Estrella Mountain's COM 230 Small Group Communication class hosted "Generations of Courage - The Legacy of Eleni Gatzoyiannis" on Thursday, March 20, 2008. The "Generations of Courage" event was a 'book walk 'n talk' presented by students who displayed posters they created after reading Eleni Gage's "North of Ithaka: A Granddaughter Returns to Greece and Discovers her Roots" and/or Nicholas Gage's "Eleni" and "A Place for Us: A Greek Immigrant Boy's Odyssey to a New Country and an Unknown Father."The students have been studying the books and relating it to their studies with small group discussions and finding instances in the books that display communication gaps and bridges in dealing with the immigrant/refugee experience, finding roots, customs, traditions, and gender roles. Monika Groomes, part of the "5 Strong Women" group could empathize with Eleni Gage's return to Greece in "North of Ithaka." Groomes moved to the United States from Poland and said she knows how much courage it takes to leave home for a new country with a new language. "Eleni is an inspiration to all of us, you really have to believe in yourself and fight for what you believe in," she said.Eleni Gage spent the week participating in several of Estrella Mountain's Women's History Month celebrations. She visited with the COM 230 students and was very impressed with the students' study of her and her father's books. "It's great to see the points of connection they've made between the books and their lives; I just wish my father could be here to see it," she said.Many students attended the event and were able to discuss their thoughts and interpretations of the books with Gage. Information about Eleni Gage can be found at http://elenigage.com. These events are supported by the International and Intercultural Committee, Women's Leadership Group and the Office of the President.
