Latest news with #MercerUniversity
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Former diner is transformed into classy Greek restaurant and wine bar
Mike Karipidis brought an authentic taste of his homeland to East Rochester when he opened El Greco by Mike, a Greek restaurant and wine bar, in October 2024. Karipidis grew up in Thessaloniki, a port city in Greece. He moved to the United States in 1982, but regularly heads back the sun-soaked country. 'I go and get ideas and refresh,' he said. He's recently found reason to visit Greece even more often, as his 19-year-old daughter, Maria, plays for the national soccer team there; she also plays for Mercer University. (He is equally proud of his older daughter, Eleni, who works as an EMT in Rochester.) When Karipidis first arrived in the states, he found work cooking in the kitchens of diners. "Because I love food, I became better and better by the day," he said. For 13 years he owned New Yorker's Pancake and Grill, a diner on West Commercial Street in East Rochester; he purchased the building in 2003. He closed the diner when he was suffering from back problems. After that, he leased the space, but none of the establishments seemed to find success there; four different owners opened and subsequently closed restaurants in the span of six years. "That's enough," he thought. "I might as well do something on my own here – something I really love.' He gutted the space and no hint of the previous diners remains. A large bar that seats 22 is the focal point of the room; a second bar is in back, facing the window to the kitchen. The remainder of the space is arranged into intimate clusters of seating: some high-top tables near the bar, as well as standard-height tables with white tablecloths and high-backed white upholstered chairs. The lighting is soft and the soundtrack, of course, is Greek. "Music and good food go together in Greece," Karipidis said. When the weather cooperates, El Greco by Mike has seating for 25 outside. Umbrella-covered tables wrap around the outside of the building, with olive trees and Greek music adding to the vibe. The menu at El Greco is entirely Greek and the menu is cooked from scratch daily. Some ingredients, like olive oil and octopus, are imported from Greece. "I use quality products because that's what makes the difference," Karipidis said. The most popular dishes are the ones Rochesterians find familiar: the gyro plate as well as the souvlaki plate (the lamb souvlaki is sublime but the dish is also available in chicken, pork or beef). Other standout dishes include: The dips, served with with cucumber slices and triangles soft pita bread. I've especially enjoyed the tzatziki (the yogurt-based dip with dill, cucumbers and garlic that people associate with gyros) as well as the tirokafteri, made with feta, garlic, crushed red pepper, olive oil and cream. Bougiourdi, a warm appetizer with baked tomato, feta, hot peppers and kasseri cheese, into which you dip pita bread. The tender octopus appetizer, which is grilled, then seared in a pan and served in a lemony sauce and sprinkled with feta. The lamb chops are marinated and cooked on a lava rock charcoal grill. 'It makes a big difference," Karipidis said of his grill. The lemony roasted potatoes, which come alongside every main dish, are tender and comforting. The bar is limited to beer and wine, which is partly due to the restaurant's proximity to a church. But Karipidis said that was the way he wanted it. 'I like the concept of a wine bar. It's more classy.' While the wine list features a few Italian and American wines, the best sellers are Greek. "It seems like everyone loves them," he said. "They come here for the Greek experience." It has a happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, when beverages are half price. It offers no corkage fee on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with a limit of one bottle per couple or four bottles per party. While Karipidis is chef and owner, Natalie Masten, his life partner, is a "big asset in this operation," Karipidis said. She runs the floor, works at the bar and even makes some of the dips and the baklava. The couple is ably supported by servers Dimitri Kiriazis, who is also from Thessaloniki, Greece, and Noah Brysten, who is an American of Greek heritage. El Greco by Mike, 165 W. Commercial St. in East Rochester, is open 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Parking is on the street and a public lot is across the street, a bit down the road. Reservations are accepted; call (585) 203-1978. It hosts private events and offers catered lunches to nearby offices, for a minimum of 10 people. Accessibility: A ramp of sorts leads to the front door; it is fairly steep and is not level. The seating is a mixture of high and standard height tables. The music gets louder after 8 p.m. Tracy Schuhmacher is food and drink reporter for the D&C. Email her at TracyS@ Follow her on Instagram. This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: El Greco Greek restaurant in East Rochester offers authentic experience
Medscape
21-05-2025
- Health
- Medscape
A Look at 8 Interactive Anatomy Apps for Med Students
In her first semester of medical school, Ava Dunlap took part in a small-group seminar where students would review real and hypothetical patient cases. One day, the students analyzed the historical case of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was shot and killed on a naval ship in 1805. The students had to visualize how the bullet traversed each part of his body in its pathway, think through what they might see on imaging for other similar penetrating wounds, and consider how they would treat them. As had become typical for the group, the first step was to pull up Complete Anatomy — an interactive anatomy learning platform — on a TV to better visualize how the bullet tore through Nelson's tissues. Using the app's vast capacities, the students were able to virtually 'pull layers off as the bullet went deeper to figure out where that path was,' said Dunlap, who attends Mercer University School of Medicine in Columbus, Georgia. 'This is why these things happened in this patient,' she recalls learning, 'and we were able to visualize that more than just drawing it on the board or copying and pasting pictures into our document.' Medical students at Mercer don't always have access to the cadaver lab, but they can use Complete Anatomy anytime they want. (It's included with their tuition.) So, Dunlap regularly reviewed the app. 'It would make me more oriented when I got into cadaver lab,' she said. Some medical schools, such as NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, are moving away from the use of cadavers in anatomy coursework. One study found that medical students who study anatomy through a mixed reality device performed as well on a practical exam as students who used cadavers to study. The mixed reality method reduced teaching time, too. 'Certainly [virtual anatomy apps] are not meant to fully replace the techniques and/or the kind of feel of an actual human, but they can really help, I think, to augment learning and allow learning to happen over and over at a time and a space that's convenient to our learners,' said Traci Wolbrink, MD, co-director of the Center for Educational Excellence and Innovation at Boston Children's Hospital. If you are a medical student, these eight interactive anatomy apps may help to boost learning. 1. Complete Anatomy This 3D learning platform (and app) is used at 'top medical universities around the world,' according to its creator 3D4Medical. It offers over 13,000 interactive structures from 12 body systems. There are layer-controlled systems, interactive cross sections, depictions of muscle motion, full-body skeletal maps, and realistic textures. It is cross platform, meaning that students can access it from any device. This app is considered 3D4Medical's 'flagship app and the most updated one,' according to parent company Elsevier customer service representative Marianna Odivilas. First-year medical student Dunlap used Complete Anatomy almost daily last semester. Aside from occasionally getting 'a little bit buggy' when she tried to rotate the images, there were no other downsides, she said. 'It offers dynamic simulations of muscle movement, deeper anatomical detail, and even virtual dissection tools,' said Andres Diaz in an email. Diaz is studying at the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, Arizona. He has completed 2 years of medical school and is now working on his PhD in cancer biology. 'The trade-off is that it's more complex, takes up a lot of storage, and is better suited for larger screens (PC/tablet) than mobile phones,' he said. The app is discounted for students to $39.99 for the first year, and then it goes up to $74.99 per year. For professionals, it costs $99.99 per year. 2. Essential Anatomy 5 Students can get a comprehensive education on anatomy with this 3D, interactive anatomy app, which provides detailed models of the human body. Essential Anatomy 5 is also by 3D4Medical, but it is not cross-platform. It may be considered more 'outdated' than Complete Anatomy which 'offers broader information and more features,' Odivilas said in a web chat. However, Essential Anatomy 5 has worked perfectly well for Ashwin Chetty, a second-year medical student at Yale School of Medicine. 'It's essentially an interactive dissection but clean, easy to understand,' Chetty told Medscape Medical News . 'I don't know how I would have learned anatomy without it.' The app includes 11 body systems, 8200 anatomical structures, and comes with preset modes, Chetty said, 'where you can get just pelvic anatomy, just facial anatomy, different organ systems.' The app costs $19.99 on the App Store and $11.99 on Google Play. 3. Visible Body Suite (VBS) Many schools — over 1000 academic institutions including Tufts University, University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and some K-12 districts — offer students the VBS platform, which includes a 3D interactive anatomy app and web-based version, according to the company. VBS offers anatomical models of humans and other animals. The app provides cadaveric and diagnostic images, histological slides, and a virtual microscope. VBS, which now includes many features from the Human Anatomy Atlas app (talked about next), costs $34.99 per year for students and $199 per year for classroom and professional subscriptions. Medical schools and other academic institutions may offer students access to VBS through institutional subscriptions. 4. Human Anatomy Atlas While features of this app are now part of the aforementioned VBS app, it can also be purchased by itself. This app — an older, less expensive and less encompassing version of VBS — is by far the best anatomy app on the market, said Diaz. Diaz used the app extensively during his first 2 years of medical school. '…it played a major role in helping me succeed on anatomy exams and solidify core concepts,' he said in an email. 'Its ability to isolate and rotate structures, along with labeled layers, made it very user-friendly and ideal for visual learners.' The limitation of Human Anatomy Atlas is that it is relatively static, Diaz said. 'While it excels in structural detail, it doesn't simulate motion or biomechanics well, which meant I needed to supplement it with additional videos or resources.' The Human Anatomy Atlas 2025 app costs $24.99. 5. Kenhub Kenhub is a web-based tool for learning anatomy. (Note: It is not a standalone app, but medical students can also add Kenhub to their mobile home screens and this may provide functionality similar to an app.) Kenhub offers many interactive tools customized for beginner to advanced learners. It provides thousands of anatomic illustrations, video tutorials about basic anatomy and clinical applications, interactive quizzes, a color-coded interactive atlas to learn anatomical structures, and numerous comprehensive articles. The main anatomy-related content references used to support the tools are 'Gray's Anatomy for Students' and 'Moore's Clinically Oriented Anatomy,' according to the website. Users can obtain a free plan that provides access to the anatomy atlas and articles or purchase a premium plan that provides additional access to quizzes, videos, and other supplemental materials. Kenhub Premium costs $39 per month or $87 for a 3-month subscription. Lifetime access costs $290. 6. Muscle & Motion This interactive app focuses on the biomechanics and anatomy of movement. It offers over 2000 high-quality 3D videos about different muscles and their functions. Students can watch videos and animations about how different muscles move in real time and learn about each muscle's origin, insertion, and action. Students may also access a video library on common movement dysfunctions, posture, and core training. Subscriptions options are: $10 per month, $40 annually, or $80 for 3 years. 7. BioDigital This app provides a library of over 600 3D interactive health condition models along with simulations of physiology and procedures. It combines anatomy with physiology and pathology, so it is helpful for exploring disease processes alongside anatomical structures. There is a free version which includes limited storage and model views. A paid version — which offers complete access to the library of over 700 models and unlimited storage — costs $19.99 per year. 8. BlueLink Anatomy This website is not an app per se, but 'it has a really good cadaveric images, as well as excellent quizzes and ways to assess yourself,' Diaz wrote in a text message. It's a collection of anatomy lectures, videos, quizzes, and practice questions. BlueLink Anatomy includes comprehensive lab manuals, conceptual images, educational screencasts, and online modules which are interactive. It is 'a multimedia-based education resource developed by Dr B. Kathleen Alsup and Glenn Fox of the Division of Anatomical Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School,' according to the website. 'BlueLink is a portable and scalable approach to engaging students within a digital ecosystem.' Materials are free to use for educational purposes and 'are designed for global access and helping to promote education equity,' the website says.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Yahoo
Twin sisters say they were scammed by fake college recruiter, losing thousands in scholarship hoax
The Brief Twin sisters Regina and Renita Deloatch say they were scammed out of nearly $6,000 by Malcolm Walker, who falsely posed as a college football recruiter promising a scholarship for Regina's son. Walker allegedly convinced the family to withdraw Lonnie's scholarship from Mercer University, claiming he could secure a better opportunity, but failed to deliver and refused to refund the money. The sisters reported Walker to authorities, and he is under investigation for multiple scams, including a previous arrest for defrauding victims with false fraternity entry promises. GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Twin sisters who run a popular online sports show say their family was scammed out of thousands of dollars by a man now under investigation in multiple Georgia counties for allegedly posing as a college football recruiter. In March, FOX 5 told you how Gainesville police arrested and charged Malcolm Walker with theft by deception for allegedly scamming coaches and families into thinking he would get their student athletes to meet college coaches. Now he's being investigated by Gwinnett County police as well. SEE ALSO: Fake football recruiter accused of ripping off Georgia athletes, police say What they're saying Sisters Regina DeLoach-Ratliff and Renita DeLoach host an online show that highlights young athletes around metro Atlanta called TwinSportsTV. Through their work, they met Malcolm Walker. They say that he promised to get DeLoach-Ratliff's son Lonnie Ratliff IV in front of major college coaches. What happened next left them feeling betrayed. "It has just devastated us to just think that you would turn around then and jeopardize and have my son lose his scholarship," DeLoach-Ratliff said. Sisters Regina DeLoach-Ratliff and Renita DeLoach say they were victims of a scam that ended with them out of money and DeLoach-Ratliff's son without a scholarship. (FOX 5) The sisters say that Walker convinced them to have Lonnie enter the transfer portal after last season, thereby forfeiting his scholarship to Mercer University, with the promise that he could get the aspiring professional football player noticed by bigger universities. According to DeLoach-Ratliff, Walker sent them screenshots that he claimed were text messages with college coaches. He then asked them to send him money to pay for flights an hotels. But the time came to go on a college visit, the sisters said Walker would back out. "He was coming out with one excuse after another until it just never happened," DeLoach-Ratliff said. In all, the family say they sent Walker around $6,000. When they finally asked for their money back after weeks without results, they say he again came back with excuse after excuse for more than three months. "He makes you feel bad about asking for your own money back," DeLoach-Ratliff said. Dig deeper The sisters reported Walker to the Gwinnett County Police Department in March. Investigators tell FOX 5's Eric Mock that they have two pending cases against the man. Malcolm Walker's mugshot (Hall County Jail) In 2024, investigators arrested Walker for allegedly being part of another scheme. In that one, police reports say Walker told victims he could get them into a fraternity and to pay him dues through Cash App. Investigators say he took more than $12,000 from two victims. What you can do The sisters are urging any other coach or parents who believe they may have been scammed by Walker to report it to the police. The Source FOX 5's Eric Mock spoke with Regina Deloatch-Ratliff and Renita Deloatch, co-hosts of TwinSportsTV, about Malcolm Walker.
