Even if they have heard of Cyprus, a small island in the Mediterranean, most students are not wringing their hands over the role of United Nations peacekeeping troops who guard the border between Northern Cyprus, populated by mostly Turkish Cypriots, and the remainder of the island.
But the College's Hellenic Society, a group of students interested in learning more about Greek culture, is determined to awaken students to the conflict, and make them aware of the ethnic cleansing of Greek Cypriots that occurred after the 1974 Turkish invasion.
The society is sponsoring a human rights panel in mid-May that will hopefully include Greek and Turkish Cypriots and will feature Kathryn Porter, president of the Human Rights Alliance, according to the organization's social chair, Nicole Eftychiou '99.
The Hellenic Society's founder and acting vice president, Pauline Christo '99, said the group, which has 30 members, many of whom are of Greek descent, also has plans to try to bring Modern Greek back into Dartmouth's curriculum.
But the society's concerns extend beyond influencing the administration and combating student apathy.
The society sponsored a talk last Thursday by Emeritus English Professor Peter Bien. He discussed Greek nationalism during his presentation, according to Eleni Manos '00, the organization's president.
The Hellenic Society's upcoming events include a May 7 talk about Ancient Greek ruins and Byzantine art at Mt. Athos by Bates College Professor Robert Allison, Christo said.
Last year, the group sponsored a barbecue featuring Greek dance and food, Manos said.
She said the group is considering having another barbecue, and may have a workshop on Greek dance at the event.
"[The society has] good food, good music and interesting culture," she said.
Although this Hellenic Society is new to the campus, the idea of an organization for students interested in Greek culture is not.
Every Ivy League school already has a Hellenic Society, and a society of Greek students was previously founded at Dartmouth, although it collapsed because of lack of interest, Christo said.
Unlike today's Hellenic Society, that organization conducted meetings in Greek, she said.
The Hellenic Society "is secular, conducts meetings in English and encourages non-Greeks to go," Christo said.
