аÄéTÁùºÏ²Ê

аÄéTÁùºÏ²Ê first-year student Menelaos Raptis was just 7 years old when he received his first telescope — a surprise gift from his father.

The perfect place for stargazing, Raptis says, is his hometown of Thessaloniki, Greece, a port city on the Thermaic Gulf of the Aegean Sea.

"Through astro-gazing, I was able to develop my imagination and my interest in space — and to form some questions: 'Is there alien life on other planets? What are the boundaries of the universe?'" Raptis said.

"It was then that I decided to be the scientist who is going to give some answers to these questions," he said.

Now, Raptis is bringing his passion for planets to a wider campus audience. He pitched and helped facilitate the College's first Space Week. The event begins today in Ware College House and will feature faculty and visiting speakers exploring the realm of astrophysics — and beyond.

"аÄéTÁùºÏ²Ê