Ithaca College is a private college located on the South Hill of Ithaca, New York, United States. The school was founded by William Egbert in 1892 as a conservatory of music. The college has a strong liberal arts core, but also offers several pre-professional programs and some graduate programs.^[2] The college is also known internationally for its communications program: the Roy H. Park School of Communications. The college is set against the backdrop of Cayuga Lake, Cornell University, and several waterfalls and gorges. The college is perhaps best known for its large list of alumni who play or have played substantial roles in the world of broadcasting. The college has been ranked among the top ten master's universities in the North by U.S. News & World Report every year since 1996.^[3] For the 2010 rankings, the college was ranked 7 in this category.^[4]

History[link]

Beginnings[link]

Ithaca College was founded as the Ithaca Conservatory of Music in 1892 when a local violin teacher, William Grant Egbert, rented four rooms and arranged for the instruction of eight students. For nearly seven decades the institution flourished in the city of Ithaca, adding to its music curriculum the study of elocution, dance, physical education, speech correction, radio, business, and the liberal arts. In 1931 the conservatory was chartered as a private college. The college was originally housed in the Boardman House, that later became the Ithaca College Museum of Art, and it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.^[5]

Modern era[link]

"Textor Ball," a modern art sculpture on the roof of the Textor lecture halls.

By 1960, some 2,000 students were in attendance. A modern campus was built on South Hill in the sixties, and students were shuttled between the old and new during the construction. The hillside campus continued to grow in the ensuing 30 years to accommodate more than 6,000 students.

As the campus expanded, the college also began to expand its curriculum. By the 1990s, some 2,000 courses in more than 100 programs of study were available in the college's five schools.

The school attracts a multicultural student body with representatives from almost every state and from 78 foreign countries.^[6]

Campus[link]

Ithaca College's current campus was built in the 1960s on South Hill. In 1968 the College's final academic department moved to the South Hill campus from downtown, making the move complete.

Satellite Campuses[link]

Besides its Ithaca campus, Ithaca College has also operated satellite campuses in other cities. The Ithaca College London Center has been in existence since 1972. Ithaca runs the Ithaca College Los Angeles Program at the James B. Pendleton Center. Additionally, there is an Ithaca College Washington Semester Program and a recently launched Ithaca College New York City Center.^[7]

Former programs include the Ithaca College Antigua Program and the Ithaca College Walkabout Down Under Program in Australia.

Ithaca College also operates direct enrollment exchange programs with several universities, including Griffith University, La Trobe University, Murdoch University, and University of Tasmania (Australia); Chengdu Sport University and Beijing Sport University (China); University of Hong Kong; Masaryk University (Czech Republic); Akita International University and University of Tsukuba (Japan); Hanyang University (Korea); Nanyang Technological University (Singapore); University of Valencia (Spain); and Jönköping University (Sweden).^[8]

Academics[link]

This section requires expansion.

The college offers a curriculum with more than 100 degree programs in its five schools.

Student life[link]

Media and publications[link]

• The Ithacan is Ithaca College's official newspaper. The paper is written, edited and published by students. The Ithacan is available in print every Thursday morning and online.^[9] The Ithacan and its staff have won many major collegiate journalism awards, most notably, the Associated Collegiate Press' National Pacemaker Award, which it has won five times, most recently in 2008.^[10][11] The Pacemaker has been widely considered the Pulitzer Prize of collegiate journalism.

• Ithaca College Television (ICTV) is the student operated television channel that has broadcast since 1958. During the 2012 Spring Semester, ICTV has 23 student-run shows on the air. ICTV has a wide variety of programming that can be viewed on Cable channel 16 in Tompkins County. The majority of the productions take place live in studio, and they include: Backstage Comedy, College Gourmet, Down with ASP, Entertainment 16, Experts Say, Fake Out, Game Over, ICTV Special Projects, Ithaca Eats, Leave the Light on with Dave, Pop Quiz, The Director's Chair, and The Screening Room. ICTV also has an entire host of shows to cover all the athletics on Ithaca's campus, as well as at Cornell University. This semester, the line-up includes: Sports Final, Big Red Face off, Bombers Live, and Hold That Thought. ICTV also has 2 web-series that can be viewed exclusively on www.ICTV.org: Dual Redundancy and Stop Me if You've Heard this One. There are also shows that are filmed outside the confines of the Park School, and they comprise the Field Show section: College Kids, Ithaca College Investigations Unit, and Poutine on the Fritz. ICTV's flagship program, however, is Newswatch 16. This program is ICTV's longest running show and one of Tompkins Counties most trusted sources for weekly news, sports, weather, and what is going on all around Tompkins County.

• WICB is an FCC-licensed station that operates at 4100 Watts^[12] at 91.7 on the FM band. The majority of its programming falls under the modern rock category. While broadcasting modern rock, the station is run similarly to a commercial modern rock station, with the inclusion of playlists planned by the programming and music departments that include leeway for listener requests and DJ choices. The station was recently honored with the MTVU Woodie Award for Best College Radio Station. Other programming ranges from mainstream hip-hop and R&B, to underground, downtempo, and other lesser-known genres of what is generally considered urban music. In addition to a lunchtime Jazz show, WICB broadcasts a number of other specialty shows throughout the week. These shows, which usually run 2–3 hours in length, come from genres such as blues, broadway, jam band music, and "homeless" music, that is not normally heard on the public airwaves.

• Buzzsaw Magazine, formerly Buzzsaw Haircut, was founded in 1999 and is the college's monthly alternative news magazine. It is available in print and online every month.^[13] The magazine is produced by the Ithaca College community and printed by Our Press of Binghamton, NY. It is funded by the Ithaca College Student Government Association, the Park School of Communication, local advertising, community support, and a grant from Campus Progress. It has won a number of national awards, including the Campus Alternative Journalism Project's award for "Best Sense of Humor" in 2003 and the Independent Press Association's Campus Independent Journalism Awards for "Best Campus Publication with a Budget Under $10,000" and "Best Political Commentary" in 2005.

Greek life[link]

Historically, various independent and national fraternities and sororities had active chapters at Ithaca College. However, due to a series of highly publicized hazing incidents in the 1980s, including one that was responsible for the death of a student, the College administration removed all but five Greek letter organizations from campus, and adopted a non-expansion policy, prohibiting any new Greek houses from affiliating with the College.^[14] As of 2008, three recognized Greek organizations remain on campus, all of which are music oriented:

• Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Delta Chapter)
• Sigma Alpha Iota (Epsilon Chapter)
• Mu Phi Epsilon (Lambda Chapter)
• Delta Phi Zeta (Inactive)
• A fifth, performing arts oriented house, Kappa Gamma Psi (Iota Chapter), went inactive in 2008 due to insufficient membership on campus after Ithaca College refused to grant them an extension to allow interested freshman to pledge the following semester.

However, there are various Greek Letter Organizations at Ithaca College that are unaffiliated with the school, and therefore not subject to the same housing privileges or rules that contribute to the safety of their members such as non-hazing and non-drinking policies. While uncommon, it is permitted for Ithaca College students to pledge for Greek houses affiliated with Cornell University.

• Gamma Delta Pi
• Phi Kappa Sigma ( Gamma Chi chapter)
• Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi, Iota Eta chapter)
• Phi Mu Zeta

Athletics[link]

The Ithaca athletics nickname "Bombers" is unique in NCAA athletics, and the origins of the nickname are obscure. Ithaca College's sports teams were originally named the Cayugans, but the name was changed to the Bombers sometime in the 1930s. Several possibilities for the change have been posited. It may have made reference to the New York Yankees, who are known as the Bronx Bombers, or (less likely) boxer Joe Louis, known as the Brown Bomber. The most common explanation is that the school's baseball uniforms - white with navy blue pinstripes and an interlocking "IC" on the left chest - bear a striking resemblance to the distinctive home uniforms of the New York Yankees. It may also have referred to the Ithaca basketball team of that era and its propensity for half-court "bombs." Grumman Aircraft also manufactured airplanes including bombers in Ithaca for many years. The first “Bombers” reference on record was in the December 17, 1938 issue of the Rochester Times-Union in a men’s basketball article.^[15]

The name has at times sparked controversy for its perceived martial connotations. It is an occasional source of umbrage from Ithaca's prominent pacifist community, but the athletics department has consistently stated it has no interest in changing the name.^[15] The athletics logo has in the past, but currently does not, incorporated World War II era fighter planes.

Ithaca is a member of the NCAA's Division III, the Empire Eight Conference, and the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Ithaca has one of Division III's strongest athletic programs.^{[citation needed]} The Bombers have won a total of 15 national titles in seven team sports and five individual sports.

Coached by Jim "Butts" Butterfield^[16] for 27 years, the football team has won three NCAA Division III National Football Championships in 1979, 1988 and 1991 (a total surpassed only by Augustana and Mount Union). Bomber football teams made a record seven appearances in the Division III national championship game, the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, which has since been surpassed by Mount Union in 2003. The Bombers play the SUNY Cortland Red Dragons for the Cortaca Jug, which was added in 1959 to an already competitive rivalry. The matchup is one of the most prominent in Division III college football.^[17]

Most recently, the women's crew won back-to-back NCAA Division III championships in 2004 and 2005.

Women's soccer has won two national championships in Division III and is consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally.

The Men's Wrestling team won NCAA Division III National Championships in 1989, 1990 and 1994.

Ithaca is also home to more than 60 club sports, many of which compete regularly against other colleges in leagues and tournaments.

[edit] Ithaca Forever

Ithaca Forever is the official alma mater or school song of Ithaca College.^[18]

Ithaca forever, shine your light on me
In our hearts together we shall always be
And here's to Ithaca, my Ithaca how beautiful you are,
Your Towers high upon South Hill, reach from stone to star.

Ithaca forever, I'll recall a smile,
Clasp a hand in friendship, walk a snowy mile,
And here's to Ithaca, my Ithaca - Alma Mater true,
Although I leave Cayuga's shore, I'll remember you.

Ithaca forever, guide us on our way,
Like a shining beacon, light our night and day,
And here's to Ithaca, my Ithaca, how bright your vision seems,
May all your sons and daughters dare to live their dreams.

Intramurals[link]

Along with Intercollegiate athletics, Ithaca College has a rather large Intramural sport program. This extracurricular program serves approximately 25% of the undergraduate population yearly. Fourteen traditional team activities are offered throughout the year and include: basketball, flag football, kickball, soccer, softball, ultimate Frisbee and volleyball.

For most activities divisions are offered for men’s, women’s and co-recreational teams. Throughout the year usually two or more activities run concurrently and participants are able to play on a single sex team and co-recreational team for each activity. The most popular activities recently have been 5-on-5 basketball with over forty teams entered for the past three years, for the past two years there have been over thirty indoor flag football teams and teams have been turned away.

During 08-09 new records were established for total teams in both 4 person and 6 person volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball, and co-recreational indoor soccer. During the 08-09 year there were 1,559 intramural participants and over 500 female participants. It was estimated that the 2009-2010 year and the 2010-2011 have even more participants in intramural sports.^[19]

Sustainability[link]

Ithaca's School of Business was the first college or university business school in the world to achieve LEED Platinum Certification.^[20] The College composts its dining hall waste,^[21] runs a "Take It or Leave It" Green move-out program, and offers a sustainable living option.^[22] It also operates an office supply collection and reuse program,^[23] as well as a sustainability education program during new student orientation.^[24] Ithaca received a B- grade on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's 2009 College Sustainability Report Card^[25] and an A- for 2010.

Presidents[link]

Current president[link]

Ithaca's current president is Thomas Rochon. Thomas Rochon was named the eighth president of Ithaca College on April 11, 2008.^[26] Rochon took over as president of the college following Peggy Williams, who had announced on July 12, 2007 that she would retire from the presidency post effective May 31, 2009 following a one-year sabbatical.^[27]

Former presidents[link]

Alumni[link]

Bob Iger '73, President & CEO of The Walt Disney Company

Ithaca College has 49,570 alumni in the United States. There are alumni clubs for Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Los Angeles, Metro New York, National Capital, N. & S. Carolina, Philadelphia, Rochester (NY), San Diego, and Southern Florida.^[38] Alumni events are hosted in cooperation with the specific clubs and also through a program called 'IC on the Road'.^[39]

Following is a brief list of noteworthy Ithaca College alumni and faculty. For a more extensive list, see main entry List of Ithaca College alumni.

• Jessica Savitch (B.S. 1968), first female network news anchor
• Robert Iger (B.S. 1973), president & CEO, The Walt Disney Company
• Rod Serling (former faculty), Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, creator of The Twilight Zone
• Mark Mahoney (B.S. 1985), Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Writing, The Post-Star^[40][41]
• Barbara Gaines (B.A. 1979), Emmy Award-winning executive producer, Late Show with David Letterman
• Chris Regan (1989), Emmy Award-winning writer for The Daily Show from 1999-2006.
• James McIntosh (B.F.A. 2009), DB/WR-New England Patriots
• Richard Jadick (B.S. 1987), combat surgeon who was awarded the Bronze Star for service in Iraq
• Steven Van Slyke (B.S. 1978), chemist, 20 patents related to Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs)
• David Muir (B.S. 1995), ABC news anchor for World News Saturday and co-anchor of Primetime
• Karl Ravech (B.S. 1987), ESPN sportscaster
• David Boreanaz (B.S. 1991), actor, Bones, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel
• Robert Marella aka Gorilla Monsoon (B.S. 1959), WWE Hall of Fame wrestler, former ringside commentator
• Bob Kur (B.S. 1970), Washington Post Radio, former NBC News National Reporter
• Andrew Daly (B.A. 1993), actor, "Eastbound & Down", "Semi-Pro"
• USMC Major General Robert L. Wolf (B.S. 1973), Command of the New York Naval Militia.
• Kate Aldrich (B.M. 1996), internationally-renowned mezzo-soprano
• David Guy Levy (B.S. 2003), film producer, August and Terri.
• Scott LaFaro, influential jazz bassist with the Bill Evans Trio (1959–61).
• Dimitri Milovich, inventor of the first Winterstick snowboard in 1970.
• Michelle Federer (B.F.A. Musical Theatre 1995), theatre and film actress; originated the character, Nessarose, in Broadway's Wicked 2003-2006
• Matt Cavenaugh (B.F.A. Musical Theatre 2001), film, TV, and Broadway actor
• Kristen Britain (B.S. 1987), author, Green Rider, First Rider's Call, and The High King's Tomb
• Henny Hiemenz, head college football coach Carroll University
• Aaron Tveit, (BFA Musical Theatre), theater and film actor. Original star of Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning musical Next to Normal Catch Me If You Can
• Kerry Butler, (BFA Musical Theatre 1992), Broadway actor. Nominated for a Tony Award for Best Actress for Little Shop of Horrors Xanadu Catch Me If You Can
• Ben Fankhauser, (BFA Musical Theatre 2011), Broadway Actor, 1st national tour of Spring Awakening and original cast of Newsies
• Jeremy Jordan, (BFA Musical Theatre 2006), Broadway Actor, originated Clyde in Bonnie and Clyde, nominated for 2012 Tony Award for best actor for Newsies
• Allan Loeb, Screenwriter for films such as "21" and "The Dilemma"
• C.C.H. Pounder, (1975) television actress.
• Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, (1998) television presenter specializing in the ancient astronaut hypothesis.^[42]
• Matt Willis, (2006) ESPN NASCAR analyst.^[43]
• Mustafa Erogut (M.B.A 2006), Deputy Director-General, Turkey_national_football_team
• Steven Brill, (B.F.A. 1980), Multiple Emmy award-winning lighting designer, President of The Lighting Design Group
• Andy Dahill, (B.A. 2004), punk rock guitarist for L.E.S. Stitches and The Threads

External links[link]

• Official website

Coordinates: 42°25′18″N 76°29′41″W / 42.4218°N 76.4947°W / 42.4218; -76.4947

References[link]

Ithaca Περιφερειακή ενότητα / Δήμος Ιθάκης
—  Regional unit  —
View of Vathy
Ithaca within the Ionian Islands
Coordinates: 38°22′N 20°43′E / 38.367°N 20.717°E / 38.367; 20.717Coordinates: 38°22′N 20°43′E / 38.367°N 20.717°E / 38.367; 20.717
Country	Greece
Region	Ionian Islands
Capital	Vathy
Government
• Vice Governor	Sotiris Kouris
• Mayor	Ioannis Kassianos
Area
• Total	117.8 km2 (45.5 sq mi)
Population (2001)
• Total	3,084
• Density	26/km2 (68/sq mi)
Postal codes	283 0x
Area codes	26740
Car plates	ΚΕ
Website	www.ithaki.gr

Ithaca or Ithaka (Greek: Ιθάκη, Ithakē) is an island located in the Ionian Sea, in Greece, with an area of 45 square miles (120 km²) and a little more than three thousand inhabitants. It is also a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. It lies off the northeast coast of Kefalonia and to the west and within sight of continental Greece. The municipality of Ithaca includes some islets as well. The capital, Vathy or Ithaki, has one of the world's largest natural harbours. Modern Ithaca is generally identified with Homer's Ithaca, the home of Odysseus, whose delayed return to the island is one of the elements of the Odyssey's plot.

Origin of name[link]

Ithaca is to the upper right of the larger Kefalonia island in this picture. The small island in the top-right corner is the uninhabited Atokos (NASA World Wind satellite picture).

The fact that classical Greek authors often used eponymous explanations to explain away names through folk etymology makes it more likely that Ithakos derives from Ithaca rather than vice versa.

The name Ithaca has remained unchanged since ancient times, but it has been noticed that in written documents of different periods, it has also been referred to by other names such as:

• Val di Compare (Valley of the Bestman), Piccola (Small) Cephallonia, Anticephallonia (Middle Ages till the beginning of the Venetian period)
• Ithaki nisos (Greek for island), Thrakoniso, Thakou, Thiakou (Byzantine period)
• Thiaki (before the Venetian period, also called so by the sailors and has remained the name used by the inhabitants)
• Teaki (Venetian period)
• Fiaki (Turkish period)

History[link]

Ithaca by Edward Dodwell (1821).

The island has been inhabited since the 2nd millennium BC. It may have been the capital of Cephalonia during the Mycenaean period, and the capital-state of the kingdom ruled by Odysseus. The Romans occupied the island in the 2nd century BC, and later it became part of the Byzantine Empire. The Normans ruled Ithaca in the 13th century, and after a short Turkish rule, it fell into Venetian hands (Ionian Islands under Venetian rule).

Ithaca was then occupied by France under the 1797 Treaty of Campo Formio. It was liberated by a joint Russo-Turkish force in 1798, before becoming part of the Septinsular Republic. It became a French possession again in 1807, until it was liberated by the United Kingdom in 1809. Under the 1815 Treaty of Paris, Ithaca became a state of the United States of the Ionian Islands, an protectorate of the British Empire. In 1830 the local community requested to join with the rest of the newly restored nation-state of Greece. Under the 1864 Treaty of London, Ithaca, along with the remaining six Ionian islands, were ceded to Greece as a gesture of diplomatic friendship to Greece's new Anglophile king, George I. The U.K. kept its privileged use of the harbour at Corfu.^[1]

First settlers[link]

The origins of the first people to inhabit the island, which occurred during the last years of the Neolithic Period (4000–3000 BCE), are not clear. The traces of buildings, walls and a road from this time period prove that life existed and continued to do so during the Early Hellenic era (3000–2000 BCE). In the years (2000–1500 BCE) some of the population migrated to part of the island. The buildings and walls that were excavated showed the lifestyle of this period had remained primitive.

Mycenaean era[link]

During the Mycenaean period (1500–1100 BCE), Ithaca rose to the highest level of its ancient history. Mostly based on the Odyssey and oral traditions, it is believed that the island became the capital of the Ionian Kingdom-State, which included the surrounding lands, and was referred to as one of the most powerful states of that time. The Ithacans were characterized as great navigators and explorers with daring expeditions reaching further than the Mediterranean Sea.

The epic poems of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey, shed some light on Bronze-Age Ithaca. Those poems are generally thought to have been composed sometime in the 9th or 8th centuries BC, but may have made use of older mythological and poetic traditions; their depiction of the hero Odysseus, and his rule over Ithaca and the surrounding islands and mainland, preserve somes memories of the political geography, customs and society of the time.

After the end of the Mycenaean period, Ithaca's influence diminished, and it came under the jurisdiction of the nearest large island.

Hellenistic era[link]

During the ancient Hellenic prime (800–180 BCE), independent organized life continued in the northern and southern part of the island. In the southern part, in the area of Aetos, the town Alalcomenae was founded. From this period, many objects of important historical value have been found during excavations. Among these objects are coins imprinted with the name Ithaca and the image of Odysseus which suggest that the island was self-governed.

According to the different periods, conquerors and circumstances, the population of the island kept changing. Although there is no definite numerical information until the Venetian period, it is believed that from the Mycenaean to the Byzantine period, the number of inhabitants was several thousand, who lived mainly in the northern part of Ithaca. During the Middle Ages, the population decreased due to the continuous invasions of pirates, forcing the people to establish settlements and live in the mountains.

Ottoman era[link]

In 1479, Turkish forces reached the islands and many of the people fled from the island out of fear of the new Turkish settlers. Those that remained hid in the mountains to avoid the pirates who controlled the channel between Cephallonia and Ithaca and the bays of the island. In the following five years, the Turks, Toques and Venetians laid claim to the islands diplomatically. Possession of the islands was finally taken by the Ottoman Empire from 1484 to 1499. During this period, the Venetians had strengthened into a major power with an organized fleet. The Venetians pursued their interest in the Ionian Islands, and in 1499 a war between the Venetians and the Turks began. The allied fleets of the Venetians and the Spanish besieged Ithaca, and the other islands. The fleets prevailed, and from 1500 onwards the Venetians controlled the islands. According to a treaty of 1503, Ithaca, Cephallonia and Zante would be ruled by the Venetians (Ionian Islands under Venetian rule), and Lefkada by the Turks.

French era[link]

A few years after the French Revolution, the Ionian area came under the rule of the First French Republic (1797–1798), and the island became the honorary capital of Cephallonia, Lefkada, and part of the Greek mainland, which formed the French département of Ithaque (the prefecture was at Argostoli on Kefalonia).

The population welcomed the French, who took care in the control of the administrative and judicial systems, but later the heavy taxation they demanded caused a feeling of indignation among the people. During this short historical period, the new ideas of system and social structure greatly influenced the inhabitants of the island. At the end of 1798, the French were succeeded by Russia and Turkey (1798–1807), which were allies at that time. Corfu became the capital of the Ionian States, and the form of government was democratic, with a fourteen-member senate in which Ithaca had one representative.

The Ithacan fleet flourished when it was allowed to carry cargo up to the ports of the Black Sea. In 1807, according to an agreement with Turkey, the Ionian Islands once again came under the French rule (1807–1809 AD). The French quickly began preparing to face the British fleet, which had become very powerful, by building a fort in Vathy.

Prominent citizens of Ithaki participated in the secret "Filiki Etairia" which was instrumental in organizing the Greek Revolution of 1821 against Turkish rule, and Greek fighters found refuge there. In addition, the participation of Ithacans during the siege of Messologi and the naval battles with Turkish ships at the Black Sea and Danube was significant.

Modern Ithaca[link]

Many structures were destroyed in an earthquake in 1953. In the 1970s, Kalamos split from the province and became part of the prefecture of Lefkada, and the province of Ithaca became a non-provincial municipality.

Home of Odysseus[link]

Odysseus at the court of Alcinous by Francesco Hayez (1813-1815).

Since antiquity, Ithaca has been identified as the home of the mythological hero Odysseus. In the Odyssey of Homer, Ithaca is described thus (13.21-27)

" dwell in shining Ithaca. There is a mountain there,

high Neriton, covered in forests. Many islands

lie around it, very close to each other,

Doulichion, Same, and wooded Zacynthos--

but low-lying Ithaca is farthest out to sea,

towards the sunset, and the others are apart, towards the dawn and sun.

It is rough, but it raises good men."

It has sometimes been argued that this description does not match the topography of modern Ithaca. Three features of the description have been seen as especially problematic. First, Ithaca is described as "low-lying" (χθαμαλή), but Ithaca is mountainous. Second, the words "farthest out to sea, towards the sunset" (πανυπερτάτη εἰν ἁλὶ ... πρὸς ζόφον) are usually interpreted to mean that Ithaca must be the island furthest to the west, but Kefalonia lies to the west of Ithaca. Lastly, it is unclear which modern islands correspond to Homer's Doulichion and Same.

The Greek geographer Strabo, writing in the 1st century AD, identified Homer's Ithaca with modern Ithaca. Following earlier commentators, he interpreted the word translated above as "low-lying" to mean "close to the mainland", and the phrase translated as "farthest out to sea, towards the sunset" as meaning "farthest of all towards the north." Strabo identified Same as modern Kefalonia, and believed that Homer's Doulichion was one of the islands now known as the Echinades. Ithaca lies farther north than Kefalonia, Zacynthos, and the island that Strabo identified as Doulichion, consistent with the interpretation of Ithaca as being "farthest of all towards the north."

Strabo's explanation has not won universal acceptance. In the last few centuries, some scholars have argued that Homer's Ithaca was not modern Ithaca, but a different island. Perhaps the best known proposal is that of Wilhelm Dörpfeld, who believed that the nearby island of Leukas was Homer's Ithaca.^[2]

It has also been suggested that Paliki, the western peninsula of Kefalonia, is Homer's Ithaca. It has been argued that in Homeric times this western peninsula was separated from Kefalonia by a sea channel since closed up by earthquake-induced rockfalls.^[3] However, no scientific review publications are available in support of this theory.

Despite any difficulties with Homer's description of the island, in classical and Roman times the island now called "Ithaca" was universally held to be the home of Odysseus; the Hellenistic identifications of Homeric sites, such as the identifications of Lipari as the island of Aeolus, are usually taken with a grain of salt, and attributed to the ancient tourist trade.

The island has been known as Ithaca from an early date, as coins and inscriptions show. Coins from Ithaca frequently portray Odysseus, and an inscription from the 3rd century BC refers to a local hero-shrine of Odysseus and games called the Odysseia.^[4] The Archaeological site of "School of Homer" on modern Ithaca is the only place between Lefkas-Kefalonia-Ithaca Triangle where Linear B has been found, near royal remains. Modern scholars generally accept the identification of modern Ithaca with Homeric Ithaca, and explain discrepancies between the Odyssey's description and the actual topography as the product of lack of first-hand knowledge of the island, or as poetic license.^{[citation needed]}

Geography[link]

View of northern Ithaca.

Olive tree of Ithaca that is claimed to be at least 1500 years old.

There is a strait situated to the west of the island called the Strait of Ithaca. The capes in the island include Exogi, the westernmost but not in land, Melissa to the north, Mavronos and Agios Ilias to the east, Schinous, Sarakiniko and Agios Ioannis, the easternmost to the east and Agiou Andreou, the southernmost in the south. Bays include Afales Bay to the northwest, Frikes and Kioni Bays to the northeast and Ormos Gulf and Sarakiniko Bay to the southeast. The tallest mountain is Nirito (806 m), the second tallest is Merovigli (669 m).

Lazaretto Islet (or Island of The Saviour) guards the harbor. The church of The Saviour and the remains of an old gaol sit on the island.^[5]

Notable people[link]

• Odysseas Androutsos (1788 – 1825), hero of the Greek War of Independence
• Platon Drakoulis (1858 – 1934), philosopher, writer, politician
• Panagis Lekatsas (1911 – 1970), writer, journalist
• Lorentzos Mavilis (1860 – 1912), poet
• Ioannis Metaxas (1871 – 1941), general and dictator of Greece
• St. Joachim Papoulakis (1786 - 1868), Athonite monk and an Orthodox Saint

Administration[link]

Ithaca is a separate regional unit of the Ionian Islands region, and the only municipality of the regional unit. As a part of the 2011 Kallikratis government reform, the regional unit Ithaca was created out of part of the former Kefalonia and Ithaca Prefecture.^[6] The municipality, unchanged at the Kallikratis reform, includes islets other than Ithaca including two near Cape Melissa, Arkoudi and Atokos to the northeast and the numerous islets in the Echinades Island group (the larger ones being Drakonera, Makri, Oxeia, Petalas, and Vromonas) to the east near the mainland of Aitoloakarnania. Its largest towns are Itháki (pop. 1,816), Perachóri (354), Stavrós (325), Platreithiá (210), and Kióni (171).

Communities and villages[link]

Aetos, Afales, Agios Ioannis, Agia Saranta, Anogi, Exogi, Frikes, Kalivia, Kathara, Kioni, Kolieri, Lachos, Lefki, Marmaka, Perachori, Piso Aetos, Platrithia, Rachi, Stavros, Vathy/Ithaki.

Further reading[link]

• Bittlestone, Robert; James Diggle and John Underhill (2005). Odysseus Unbound: The Search for Homer's Ithaca. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-85357-5. 
• Tzakos, Christos I.. Ithaca and Homer: The Truth, The Advocacy of the Case. Translator: Geoffrey Cox. http://www.arsenis.info/Ithaca_and_Homer/Ithaca_and_Homer.html. 

See also[link]

• List of traditional Greek place names

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ithaca

• Everything about Ithaca (English)
• Official website (Greek)
• Blog about Ithaca (Greek)

v t e Administrative division of the Ionian Islands Region Area: 2,307 km² • Population : 212,984 (2001) • Capital: Corfu Regional unit of Corfu Corfu • Paxoi Regional unit of Ithaca Ithaca Regional unit of Cephalonia Cephalonia Regional unit of Lefkada Lefkada • Meganisi Regional unit of Zakynthos Zakynthos Regional governor: Spyros Spyrou • Website: www.pin.gov.gr

David Boreanaz
Boreanaz, May 2006
Born	(1969-05-16) May 16, 1969 (age 43) Buffalo, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Actor, producer, occasional director
Years active	1993–present
Spouse	Ingrid Quinn (1997–1999) Jaime Bergman (2001-present; 2 children)

David Boreanaz (pronounced /bɔːriˈænəz/, Italian: [boɾeˈaːnad͡z]; born May 16, 1969) is an American actor, television producer, and director, known for his role as Angel on the supernatural drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, and as Special Agent Seeley Booth on the television crime drama Bones.

Early life[link]

David Boreanaz was born on May 16, 1969 in Buffalo, New York where his father, Dave Roberts (né Boreanaz), was working as a weather forecaster and children's show host as Dave Thomas, for ABC affiliate WKBW-TV, and his mother, Patti Boreanaz, was a travel agent.^[1] He is of Italian descent on his father's side (the surname Boreanaz is of Northern Italian origin).^[2][3][4] His mother is of half Slovak and half Irish, German, French, and Swiss descent.^[5][6]

When Boreanaz was nine years old, the family moved to the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area after his father took a job at WPVI-TV, the ABC affiliate in Philadelphia. Boreanaz attended Rosemont School of the Holy Child in his early years and then high school at Malvern Preparatory School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, and went to college at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York.^[7]

Career[link]

David Boreanaz's first paid acting appearance was a 1993 guest spot on the American sitcom, Married... with Children, as Kelly's two-timing biker boyfriend, who gets pummeled by her father, Al.^[8] He was cast in the television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, after being suggested for the role to Marti Noxon by one of Boreanaz's neighbors, after walking his dog past their house.^[9] In the cult series, he played the mysterious Angel, a vampire cursed with a soul as punishment for his past sins. The show became enormously successful and Boreanaz starred in a spin-off series, Angel, which gave the character a chance to evolve and concentrated on Angel's battle for redemption for the sins he committed before he regained his soul. He appeared on Buffy from 1997 to 1999, at which point he began starring in Angel, which ran until 2004, with some guest appearances on Buffy after his departure.

Boreanaz's only starring role in a major theatrical film was in 2001's slasher horror film, Valentine, alongside Denise Richards and Katherine Heigl. In 2002, he had a supporting role in a Lifetime television movie titled I'm with Lucy. In 2003, he appeared in the music video for singer Dido's hit single "White Flag", and was the voice of Leon (Squall Leonhart) in the video game Kingdom Hearts, but he did not reprise his role in the sequel. In 2005, Boreanaz began starring opposite Emily Deschanel on the current prime time television series, Bones. He also appeared in These Girls, a Canadian film in which he played a biker; the film received a limited theatrical release in Canada in March 2006, after premiering at the Toronto Film Festival and the Vancouver International Film Festival. He has also starred in the independent films Mr. Fix It and Suffering Man's Charity (released on DVD as Ghost Writer), as well as the direct-to-DVD sequel The Crow: Wicked Prayer in which he starred alongside Tara Reid. In 2006, he starred in another DVD release, The Hard Easy, which also starred Nick Lachey.

In that same year, he also voiced Hal Jordan in the direct to video DC Comics animated feature Justice League: The New Frontier. In the season three finale of his TV series Bones, Boreanaz's character Seeley Booth is seen in his bathtub reading an issue of Green Lantern, the character he voiced in that feature.

As well as being a producer on Bones since its third season, Boreanaz also directed a number of episodes, including "The Bones That Foam," "The Parts in the Sum of the Whole," "The Bullet in the Brain," and "The Blackout in the Blizzard." It has also since been reported by Hart Hanson, the creator of Bones, that Boreanaz has directed and starred in the series' 100th episode airing in the fifth season. ^[10] BuddyTV ranked him #13 on its "TV's 100 Sexiest Men of 2010" list^[11] and #18 in 2011.^[12]

Boreanaz will be starring in independently made fantasy drama Officer Down.^[13]

In the 2011 movie "The Mighty Macs," Boreanaz plays the role of Ed Rush, NBA referee and husband of Immaculata basketball coach Cathy Rush, released to theaters on Friday, October 21, 2011. ^[14]

Personal life[link]

Boreanaz with Bergman in 2006.

Family[link]

Boreanaz lives in Los Angeles, California. He was married to Ingrid Quinn from June 7, 1997 to October 1999. He has been married to actress and Playmate Jaime Bergman since November 24, 2001. David and Jaime have a son, Jaden (Jaden Rayne Boreanaz, born on May 1, 2002), and a daughter, Bella^[15] (born Bardot Vita Boreanaz on August 31, 2009,^[16] her name was later changed to Bella Vita Bardot Boreanaz).^[17]

Reconstructive surgery[link]

In 2004, Boreanaz underwent reconstructive surgery on the anterior cruciate ligament of his left knee, a result of a running injury he suffered in high school that was not fully corrected at that time.^[18] His recovery did not prevent Angel production from continuing, but did limit his mobility and physical activities in several episodes, including his directorial debut, "Soul Purpose".^[19][20]

Marital infidelities[link]

In May, 2010, Boreanaz admitted to multiple infidelities.^[21] It was revealed that Boreanaz had an affair with Tiger Woods' former mistress Rachel Uchitel.^[22][23][24] Uchitel initially stated that she was not involved with Boreanaz,^[25] but later admitted to the affair.^[26][27][28] She denied extorting him over their alleged affair.

Sexual harassment lawsuit[link]

In July 2010, an extra on Bones, Kristina Hagan, sued Boreanaz and 20th Century Fox Television for more than $25,000. She held that Boreanaz had tried to kiss and fondle her several times in August 2009, and sued on claims of sexual harassment and intentional infliction of emotional distress. David's rep issued the following statement: "The allegations concerning any alleged inappropriate conduct by David Boreanaz are totally fabricated and absurd. There is no validity to this lawsuit".^[29] Her attorney, Gloria Allred, stated Boreanaz had deceived Hagan.^[30] In March 2011, Allred said the lawsuit was "resolved" but provided no further details.^{[31] [32]}

Filmography[link]

David Boreanaz at Paleyfest 2012, in March 2012

Film[link]

Television[link]

Video games[link]

Music videos[link]

References[link]