Interviews
Interview With KYADAS
In September 2014, we decided to become volunteers for KYADA (The City of Athens Homeless Foundation. From that time until today we offer our help there on a regular basis.
Recently we managed to have interview the vice-president of KYADA, Mr. T.R (we were asked not to reveal his name), who is also a volunteer psychiatrist and neurologist for the Foundation.
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Tell us a few things about KYADA
The City of Athens Homeless Foundation was established as a Legal Entity of Public Law under the name "City of Athens Homeless Shelter" (KYADA) in 1999. The organization became an independent operation with its own infrastructure, independent services and a separate budget in early 2005.
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What is its aim as an organization?
The primary aim of the programs planned and implemented by the City of Athens Homeless Foundation, is to tackle problems faced by people who, for whatever reason, are without shelter or whose home is unsafe and inadequate. It also seeks to develop mechanisms to prevent such phenomena and monitor cases of homeless individuals in order to ensure their eventual rehabilitation and social reintegration. In carrying out its mission, the Homeless Foundation works together with agencies that share the same goals.
Beyond the other services it offers, the Foundation collects and distributes food items, clothing, etc. to those who visit or are hosted at one of our shelters (We rent buildings in the center of Athens ), as well as families and individuals found by its staff, other social services, parishes, volunteers and collaborating agencies.
KYADA provides 1,200 meals to destitute and homeless Greeks and foreign nationals on a daily basis at the Foundation's Meal Provision Centre.
KYADA operates two Hostels (Hotels) where it offers short-term accommodation (3-6 months) to 180 persons, while its Social Services section offers counseling, psychological support and social rehabilitation as well as reintegration to guests.
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How have the conditions changed over the years? Has the economic crisis affect your foundation? (Have you started helping Greeks as well; what is the % of Greeks among the people you are helping? Have you noticed an increase of Greeks lately? Children?)
The conditions concerning the effectiveness of KYADA have changed with a lot of difficulties due to lack of specialized employees and as a result of the austerity measures taken lately over the past few years.
The economic crisis has definitely affected KYADA due to a large increase of the number of poor Greek families who require support in food and clothing. There is also a considerable increase of immigrants and their children. It is not possible to have a clear picture of the immigrants’ population (adults – children) because many of them are not officially recorded and live in Greece illegally. A rough estimate between Greeks and immigrants who get some help from KYADA is 70 – 30 % respectively.
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Where do you get your financial support? Is it enough to accomplish your needs?
KYADA has its own budget separate from the Municipality of Athens.
Additional financial support comes from:
a. Various small or large donations
b. From Bazaars
However, Financial support is NOT enough to accomplish the needs of KYADA
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What are some of the challenges you have faced?
1. Lack of specialized employees required to balance the numerous problems among the homeless people to whom KYADA offers hospitality in its two Hotels.
2. Bureaucracy that can very easily cause a temporary, but critical interruption of the free daily meals offered to the poor.
3. The constant increase of poor families and individuals seeking help.
4. Being able to offer free hospitality to homeless people or families not in Hotels but who stay in rented by KYADA apartments (individual housing programs).
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How do you promote KYADA? Do people, especially Athenians, know about it?
Athenians know about KYADA to a certain extent. Almost every day they inform KYADA’s social services about possible locations where homeless people have been spotted. KYADA sends a small group of specialized “street work” employees in order to collect and evaluate information, and take any kind of actions in the best interests of the homeless.
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How can volunteers help?
In many ways, according to their knowledge, experience, and capacities.
They can help
a) By doing simple work (e.g. offering food during the free meals, caring or putting in order clothing or other material in storage rooms).
b) By participating in more qualified work (medical, social and psychological advising etc.).
All volunteers can help ONLY under the supervision of the official employees of KYADA after the approval of their required application and interview.
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What message would you like to send to our school students?
Sometimes we take things for granted in our lives. All we have to do is look around us in order to appreciate what we have and hopefully realize that there is always a way to help a person in need.
Yolie Whitaker & Tatiana Papazoglou - Published Friday 3rd April 2015
Interview With George Tsalas and Francesco Leone on MUN
This week we interviewed two members of St.Catherines’ Model United Nations club who had gone to Thessaloniki for an MUN Conference.
We spoke with George Tsala, who has been doing MUN for three years.
Interviewer: When you first started MUN how did you feel, were you nervous?
George Tsalas:Yes, I was very nervous; I was certainly nervous during my first MUN conference because I wasn’t exactly sure what I needed to do as it was pretty early in the year so we hadn’t had MUN that often and I hadn’t really debated many resolutions. However in the end I was very happy, met some fun people and managed to make a lot of friends and definitely learned a lot of things that i wouldn’t have learned with the school curriculum.
What exactly do you do at the conference? What does it entail?
At MUN conferences, each person is a delegate which means you represent a country and each person is in a specific committee so for example, there's the environmental committee, the social-humanitarian committee, the disarmament committee. Each committee has a different purpose and a few topics. The delegate is required to compose one resolution for each topic which they will present to the rest of the delegates on the day of the conference, in order to combine many good aspects of the resolution together to make one final draft of a resolution. A resolution is a collection of points of what to do to address a certain issue or topic for example piracy or ebola.
What does the MUN club entail at St.Catherines?
The clubs runs every week on Thursday and lasts from 3.30- 4.30. The idea is that you need to be a bit prepared before you go to the club and we have a Facebook group where we write what topic we will be discussing and each person is appointed a certain country. Only one of us is going to be writing a resolution, it can change every week, and then we debate on that resolution so we can speak for or against it or we can add amendments.
Do you believe that joining MUN has increased your awareness on global issues?
Certainly, MUN has taught me a lot about global issues but not just that, it has taught me to cooperate with others of similar ages and how to be more sociable in a situation where basically its your only choice. I definitely developed skills for example debating is a skill that is pretty necessary in MUN.
Are you interested in working in the UN in the future?
I would like to be the general secretary of the United Nations, one day I will replace Ban Ki-moon (the current general secretary).
What would your advice be for people thinking of joining MUN?
My advice would be to start as soon as possible, it is definitely a great experience that you won’t regret. Its just amazing and honestly the first time I went, I wished I had gone years earlier. Its suggested for people of all ages, I go to conferences and there are 12 year olds and 13 year olds and they do great. Another good thing about MUN is that you can work your way up. So you can start by just being a delegate and work your way up to chair or even president and general secretary.
Thank you very much for your contribution to this interview and good luck in your future conferences.
We also managed to interview a new member of the St.Catherines community, Francesco Leone, who has been doing MUN for 5 months.
Would you say you have always been interested in global issues?
Definitely, my father works in the United Nations and has done so for about 30 years and we have moved around a lot. I have lived in Kenya, Switzerland, New York, Washington DC and now Athens.
Would you say that living in all these different cultural societies has helped you broaden your view on issues, hence why you joined MUN?
Definitely, but not only that. By going to different countries I really got a feel on how much a language can help you assimilate with the people there and you can be part of a culture, but until you know the language and the people you can’t really understand what the culture is about.
Before you joined MUN at St.Catherines, you were involved in the League of Nations council?
Student League of Nations is a similar concept to MUN but instead of using the United Nations as a model we used the League of Nations as a model which obviously has collapsed. It was a very similar concept, schools are given delegations, you choose 1-3 delegates depending on what country it is, obviously larger countries have more delegations and you go and discuss relevant topics.
When you first joined MUN would you say that you were comfortable about debating the topics since you had that experience or was it like treading into foreign waters for you?
There were really two parts of it that I can break down. The actual topic part and thinking about it, the logical aspect of it and finding an argument was really straight forward and interesting and I really enjoyed it. The actual debate where you have to go and speak in front of everybody, that was where I really struggled. I really hate public speaking but I think MUN and debate that I am involved with at the school has really helped me conquer it, so now MUN is a passion.
Would you say that MUN has helped your social skills, helped you talk with others about more articulate subjects in a better way?
Definitely, I think MUN has really helped me with some public speaking and anxiety issues, for example, meeting new people is a common practice at MUN. Before that was a really big problem for me, I was really timid around people and now I can go around an MUN conference and make new friends and go out with them a few hours later.
What is your advice for others wanting to start MUN?
Go for it, its really interesting but especially don’t be nervous. Everybody there is really nice if they are not nice then mostly everybody dislikes them, so its not a problem to you or anybody. It’s a lot of fun, you meet a lot of cool people from all over the world. I met some people from my hometown in Texas here but I haven't been back there in a few years so it was nice, really refreshing. I met a lot of people from Lebanon, Canada, everywhere, so its really eye opening.
Emily Greence and Evgenia Valais - Published Friday 3rd April 2015
LIFE AFTER ST. CATHERINE'S
Name: Phillipos Tsalas
Age: 18
University: Bournemouth University
Subject: Event Management
I. What is the biggest
difference between your
school life and life in
university?
To be honest, the biggest difference must be the work load. As a student under the International Baccalaureate, I noticed that I had a lot more work to do which prepared me far more than I expected for the next stage of my education.
II. How did you find university different to your expectations?
I expected the lifestyle of the university to be different and indeed it was. It is unbelievable how so many people studying completely different things connect so well. Another point would be the lectures and seminars, I didn’t really know what to expect.
III. Do you believe St. Catherine’s and IB were a good preparation for university and to what extent?
Both St. Catherine’s and IB prepared me for a lot of things. I was taught a lot very useful information that I can not only use in my years in university, but for the rest of my life as well. I cherish and value that opportunity.
IV. Were the any teachers that inspired you about what you wanted to study?
Unfortunately no. Due to the specificity of my course it would be difficult for a teacher to have inspired me for something like this. However I can say that there was one teacher, my favourite teacher, who told me to find what I love and never give up on it. That was sufficient inspiration for just about anything!
V. Who do you believe helped you the most with your university application and choices?
Definitely Mrs. Peters. She not only helped me to get the best application I could possibly have, but another 50 or more students as well. I truly admire her work and effort during the application period, I only now understand just how stressful it must have been for her.
VI. What is your favourite thing about being in university?
Independency. I’m sure others would agree, there is nothing we might like more, as teenagers, than to be independent and well… to some extent free!
VII. What is the hardest part of university?
Getting up in the morning, especially if it’s before 10. Oh, and finding classes.
VIII. Have you managed to stay in touch with your friends from St. Catherine’s?
Yes! I’m very happy to say that I have. Especially since each person has gone somewhere different than the other. From Scotland to Australia to America.
IX. Which is your best memory from St. Catherine’s?
The day I met my best friend. Only 50% Greek but 100% common interests with me. I’m very grateful St. Catherines is international, I wouldn’t have this chance otherwise!
X. Any tips you would like to give to the current St Catherine’s IB students?
Enjoy it! The next stage is even better!
- Vasiliki Evangelia Aravantinou Zafeiri
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This week we interviewed two St. Catherine’s debaters that have qualified for the Development National Debate Team in Greece.
Interviewer: Tell us information about the National Team, what does it entail?
Jason Palmer: Every year a selection of five individuals from all around Greece are selected to participate in the most prestigious debate tournament in the world. The top debaters of the country are gathered and then five individuals are selected by the coaches of the team. These individuals will go around the world to debate against the best debaters in the world. This year the World School’s Debating Competition (WSDC) is going to be held in Singapore.
How are the five debaters chosen for the team?
First of all, they have to qualify in some sort of way, for example they may have reached the finals of a certain competition; once these people are all gathered in one place such as a school that will host tryouts the original 20-30 debaters will be cut down to about 12 by the coaches. From there, practices will be held and a couple of months later the team will be cut down to 5 people and 2 substitutes.
What is your personal history of debate that helped you qualify?
This year being 2014 is my 7th year of debating; I have participated in over 30 debate competitions and have reached the finals of three or four. I have won best speaker in a couple, but my biggest achievement would probably be achieving the position of second best speaker out of 180 individuals. I have also been in the development team one year before.
How long have you been preparing to try to get into the national team?
For the past three years.
When will you know if you’ve made the national debate team?
February hopefully.
How do you emotionally prepare for such big debates?
I don't, I just go for it and treat every debate as if it’s the last debate I will ever do. While it sounds like a pessimistic approach, seeing every debate as your last makes you put more passion into the words you say.
What are the plans for the future in the national team?
If I do get into the national team, I will get to Singapore and get the team to win.
Do you have any tips for aspiring debaters?
Debate every topic even if you don't understand a single word and read the news every day. It is impossible to progress without gaining some sort of knowledge; this can best be gained either first hand through debating and then by reading news. If you only read the news for example, you may have the necessary knowledge to debate but no actual experience. Potential is nothing without performance.
Thank you and best of luck in getting into the national team!
Thank you!
Interviewer: Welcome Magdalene Karalis, congratulations for qualifying for the Development National Debate Team!
What process did you take in order to qualify?
Magdalene Karalis: I debated a lot and was up to date with the news. You have to practice how you present and how you sound to make sure you are persuasive.
What tournaments did you go to?
Anything that was available, Deree Debate Competition, Moraitis School Debate Competition, ICYD for people under the age of 15, which Jason and I both won on separate years. Since we can no longer participate in ICYD we tend to judge in that competition to give us a different perspective.
How did you emotionally prepare for all these big debate tournaments and the national development team?
I just remind myself that it’s important to try my best, and if things go well then that is always good!
Do you have any tips for aspiring debaters?
Make sure you’re confident in what you’re doing, because you’re going to be against very good people and they are going to try and intimidate you and also practice looking at yourself while debating so you see what to fix and what you don’t like.
Did the advice of your mentors, help you in becoming a better debater?
It’s safe to say Ms Peters and one of our old friends and co-coaches, Tassos, pretty much taught us how to debate, I mean without them we wouldn’t have been able to debate well, so a huge thanks to them for everything.
What are the plans for the future in the national team?
Right now we are in the development team, I’m going to Turkey which is for the Eurasian teams from all over Europe and Asia, it’s an international tournament and I’m going with other people from the team and then in February the final five are selected. The final five will go to Singapore in the summer of 2015.
Thank you, good luck and congratulations once again.
Thanks!
- Emily Greene & Evgenia Valais
Name: Alexander Manners
Year Graduated from St. Catherine’s: 2007
Age: 24
University: Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne and DereeCourse: Hospitality management (Lausanne), Music (Deree)
1. Please describe your university course in a few words
a. My first University course was very practical and very focused on business and marketing. It was very practical and gave me many opportunities to network. Studying Music was completely different as the course focused on performance and I found myself going from Vocal Techniques class to Music History class and then to Choir. Both were great experiences.
2. What IB subjects did you take?
a. I took Business, Theater Arts and English Literature at Higher Level and then Spanish, Mathematics and Biology at Standard Level. I can’t say that I loved all of them the same.
3. What is the most important thing to do to be successful in IB and IGCSE?
a. Students tend to give great importance to only particular subjects and forget the importance of a well-rounded education. My best advice would to be to make very wise choices on which subjects you will do and don’t forget to enroll in extra-curricular activities because they really stay with you after school.
4. If you could re-do upper-school, is there anything you’d do differently?
a.I can always say that I could study more next time round but as I know that possibility would never stand a chance, I have to say that the only thing I’d want to change would be my subjects.
5. What is the most important piece of advice you can give to other students about coping with exams?
a. Exam period is very stressful and it seems like a mountain for students in High School, but the only thing that can make you calmer is you follow up on your courses throughout the year and do constant revision. I applied that technique in University and had amazing results. Cramming revision is the worst possible thing to do before an exam.
6. What did you find most important when deciding which university to apply to and which course to follow?
a.Unfortunately this part for me was very tricky. When choosing your courses and Universities you should make sure that all the aspects of the course and its delivery are appealing to you. Many students put a lot of pressure on their 1st and 2nd choice of University and make very hasty decisions on their remaining courses. Your University represents a lot about you. Its name will be on your CV forever and you will be associated with the Alumni network forever. One thing I wish more St. Catherine’s students would do is to consider options within major European cities besides just focusing on the UK. Many Universities are in remote places and don’t have an amazing social scene and being an Athenian used to the city center life, I would have preferred to be in a University in Prague or Stockholm rather than being stuck in Lausanne in a village of Switzerland with cows being my only neighbours.
7. Could you give us some advice about University life?
a.Don’t get carried away with all the liberty and try to get as involved as you can in University life, you will meet people and connections that will prove very useful later on in life. Try to budget – I know it sounds really hard, but try your best never the less. JYou’ve followed a very interesting path during your first years as an upper-school graduate.
8. Could you tell us a little bit about it, your inspirations and the reasons you are so interested in what you do?
a.I have done so many things after graduating that looking back at it seems like a whirlwind. I was involved in radio producing, I did extensive music recording and produced a CD, graduated from a Music course and travelled to a few places. What drives me is my thirst for acquiring new information, I have a very curious spirit which helps me to be versatile. Even though I am a teacher (aspiring to be a University professor), I couldn’t imagine my life without singing and being involved in media as it’s a major part of my personality.
9.What are your plans for the near future?
a.I am moving to Shanghai in April/May as I have a contract to teach for 1 year and hopefully after that I will finally go back to University to get my Master’s degree. I also have another music recording which I will do in Shanghai in the coming year and some appearances to perform in Dubai. As I am majorly involved in Social Media Marketing I have clients whom I support no matter where I am in the world, so they will have to stay in my agenda too. Hope I can make time to actually see Shanghai!
Alexander Manners
Estelle Koliopoulos
Name: Estelle Koliopoulos
Year Graduated: 2012
Age: 18
University: Gap Year (City University, September 2013)
Course: Journalism
Please describe your course in a few words
Haven’t started it yet, taking a gap year back in the glorious
land down under to work and save up a bit.
What an earth-shattering answer that was, I bet it offered a
lot of insight.
What IB subjects did you take?
HL: English, Psychology and History, and
SL: Biology, Spanish Ab Initio and Math Studies.
What is the most important thing to do to be successful in IB and IGCSE?
Anything I say would be largely hypocritical... I want to say something along the lines of “do not panic” or “listen to your teacher’s advice” but if someone had told me that last year I would not have been altogether appreciative of that. The only useful thing I can think of is; don’t leave anything until last minute. Even if you think you work well under a strict (and impending) deadline. Write your essays, do your coursework, make your notes as early on as you can, because you then have the luxury of improving them later on.
What did you find most important when deciding which university to apply to?
Don’t be overconfident. Allow yourself range, even if you think you don’t need it, because chances are you might. Also, if rankings are something that concerns you, look at your course specific rankings. Basically just be more concerned about the quality of the subject that YOU want to study, rather than the generalized university/college as a whole.
Could you give us some advice about University life?
Nope, not yet useful in this area. I’ll get back to you in a year’s time.
If you could re-do upper-school, is there anything you’d do differently?
Loads. I’d have followed my own advice and not have left anything until last minute. I also would have invested in a printer of my own, and not have to fear for my wellbeing every time I asked Mr. Roberts to use his printer.
What is the most important piece of advice you can give to other students about coping with exams?
They’re just exams. Not to make it sound like they’re not important, because CLEARLY they’re extremely important – but they’re honestly not the be all and end all. Leading up to an exam, don’t think about anything except that exam. Upon completing that exam, erase it from your mind completely and move on to the next one, because there’s essentially nothing you can do about it.
Vietnam Veteran : Peter Roumelis
Peter Roumelis, overcame a terrible injury suffered in Vietnam to become a successful lawyer and businessman. Roumelis is a Greek-American who grew up in Ohio and did not keep in touch with his Greek roots till after the war.
What was your childhood like in Ohio?
My childhood was very good. I grew up in Cleveland, in a middle-class, diverse neighbourhood and from a young age I was taught a lot of values.
Did any of those principles and values become an aspect of your life?
A strong work ethic was definitely one. I started working at the age of 13 and continuedall the way through high school and college. It taught me that honesty is valued and trained me to take responsibility. I soon learnt that you have to make it on your own, be wise in decision making and most of all, carve your own path in life.
Why did you decide to enlist in the army?
It was 1962, I had just finished college and got my teaching degree. I was curious to try the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program. In the end I decided to, but I didn’t know for a fact if I was going to stay or not.
How did your role in the Vietnam War affect you?
I was an intelligence officer and a defense commander. As the senior lieutenant, I was in charge of all nine platoons, even though they were in 12 or 13 cities throughout Vietnam. I was 24 years old and had nine lieutenants and about 300 men under me. That was a lot of responsibility, but I think my upbringing helped.
What were the conditions like?
Oh, it was tough. We had scarce supplies of water or food. One was considered lucky to have a gallon of water a day for drinking as well as washing, so as you can imagine, we rarely washed.
Describe the event during your second tour of duty that altered your life forever.
Well, after a few months.. about five or six, we went on Operation Adelborough. I was running across a field, one of the shells landed a few...2 metres away from me. I was left with my left leg only to my knee, the shell blew off my left leg below the knee. My right arm and leg were injured as well. I was taken to hospital in a helicopter, I was treated there and ended up spending 21 months in the hospital.
In what ways did your sudden disability change your life?
Well, the disability is difficult. I had extreme pain all the time, and still do to this day. I was forced to change my whole lifestyle. I was fitted with artificial limbs to walk, but that obviously stopped me doing all the things I loved and enjoyed. I couldn't be in the army, I couldn’t play basketball or dance, I . . . I wasn’t able to do any of the things I had previously enjoyed. I made up my mind up in the hospital that I was going to go on. I figured that I could apply for law school while I was in the hospital and took the entrance exam. After I left the hospital, I went straight to law school, still getting to grips with my condition, walking with crutches and using a wheelchair.
Were you ever reminded of the war again?
After I graduated, the war was still continuing. I didn’t want to know or hear about it, I didn’t want to get involved again. There were many war protesters but I... I just pretty much kept very quiet about being in Vietnam and didn't take any position.
Tell me, why did you decide to get in touch with your Greek roots?
Shortly after the war I moved to Greece. It was the first time I had permanently lived here other than visiting frequently during the holidays. I got married, started a family. Then 9 years later, in 1986 I moved back to the States. I am now nearly 75. Eight years ago, my daughter decided to move to Greece with her family and I came with her. It was time for me to return to my home, my πατρίδα.
What advice would you give those who face obstacles in their lives?
You have to make the best of whatever you're dealt in life. We are masters of our own fate.
- Maria Matheos
Eva Lampara
I decided to interview Eva Lampara, who has a neuromuscular disorder,
because I believe it is extremely important for the
awareness of neuromuscular disorders to spread.
How is your everyday life?
Well, it’s not much different than a young girl’s:
I wake up in the morning around 9 o'clock and I usually make myself
look nice (fix my hair, put makeup on, etc.) I really like taking care of
myself; I think all girls that are around my age do. I work for an
advertising company by staying at home and working through the
internet, starting at 10 o'clock. I take breaks to eat, during which my
mother usually helps me too. When I do not have work, I like reading
newspapers, magazines, I go on Facebook or I go meet up with friends
for coffee, or to go watch a movie. I like keeping the afternoons free.
On Mondays and Fridays I participate in an acting workshop, here at MDA,
and on Wednesdays I will start participating in the Spanish Classes.
Then I come home, watch some TV and fall asleep around 12 o'clock.
Are there any difficulties that you face everyday?
From walking on the street, to people's (stranger's) reactions?
Yes, there are surely difficulties. I am positive that its not just me
who faces them, but the people walking on the streets too, as the
pavements are constructed very badly and therefore tend to get
ruined easily, as there is no care from the municipality, and as the
pavements break, they tend to form bumps which are extremely
dangerous for me, as my wheelchair can flip as it hits them. The ramps
are also constructed badly and are very limited, usually also blocked by
parked cars. To be honest, I do not even use the pavements, so I am
always on the road, because every single time I use the pavements I
need to turn all the way back and take the road, since the end of the
pavement is always blocked by parked cars or motorbikes. I believe
that the government should give large fines to people who block the
ramps by parking their cars, in order for this tendency to end. But this all starts from childhood; from how children are raised, by becoming aware of these things. For me this is a large chain. A chain that starts from the children's education (coming from their schools), to the children themselves, and finally to adults.
Now concerning people's reactions, I believe that the younger generations have surprisingly very good reactions, and rarely show signs of discrimination. When I was in university I almost never had difficulties concerning other student's reactions, and in general, I believe the younger crowd is very open-minded when it comes to this specific subject. In turn, the much older crowd looks at me differently and see me as "sick", lets say, and I think this is because in the older days, the people who had health problems did not have the chance to do many things, for example to go to university and later on get a job, so I think their reactions are the result of confusion they have, when they observe us working, for example. And again, I believe this starts from how children are educated.
Do you have enough support from your environment? From your family, friends...
Yes, I have a lot of support and I am extremely grateful since this support is what has allowed me to become who I am now. I would not have been able to accomplish so much, especially without my parents. I am extremely lucky to have such a wonderful family. I was raised with a lot of love and honesty. From a very young age, my parents would explain what exactly my disorder was to me. It began when I was only seven years old, when I started to find it very difficult to walk, and then I started to fall and finally would be impossible for me to stand up again. I had no idea what this was, but my parents were sure, since my older sister (2 years older) who has the same neuromuscular disorder as me, had the same symptoms. This disorder did not come as a shock to me, as I would watch my older sister go through it, and therefore it was not new to me at all. I am extremely close with her. Many times, we have the same feelings at the same time. We share everything between us, and I feel as if she is my other half. We go through the same difficulties, and therefore we are very bonded. I also have a second, younger sister, who does not have a neuromuscular disorder. We are also extremely close. She helps me so much. I feel like she will always be there for me, just like I will be there for her too, but I want her to go live life, because we’ve told her that it is very important for her to do what she wants. I believe that my parents have accomplished so much, as they have raised us to be equal and have so much love for one another. When they firstly found out about my older sister's disability, of course it came as a shock to them, as they had never experienced or known anyone who had the same problem. But I believe that they dealt with it extremely well, especially over time, and this helped them to give us the strength we desperately needed and helped make our dreams come true.
Do you believe that we students could do anything to help in any way, to change anything (if anything) in your life? If yes, how?
I believe that the young adults today are the ones who can change the way people think, so therefore there are many things that you can do, and you do them already by giving us so much. We are extremely grateful and we know it’s hard since your free time is so limited. I wish all schools, particularly public schools, were more aware of these disorders, and I wish they had programs that allowed them to be educated, not in just mathematics for example, but also to teach them current, everyday situations concerning the environment for example. I believe that in our days, the younger people are more logical and think more logically than the elderly, but still however, the Greek mentality has not yet managed to change to the better, and I hope one day it does.
By Danae Lavidas, 12C.
Mr Reynolds Interview
Mr. Reynolds is the new Biology teacher at St. Catherines
-Where in England are you from?
-I was born and lived in East Anglia
-Why did you decide to teach Biology?
-It is a very interesting science and it even allows the teachers
to learn from the students. It’s also what I studied at college
-What years do you teach?
-I teach years 9 to 13. They’re also my favorite years.
-Do you like St. Catherines?
Yes I enjoy the people and the environment of St. Catherines
very much.
-How do you like Greece?
- I really like it, but it’s meant to always be warm in Greece.
-Tell us some things you like:
-Well, my favorite color is red, my favorite day of the week is
Friday, I love tea and dark chocolate, but only dark chocolate.
-What kind of music do you like?
-All kinds of music. Except for rap; because rap sucks
Mr. Reynolds
Ms. Macmillan
Ms. Macmillan
-So what are some of the cool jobs you’ve done?
-Well my first job was as a police officer but then I went to college, got a degree in literature and philosophy. Then I went to a graduate training program for business where I managed department stores and restaurants with the company. I got bored with that so I became a speech therapy assistant, then I went to train as a teacher. I then taught for 5 years in Suffolk. From there I went in to publishing, where I founded and edited two magazines for young people, I wrote short stories for my compilation and two novels. I did all of this while being a creative writer at a charity for people with mental illnesses as their therapy. Then I returned to teaching.
-So why did you choose Greece?
-Well I was at my previous school for 8 years; I was the head of the English and drama departments and the director of curriculum. So I went to the Times website, found a school in Greece and decided to come. I’ve always been intrigued by Greece and thought it would be interesting.
-What do you think about St. Catherine’s?
-I like how the school is so family-oriented; there are lots of open and friendly students. My colleagues all have a passion for what they teach and are extremely knowledgeable. This is a place where I can remember my love for literature.
Ms. Vardaki Interview
-Why did you choose to move to Greece?
-Well I’m part Greek and I’ve always been curious about what it would be like living here. I’ve always wanted to move here, so when I found an opportunity in Greece at St. Catherine’s, a school that I had already heard about, I jumped on it.
-So how do you like St. Catherine’s?
-It’s superb! Not just in terms of warmth and care between students for each other but also between members of staff.
-You’ve lived in many countries. What did you like about living in all of these places and which cultures were you the most interested in?
-I’ve lived in Zimbabwe, Sudan, Belgium, Pakistan, Russia and the UK, where I lived in Liverpool, Corby and Cambridge. I found the cultures in Sudan and Pakistan the most fascinating as they were so different from European cultures. I feel as though I’ve learnt a lot from all of these different areas and different beliefs.
-So where would you like to live in the future?
-I’ve always been curious about Cyprus. There’s a mix of UK culture and Mediterranean culture. It’s a Best of Both Cultures.
-Why did you choose and what do you like about History?
-I’ve always been fascinated with history. This started when I was kid when I would discuss the things I had learnt and read with my father at the dinner table. This cultivated my interest in history which grew over time. At the same time I liked history because I couldn’t be satisfied. There is an endless curiosity, there is always something new to learn, lots of depth and different types like international, national, medieval, ancient and family levels of study. And it’s the best!
Ms. Vardaki
Name: Raphaella M Savaides
Year Graduated: 2012
Age: 19
University: Goucher College
Course: Human Rights and Media
Please describe your course in a few words:
At the moment I’m taking a liberal arts course because I’m in the U.S, so I’m exploring a variety of subjects around my major to see what I like!
What IB subjects did you take?
I took HL English, HL Psychology and HL Theatre. SL Bio, Studies Maths and SL Spanish. Because I went well I now don’t have to take some of the liberal arts requirements which is fantastic (A language, a social science or an art).
What is the most important thing to do to be successful in IB and IGCSE?
I’m not exactly a model St.Cat’s student, I was quite unorganized and had terrible time management. Some advice that I would give however is that although times are rough at the end of both courses, you shouldn’t give up! Your hard work will be rewarded, it will be O.K!
What did you find most important when deciding which university to apply to?
This obviously differentiates between the U.K and U.S, let alone to the individual. Always remember that location is incredibly important in planning your future home. Having grown up in NY and Athens I always was surrounded by city life or even easy access to get to the city- however now that I’m in a town 20 minutes from Baltimore things sometime seem to be too quiet, even if I’m near a metropolis!Apart from that – always remember that your course or desired course should be available. Try and find a school which has a reputation for having students who are similar to you/have a similar mentality with you! Having said that I go to a school with hippies…hehe.
Could you give us some advice about University life?
Uni life is fantastic...being your own person and exploring all the classes/subjects that you’ve always wanted to learn more about is a liberating experience. Being away from your family and country gets hard at times but you are allocated all the freedom that you were once denied! The work load is harder and more serious though, but it’s overall incredibly rewarding. It’s the gift you get after the treachery of the I.B !
If you could re-do upper-school, is there anything you’d do differently?
There are so many things I wish I did. Had I known that I.B would have gotten me a kick start in my university life I would have taken it more seriously. I also would have taken advantage of Athens more. Near the end all you want to do is leave, but there really is nothing else like Greece. It’s upsetting finding out once you’ve left.
What is the most important piece of advice you can give to other students about coping with exams?
Don’t give up ! Try your best, the best thing about St. Catherine’s is you really have spectacular teachers that you will remember for the rest of your life. Everyone is on your side, I believe in you! Best of luck to the current Yr 11’s and 13’s !
Raphaella Savaides
