flu vaccine available at all pharmacies for 5 euro provides partial immunization for the new strand also. 

As always, family meal is another highlight of the week.  This week we tried a new tavern in a different part of the city and served a pasta menu.  Usually the staff creates a menu prior to the meal and we eat family style, but this time the students were given the option of three pasta dishes and they were able to choose which dish.  The students appreciated the different food option and having a choice for their individual plate. 

The open air markets are a fantastic feature of Thessaloniki.  Over the weekend, approximately 15 students went with a staff member to one of the largest markets near the Center.  One can purchase everything from fresh fish, meats, vegetables, fruit to clothes, rugs, and other household items.  Students have also enjoyed our weekly neighborhood’s market on Tuesday mornings.  Many of them have even become “regulars” with the local vendors in the neighborhood. 

All thirty students who went to Bulgaria arrived back safely Sunday evening after a long 5 hour train ride.  Students enjoyed a bigger city with cheaper food and great shopping.  One of the most impressive places that students saw was St. Alexander Nevski Memorial Church, which is one of the largest and most beautiful architectural buildings in Sofia, Bulgaria. 

All students are required to participate in 30 hours of community service by the end of NUin.  Nearly all of our students are highly engaged in their service sites at this point, but a few deserve highlights this week.  Over the weekend, 6 students completed their Digital Storytelling Projects on campus.  This project consisted of writing and recording their personal “urban” story, finding pictures and/or video to fit their story, and finally putting the materials into one cohesive video ranging in 2-4 minutes in length.  Students felt a great sense of accomplishment at the end of this second full weekend workshop and look forward to supporting their peers through the process for the Global Experience Course.  Additionally, ACT and NUin were contacted by Arsis, the refugee center in Thessaloniki, and Special Olympics, about the amazing work our students are doing with both service learning sites.  The staff are extremely proud of the great work your students have been doing and the time they have dedicated to service in Greece. 

In the third week of the program, the students are beginning to further settle into Thessaloniki and ACT.  Students are exploring the city, finding excellent restaurants, and nightlife.  For our family meal this week, we decided to be a little bit more adventurous and tried a seafood menu.  Though the octopus tentacle may have frightened some students at first, after trying it, most students found it to be one of the most delicious dishes they have had so far in Greece! 

On Wednesday, students had the chance to sign up for the various clubs and activities that ACT offers.  These options range from the sailing club to scuba diving certification to cinema club to various sports clubs, i.e. basketball, soccer, and tennis.  Many of our students took the opportunity to join one or more of the clubs/activities to make more friends outside the program and to continue their interests from the U.S. to Greece. 

ACT sponsored a trip to Mt. Olympus over the weekend.  This mountain is the highest peak in Greece. The demand from our students was overwhelming, so much so that we were able to add additional spots on the trip.  The trip left Thessaloniki early Saturday morning for a 2 hour drive to the base of the mountain.  The students and staff who went endured a 3 hour climb to the lodge for our overnight stay.  We enjoyed the quaintness of the lodge, the home-cooking provided by our hosts, and lights out at 10pm when the generator was turned off for the night!  In the morning, we woke up to see a beautiful sunrise from the lodge before another long day of hiking.  Students had the option to either attempt to summit at 2917 meters or reach the plateau, which was just 300 meters below the summit.  The students found both choices to be equally as beautiful, enjoyable, and challenging.  On Sunday, students hiked for more than 5 hours, endured blisters, and some sore muscles but felt a huge sense of accomplishment on the bus ride back to Thessaloniki!

Here are some upcoming dates to be aware of:

Sofia, Bulgaria: October 9-11

This trip is a NUin led trip to Sofia, Bulgaria.  We have 30 NUin students who have decided to participate in this weekend adventure.

ACT Break:  October 26-30

This is an academic break for ACT.  Students have already begun making travel arrangements for longer trips in some groups.  Talk with your student about her or his plans for this time.  

Athens Trip: November 6-8

This trip is organized by ACT and all NUin Students and Staff will be traveling to Athens this weekend.

Istanbul Trip:  December 3-6

This trip is organized by NUin.  All students and staff will be attending.  More specifics about this trip will be available soon as we finalize our travel arrangements. 

Tuesday evening we held the first Global Experience class, which is the 1 credit service learning course that all students are enrolled in.  This course also has the 30 hour service learning component where students have been placed in various service learning sites on and off campus in Thessaloniki.  Many of the students have already begun meeting with their service site and those who have not will be meeting in the upcoming weeks. 

All that said, the weekend trips were the real highlight of the week:  ACT organized both a Beach Trip and a Sailing Trip.  One ISA went on each of the trips and each wrote a short piece about their experience below.

Beach Trip- September 25-27, 2009

By Jillian Pammett, ISA

From September 25 to the 27^th, 20 students from NUin joined an ACT trip to Halkidiki, an area of Greece to the southwest of Thessaloniki and rumored to have some of the best beaches in Greece. Students explored Ouranopolis, which means “City of Heaven” in Greek, a charming town on the third peninsula of Halkidiki. The group also enjoyed a boat trip down the coast to Mt. Athos, a relaxing stay on the beach in a beautiful hotel, and a tour through the ancient caves of Greece. This was a great adventure for all the students who went.

Sailing Trip- September 25-27, 2009

By Alex Plum, ISA

All of the NUin students have been adapting to the sea-side city of Thessaloniki, and Greece as a whole, quite well; so much so that some have already felt comfortable enough to travel on the weekends.  Seven students decided to take to the high seas of the Aegean for a fun and relaxing weekend of sailing on forty foot yachts.  We boarded the boats Friday evening and motored for two hours to one of the largest fishing ports in all of Greece, Michaniona.  The students had the opportunity to go out and experience the Greek culture on a much smaller scale than that of Thessaloniki.  On Saturday we set sail for a small, secluded beach, which may very well not have a name.  The water was beautiful and the weather was perfect.  Nea Moudania was our next stop of the day.  Again, it was a small fishing town where we could dock our boat for the night.  We were all excited to take our captain out to dinner.  The students said to him, “Just order everything for us.”  This ended up being a great decision.  We ate everything from fresh octopus to fish egg dip (which to be honest everyone seemed a bit skeptical about).  In the end, everything was amazing.  Sunday may have been the most memorable day of the three.  We arrived at the five-star, SANI Resort.  Our boats moored approximately a quarter mile from the beach and we all swam ashore through the crystal blue water and ate some great Greek food at the sandy beach restaurant.  And yes, it was as picturesque as the photos online suggest (http://www.saniresort.gr/page/).  At the end of the day we relaxed while eating Gelato and taking some great photographs of the scenery.  All in all, everyone came to the conclusion that the weekend sailing was one of the most relaxing and unique experiences of their lives.  Our captain was a true professional and the boats were top notch.  Going back to school on Monday was difficult to say the least. 

This first week of the program was focused on getting students settled into their rooms, Thessaloniki, and the American College of Thessaloniki (ACT).  All students and luggage arrived safely in Thessaloniki on Monday evening!  Tuesday was spent sleeping and acclimating to the time change and exploring our neighborhood.  The students have multiple grocery store options within walking distance, along with restaurants, shopping, etc.  We are also just a short 10 or 15 minute bus ride to the Center of the city.  One of the nicest aspects of where we live is the fact that we are only blocks from the boardwalk along the Aegean Sea.  Students can play basketball by the water or follow the sea and walk to the Center. 

On Wednesday and Thursday we spent the days in orientation on campus learning about ACT policies, classes, programs, and clubs/activities offered.  Thursday evening was our biggest adventure of the week…IKEA!  Not only was this the first IKEA trip for many students, it was certainly the first time in a Greek IKEA.  Students purchased various items they needed or wanted for their rooms and had a few laughs figuring out the language and what exactly they were buying. 

ACT planned a field trip for NUin to Vergina, Greece.  This town is the site of Philip of Macedon’s Tomb and a small archaeological museum.  It is in a beautiful part of the country and the tomb museum is particularly unique.  This museum is almost completely dark, except for the backlights lighting the artifacts and the tombs.  Though history and archaeology are not every student’s interest, the uniqueness of the museum engaged many of them. Additionally, we enjoyed a traditional lunch in the town.  That evening, we had our first family meal at a taverna downtown.  This is an opportunity for all students and staff to share a meal together, touch base about our weeks or weekends, and most importantly eat amazing Greek food!

Saturday and Sunday were filled with rest and more settling into Greek life.  The staff also quickly realized that many students were having issues shopping at the grocery stores, not only because of the language barrier, but because many had not shopped for themselves on a regular basis before.  Anna, one of the International Student Advisors (ISAs), led a group of approximately 20 students to the grocery store to point out common items like milk, eggs, cereal, etc. and then did a cooking tutorial back in our residence for the students who went.  The event was very successful and eased some fears about the language around food at least!