Johns Hopkins Hellenic Students Association Host Successful Greek Night

About 750 people attended Johns Hopkins Hellenic Students Association’s Greek Night last Friday, and it left everyone raving.

Nine Baltimore-area restaurants sponsored the food, and members of the society said they worked hard to advertise the event to all Greeks in Maryland, especially over the Internet. The highlight of the evening, according to many group members, was when Baltimore’s Dep. Mayor Kaliope Parthemos was presented a framed cover of NEO Magazine, on which she is featured, by its publisher, Dimitrios Rhobotis. Students from Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland and Towson University — just to name a few — travelled to the university for the event.

Each ticket cost $2 each, $10 for non-students the day-of. Though members don’t yet know how much money was raised, they said they know it was a respectable amount.

“The event was amazing,” said George Petrocheilos, president of the association. “It’s the third time we did the event, and it had nothing to do with any other year. Every other time, we expected about 200 to 300 people max. This was just so great. It’s the first Greek Night that was profitable. Every other time, we have owed money to different vendors. Many people suggested canceling the event because it wasn’t cost effective. But this time, everyone was really impressed.”

The line for food was about an hour and a half long, and the St. Nicholas Hellenic Golden Coins performed traditional Greek dances while the New York band GR Music played. The food was provided by Ikaros Restaurant, Double T Diners, Samos Restaurant, Valentino’s, Della Notte, Speak Easy Saloon, Timbuktu, Captain James Landing, and Hazelwood Inn.

Neil Vranis, the vice president of the club, said he was very proud. He and Petrocheilos said they were happy because the group worked so hard to put it together.

“It was the best Greek Night our club has ever hosted — everyone enjoyed the food spread and the live music, dance and  entertainment,” Vranis said. “With several events going on simultaneously for Hopkins spring fair, it was amazing to see over 700 people attend Greek Night. I hope that in the coming years, Greek Night continues to grow and ultimately become an event that the entire student body and members of the community do not want to miss!”

Ruth Vassilas, a student from the University of Maryland, absolutely adored the event; she drove about one hour to attend.

“The JHU Greek Night was a night exploding with excitement, culture, and laughter,” she said. “The ballroom was set to full capacity, and the JHU staff were running around like crazy making sure everyone had a great time — and not in vain. It was great to see Greek people coming together with non-Greeks to show them a bit of our culture, cuisine and style. I brought five non-Greek friends with me and they had an amazing time dancing, eating traditional cuisines such as pasticho, moussaka, souvlaki, and more. George, Neil and all of the other Johns Hopkins staff made it a night to remember, and I can’t wait to see what is in store for next year!”

Petrocheilos said everyone who is in the club are now the ones who really understand why it is important to have a club of Hellenic students. He said he could not be prouder.

“I also truly thank our two biggest sponsors, Aris Melissaratos and John Korologos, for their great generosity,” he said. “Not one group member volunteered for only a little, everyone dedicated the whole day to the Greek event. It was really impressive. Everyone worked nonstop and did an amazing job, and everyone was really proud of them.”