Divide et Vince!

 

2011-12 has been a year of transition for CAMWS. By now, much of the operation of the association has moved from St. Olaf College to Monmouth College, where Tom Sienkewicz and his trusty administrative assistant Jevanie Gillen are cheerfully taking on each new challenge. Sue Newland continues to give me a hand here in Northfield as we close out accounts, write final reports, and pack up boxes.

 

Tom will become Secretary-Treasurer officially on July 1. That is also the day when Peter Knox will succeed Julia Hejduk as CAMWS President. Julia has been a dynamic leader; under her watch the number of institutional members in CAMWS has skyrocketed from 72 to 113! Many thanks to Julia and to all of the officers, committee chairs, and committee members whose work keeps CAMWS functioning, year after year.  

 

We were delighted that so many people attended the 108th Annual Meeting in

The Belle of Baton Rouge Hotel

Baton Rouge. When they were not playing with their purple CAMWS yo-yo's, trying their luck in the casino, or observing the bowling championships across the street, the 472 attendees participated in 12 panels and 60 paper sessions. They also enjoyed the Belle's "under the big top" atrium with its pleasant spaces for chatting, dining, and drinking. Those who stayed in the Hotel Indigo had free bikes at their disposal. The special events (e.g., the opening reception, the happy hour for graduate students, the reception sponsored by the Women's Classical Caucus, and the lunch hosted by the Vergilian Society) all attracted good-sized crowds. Five Latin teachers applied for Continuing Education Units; we hope to see that number go up in the future.

 

On Friday the weather was perfect for a trolley ride to the verdant campus of Louisiana State University; although Mike the Tiger slept through the afternoon, the rest of us had a great time at the sessions and at the reception that followed in the Art & Design Building. Kudos to the local committee, chaired by Wilfred Major. Without the help of our kind-hearted volunteers, CAMWS meetings would not be possible. We also appreciate the support of our loyal exhibitors, whose products and personalities always charm visitors to the book display.    

 

The banquet this year included a greeting from Gaines Foster, Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at LSU, three ovationes delivered--and sung (Tu Es Sol Meus)--by Orator James May, and an inspiring address on "Teaching in Paradise" by Julia Hejduk. Monica Cyrino, Countess of Ceremonies, graciously allowed her tiara to be used at the business meeting the next morning to crown Peter Knox. Elsewhere in this newsletter you can read about the various awards and scholarships that were announced at the business meeting. If you have never nominated a student or a colleague for one of these honors, please consider doing so. It is a shame when we have no nominees (as happened this year with the college teaching award).          

 

For Sue and me, the highlight of the meeting was receiving our memory books, handcrafted by Jevanie's mother. Although it will be impossible for either of us to forget these past eight years with CAMWS, the books will ensure that we not stretch the truth too much--and the engraved candy jar will keep all of our memories sweet. Thank you, everyone! 

 

-Anne Groton, St. Olaf College, CAMWS Secretary-Treasurer

CAMWS expresses its deepest gratitude to its wonderful Secretary-Treasurer, Anne Groton, as she lays down the mantle after a decade of service. We have all benefited immensely from Anne's competence, good cheer, and abiding care both for CAMWS as a whole and for every one of its members. Keeping a sprawling organization like ours running smoothly is no small task; thanks in large measure to her selfless attitude and intelligent guidance, we have grown and thrived even in challenging times. She truly deserves a dish of chocolate that never runs out.

 

We also bid a sad farewell to Anne's indefatigable assistant, Sue Newland. It has been a pleasure to work with someone whose technical skill and attention to thousands of details are balanced by her sense of humor (and a formidable array of emoticons). Her warm smile and killer accent will be deeply missed.

 

 

Semple Award for American School of Classical Studies at Athens:

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First Prize:

• Joshua M. Smith (University of Wisconsin, Madison), "Horace Odes 2.7 and the Literary Tradition (?) of Rhipsaspia"

• Lindsey Campbell (Dacula High School, Dacula, GA)
• Rachel Beth Cunning (Blue Valley High School, Stillwell, KS)
• Jennifer Uhlmann (Green Fields Country Day School, Tucson, AZ)

This year's winning outreach project was "Cheering on the Charlotte Panthers: Roman-Style!" by students of Sherri Madden (Master's Academy) in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Ms. Madden and her students shared the following description of the day's events with the Newsletter:

  

"Master's Academy Classical Club (MACC) middle and high school students energetically cheered on the Carolina Panthers, their hometown NFL football team, during their December 11, 2011 game in grand Roman style! A Roman feast (a.k.a. tailgating party) was planned. Due to being confined to a parking space, we really didn't have room to create a triclinium with 3 couches, but we did at least make sure our table was decorated with a bust of Caesar (made by Zach and a first place winner in the NCJCL state convention sculpture contest). We donned our togae and handmade laurel wreaths (except they were actually ivy from Forrest's yard!) Bojangles catered our feast which did mimic foods of ancient Rome - chicken, beans, bread - well, ok - macaroni and cheese is a North Carolina vegetable!!!

 

MACC was chosen as the "Tailgating Party of the Game" that day. Receiving this honor involved being filmed at our Roman feast and cheering for the Panthers while dressed in our Roman clothing. We shared Latin phrases with the film crew. We also befriended our tailgating neighbors and shared with them about Latin and our club!  MACC was announced as the "Tailgating Party of the Game" on the Jumbotron during the 2nd quarter of the football game. Bank of America Stadium holds over 70,000 people, so many fans were exposed to Latin that day as we cheered for the Panthers.

 

A large black and teal banner with "Ite Pantherae" (Go Panthers!) was designed for the occasion. The banner was displayed at the filming and also throughout the football game. We also proudly carried our banner and yelled Latin cheers as we walked to the stadium from the tailgating party.

 

In conclusion, we had lots of fun while cheering on the Carolina Panthers and spreading the word about Latin to over 70,000 fans."

 

• Conner Bryan, Eastside High School, GA (Eric Adams)
• Rachel Goldstein, Thomas Jefferson High School,VA (Patty Lister)
• Sally Hansen, Rockbridge County High School,VA (Patrick Bradley)
• Nicholas Haubrich, Shaker Heights High School, OH (Robert White)
• Jackson Myers, Hume-Fogg Academic School, TN (Alice Sanford)
• Fiona Sappenfield, Hume-Fogg Academic School, TN (Alice Sanford)
• Mercy Sherman, St. Anne's-Bellfield School, VA (Brandtly Jones)
• Frederick Short, Thomas Jefferson High School, VA (Patty Lister)
• Evelyn Ting, Shaker Heights High School, OH (Robert White)
• Alex Young, Durham Academy, NC (Edith Keene)

 

The latest issue of Teaching Classical Languages features articles meant to inspire and provoke.  Eric Dugdale shows the way he motivates his Latin students to use the language actively to create lively Latin compositions ranging from comic strips to haikus.  Wilfred Major and Byron Stayskal challenge us to re-think how we currently teach the verbal system in beginning Greek, arguing that students need to see the big picture just as much as the little details.  Albert Watanabe presents the latest results from the 2011 College Greek Exam.  And Stephen Trzaskoma reviews the latest intermediate Greek textbooks.  As usual, it is possible not only to read the articles, but also to post comments online responding to the authors.  You can find the latest issue by going to www.tcl.camws.org and clicking on Current Issue.

• ERIC DUGDALE, "Lingua Latina, lingua mea: Creative Composition in Beginning Latin"
• WILFRED E. MAJOR and BYRON STAYSKAL, "Teaching Greek Verbs: A Manifesto"
• ALBERT WATANABE, "The 2011 College Greek Exam"
• STEPHEN TRZASKOMA, Review Article, "Innovation in Recent Intermediate Greek Textbooks?"

Teaching Classical Languages welcomes articles offering innovative practice and methods, advocating new theoretical approaches, or reporting on empirical research in teaching and learning Latin and Greek. Contact John Gruber-Miller, Editor, Teaching Classical Languages, Cornell College, Mount Vernon, IA 52314, jgrubermiller@cornellcollege.edu.

   

For a full list of and links to Institutional Members for 2011-2012 please visit the CAMWS website at http://www.camws.org/about/im/index.php.

The University of North Carolina, Greensboro's M.Ed in Latin is a part-time, online degree program designed for Latin teachers who already have obtained initial licensure or who have a lateral entry license. The degree requires 30 semester hours of coursework and concentrates on the study of Latin language and literature, with additional study required in the areas of history, classical civilization, and professional education.

 

Courses are offered both during the school year and the summer; summer courses are usually offered in an intensive three-week format. The online format of the courses is typically a mixture of synchronous and asynchronous instruction using the Blackboard Learn web platform, which is provided by the University to all enrolled students. The successful candidate will be eligible to apply for advanced licensure in North Carolina, Depending upon the academic background of the student, the degree is typically completed in 3 years.

 

For more information, see our Web site at http://www.uncg.edu/cla/med.

 

UNC Greensboro's summer online offering for 2012 will focus on readings from the AP Latin curriculum (Vergil, Aeneid and Caesar, Gallic War), along with an overview of the curriculum and best practices for teaching it.

 

Dates: July 9 - 27

Meeting times: 1-2 pm, Monday through Friday*

Where to sign up: http://online.uncg.edu/summer/index.php

 

*Much of the course will be asynchronous, with web lectures and online activities, so we may not meet online every day.

 

Non-degree-seeking students are welcome to enroll! You must have a B.A. in Latin or its equivalent. Tuition is currently $194.56 per credit hour for North Carolina residents; out-of-state students pay $405.35 per credit hour.

 

Required equipment is a computer, a robust internet connection, and a headphone/microphone.

 

If you are planning on attending the National JCL convention from July 26-31, don't worry about the slight overlap in our dates - we will accommodate your schedule.

 

For more information, don't hesitate to contact me!

 

David Wharton, Director of Graduate Study

Department of Classical Studies

P.O. Box 26170 Greensboro, NC 27402-6170

(336) 509-8172 / wharton@uncg.edu / www.uncg.edu/cla/med

 

• In April the Journal Star reported on University of Nebraska-Lincoln Classics professor and CAMWS member Tom Winter becoming an internet meme sensation when a photo of him skateboarding went viral online.  The piece can be found here.

• In April The Telegraph included a story about angry Roman centurions besieging the Colosseum in protest.  Click here to read the piece.

• Stephen Greenblatt's The Swerve, on the rediscovery of Lucretius, won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction.  The citation can be read here. 

• In April National Geographic reported on new statuary evidence for the existence of female gladiators.  The article can be found here.

• In May the New York Daily News included a piece on the graduation of Gac Filipaj, a custodian turned Classics major, from Columbia University.  Click here to read the story.

• In May Salon ran a piece examining Julius Caesar's speech in Sallust's Bellum Catilinae, which can be found here.

• In May The Bookseller reported on the announcement that a Latin translation of Tolkien's The Hobbit will be published in September.  Click here to read.

• In May the PBS Newshour aired an interview with Stephen Greenblatt discussing Lucretius and The Swerve.  Click here to view the segment.

Please pass along any recent news stories which you feel our members would enjoy!

• A. Trevor Hodge, who taught Classics at Carleton University, passed away on February 16, 2012.  A remembrance of his life and career can be found here.

• Sally A. MacEwen, who taught Classics at Agnes Scott College, passed away on March 15, 2012.  A remembrance of her life and career can be found here.

The CAMWS Newsletter is published three times per year, in the fall, winter, and spring.  The deadline for the fall edition is October 1, 2012.

Send submissions by e-mail to samccart@sewanee.edu

Send submissions by regular mail to:

Stephanie A. McCarter

CAMWS Newsletter Editor

Department of Classical Languages

Sewanee: The University of the South

735 University Avenue

Sewanee, TN 37383

931-598-1221