S O C V th ΓΡΑΦΕΙ ΤΗΝ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ W ΤΟΥ ΕΛΛΗΝΙΣΜΟΥ E 10 0 ΑΠΟ ΤΟ 1915 The National Herald anniversa ry N www.thenationalherald.com A wEEKly GREEK-AmERIcAN PUblIcAtION 1915-2015 VOL. 19, ISSUE 953 January 16-22, 2016 c v $1.50 Being Greek in the US: Mitsotakis Elected New Democracy’s L1eader The Responsibilities Former Minister Brings Optimism to And Privileges Thereof Party And Beyond By Dr. Leonidas Petrakis By Constantinos E. Scaros "Greece is the cradle of Western Civilization," we Greeks proudly Kyriakos Mitsotakis, a Mem - remind the world, claiming a special kinship (ownership!) to the ber of Parliament (MP) and for - achievements of Ancient Greece ("A rocky promontory in the mer minister in the Greek gov - Mediterranean, it has nothing to distinguish it but the efforts of its ernment, and who is part of one people, the sea, and the light of the sun," wrote George Seferis, of Greece’s most prominent po - Greece's first Nobel Prize winner). litical families, was elected pres - What does it mean to be Greek? The Ancients had a simple an - ident of the main opposition swer: they divided the world into Greeks and the rest, the Barbar - party New Democracy (ND) on ians. The latter uttered incomprehensible "bar, bar" sounds, did January 10. not speak Greek, and therefore were incapable of understanding The 47-year-old Mitsotakis the revolutionary, sophisticated ideas that the Greeks were advanc - edged his main rival for conser - ing in philosophy, literature, music and the other arts, medicine, vative ND’s presidency, former mathematics, the sciences. Defense Minister and Parlia - The achievements of the Ancients impact the determination of ment Speaker Evangelos Greekness even for the Greeks of the Diaspora, for the Diaspora Meimarakis, with a 52-to-48 has been an organic component of the Greek people, and a signif - percent win, which many pun - icant contributor to the fortunes of Greece, Hellenism in all its dits and media outlets both manifestations, and our Western Civilization. Greece separated within and outside of Greece – from its Diaspora would be but a diminished amputee. the Financial Times and Wall Does our claim as Greek-Americans to this rich and unique cul - Street Journal included – tural inheritance amount to anything more than a vacuous boast? deemed “shocking and surpris - Or does it impose on us responsibilities for preserving, expanding, ing.” and disseminating this inheritance? These questions continue to The victorious Mitsotakis concern intellectuals, politicians, and common people alike. In proclaimed: “we have a man - Greece, the recent tumultuous political and economic developments date from our members to re - ("We belong to the West", the Eurozone controversy) illustrate this vive the party and put the past search for identity, while for many Greek-Americans Greek identity behind us. Our target is one: for is limited to syrtaki and moussaka. New Democracy to represent Greekness is an overarching theme in the work of Seferis. His everyone in the country who op - seminal Mythistorema, a blend of Greek myth and history, popu - poses the populism of an incom - lated with mythical and historical figures and events, its people petent government.” ever searching on foreign lands and high seas, ever waiting for the Despite the Mitsotakis name "Angel" to point the way to renewal following the catastrophe that recognition – his father, Con - befell Hellenism in 1922, reflects the age-long search for the mean - stantine, was Prime Minister of ing and attainment of Greekness. In a most sobering segment of Greece and his sister Dora the poem, Seferis writes of the contemporary Greeks trying to deal (Bakoyannis) was Mayor of with their extraordinary heritage: Athens, and Minister of Culture "I woke with this marble head in my hands; and of Foreign Affairs – Mitso - it exhausts my elbows and I don't know where to put it down. " takis was considered the out - How "heavy" is really our inheritance? sider in the race, with the The ever-restless Greeks had a presence in Ionia in the Bronze Meimarakis being the establish - ment favorite. Continued on page 6 In fact, he led Mitsotakis by 11 points in last month’s open - ing round for the party presi - dency. But given that the 62-year- old Meimarakis lost a lopsided decision to SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras for Greece’s Premiership in September, the party and its EUROKINISSI voters chose to set forth in a Brimming with confidence but armed with experience, newly elected President of New Democ - racy Kyriakos Mitsotakis makes his inaugural speech as leader in the Greek Parliament. Continued on page 11 Wall St.’s Koudounis Shaped by His Hellenism By Constantine S. Sirigos TNH Staff Writer A Couple of Icons at an Iconic Astoria Venue NEW YORK – John S. Koudou - nis is President and CEO Mizuho David Bowie, mourned worldwide this week, with Catherine Securities USA, the American in - Deneuve for a meal at Astoria’s Neptune Diner in 1982 during vestment banking subsidiary of the filming of The Hunger, which was directed by Tony Scott. the Japanese financial behe - moth. There is a Greek compo - nent to the rise to such a posi - tion by the son and grandson of immigrants, and he is not a Columbia U. Journalism lonely Hellene on Wall Street’s heights. In a wide-ranging conversa - Students Document Lesvos tion with TNH, Koudounis talked about value of his Greek heritage, his love for Hellenism By Constantine S. Sirigos Hellas Lifeguards who helped – and what may be in store for TNH Staff Writer the boat come to safety and the Greek, American, and world whose story they want to tell, economies. NEW YORK – Harriet Dedman when TNH caught up with Pride is an unspoken word in and Fahrinisa Oswald are grad - them. any conversation with Koudou - uate students at the Columbia “They are about 17 life - nis. Not in his own achieve - University Graduate School of guards from all over the Greece ments, which stand out among Journalism but during the past who have come to one of the global standouts in a brutally few months they have spent main beaches on Lesvos where competitive industry, but in the more time on the coast of Lesvos the landings are happening… teams of all kinds he has been with refugees than in class - they man the beach 24 hours a part of, and his fellow Greek – rooms on Morningside Heights. day,” Dedman said. Americans. Humanitarian crises by defi - They use a powerboat do - Koudounis immediately nition reflect both the best and nated by a British organization As president and CEO of Mizuho Securities (USA) John Koudounis has a clear view of the world worst in humanity. For the called Atlantic College to patrol Continued on page 5 economy from Park Avenue, which he and Diaspora Greeks can use to help the homeland. world to be aware of them, jour - the waters and help the boats. nalists and aid workers have to For more information, visit make the journey and connect www.lifeguardhellas.gr. with people. Among them some The four kilometer stretch of are veterans who keep an eye water between Turkey and Assanis to be Pres. of the Univ. of Delaware out for places where they are Lesvos it is plied by large black needed, others had different inflatable craft and “it’s incredi - plans for their lives but set them bly dangerous,” Dedman said. TNH Staff Assanis was the committee’s Assanis is well informed about aside. “The boats are built for 14 peo - unanimous choice. “We were UD and its many assets – most Last year Dedman and Os - ple and are packed with 30 or NEW YORK – The march of privileged to have a rich pool of especially its great people – wald’s priorities was to find 40. Most are half submerged by Greek-Americans to the top of top-level candidates for this po - when he takes office on July 1." Master’s Project, but it seems the time they arrive, with people every field continues. Dennis sition. Dennis Assanis’ combina - Dennis Assanis is a distin - that their project found them sitting in water for hours.” Assanis, provost and senior vice tion of administrative experi - guished educator with a wide and they are now covering the The craft, which are motor - president for academic affairs at ence and outstanding academic range of academic leadership refugee crisis working as free - ized, are driven by the refugees Stony Brook University in Long credentials clearly set him experience and a worldwide lance journalists. themselves. “They are effec - Island, NY, is preparing to take apart,” Kelly said, and Puglisi reputation as a scholar and ex - Predominantly photogra - tively thrown into the boats – the reins as president of the Uni - added, “Dr. Assanis is deeply pert in both fundamental and phers, they have also been sometimes at gunpoint – are versity of Delaware after a concerned with the issues facing applied studies of internal com - shooting video and soon after and told by the smugglers “just unanimous vote its Board of higher education today, includ - bustion engines and energy sys - New Year’s they produced cov - drive.” Trustees late last year. ing affordability, diversity and tems. erage of what is going on at Oswald had been monitoring Assanis will take office on the future of research innova - Samuel L. Stanley Jr., presi - Lesvos’ beaches for the BBC. the Syrian civil war and the July 1 and Nancy M. Targett will tion.” dent of Stony Brook, praised As - They had just filmed one of refugee crisis for two years, and continue to serve as UD’s acting Assanis said, “I am truly hon - sanis and said, “On behalf of the largest boat landings – about when the refugee crisis took a president until then.