Pantelis A. Korovilas Photography and Design

THIS JUST IN: Pantelis is still alive

2010-11-03T13:16:00.000-07:00

I know, I know, believe it or not, I am still alive.

I know you were all probably having your doubts because last time I posted I was somewhere in Europe and that was several months ago...is he still there? Did he make it back ok? Is he lost? What about internet access?

The answer to all these questions is yes: I am still alive. I had a wonderful conversation with a friend the other day who was asking what had happened to my online presence. He asked me to continue to express myself because, while it may seem like a waste of time to me or not a top priority, one never knows how these things truly influence others. This basic idea served as a strong reminder of how influenced I was by the art of others growing up and my duty as an artist to continue to express it in the public space, regardless of my location in life; Also my duty to be conscious of my artistic expression and to continually develop it. Thank you Ryan for the reminder.

I currently find myself back in Ames, Iowa finishing up my Bachelor's in Liberal Studies; I will be graduating this May and part of my lack of attention to this page has been events surrounding this experience. After Poland, I made my way to Cambridge, Massachussets and spent a summer at Harvard University (I have some pictures from Boston that I would like to share at some point...) and back to Iowa for a time.

The reasons I have failed to update this is a result of (1) the high pace of the last few months which has rendered my free time to write and share very limited, (2) the process of self-exploration that was bred throughout my summers travels and as I look toward the future that graduation brings with it, and (3) my general need for a time to sit back and refocus myself as an individual, as a citizen, as an entrepreneur and as an artist. The processes set into motion I hope will lead to a better understanding of myself and my craft. This is going to result in a few developments.

For starters, I am removing my website, pkorovilas.com, from the web for a time. In the process of refocusing, I want to expolore the messaging of my website as a tool for self-expression. From now on then, this blog will be my main source of e-self, as well as my twitter (@pakphotos). Don't worry, I hope to bring it back into full force, once the time is right and I am ready.

Second, I want to use this blog, less as a mere source of self-promotion, but more as a tool for self-expression. As a photographer it is easy to consider that as my craft merely and that websites, blogs, ect. are merely a marketing means to the end that is making photography. Yet, as a result of recent expriences and in my process of refocusing, I would like to see art as something more holisic and myself as a more holistic artist; a refletion of existence and my exprience, something that does not need to be confined merely to one medium but comes out in the best mediums possible or available whether this be photography, painting, blogs, interactive websites, or social movements and events. Art, I have come to believe, is living, not merely the tangible expression of that experience.

From this basic premise, I also hope that this blog becomes more of a basis for that experience, more of a record of that personal journey, and in effect, more of a personal exprience for both myself and my audience. Yet, the success of this last development also rests on you.

It is easy, as a blogger, to believe your efforts are for nothing or simply being created in a vacuum. This then, looses the icentive to continue to create as the purpose, atleast to me, of this tool is the connection I make and share with my audience. So, I ask of you:

That as I begin to share my experience with you, that you too, share yours with me. Email me your thoughts and responses to pantelisak@gmail.com. If you share a connection to my words or imagery, if you can relate to a thought, or you just have a general response/reaction. I would love to hear it.

It reminds me, as Ryan did, that art is not merely about my self-expression but that its tangible recreation occurs in the public realm, as opposed to merely my internal dispositions and tastes, and thus is also something that requires you to create. It also reminds me of the subtle ways in which art can influence and inspire people. This blog will continue, but it needs fuel from you, I need your help.

So here I am and here we go. This is it. I hope you follow along!

Thanks for bearing with so many words and so little images!Attached are some of the imagery that I created last night and that influenced this post and the first steps on this journey. Thanks Emily for being a part of them!

Hugs and love!

-P.

Poland: Part 4

2010-05-31T04:23:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

As of now I am back in Sopot, staying with my host family. They are so nice! I will have to post something about them at another time since there has been so much we have done up till now that I still haven't shared. Since my last post we have been to Krakow, the mountains of souther Poland, Weba, and back again.

As for now, below are a collection of images from Krakow.

We spent several days in the Old Jewish Ghetto district of the town. Krakow is one of the few towns that was not destroyed during WWII. As a result, the city is not only very historic in nature but has become a center for tourism.

During our time there we saw several photography exhibits by several British photographers, a couple musical performances, and participated in a photo-scavenger hunt formulated by our fearless leader, Dennis Chamberlain. Later, when in the Mountains, we would have a critique of the images we took for the scavenger hunt.

We also saw Wawel castle (shown below) which houses the bodies of several Polish kings, military leaders (including one who fought in the American Revolutionary War), and the national Poet, Adam Mickiewicz. The recent death of Poland's President Lech Kaczynski in a tragic plane crash over Russia and plans to bury him in Wawel led to divisions across the nation. While the country was largely unified in it's mourning of the President's death, some questioned wether he was worthy of being buried amongst kings. With campaigns against the decision and protests in the streets, others claimed that Kaczynski would not have been considered for Wawel if he had passed under natural causes. Despite the resistance, Lech and his wife Maria were eventually buried in Wawel castle.

The city's historic architecture left something interesting to be found at every turn. I felt like I could walk the same street several times and find something new upon each pass. It was great!

Prior to our arrival to the city, nearly 2,000 people had been evacuated due to heavy rain for several days. The river swelled to nearly three times it's original size. Fortunately the rain had largely subsided upon our arrival, though it did effect some of our plans. We were supposed to visit Auschwitz, the historic concentration camps of WWII, however the flooding had closed it down from tourists. Instead we spent that day visiting one of the largest salt mines in Europe. After a descending a 54 flight staircase and enjoying a 2 hour tour, we had only seen 1% of the mines!

Sorry for the largely unorganized nature of these images but time is short these days. We have 4 more days before I head back to the states! Funny how time flys right?

Check back soon for some pictures of the mountains!

Hugs and love!

-P.

Poland: Part 3

2010-05-23T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hay All!

So We are doing so much and on our computers so little that I am falling so far behind in updating this. Though I am not complaining! Currently I am at a small internet Cafe in Krakow, Poland. It is About 9 hours South of Sopot by express train. We have been out here since Friday. Up until we left the Sopot/Gdansk area we had been working with the photography school, attending workshops, lectures, and photo critiques. Though I have so many pictures that I do not have the time or energy to show them all to you, below are a few pictures from the lighting workshop we did. All photos were taken at the school's (Szkolafotografii) studio space.

After we did some shooting, the group did a photo critique of the days images. At the computer is Pawel, our instructor and teacher at the school.

Kate Barber was my partner and model during the workshop, and I was hers. Below is one of the photos I took of her.

Below is one that she took of me.

The rest of our time in Sopot was a blur but below are a few images of the last few days we spent in the area before we got on the train to Krakow.

As you can see, the last few days meant a lot of espresso. There are so many more but I am just grabbing a few quick ones. We leave Krakow tomorrow and will be gone for several days in the Mountains. They are the furthest south in Poland, along the Slovakia boarder. I will have no internet connection and I think our only bathroom will be an outhouse! Can't wait. However, this means you will probably not see my Krakow photos for a while and when you do I will have taken so many from the mountains as well that you will be missing out on so many. Krakow is sooo beautiful and I have taken so many photos here, so it is unfortunate that I will not be able to post many, but so is life! I will do my best to keep you up to date. I have also been trying to to some video recording, so hopefully I can get something your way.

Until then, cheers!

-P.

Poland: Part 2

2010-05-18T12:39:00.001-07:00

So, I am definitely not keeping up in my entries in terms of how many pictures I am shooting. So much has happened since my last post but I think I will continue where I left off instead of filling you in on today. Below are a few more images from our Trip to Gdansk. We got so many good ones here! Gdansk is so beautiful!!

It is super hard for me to post these entries at the hotel since the internet connection here is so weak.

So I have been making an effort to upload images at the photography school, which boasts a stronger connection, and then finishing the post when I get some down time (which since I never get it, tends to be right before bed: like today's 2:52am Poland/7:52pm US).

Love this guy! ...looks so mischievous...like an "up-to-something" Albert Einstein.

Keep your eyes on the blog for another post on its way!

I will be posting some images from today's studio light workshop this morning at the Photo school as well as some of my local coffee adventures soon. Will be submitting some of my photos for a critique by some Polish photojournalists tomorrow evening! Maybe i'll submit those too...and the result? I'll see what I can come up with...

Hugs and loves from Sopot!!

-P.

Poland Part 1

2010-05-16T14:25:00.000-07:00

Hey all!

I know it has been a while since my last post but be sure things are going to change. I have been super busy the last few weeks preparing for my summer which has landed me in Poland until June 4th. I am in Europe doing a photojournalism course with five others under the direction of freelance Photojournalist and Iowa State University Professor Dennis Chamberlain. (Our group with Dennis at the lead; below)

The goal of the next few weeks is to explore, through photography, interviews, and videos, how Democracy has effected the people and culture of Poland, since the country's transition from communism in the late 80s, early 90s. Dennis does great work and has a wealth of experience, with photos in National Geographic and Time among others. This career experience, a pulitzer prize in his early 20s, plus 15 years of residence in Poland, makes him an outstanding director. I will be traveling around the country for the next few weeks and will be shooting daily. Keep an eye on my blog for frequent updates. I will try to make daily posts, however I cannot be sure of internet access at all times.

We arrived in Poland on May 14th in Gdansk. From here we traveled to Sopot where our hotel was located. Below is a view from the entrance way. In the distance is the Baltic Sea, as Sopot is all the way North in Poland.

Our plan is to stay in Sopot for a few days and work with the Photography school that Dennis used to teach at (Shown below).

Over the last couple days we visited the neighboring town of Gdansk which had some beautiful architecture. We stopped at the Solidarity Museum, which focused on the Solidarity movements of the 70s and 80s that brought the Polish people out of a repressive, Soviet-imposed communist system. Below are a few highlights of these first three days.

(Sopot)

(Gdansk)

(Gdansk) -- This man was selling flowers and I ended up buying some for the girls since he was kind enough to let me take some pictures of him. The flowers smelled great and he had such a deep stare!

(Sopot) -- This man was playing some Polish blues and after I tossed him a few Zloty for letting me snap some photos, I found out he spoke english since he spent some time in England.

Ill be updating soon! Dobranoc!

-P.

Head Shots!

2010-02-03T21:03:00.000-08:00

Hey all!! Busy Busy Busy!! Here are some head shots I did for a friend and working actor.

-P.

Looking Back: Favorites of 2009

2010-01-05T22:00:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year!!

I hope everyone is filled with inspiration for the new year!! I always enjoy the transition from one year to another because the atmosphere is ripe for reflection. Looking back on the past year, remembering successes and failures, joyful experiences and hardships. There are lessons to be learned in everything you do, even the seemingly insignificant parts. So I love taking time to soak in that year of experiences one more time. New Year's is also a time to plot for the future, taking the lessons you learned from the previous years and converting them into goals and strategies, which is sooo exciting! Benjamin Franklin once said:

"Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man [woman]."

Whatever your years goal's and strategies may be, I wish you the best! Whatever you do, do not restrict yourself from growing.

I am still kind of confused at where the second half of 2009 went. It all seemed to happen so fast. To refresh my memory a little, I dug around through my various projects over the past 12 months and picked out a few of my favorites along the way. Hope you enjoy them!!

2009 was a year full of:

Engagements!

Politics!

Protests!

Portraits!

Trend Magazine!

Journey's Backyard BBQ!

Taking Back Sunday!

Sisters!

Award ceremonies!

Live performances by Abyss!

Friends

Meiko!

Eric Hutchenson!

Weddings!

Jason Reeves!

Colbie Caillat!

Hoolahoop gangs!

Bonding!

the Sierra Student Coalition!

Carolina Liar!

More friends!

More marriage!

Holiday portraits!

Websites!

Save the dates!

Posters about eating well!!

Calendars!

Promotions!

Logos!

And of course 2009 was full of great people in my life. Thank you all for your support in this past year and in the years to come!

Keep on doing your thing! Much Love,

-P.

Yianni and Bobby

2009-12-06T13:02:00.000-08:00

Whoa! Things have been super busy on my end...but I decided to post a few recent photos I took to let you know that I am still around. I think I am going to post my favorites of 2009 so check it out! I took these photos of my cousins Yianni and Bobby when I went home this thanksgiving.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and happy holidays!

Wedding Photos:

2009-09-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hey all! A little video of some recent wedding photos; CHECK IT OUT:

Last Life!

2009-08-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone!

It has been a while since I last posted but I have been on the East Coast for a while and had limited internet access. I have so many things from the summer that I haven't had a chance to post yet so keep an eye out for them. The pictures below are a series of promo shots that I did for a friend's musical solo-project. You can find them here:

http://www.myspace.com/lastlifelives

They were so much fun to shoot! Ryan, the creator behind Last Life!, is a very talented musician and artist. I encourage you to keep your eyes on what he is doing. He was bassist for the band Molly Ringwald, which has put out some great tunes. You can download their newest album for free here:

http://www.myspace.com/mollyringwaldia

Ryan did the artwork for the album. Sketched and then edited in Photoshop.

The first photo below is a shot I took while driving out to meet Ryan for the shoot. I had to pull over to the nearest gravel road and get this one! Enjoy!

Illinois SPROG 2009

2009-07-24T19:35:00.000-07:00

There is so much that I could say about my week at Pierre Marquette State Park with all the amazing Midwesterner's who attended, but I am going to try and summarize this for you in 5 words...

Inspiring

Empowering

Amazing

Changing

Real

These 5 words summarize the summer program held by the Sierra Student Coalition (www.ssc.org) but come nothing close to really decsribing the magic of these events. It is one of many held throughout the USA during the summer months, teaching, empowering, and inspiring youth to make real concrete changes in peoples lives. Amazing, Amazing, Amazing. Sign up for next years trainings when it gets closer to the summer. Maybe I will post a blog entry when you can start signing up. I highly encourage it! IT WILL CHANGE YOU ;)

These were a few random favorites from the bunch but you can see the rest on my Facebook page: CLICK HERE

IM BACK!!!

2009-07-16T20:53:00.001-07:00

Hey ya'll! I'm back!!!

I have been in Southern Illinois helping at a Sierra Student Coalition (SSC) summer training program. There are some really great things going on right now across the country and some absolutely inspiring people to go along with them! I will post some pictures from that event once I get them done. I am just completely backed up with photos right now. I still have Carolina Liar photos from I can't remember how long ago, some wedding shots, and the SSC photos. Plus I am shooting a friends band tomorrow too :/ I see a lot of editing in my future!

I will be posting them as they are completed; here are a few of a friend I took before I left for Southern Illinois. Check back soon for more!

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T13:27:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th Everyone!!

I do have photos from the Hoola-hoop gang below but seeing how it was the 4th, I just wanted to take a moment to remember Jason Pautsch of Davenport Iowa.

http://www.iraqwarheroes.org/pautsch.htm

R.I.P.

Ames hoola-hoop gang...RARE PHOTOS!!!!

2009-07-04T12:56:00.001-07:00

So, let me set the scene for you: I just got off of work. It was about 5pm and the sun was coming down beautifully behind this little ally way. I knew I had to take advantage of it so I went home and grabbed my camera and headed back to the location. I went ahead and snapped several shots of the foliage, shown below:

Next thing I know, out of know where comes the Ames hoola-hoop gang!! You know, its one of those things that you always hear about, but you don't really believe until you see for yourself. I was stunned. I didn't know what to do...run? No, I stood my ground and tried to pretend like I didn't notice them. After several minutes of building up courage, I slowly pointed my camera in their direction and snapped a few shots.

I was really suspecting them to react negatively. I had heard stories of what they have done to photojournalists from the Ames Tribune, and I was not looking to be be another number. The whole time I was coming up with a plan B in my head: escape routes, directions, etc. Yet, they seemed to warm up to the camera. I don't know what it was...my innocence perhaps...no ones heard from them in a while, maybe they saw me as a tool for getting their name out...

They allowed me, with an aura of tension, to follow them around the back alley and meet some of the other members...

...ferocious...

I stopped to change my lens and next thing I know they were gone. This is the last shot I got of them.

It was an experience I will never forget.

New Twitter Layout

2009-07-01T21:45:00.000-07:00

New Twitter Layout...lovin' it!

http://www.twitter.com/pakphotos

Much Love,

-Pantelis

Colbie Caillat and Jason Reeves

2009-06-30T18:42:00.001-07:00

Ok, so I shot this concert about a week in a half or so ago and have been dying to get these up! I got so many good ones of both Colbie Caillat and Jason Reeves but, for the sake of time, I just pulled a few of my favs. I have been so behind on editing...more wedding photos and Carolina Liar soon to come...stay tuned!

Photo of the Month and Twitter

2009-06-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

Ok...So here is the deal, I gave in to much peer pressure and I now have a twitter. I was bashing to for so long and I have only had it for a day and am already in love. You, and you know who you are, have created a monster!!! ;) So now you can check my latest "tweets" (I think that is the proper term) on the right hand side of my wonderful blog that you are at!

Also, underneath the tweets, you can now find my "Photo of the month" which will pretty much be my favorite photo that I have taken from the previous month! Not gonna lie: pretty pumped! But...I think it might be a little hard for me to do for a couple reasons: (1) my mind always changes and what I like right now will probably change in 10 minutes, and (2) only one for the whole month? Really?

Face lift and new website

2009-06-20T22:39:00.000-07:00

So....I just gave the blog a little face lift, as I am sure you noticed, and (drum roll) I just started production on the new website!! The new blog layout will give you a taste of what direction I am taking with it. Should be ready by the end of the summer. GET EXCITED!!!

-Pantelis

Cheyanne and Seth

2009-06-17T19:15:00.000-07:00

I shot Cheyanne and Seth's wedding in Cedar Rapids, IA last weekend. I was shocked by how amazingly genuine they were throughout the whole day! They were both a blast to work with! I have a lot of editing to do but I wanted to post a few of my favorites.

Eric Hutchenson and Meiko

2009-06-14T21:00:00.000-07:00

I went and saw Eric Hutchenson and Meiko in Des Moines last Thursday night and they were awesome! I had such a good time! I had never heard of Meiko until that night but she was great. She has a new self-titled CD and I highly recommend checking it out. And what can I say about Eric Hutchenson....he is an amazing performer. He is such a crowd pleaser. He did an improv song about what was going on at the concert, played a medley cover of my girl and a R. Kelly song, among other things. Eric's cd "Sounds Like This" is amazing! So many good things to say about both of them...Thursday was a good night! :)

Ryan = Inspiring

2009-06-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

Yo!

So I recently took these pictures of a good friend, Ryan. If you were to look up the word "inspiring" in the dictionary, you most likely wouldn't find his name, but I think the definition should be replaced with it. This kid just finished up his freshman year in college, took summer classes for the first few weeks of summer at Iowa State University, is going to finish studying at Harvard...yea thats right, I said it, Harvard University for the rest of the summer. O wait, it doesn't stop there...then he will be studying abroad in Morocco for the next year. Yup, inspiring.

So, I am going to go see musician Eric Hutchenson in Des Moines tomorrow. Totally pumped. This guy is rad. Check him our if you haven't heard his music before. Definitley going to try and take some pics....keep your eyes on the blog....

-Pantelis

P.S. O yea, so the lighting was coming in just perfect this afternoon....I couldn't find anyone to force into letting me take pictures of and I couldn't miss the opportunity so thought I would leave you guys with a little self portrait :) You guys are great!

Wisdom Beyond Words - Poets Unleashed Scholarship Ceremony

2009-05-31T13:25:00.000-07:00

I took some photos last night for a scholarship ball held by Wisdom Beyond Words! CHECK THEM OUT!!!!

Wisdom Beyond Words is a non-profit in the central Iowa area working to create "more informed and self-confident youth and adults." This up and coming company specializes in spoken word but is looking to continue with publishing, theater, and graphic design programs for youth. It's founder Mr. Robert Taylor, or Words, is an accomplished spoken word poet and author. He has peformed in New York and Atlanta to Chicago and Des Moines. He is doing great things make sure to check out what he's doing; I just recently designed his website too, register on the "Open Mic" forum and share some of your poetry! www.wisdombeyondwords.org.

The night ended with a performance from Abyss. You may have seen him on HBO's Def Poetry. He has also performed all over the country. He drove 18 hours for free to show up at this event! Plus, he had to drive another 6 hours after he left at 10:30 or 11:00pm. What an amazing thing to do and he put on a great performance. Check out his new cd too! http://www.myspace.com/abysslivepoets.

Journey's Backyard BBQ - Taking Back Sunday

2009-05-19T21:13:00.000-07:00

I road-tripped out to Chicago's Orland Square Mall to go see free music, skating, and motocross hosted by Journey's. The Audio and Ipath skate teams were present with Shuan White and the headlining band was Taking Back Sunday(TBS). It was a blast and TBS put on a great show! Here are a few of the pictures:

Charlies' Angels

2009-04-07T18:11:00.001-07:00

This is a recent shoot I did for the magazine Trend. The theme was "Charlies' Angels."

Powershift 2009

2009-03-07T20:43:00.000-08:00

Wow. I was one of around 12,000 "students and professionals, writers and activists, Navajo and Appalachians, many new to the movement, and others veterans in the fight (Sierra - powerpastcoal.org)" that traveled to Washington DC last weekend for the largest climate summit in history! It was a place to share ideas, connect with others, learn, grow, inspire and be inspired. The air was alive with energy as so many youth from Canada, Puerto Rico, India and all 50 states in the US came together to oranize and demand bold climate action and leadership. People of all backgrounds came together, realizing that no matter what their interest (be it the economy, health care, war, the environment, your community, etc.), climate change will and is effecting it; this issue touches all aspects of our lives. On the last day of the summit we made our way to capital hill and spoke with our legislative officials, participated in a historic rally on capitol hill and a mass non-violent protest and encirclement of the capitol coal plant.

And as beautifully said by Ted Glick of the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN):

“Throughout this jubilant day, there was a palpable sense of a psychological line being crossed which has had a parallel in all great movements for nonviolent social change. It is the moment when a movement becomes aware that it is tapping into the immensely strong and unstoppable power of truth. It is a time of spiritual awakening, when seekers of change suddenly realize they have unleashed an infinite force far beyond the strength of any individuals - what Gandhi referred to as ‘satyagraha.’ It is comparable to those moments in time when the peasants of India understood that an entire British empire could be defied and bus riders in Montgomery, Alabama realized that racism was not in reality an immovable fact of life."

Thank you Everyone! Much Love!

Mariah and Justin (Engagement Session)

2009-01-09T14:23:00.000-08:00

Here are some recent engagement photos I did for a fun couple in the Quad Cities! Congrats Mariah and Justin and thank you for letting me share this special time with you both!

Happy New Years - Vasilopita

2009-01-03T18:25:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR ALL!!!!!

So I thought I would share some photos with you of my Grandma making Vasilopita for New Years. It is a Greek and eastern European tradition to bake a new years day bread. Before baking a coin is slipped into the dough. On new years day the Vasilopita is cut open to bless the house for the following year and the slices are cut for each family member and possible present guests in order of age. Family traditions vary and the reciever of the coin is blessed with good luck for the new year. My grandma from South Dakota baked it at our house this year and it is one of those traditions that as you age, you begin to wonder how long it will continue. I wanted to document if for my own personal memory as we all are getting older. I love her, she is so cute!

Coffee break :)

My dad with the finished product!

Hope you all have a wonderful 2009 and Much Love!!!!!

-Pantelis

Self-Portraits

2008-12-23T00:37:00.001-08:00

Hey!

Thought I would take some self-portraits today. LOVE the top one!

Shoveling at the Korovilas House

2008-12-20T18:47:00.001-08:00

First Ladies of Fashion

2008-11-09T14:29:00.000-08:00

Trend

2008-11-02T19:29:00.000-08:00

2008-10-03T15:22:00.000-07:00

Hey!

Here a few new photos from a concert I photographed in Iowa City, IA a few weeks ago. I was doing a shoot for my friend's band Molly Ringwald. Check them out here.

Photos from Greece/Powervote kickoff!

2008-08-30T14:34:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

After a long wait I have finally put my photos from Greece online! They can be viewed here.

I would also like to take the time to thank everyone from The Energy Action Coalition for such an empowering week in Saint Paul, Minnesota for the Powervote training!

For those of you who do not know, we are building a movement...and it is beautiful. So are the faces of the youth who are rising up, rising up and shunning their overabundant, materialistic, hierarchical backgrounds. They have done nothing but inspire me. I have been tolled Democracy is failing. That the power no longer belongs to the people but, I question whether it ever really has, for I have surely not seen it in my lifetime. But I have heard many stories of the past, seen photos of histories greatest social movements, read the declaration of independence. I would argue that this is the closest the people have ever been to power and we still have a long way to go but, we are building a movement and it is beautiful.
Saul Alinsky once said “start from where the world is, as it is, not as I would like it to be.” The world is still hiding beneath the shadow of the industrial revolution. The world is unequal, the world is changing and we are changing it. Why not change it for the better?
Alinsky continues: "In this world laws are written for the lofty aim of 'the common good' and then acted out in life on the basis of the common greed. In this world irrationality clings to man like his shadow so that the right things are done for the wrong reasons--afterwords, we dredge up the right reasons for justification. It is a world not of angels but of angles, where men speak of moral principles but act on power principles; a world where we are always moral and our enemies always immoral; a world where 'reconciliation' means that when one side gets the power and the other side gets reconciled to it, then we have reconciliation; a world of religious institutions that have, in the main, come to support and justify the status quo so that today organized religion is materially solvent and spiritually bankrupt...This is where you start."
We, the youth of the United States of America, are building, across the country, a million youth voting block to vote on clean energy, on human rights, on green jobs. Under the banner of the Energy Action Coalition, we are voting to take dirty money out of politics, to re-engage as a leader in the international community, and we will be at the polls this November! Go to www.powervote.org, sign the Powervote pledge, and get connected to the thousands of youth across the nation who are making progress on the ground while little is being done up top. Become apart of the youth climate movement that is taking our country by storm!

Thank you and Much Love!

2008-08-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I am exploring my methods of presentation for my photos from Greece and I promise I will have them available for viewing soon, they turned out great! Can't wait to show them! Until then, here are a few for viewing:

So much went on while out their I find it hard to summarize my trip better than the journal entry I recorded days before heading back to the states:

"I have been in Greece for about 13-14 days now and wow. Some of the sights have been amazing. I have driven through the mountains, swam in the bluest oceans, been to cliff-top monasteries, been to many ancient ruins, seen many historical Grecian landmarks, took part in a mountain top church service, eaten so much amazing food, drunk just as much, taken sooo many great pictures, got cut off the road more than once by herds of animals(bulls, cows, and sheep), seen a sea slug the size of my head, a turtle just a big, been out clubbing till five in the morning, was commended on my dancing by more than on greek ;), and met so many amazing family and friends, among all the others.
I have noticed the despite the great culture that I have observed the youth of Greece are in much the same boat as many of the American youth I know. The problems they face are no means better and in most instances their means of reacting to those problems are very limited BUT, I have noticed, as I have in the past, the amount of togetherness among community and family is far more than I have experienced in the states and these people seem genuinely happier. Having a Platia(a town square), or a place where all community members can be together, is a great addition.
I often find myself getting sad when I leave beautiful places or part ways with amazing people but, I have come to realize or recognize letting my sadness consume me as self-pity and not an emotion I want to have in my life. All the beautiful places and people, that I am always so sad to leave, are parts of my life that I am so privileged to have experienced. Instead of leaving sad I should leave happy and honored that I was allowed even the smallest fraction of time at or with that place or person. I have survived and could survived without them but, they came into my life, and changed it; that is a gift and I have learned to never look a gift horse in the mouth and asking for more of their time would be a selfish look in their mouths. They're so many people who may never get to do some of the things I have, or meet some of the people I have. Some people do not have homes or food, clothes or family; I am SOOOO privileged to have been allowed the things I have and sadness in a way is selfish. I am privileged to even have lived to be 20 years old and to have this paper and pen to be writing my thoughts(or this computer to post this blog).
Thank you so much everyone, and I mean every single living soul and organism on this planet, for everything you have done. You are all the reason why I am here today and why I have what I have and seen what I have seen. Much Love"

-Pantelis A. Korovilas

2008-07-28T07:42:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone!

Wow! I have so much to say I don't even know where to begin! Most is good news so I will start with the bad: I have yet to find a place with wireless access so I have not been able to put any photos on here yet. Now with the good news! I have taking sooooo many amazing photos and I can't wait to share them all with you!

We arrived in Athens, Greece the first day, totally suffering from jet lag with the time difference(it is an 8 hour difference so when I was supposed to be getting ready for bed we arrived in greece and had a whole day ahead of us :/) We then spent our first day in Athens and went to the Acropolis and some shops. The next morning we went on a road trip north and stopped at so many amazing places and towns! After 3 days of road tripping and sight seeing we arrived far south to Filiatra which is my dads hometown and where most of my family is. We spent about five days there where I went on an ocean and club binge which consisted of me going to the beach all morning...eating waayy to much for lunch...passing out for a few hours....waking up, going out to the town square('the platia' where all the town hangs out) and eating again....and then going out to the club untill 5 in the morning with my cousins and their friends. After that we headed to the mountains for the weekend to celebrate Ios Panteliamon, the saint from which I am named after. On his birthday all the people with the name Pantelis celebrate. It was great. I just returned to Filiatra from the mountains and am at a small internet cafe in Filiatra.

Much Love and I can't wait to talk to everyone when I return!

2008-07-15T18:53:00.001-07:00

Hi Everybody!

I took the photo above on my trip from Clinton to Davenport, Iowa. The cumulus cloud was so big I new I had to stop so I pulled off on the nearest exit and caught the simple Iowa country side near Dewitt as a setting.

I have been tolled so many time by many of my contemporaries to start a blog. I was always reluctant to do so but, thought that now would be a great time as I am leaving for Greece in the morning. I do not know yet if I am to have internet access while I am out there but, I hope that, if I do, this will be a great way to let you guys know where I am from time to time and show you some of the photos I have been taking!

I have had a great summer so far and would like to thank all of my new friends on the east coast for such an amazing time in Virginia last week. The atmosphere we created was priceless! I am a member of the Sierra Student Coalition which is the student chapter of the Sierra Club. We were out in Virginia for a week at Prince William National Forest. The atmosphere we created was priceless! I hope to see all of you from Virginia's Sprog at the Power Vote training in August. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Power Vote click here to find out more and sign the pledge! In the words of the Power Vote pledge:

"Candidates and Officials,

Our generation needs a brand new vision for our future. We need to lead the world towards a just, clean energy economy that moves beyond dirty energy, creates green jobs for all, and secures our climate. I pledge to vote, hold our leaders accountable through my sustained involvement, and create a Power Shift!

1. GREEN JOBS NOW

Invest in millions of new green jobs, strengthen the American middle class and create new pathways out of poverty for millions more. By retooling our factories, revamping our schools, and rebuilding our communities, we can create a sustainable, just, and prosperous future for all.

2. INVEST IN A CLEAN ENERGY ECONOMY

Unleash American ingenuity and launch a new wave of affordable clean energy technology. We need more federal and private investments in public transit, ultra-efficient vehicles, and renewable energy like wind and solar.

3. CUT GLOBAL WARMING POLLUTION NOW

To ensure our health, prosperity, and security, scientists tell us we must rapidly drive US global warming pollution towards zero. We can and must accomplish this transition to a clean energy future in an equitable and just manner.

4. END OUR DEPENDENCE ON DIRTY ENERGY

Enact an immediate moratorium on new coal, oil, natural gas, and nuclear plant construction and infrastructure, while phasing out existing plants and fossil fuel extraction and ensuring a just transition for the workforce and communities

5. RE-ENGAGE AS A LEADER IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

Global warming requires a global solution. We must shift the focus of American foreign policy from military intervention to international cooperation and join the world in pursuing peace and international development, thereby offering assistance to vulnerable and impacted communities.

6. TAKE DIRTY MONEY OUT OF POLITICS

It's time to make government accountable to "We the People." Put voters first and refuse campaign contributions from dirty energy interests. "

"Citizen participation is the animating spirit and force in a society predicated on voluntarism", as Saul Alinksy once said. Voluntarism is the spirit and force of democracy and I see less and less of my peers and elders volunteering their time but, at the same time complaining why their democracy is not doing anything for them. I would say that powervote is as good of place as any to start. ;)

Anyways, check in from time to time and I will try and keep this thing fresh with photos and a word on where I am at. I will end this with a hilarious self portrait (well at least I think it's funny) I made the other day and another quote from Saul D. Alinsky!
Thanks and much love!

"I salute the present generation. Hang on to one of your most precious parts of youth, laughter-don't lose it as many of you seem to have done, you need it. Together we may find some of what we're looking for-laughter, beauty, love, and the chance to create"

-Saul D. Alinsky