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CAAS NEWSLETTER
The Classical Association of the Atlantic States
http://www.caas-cw.org
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| Electronic Newsletter Issue 1.1 March 2009
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 The Classical Association of the Atlantic States is pleased to present its new electronic Newsletter. This inaugural issue includes several articles that will be regular features: a column on Pedagogy (this time by CAAS Past President Henry Bender), a column on Electronic Resources in Classics (by recurring contributor Jerry Heverly), and a Student's Perspective on Classics (this time by Franklin and Marshall College Classics major Dominique Martella). In addition, we have David Murphy's President's Message and Classics News
from within and beyond the CAAS region, including summer study
opportunities, both foreign and domestic. Finally, we present
with pleasure APA President Kurt Raaflaub's tribute for Distinguished Service to our own Barbara McManus. In
the coming issues, we hope to spotlight noteworthy programs and events
from all regions of CAAS, and the September issue will include a
preview of fall activities that will be of interest to CAAS
members. A May issue wrapping up AY 2008-9 is also in the
works. Please send all news and other submissions by April 30. This Newsletter
is very much a work-in-progress, so if your input is extremely
important. Send in your news items and announcements as well as
ideas and suggestions. Is there a topic you would like to see
covered? Send it in. Do you have a clever idea you
would like to share? Send it in. Do you have an article to
contribute? Send it in. The electronic format of the
Newsletter affords us the luxury of expansive publication. Our
motto need not be, " All the news that fits, we print." David J. Califfdcaliff@ndapa.org
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PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
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by David J. Murphy, Ph.D.
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 It gives me great pleasure to contribute to CAAS's revived Newsletter.
We hope that its new, electronic format will get more news to you more
quickly. Our thanks go to our energetic staff. Please be sure to keep
your contact information current so that you will not miss an issue.
As
2007-8 President Ann Raia said to us at the close of this past
October's conference in Princeton, CAAS has gone through a big
restructuring. You voted to amend our Certificate of
Incorporation to clarify that CAAS is an organization whose sovereignty
resides in its members. You adopted new bylaws, which reflect
current practices of our association and the latest corporate law for
non-profits. We all owe thanks to the members of the Board of
Directors of the past several years, who have devoted many hours to
keep CAAS up to date.
Now as we gear up for this year's conference in Wilmington, Delaware (October 8-10 - see announcement, below), I am happy to announce that Mary Brown of Valley Forge Military Academy & College
will succeed Mary English as our Executive Director when Dr. English's
term ends at the close of the conference. Mary Brown is no
newcomer to CAAS. Serving two terms on our Board as a regional
representative from Pennsylvania, she has built up Latin enrollment at
schools in Rosemont and Ardmore. Mary now teaches at Delaware Valley Friends School
as well as at VFMAC. Mary is now Secretary-Treasurer of the
Philadelphia Classical Society. She involves herself in a wide
range of organizations. CAAS owes thanks to Dean Kathleen
Anderson for Valley Forge Academy's commitment to become our affiliated
institution. We also owe thanks to the members of the Executive
Search Committee, who devoted many hours to finding the right
person: Mary English, Ann Raia, Matthew Santirocco, and Karin
Suzadail.
The American Council of Teachers of Foreign Language
reported that Latin was the only foreign language in the US to see a
rise in primary level enrollment in 2007-8. We teachers of
Classics know that we have to be that much sharper, that much clearer,
that much better organized, that much more engaging, and that much more
attuned to our students than teachers of many other languages.
Let's think of how we can keep on supporting, inspiring and exchanging
knowledge with each other at our October conference, through this
newsletter, and through our regional networks. Please let me or
your regional Director know any ideas about how CAAS can better serve
you, your students and your colleagues in our Atlantic States.
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CLASSICS NEWS and ANNOUNCEMENTS
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ANNUAL MEETING and CAAS BUSINESS
CAAS Annual Meeting 2009, Wilmington, Delaware
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The
Classical Association of the Atlantic States will hold its Annual
Meeting on October 8-10, 2009, at the Doubletree Hotel in Wilmington,
Delaware. Individual and group proposals on all aspects of the
classical world and the classical tradition, and on new strategies and
resources for improved teaching are now being accepted.
Especially welcome are presentations which aim at maximum audience
participation and those that integrate the concerns of K-12 and college
faculty. This year there will also be a special panel
spotlighting undergraduate research in classics. The submission
deadlines are April 1, 2009 for panels and workshops and April 10, 2009
for individual presentations. All abstracts and proposals should
be submitted electronically using the online submission form on the
CAAS website. Questions may be directed to Judith P. Hallett (jeph@umd.edu), Maria Marsilio (marsilio@sju.edu), or Ann Raia (araia@cnr.edu).
Website: www.caas-cw.org/papercall.html
Membership Renewal
If you are not receiving Classical World, your membership needs to be
renewed. As a public charity with members, CAAS needs your support.
Membership entitles you to vote, be eligible for office, present papers
at conferences and attend at a reduced rate, apply for grants and
scholarships, and, of course, read Classical World. Renewal is easy via
the CAAS website.
Website: http://www.caas-cw.org/member.html
Call for Nominations
The Nominating Committee announces the following
positions to be elected at the October 2009 business meeting by
majority vote of the CAAS members who live and work in the CAAS region.
Officers who serve 1-year non-repeatable terms: President, 1st Vice
President, 2nd Vice President, Officer-at-Large (a former President).
Traditionally the 2nd Vice President is a new candidate, while the
other
positions are filled by officers who move up the cursus honorum.
Travel Grants
CAAS
is again offering modest travel grants to enable members with
demonstrated financial need to attend the 2009 meeting in
Wilmington. These grants will range from $200 to $500 depending
on the number of applications and the level of each individual's
need. Only CAAS members are eligible for these grants.
Those wishing to apply for these grants should send the following
information to the Program Coordinator, Judith P. Hallett (jeph@umd.edu)
as soon as possible, but no later than August 30th: 1) name, employment
and/or student status, institution (if any) connection with Classics;
2) a brief description of why this grant is needed (costs to attend the
meeting, financial exigencies); 3) contact information.
Notification of grant awards will be sent out by September 9.
Successful applicants will receive their checks when they pick up their
registration materials at the meeting.
LECTURES, CONFERENCES and CALLS FOR PAPERS
Bryn Mawr Classics Colloquium
Bryn
Mawr College sponsors weekly classics colloquia featuring distinguished
speakers on a variety of literary, archeological, and historical
subjects. Remaining speakers this year include T. Leslie Shear
(April 3), George Huxley (April 9), and Monika Truemper (April
24). The Agnes Michels Lecture will be given by Anthony Woodman
on "Intertextuality in Tacitus" (March 27). In addition,
there will be a symposium on "The Restless Dead and the Perfect Tomb"
(April 17). Most colloquia take place at 4:30 p.m. in Room B21 of
the Rhys Carpenter Library. Tea will be held at 4:00 p.m. before the
lectures in the Quita Woodward Room, which is in Thomas Library.
Telephone: (610) 526-5198.
Website: www.brynmawr.edu/classics/colloquia.html
CUNY Graduate Conference on Ancient Warfare
The Graduate Center of the City University of New York will host the
conference "And Call It Peace: New Perspectives on Ancient Wars" on
April 25, 2009. Papers will address military and imperial policy
as well as actual military conflicts and will draw upon the disciplines
of history, philosophy, literary studies, art, and archaeology.
Barry Strauss will be the keynote speaker.
Website: web.gc.cuny.edu/Classics
Maryland
Junior Classical League
The Maryland Junior Classical League will hold their annual Spring Convention
at Dulaney High School on April 25, 2009. It will feature Certamen,
visual and performing arts, athletics events, and the annual chariot
race. More information and registration materials can be found on the
MDJCL website.
Website: http://www.mdjcl.org
New York University
The Department of Classics and the Center for Ancient Studies at New York
University present "The Greek Historians
and the Intellectual World of Rome:
Josephus and his 'Colleagues'," a lecture
by Jonathan Price, Professor of
Classics and Ancient History, Tel Aviv
University. Professor Price will discuss
Greek historians of Rome as a neglected chapter in the intellectual history of
the
Roman Empire, with an emphasis on Josephus. The lecture will be held
on Wednesday, March 25, 2009, at 6:30 PM in the Classics Seminar Room,
Room 503 of NYU's Silver Center for Arts and Science. For more
information about the lecture, please contact the College Dean's Office
at 212.998.8100 or e-mail ken.kidd@nyu.edu.
Ranieri Colloquium
The New York University Center for Ancient Studies will host its annual
Ranieri
Colloquium on Ancient Studies on April 23-24, 2009. The topic is
"Writing Science: Mathematical and Medical Authorship in Ancient
Greece." This conference will consider what it means to be a
scientific author, both in antiquity and today. Since
modern science studies have investigated this topic to some extent,
some of the
invited speakers will be dealing with authorship in modern
science.
Website: www.ancientstudies.fas.nyu.edu
Penn Classical Studies Colloquium
The University of Pennsylvania hosts its Classical Studies Colloquium
on Thursdays
at 4:30 in Cohen Hall 337 or 402. Remaining presentations this
year are: Jennifer Trimble (March 26); Maud McInerney, "Fictions of
History in the Medieval Troy Story" (April 2); Brian Rose, "Recent
Fieldwork at Troy and Gordion" (April
9); Jonathan Hall (April 16); and Danielle Kellogg (April 23).
Website: www.classics.upenn.edu/colloquia.html
Penn Conference on Meat in Human Society
The University of Pennsylvania will host a conference on "The
Significance of Meat in Human Society" on May 1-2, 2009. This
multi-disciplinary conference will bring together speakers from
anthropology, biology, classics, and religious studies. Classical
perspectives will be offered by Jeremy McInerney on "Cattle Markets in
Athens" and Egbert Bakker on "The
Consumption of Meat in the Odyssey."
Website: www.classics.upenn.edu/conferences.html
The Pennsylvania
Classical Association
The Pennsylvania
Classical Association will hold its 2009 Institute on March 27-28 in
Easton, PA. For details and registration information, contact Mark Clauser
at clauserm@eastonteachers.org.
Website: http://alpha.dickinson.edu/prorg/pca/
Seton Hall University
Seton Hall University will
be having its "Third Annual Father Cotter Memorial Lecture" on
Thursday, April 2, 2009, from 2:30-3:45 in the Walsh Library Beck
Rooms. The title of the talk is: "That Coal-Basket Is From My
Deme: The Formation of Identities and Stereotypes in the Ancient
World," by Dr. Danille Kellogg of Brooklyn College. The
lecture is free and open to the public.
Women's Classical Caucus
WCC Awards
Every year, the Women's Classical Caucus of the APA celebrates feminist
scholarship with awards for excellence: best article/chapter, best oral
presentation by a graduate student, and best oral presentation by a
post-Ph.D. scholar. Cash prizes are awarded. Nominations must relate to
the WCC's mission: the study of gender, sexuality, feminist theory, or
women's history. To nominate a paper, article, or chapter, e-mail
Micaela Janan at mjanan@duke.edu.
Deadline: August 1, 2009. Self-nominations are welcome; please
consult the website for guidelines concerning self-nomination.
Website: http://www.wccaucus.org/awards.html
Yale Graduate Conference on Teaching Latin and Greek
The graduate students of the Yale University departments of Classics
and History
will host the conference, "Learning Me Your Language: Teaching Latin
and Greek as Second Languages from Antiquity to the Present Day."
The conference will take place on March 20-21, 2009 in the Whitney
Humanities Center. Dr. Françoise Waquet, director of research at
the Centre national de la recherche scientifique in Paris, will be the
keynote speaker. Registration
is by electronic mail to william.brockliss@yale.edu.
Website: www.yale.edu/classics/news.html
EVENTS
Aquila Theater
New York's Aquila Theater will perform Homer's Iliad: Book One,
a
new theatrical production based upon Stanley Lombardo's
translation. Performances run from March 31 - April 25 at the
Lucille Lortel Theatre. For
more information, see Aquila's website, www.aquilatheatre.com. Educational
resources are available at Page + Stage (www.pageandstage.org).
Classic Stage Company
The CSC will present An Oresteia, a
two-evening event of plays by Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides in new translations
by Anne Carson. Part I consists of the Agamemnon of Aeschylus and the Electra of
Sophocles. Part II is the Orestes of
Euripides. The production runs from March 18 - April 12, 2009. Contact
Classic Stage Company, 136 East 13th Street, New York, NY 10003; (866) 811-4111
or (212) 352-3101; info@classicstage.org; www.classicstage.org.
OVERSEAS SUMMER STUDY OPPORTUNITIES
American Academy in Rome
The American Academy's
Classical Summer School is a six-week program (June 22-July 31, 2009) open to
teachers of middle school, high school, and two-year colleges, and to graduate
(and mature undergraduate) students of classics, ancient history,
classical art, or classical archaeology. The director for 2009 will be
Gregory Bucher, and tuition is $5,480 excluding airfare. The American
Academy typically offers a variety of other summer programs; see
website for details. The application deadline for all programs is 15
January 2009. Contact the American Academy in Rome: e-mail:
info@aarome.org; website: www.aarome.org.
American School of Classical Studies at Athens
Excavations in the Athenian Agora
Undergraduate
and graduate students and postgraduate scholars with an interest in
archaeology, ancient history, classical studies, and related subjects
are invited to apply for the volunteer staff of the archaeological
excavations of the Athenian Agora. Priority will be given to graduate
students preparing for professional careers in classical archaeology.
Living accommodations in Athens at no cost and a modest expense
allowance will be provided; volunteers will be expected to make their
own travel arrangements. The season extends for eight weeks. The
deadline for completed applications is December 15, 2008. Contact the
Agora Volunteer Program, American School of Classical Studies, 6-8
Charlton Street, Princeton, NJ 08540-5232; telephone: 609-683-0800;
FAX: 609-924-0578; e-mail: ascsa@ascsa.org.
Website: www.ascsa.edu.gr
Summer Sessions
The
Summer Sessions are an intensive introduction to Greece from antiquity
through the modern period for graduate and advanced undergraduate
students and high school and college teachers with clear evidence of
interest and academic preparation in the classical world. The first
session (June 15-July 29, 2009) is under the direction of Prof. Eleni
Hasaki and Prof. Timothy F. Winters, and the second session (June
22-August 5, 2009) is directed by Prof. John W.I. Lee. The fee of
$3,675 includes tuition, lodging, travel within Greece, museum fees,
and partial board. Scholarships are available. The deadline for
applications is January 15, 2009. Contact the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens at the addresses above.
Bologna University
The
Department of Classics and the Department of International Relations of
Bologna University will offer a summer program in Latin Language and
Classical Culture from June 29-July 17, 2009. Visits to museums and
archaeological sites will supplement classroom instruction. Fees range
from 800-1,200 €. E-mail: diri_school.latin@unibo.it.
Website: www.unibo.it/summerschool/latin
CAAS Hahn Scholarship
In
honor of E. Adelaide Hahn, an award of up to $6,000 will be made toward
the cost of study in the summer session of the American School of
Classical Studies at Athens or the American Academy in Rome.
Scholarship winners report on their summer study at the CAAS annual
meeting in October. The application deadline is March 31, 2009.
Contact Frederick Booth, Chair of the Hahn Scholarship Committee, at boothfre@shu.edu.
Website: www.caas-cw.org/hahn.html
The Catholic University of America
This summer the Department of Greek and Latin at the Catholic
University of America in Washington, D.C. will offer Intensive
Elementary Greek and Intensive Elementary Latin in the first session
(May 18 - June 27) and Intensive Intermediate Greek and Intensive
Intermediate Latin in the second session (June 29 - August 8). E-mail: cua-greek-latin@cua.edu.
Website: greeklatin.cua.edu
University of Dallas: Latin in Rome
The
University of Dallas will again host "Latin in Rome," its annual
program for "eager and qualified" upper-level high school Latin
students. Participants will visit sites in Rome and Naples and study
Latin passages from Cicero, Pliny, Vergil, and others that relate to
their travels. Dates for 2009 have not yet been set, but the program
typically falls in late July and early August, and the estimated cost
is $6,250. Limited, need-based scholarship assistance is available.
Online applications are now being accepted. Information: udsummer@udallas.edu.
Website: http://www.udallas.edu/travel/latin.cfm
University of Dallas
The
University of Dallas offers a variety of other study and travel
programs in Rome for high school students, college students, adults,
and families. Contact Rome and Summer Programs, University of Dallas,
1845 East Northgate Drive, Irving, TX 75062; telephone: 972-721-5181;
e-mail: udsummer@udallas.edu.
Website: www.udallas.edu/travel
University of Georgia
Directed
by Distinguished Teaching Professor James C. Anderson, the University
of Georgia's Rome Program will run from May 22 - June 29, 2009. All
courses are offered for college credit and involve group field trips
and explorations in and outside the city, including a three-day trip to
the Bay of Naples. The approximate cost for the program is $7,000 but
will vary with the number of courses taken. Round-trip airfare is not
included. Application deadline is January 15, 2009. Contact Professor
Anderson, Department of Classics, University of Georgia, 233 Park Hall,
Athens, GA 30602-6203; telephone: 706-542-2170; e-mail: janderso@uga.edu.
Website: www.uga.edu/rome
The University of Texas at Austin
The Department of Classics at the University of Texas at Austin
announces courses
in Intensive Beginning Greek, Advanced/Graduate Latin and
Advanced/Graduate Greek
for Summer, 2009. UT-Austin's renowned program in Intensive Summer
Greek will
continue this summer from June 5-August 17: Professors Lesley
Dean-Jones and
Thomas Palaima will lead students through all the fundamental elements
of Greek
morphology and syntax and extensive readings in Homer, Euripides,
Lysias and
other authors. Professor Jennifer Ebbeler will offer a three-week
Summer Advanced
Latin course, Taming Tyranny: Seneca, Nero, and the Limits of
Philosophy, June
8-26. Professor Timothy Moore will offer an advanced/graduate
course in Menander from July 13-August 17. For both the advanced Latin
and the advanced Greek courses, students may receive three credits of
either graduate or upper-division undergraduate credit. For
more information consult the department's web site (http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/classics/) or contact Lynn Gadd (ugclass@www.utexas.edu).
The Vergilian Society
The
Vergilian Society will host five study tours during the summer of 2009:
"The Western Greeks: Reggio and Sicily" (May 21-June 2, 2009) directed
by Jim De Voto, "Cicero's Italy" (June 29-July 11, 2009) directed by
Beverly Berg, "Romans, Etruscans, and Ancient Greeks: Exploring
Antiquities from Tuscany to the Bay of Naples" (July 8-20, 2009)
directed by John Wonder, "Roman Villas and Gardens: A Vergilian Study
Tour of Roman Britain" (July 14-25, 2009) directed by Phillip V.
Stanley and George Perko, and "Naples Bay as Melting Pot, Always at a
Boil: Social Realities in Coastal Campamia" (August 3-15, 2009)
directed by Ann Koloski-Ostrow and Steven Ostrow. Apply online or by
post. Scholarships are available. Contact Antonio Leonardis,
Secretary of the Vergilian Society; e mail: vergsoc@yahoo.com.
Website: www.vergil.clarku.edu
SUMMER INSTITUTES AND PROGRAMS
American Classical League Annual Institute
The sixty-first annual American Classical League Institute will be held
on June
26-28, 2009 at the Loyola Marymount University in conjunction with the
Getty
Villa. Papers and workshops are invited from teachers at all
levels. Proposals for papers and workshops are now being
accepted. Contact
Thomas J. Sienkewicz, ACL Vice President, Department of Classics,
Monmouth College,
Monmouth, IL 61462; telephone: 309-457-2371; fax: 815-529-7742; e-mail:
toms@monm.edu or info@aclclassics.org.
Website: www.aclclassics.org
The Catholic University of America
This summer the Department of Greek and Latin at the Catholic
University of America in Washington, D.C. will offer Intensive
Elementary Greek and Intensive Elementary Latin in the first session
(May 18 - June 27) and Intensive Intermediate Greek and Intensive
Intermediate Latin in the second session (June 29 - August 8). E-mail: cua-greek-latin@cua.edu.
Website: greeklatin.cua.edu
CUNY Latin/Greek Institute
The Latin/Greek Institute of The City University of New York offers basic and
upper-level programs in Latin and Greek typically from early June to mid-August
(2009 dates have not yet been set). Contact Prof. Rita Fleischer, Director
of the Latin/Greek Institute, Box 33G, City University Graduate School, 365 Fifth
Avenue, New York, NY 10016; telephone: 212-817-2081; e-mail: rfleischer@gc.cuny.edu.
Website: web.gc.cuny.edu/provost/lginst/index.htm
University of Cincinnati Summer Residency Program
The University of Cincinnati Classics Department hosts a Summer Residency Program.
Summer Residents, in the fields of philology, history, and archaeology will come
to Cincinnati for a minimum of one month and a maximum of three during the summer
(June 10 - September 10). Apart from residence in Cincinnati during term, the
only obligation of Summer Fellows is to pursue their own research. They will
receive free university housing. They will also receive office space and enjoy
the use of the University of Cincinnati and Hebrew Union College Libraries. Information: secretary@classics.uc.edu.
Website: http://classics.uc.edu/resources/tytus2.html
University of Georgia Summer Classics Institute
The University of Georgia's Summer Classics Institute offers a variety of undergraduate
and graduate Latin and classics courses designed for Latin teachers who wish
to continue their education, work towards certification, or earn a Master's degree
on a summers-only basis. Workshops and guest lectures by visiting master teachers
and other scholars supplement the Institute's curriculum. Application deadline
is April 1, 2009. Contact Summer Institute, Department of Classics, Park
Hall, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602-6203; telephone: 706-542-9264;
e-mail: gradinq@arches.uga.edu.
Website: www.classics.uga.edu
University of Texas Summer Programs
The Department of Classics at the University of Texas at Austin
announces courses
in Intensive Beginning Greek, Advanced/Graduate Latin and
Advanced/Graduate Greek
for Summer, 2009. UT-Austin's renowned program in Intensive Summer
Greek will
continue this summer from June 5-August 17: Professors Lesley
Dean-Jones and
Thomas Palaima will lead students through all the fundamental elements
of Greek
morphology and syntax and extensive readings in Homer, Euripides,
Lysias and
other authors. Professor Jennifer Ebbeler will offer a three-week
Summer Advanced
Latin course, Taming Tyranny: Seneca, Nero, and the Limits of
Philosophy, June
8-26. Professor Timothy Moore will offer an advanced/graduate
course in Menander from July 13-August 17. For both the advanced Latin
and the advanced Greek courses, students may receive three credits of
either graduate or upper-division undergraduate credit.
Information
contact Lynn Gadd ugclass@www.utexas.edu.
Website: http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/classics
Please send news items and event announcements to dcaliff@ndapa.org.
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PEDAGOGY
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New and Old: Reflections on Teaching Latin in 2009
by Henry V. Bender, Ph.D.
Visiting Associate Professor of Classics, The College of the Holy Cross
Elizabeth Blossom Chair of Humanities, Chair of Classics, The Hill School
Adjunct Professor of Classics, St. Joseph's University
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Most teachers of Latin believe that the primary goal of their work is
to prepare the student to read Latin literature. This is a noble goal
and has been so for centuries. A great scholar once observed, "The
Modern World is nearer to the Ancient World than to the period that
lies in between." Convinced that what students read in Latin literature
is relevant and valuable in many ways, teachers and professors have
continually tried to deliver their product wrapped with insight,
passion, and eloquence. We all know from work in the trenches of Latin
1 how challenging that task continues to be.
Ancient
foreign languages like Latin and Greek are the dead-speak world; our
partners in modern foreign language herald proficiency in the spoken
language, saying how vital it is for students of today to speak a
modern foreign language. They gather support from the nature of
the global village that we call our world. No culture can be isolated
from another; languages and cultures serve one another. In America
where so few of our high school graduates have any real command of a
language other than their own, the case can be persuasively made that
study of a usable language should trump study of a language that no one
speaks.
In opposition to this point of view, we classicists
try to alert people to the parent language concept. We often ask if it
does not make good sense to get in on the ground floor of second
language study. From the soil of Latin spring so many parts of modern
spoken languages. The advantages which the study of Latin brings to the
comprehension and use of English vocabulary become measurable in
standardized tests such as the PSAT and SAT I examinations. Alert
teachers, administrators, parents, and students are quick to point this
out. The issues affecting the choice a student must make between the
study of ancient Latin or the study of a modern foreign language
include questions such as these: how does one learn Latin; how does one
learn a modern foreign language; how are the classes taught? What
instructional resources are available?
The books which are
available for teaching Latin today vary widely in their approach. All
things are considered in their preparation and production. The standard
elements vocabulary, grammar, translation, exercises are all major
threads woven uniquely and cleverly to deliver a product which does the
most for the most. Latin teachers have always had a tendency to stick
close to methods and texts that they know from experience get their
students to the highest level in the most efficient way, but most of
these teachers admit that they develop many supplements on their own to
better address a point of grammar, to organize vocabulary better, to
exercise their students just that little bit more, or just to venture
beyond what the textbook may supply.
Occasionally educators
celebrate the inception of a new system of learning or of product
delivery which lights up the eyes of all, gladdens the hearts of
teachers and students, and eliminates or minimizes the hurdles which
mar the traditional track of learning a classical language. To a
certain extent we are experiencing that kind of situation with the use
of pod-casting. We still have to hold fast to the basics that ensure
facility in understanding Latin. We can and do and should pay more than
passing attention to the context, history, and values of the Roman
world, but a balance is necessary. Classical civilization is an
absorbing subject, but if your goal is to teach the language, the
appeal of instant reconstruction of ancient cities, or reenactments of
Vesuvius, can engage and excite, but failure to keep a good balance in
the art of instruction will definitely weaken the students' knowledge
of Latin. There is just no time to do it all. The problems continue.
I
recently found the following in the General Introduction of a Latin
text: "The time has come for a different orientation in the teaching of
Latin. The aim of Latin teaching should be the understanding and
appreciation of Latin literature. Reading must be wider and more
intelligent. There must be more study of what the Romans did and felt
and said when they were not fighting."
These comments resonate
with all of us as if we had just stepped away from the last CAAS or APA
meeting. These words however come from a school text published in 1939
and reprinted six times until 1958 (C.E.Robinson, Pliny Selections from the Letters
London, 1939). Some things do not change such as the irrepressible
desire of Latin teachers to get their students in front of literature
as early as possible and to foster their comprehension of such material.
We
currently have a plethora of rewritten, reprinted, and wholly new Latin
textbooks, each aimed at producing a competent, appreciative, and
knowledgeable student of Latin. Is there a common denominator among
successful approaches to teaching elementary Latin? Is there a
common denominator among all the textbooks that find their way
productively into the elementary Latin classroom?
In an academic
world where so much is expected, so fast by so many, any method that
assures understanding of what is studied, not merely memorization, any
texts that promote academic independence through association,
synthesis, and induction, any electronic means which afford repetition
and application of what is learned in the classroom, are to be embraced
and utilized whenever possible. So it is that the pedagogy of today
must build on that of yesterday. We must be conscious of the fact that
we are continually faced with the problem of taking seasoned wine and
pouring it into new bottles-but the drinking age remains at 21. ◊ |
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES IN CLASSICS
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Open Access Journals in Classics
by W. Gerald Heverly
Classics Librarian, New York University
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Open Access Journals (OAJs) are published for free on the internet and
usually are not issued in paper form. There are many such
journals in the field of classics. Indeed, classics has been a
pioneer in open access, with several well known OAJs dating back to the
early 1990s. In addition, OAJs in classics are often very
international as to place of publication and contributors, thus
providing a broad perspective on the field.
Like
print journals, classics OAJs are either general in scope or focus on a
particular specialty. An example of a general journal is Leeds International Classical Studies.
Recent issues have included articles on Lucretius, Aristophanes, and
Athenian wedding vases. Another general journal is Studia Humaniora Tartuensia. This Estonian publication has many articles in English; some recent ones deal with Pompey, Roman curse tablets, and the Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite.
There are also specialized OAJs in classics. One such journal is Dictynna,
which is devoted to Latin poetry and its reception and is published at
the University of Lille, France. The journal regularly features
articles in English, including some recent ones on Horace's Satires and on wordplay in Vergil and Claudian. Didaskalia,
another specialized title, is published in England and is dedicated to
the study of ancient Greek and Roman drama in performance.
One OAJ, the Bryn Mawr Classical Review, deserves special mention. Founded in 1990, BMCR
is the second oldest OAJ in the humanities. Today it has about
8,000 subscribers worldwide and publishes roughly 500 reviews per
year. BMCR is an excellent source for substantive, timely reviews of new books in all areas of classical studies, including archaeology.
Many
OAJs have distinguished classicists on their editorial boards, which
boosts their prestige and quality. In addition, many referee
submissions, a practice taken over from print journals, to insure that
articles meet accepted standards of scholarly rigor. Below is a
selective list of classics OAJs published largely or entirely in
English. All the titles mentioned above are included. For a
more extensive list, see http://bcs.fltr.ucl.ac.be/RevElectr.html.
GENERAL TITLES
Bryn Mawr Classical Review
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/bmcr/
Electronic Antiquity
http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/ejournals/ElAnt/
Leeds International Classical Studies
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/classics/lics/
Studia Humaniora Tartuensia
http://www.ut.ee/klassik/sht/
SPECIALIZED TITLES
Dictynna
http://dictynna.revue.univ-lille3.fr/
Didaskalia
http://www.didaskalia.net/journal.html
Journal of the International Plato Society
http://gramata.univ-paris1.fr/Plato/
Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry
http://www.rhodes.aegean.gr/maa_journal/
New Voices in Classical Reception Studies
http://www2.open.ac.uk/ClassicalStudies/GreekPlays/newvoices
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A STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE ON CLASSICS
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A Day in the Life of a Classics Major
by Dominique Martella
Franklin and Marshall College '09
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At approximately 8:55 AM on this blustery Thursday morning, I am
walking into a little house tucked back in the woods behind the
library. Rumor has it that this building used to be the groundskeeper's
house, but now it serves a different purpose as the home (how apropos)
of the Classics department here at Franklin & Marshall College. On
the inside, just like its exterior, it retains some of its house-like
qualities - there's an attic, several small rooms, and an upstairs
bathroom with a shower in it. Convenient, I suppose, but these
professors are the type to shower in the comforts of their own home.
Not
even a minute later, I am up the stairs (not without first saying a
"hello" to our darling secretary) and walking into my professor's
office. I sit down at a small table located in the corner of his office
next to a map of Ancient Greece that I'm fairly certain is larger than
my car. This semester, I am fortunate enough to have my 9 AM Greek
Comedy class right in the comforts of an office. According to the
Registrar, the class is supposed to be held in a classroom annexed to
the campus infirmary. Since there are only three of us in the advanced
class, however, and it isn't exactly pleasant to listen to students
stricken with the stomach flu for the first hour-and-a-half of your
academic day, we've moved here.
Learning Greek in an
intimate, comfortable setting with Classical music playing in the
background - well, I suppose it's the "pamphlet-version" of the
Classics major. It is what you expect to read in a handout for
prospective majors. Granted, not all Classics classes are like this. In
fact, six hours later I find myself in a bustling classroom with ten
students chattering about exactly how much unmixed wine Livy must have
had before he wrote the eighth chapter of the first book in Ab Urbe Condita. To say the least, it's never a dull moment in a day in the life of a Classics major.
Of
course, there are moments that one would expect in the organized chaos
that is my day. There is time spent translating, researching, and even
attempting to decipher what in the world the skolia on this manuscript of Aristophanes' Acharnians
read. There are meetings with professors, lectures with visitors, and
obligatory departmental fields trips. Even these elements, however,
commonplace in the life of every undergraduate Classics major, are far
from banal. There are times when I've had to meet with my advisor in
order to discuss which classes will be most beneficial to me, yes, but
there are also times when I voluntarily sat in his office for over an
hour to argue the identity of a character in Plautus' Asinaria.
Perhaps odder yet, there are instances when I've discussed with him the
merits of seeing AC/DC perform in Athens during the summer course in
Greece. In addition, I can't ever say that I've attended a dull
Classics lecture. After all, who could doze off at a lecture entitled,
"Sex, Lies, and Intertexts"? Finally, when the departmental trips vary
in distance from sixty to six thousand miles, I have absolutely no room
to complain.
My identity as a Classics major does not even
leave me when I exit the classroom for the day, and I am not referring
to any assigned homework. My two best friends - both Classics majors -
and I possess an uncanny ability to incorporate our academic lives into
our everyday conversations with one another. My one friend tells
my boyfriend on a frequent basis that he bears a striking resemblance
to Antinuous (and lucky for my significant other, he doesn't get the
reference). My other friend has been known to complain on occasion that
it was his great-great-grandfather who discovered the Etruscan chariot
that currently resides in the Met, and his grandmother wants it back.
Truly, no one can dispute that I eat, sleep, and breathe my major.
Well, perhaps that's an exaggeration. If Roman historians are able to
embellish a little, why can't I? ◊
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| DISTINGUISHED SERVICE |
Laudatio for Barbara F. McManus, Distinguished Service Award Recipient
by Kurt Raaflaub, President, American Philological Association
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Colleagues, Students, Friends, Ladies and Gentlemen:
25
years ago, the APA Board of Directors established the Association's
Distinguished Service Award. The minutes of that meeting state:
"The Directors voted to establish a Medal for Distinguished Service, to
be given from time to time at the discretion of the Board of
Directors." These Awards acknowledge extraordinary service to the
profession of Classics and the American Philological Association.
They are occasional rather than annual, honoring sometimes
extraordinary single achievements, more often life-long distinguished
service. Only ten such medals have so far been awarded. It is my
special privilege and honor today to hand out the eleventh.
Every
year the candidates nominated for election to office in the APA
routinely extol, and promise to enhance, what they regard as key
strengths of our classics community. Among these are its support for
innovative and interdisciplinary research on women and classical
reception; its incorporation of new technologies into both scholarship
and teaching; its commitment to gender equity and increased
participation of ethnic, racial, and sexual minorities; its inclusion
among its leadership of colleagues from undergraduate institutions,
many of them in small programs, and from secondary schools; and its
fostering of ties between those teaching at the primary and secondary
levels, and those at colleges and universities. Moreover,
candidates for APA office often comment upon significant demographic
and curricular developments and trends in our field. In so doing,
whether or not they are aware of it, they testify to the
enormously beneficial impact our honoree has had on our profession and
discipline.
As an active and committed scholar, she published
important biographical studies on twentieth-century classicists, and
books, essays, and articles on topics ranging from the Athenian bride
to archetypal representations in art and film and to early modern women
writers. Her Classics and Femininism: Gendering the Classics. The
Impact of Feminism on the Arts and Sciences was selected by Choice as
an Outstanding Academic Book of 1997.
In our Association, she
has been an active and visible leader in the Women's Classical Caucus.
She held multiple APA offices, chairing the Committee on Smaller
Classics Departments and serving twice on the Committee on the Status
of Women and Minorities; she was a member of the Committee on Education
and its Committee on Teaching Awards; she chaired the Ad Hoc Committee
on Outreach in 1998 and has since served on the Outreach Prize
Committee; and she was a member of the Board of Directors before
serving as Vice-President for Professional Matters.
Engaged
as well in the APA subcommittee on Classics, Technology and
Teaching, our award recipient received a Teaching with Technology
Grant from the NEH in 1997 to launch the VRoma Project designed to
create online resources for learning about the Latin language and Roman
culture. VRoma features a virtual simulation of Rome in the second
century CE that enables users to "walk" the streets of the ancient city
and interact with its inhabitants and visitors.
During her term
as an APA Vice-President, our honoree undertook the daunting task of
creating a data base of faculty and curricula in North American
classics departments and programs, an innovative and forward-looking
endeavor of great significance to our profession. The ambitious
"census" accorded special and much-needed attention to the
representation of minority groups and the utilization of adjunct
teaching faculty. It has yielded valuable data for hiring as well as
curricular planning in many institutions and enabled the APA to acquire
a deeper understanding of the practices, strengths, and weaknesses of
learning and teaching the classical languages and cultures on our
continent.
Remarkably, our honoree accomplished all this while
spending her professional career at a small women's college,
shouldering a heavy and varied teaching load as well as numerous
administrative responsibilities. We are immensely grateful for her
generosity, vision, commitment, and numerous important contributions
throughout her career. She has indeed provided "distinguished service"
on an exceptionally high level and continually for an exceptionally
long time, and the Directors of the Association acknowledge this with
deep respect and admiration.
Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Professor Barbara McManus! ◊
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David
Califf,
Editor
Chris Ann Matteo, Managing Editor
Classical Association of the Atlantic States
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