Stanze della Segnatura

Yes, the school of Athens is simply marvellous. I was fortunate enough to see it close up and personal this past summer in the Vatican, where it is part of a room designed for the Pope's high brow guests. Here is a little from Wikipedia:

The four Stanze di Raffaello ("Raphael's rooms") in the Palace of the Vatican form a suite of reception rooms, the public part of the papal apartments. They are famous for their frescoes, painted by Raphael and his workshop. Together with Michelangelo's ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, these are the grand fresco sequences that mark the High Renaissance in Rome.

I assume you all know about the famous gestures of Plato, pointing upwards to the world of ideas, and his best student, Aristotle, pointing downwards to the classification of the natural world. Socrates is supposed to be the guy in blue sitting on the steps, looking like a homeless person. I was alwayc curious as to what the guy on the left was scribbling, and I finally satisfied my curiosity when I looked at it from half a foot away: he is writing some Greek geometrical formula (or perhaps a music formula? Look at the Greek words combined with the Roman numerals...how Renaissance is that!)


I am also attaching two more pictures. The first one is the ceiling in one of the adjacent rooms (stanze). I don't think it's Raphael though. It symbolizes how the advent of Christianity (cross) has shattered the ancient world (the broken statue), a very appropriate theme for the Pope's palace... And yet, throughout Rome and in all the religious establishments (e.g. cardinals' houses, even churches), I saw tons of classical art that they comissioned, both original and copies. Clearly these people appreciated the worldly and luscious beauty of the pagan world they were seemingly substituting and condemning...now, if that is not the definition of hypocrisy, I don't know what is! Anyway, the second one is Raphael (in one of the other stanzas) and it's called 'The burning of Troy.' Remember Aeneas from the first OCL book, who narrowly escaped with his father and fled to Italy? You can see him carrying dad on his back, on the lower left of the fresco. Just to give you an idea of the grand scale of this thing, look at how low the visitors' heads are...

Ok, I need to stop talking about Rome and the Vatican, cuz I could be writing all night. I hope everyone is doing well in your respective classes and jobs. Let's hang in there---it's only one more week!


EM.

School of Athens

This doesn't have anything to do directly with Latin, but the picture on page 85 of our text reminded me of it. This is actually one of my favorite paintings ever (I'm a Humanities major, lol) and when I thought of it I was hoping it might possibly be a depiction of the Academy that Quintus is studying philosphy at, but upon further research Raphael actually intended it to be a representation of an ideal community of intellects.



I think the thing that makes me love it so much (aside from its obvious aesthetic value) is that Raphael included all the great minds of the classical world: Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, et ceteri - even himself (how modest)!

I'm guessing that the part of the school extending into the background would be the atrium?

p.s. - Prof. Manolaraki: thank you so much for the detailed explanation of verb conjugations. It's a huge help. I'm just kicking myself for not persevering to find the answer sooner! :)

- Jessica G.

How do you decline adjectives such as nobilis nobile?

Lauren D. and Maria B.

lauren D. cat

Blogathon 2007

At Dr. M's suggestion, I'm going to post this here for the heck of it.

This Saturday I am participating in the Blogathon. The gist of it is bloggers sign up to blog for 24 hours straight to raise money for a charity. I don't want to bring all of the details to this blog, but I am participating in this year's Blogathon because I'm crazy enough to stay up for 24 hours for a good cause. If you want to check out more about the event and about the charity I'm raising money for, check out my Blogathon blog here.

And since I'm advertising that blog here, if you want to be freakin' awesome and sponsor me during the Blogathon, that would be fantastic! All the sponsorship pledges go directly to the charity I choose, so you really are helping out a good cause. Plus, if you're around on Saturday, you can read the blog, leave me comments, etc. :) So please check it out if nothing else.

Thanks!

- Olivia

P.S. - And because Jessica and Dr. M have posted pictures of their kitties (and I know Rachael has in the past too), I want to show off mine. :)




The top picture is of Humphrey, the bottom is of Bogart. I'm convinced they hate me for taking so many pictures of them (hence their expressions).

Step in the Arena

Jessica:

First of all, apologies it took me so long to get back to you on your questions, but I forget to check the blog these days, going as fast as we are going. I am very glad you posted this, not only because THERE ARE NO SILLY QUESTIONS (I have spent years and years repeating this!), but also because others who have the same questions might see this and resolve any confusion. Do come back with more questions either here, in class, or in person, whenever you have time. And no, I don’t think of you less because you dash out of the class—I commend all of you who work and take Latin too! Ok, here goes my attempt to answer your questions, and I hope it helps:

To Professor M. actually shed a good bit of light on my noun declension problem the other day when she explained that -i stems usually follow one of the following patterns:
1. Nom & Gen singular both end in –is

Correct: civis, civis (citizen); collis, collis (hill); hostis, hostis (enemy); as we said in class, they all sound sing-song, so it’s easy to pick them out.

2. monosyllabic Nom & Gen singular are resolved in two consonents (dens, dentis)

Correct: These resolve their GENITIVE case into two consonants, so you must memorize the genitive, like you do for all third declension nouns. See exx. fons, fontis (fountain), nox, noctis (night), pons, pontis (bridge) and the like.


However, I still struggle sometimes trying to determine which conjugation verbs belong in. My two issues are this:
1. The infinitive for 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd -io verbs all look the same to me.

They absolutely do! That’s why, to differentiate between them, you must memorize not only the infinitive, but also the first person sg. It’s the combination of the two that will reveal whether you are looking at a 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd -io verb. So, take off the personal ending –o, from your 1st. sg. and see what are you left with:

1. If your last letter is –e- (e.g. sede-o), you are in the 2nd conjugation.
2. If your last letter is a consonant (leg-o, ascend-o, disc-o) you are in the 3rd conjugation.
3. And if your last letter is –i- (capi-o, fugi-o) you are in the third –io conjugation.
4. Now, the 1st sg. of the third –io (capi-o) looks exactly like the 1st. sg. of the fourth conjugation (audi-o). However, if you look at your infinitives, you can tell where you are. Take off the infinitive ending –re. Now, if your last letter is –i- (audi-re), you are in the fourth. If your last letter is –e- (cape-re, fuge-re) you are in the third io.


In other words, Latin will always provide known variables which you can use to work out the stuff that looks similar, the stuff that overlaps, or the stuff that you simply don’t know. One of my favorite parts in our class is finding the cognates, and seeing the light bulbs go on when peeps make connections between Latin and English. Oh, and Olivia, speaking of pulchritude, did you see the movie Akeela and the Bee? Ok, first, this movie will make you cry, then it will make you want to be a teacher, then it will make you fall in love with Latin and Greek! Seriously! Anyway, the word pulchritude plays a major role in this movie---I am not going to give away any spoilers, but do see it if you haven’t already! (Parenthesis: put your blogathon e-mail up here in case the newbies browse the blog).

What else? Oh, first, I see your cat and I raise you mine (see pic), and, second, here is an interesting video that Jordan sent me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsS__6LZK_g&mode=related&search=

It is a song (90’s rap with definite jazz overtones, I think) in which the artist Guru describes his struggle to dominate the rap scene in terms of a gladiatorial combat in the Colosseum, and includes other Greco-roman references and vocabulary. Here are the lyrics (explicit stuff omitted), which I at least needed to follow along:



Gang Starr Step In The Arena lyrics

{DJ Premier cuts the phrase Step up... over and over}
[Guru]
Once you step in the arena, cheater; you're gonna be a-
mazed when you gaze at the armor on this leader
Fully clad and glad to find a cause, I won't pause
Fear is a joke, slowpoke, I'm like claws
that'll rip 'cause your gift, is merely flesh
Superficial and I wish you, would give it a rest
But if you don't, I'll unsheath my Excalibur
Like a noble knight, so meet ya challenger
A true hero, while you're a through zero
Gettin beat to a pulp so that you can't run for help
I heard a gulp in your throat, cause you hope that I'll be merciful
but coo-cluck, I made you strut as I rehearse a few
battle drills, and watch your bladder spill
yellow fluid, check out how I mellowed into it
Face to feet to defeat, you can tell I'm into it
As I'm pullin out my lance, to kill you and advance to
the winner's throne; cause I own you once you step in the arena
{DJ Premier cuts the phrase Step up... over and over}
[Guru]
In the arena... or rather Colliseum
There's people gatherin by multitudes to see one
perpetrator fall to the dust after the other
Quickly disposed of at the hand of a known brother
Born wit the art in his heart that is Spartacus
And one-to-one combat Jack, just a thought of this
match-up, makes GangStarr wanna snatch up
one or two phrases from the new book with new pages
of rhymes that are built like a chariot
Dope vocals carry it, to the battle set
If a beat was a princess, I would marry it
But now I must bow to the crowd as I stand proud
Victorius, glorious, understand now
cause battles and wars and much fights I have been through
One MC got beheaded, and you can too
Forget it, cause you'd rather be just a spectator
An onlooker, afraid you may get slayed or
struck by a blow, from a mic gladiator
I betcha that later you might be sad that you played yourself
cause you stepped up, chest puffed out
And in just one lyric, you got snuffed out
Cause rhymin is serious, I'm strong, I'm like Hercules
You'll get hurt with these lines, close the curtains please
and suckers can jet cause I wreck once you step in the arena
{DJ Premier cuts the phrase Step inside my... arena over and over}
[Guru]
In the arena or forum, weak MC's I will floor 'em
Causin mayhem, I'll slay them, and the blood'll be pourin
Furthermore I implore, that as a soldier of war
I go in only to win and be the holder of more
trophies, titles, and triumphs cause I dump all the sly chumps
Never choosin to lose my spot, not once
For the mere idea of an opponent that I fear
is foolish utterly.......[explicit lines]
you better sit again citizen, weak MC's I get rid of them
Watch the way they get distraught when they get caught
in the worst positions, cause they didn't listen
and tried goin up against a hungry killer who's itchin
to mame and murder, those who claimed that they were the
toughest ones, they get done once they step in the arena
{DJ Premier cuts the phrase Step inside my... arena}

Gang Starr Step In The Arena lyrics

My Latin Experience

Hello to all! I just wanted to share some of my thoughts on my own Latin experience, and see if I can get some tips from the Latin veterans (or even fellow classmates).

I really really like Latin, although I feel like I am at a major disadvantage because I didn't take it in high school and it seems as though everyone else in the class did. But I am trying to learn it as quickly and as thoroughly as possible, and I am definitely enjoying it! Every day I find more and more cognates in English and it is so interesting to me. As silly as it sounds, I thought it was the coolest thing ever when we learned that "suburbs" and "suburban" come from the Latin words for "under" and "city," and when I figured out that the word used in hospitals, "stat" came from "statim!" That reminds me...do words like "fungus" with the plural "-i" get their endings directly from Latin 2nd declension nominative nouns?

Something I've struggled with (besides memory lapses, lol) is identifying which declensions nouns belong to (usually 3rd and 3rd -i) and which conjugations verbs belong to (usually 3rd, 3rd -io, and 4th). Professor Manolaraki actually shed a good bit of light on my noun declension problem the other day when she explained that -i stems usually follow one of the following patterns:
1. Nom & Gen singular both end in -is
2. monosyllabic Nom & Gen singular are resolved in two consonents (dens, dentis)

However, I still struggle sometimes trying to determine which conjugation verbs belong in. My two issues are this:
1. The infinitive for 2nd, 3rd, and 3rd -io verbs all look the same to me.
2. I still don't always get how to differentiate between the 3rd conjugation -io and the 4th conjugation. Like capi-o and audi-o (these are the examples in the back of the book). How is one an -io stem and one just an -i stem?

I know these questions probably seem very stupid but I have been looking for the answers since about the first week of Latin I. I asked my Latin I professor and she said I just had to memorize it. But I don't understand how if I can't even recognize it when I'm looking at it in the book? Admittedly, it has gotten easier in Latin II because the book provides the perfect tense, but I am still scarcely able to identify the appropriate declension for verbs on my own. :( I would stay after class to get help from Professor Manolaraki but I work immediately afterwords and I barely make it on time as it is (so please don't take it personally when I run out of class right at 12:15, professor! :))

Anyway, sorry for digressing, and I appreciate any help or hints or advice. And now, here is my cat!





- Jessica G.

Random Weekend Thoughts

Ok, don't ask me how these are connected to Latin---I just know they are! It is because Latin showed me how to think and examine the world around me that I was able to register the following as the 'highlights' of the weekend---I bracketed the word because I think of these moments not as 'fun,' but as instances that made that lightbulb go on...

1) Saturday morning: the Ringling Museum in Sarasota, for the n-th time in the past two years, and always something new (the current exhibition on paintings of Venice is superb)---have you been there yet? Stop reading this, get up, and GO already! Bigger and nicer than the Tampa museum of art, especially if you like Rennaissance stuff (and the Greco-Roman collection ain't too shabby either). The layout of the garden as a Roman villa is not exactly Getty, but it still gets you. And it's only $5! Seriously, I am thinking of incorporating Ringling as extra credit work for Latin 2220. So. Go. You won't regret it.

http://ringling.org/

2) Saturday afternoon: Grocery shopping in Tarpon Springs. I should be able to get over the camp, the kitch, the sheer cheesiness of the place, but I can't do it! I mean, this is the worst of touristy Greece combined with the worst of touristy Florida---it's a monster! Look at the 'best gyro in town' served by an *Egyptian*, right behind a plastic cut out of Achilles in full body armor, surrounded by the Greek key pattern, in case you missed the point. Ack!!! I got my yogurts and pastas and I was OUTTa there! Note to self, before I get too pious about this: I own a plastic miniature colosseum, a coffee mug with Nero fiddling and Rome burning in the background, and a face towel featuring the Late Pope John Paul II---all of which I purchased last year in Rome. But why is *that* a post modern insider joke with myself, while its Greek equivalent offends me so deeply? What is it about our past that bears so heavily on the shoulders of modern Greeks? I wonder if there is a more healthy relationship we could develop with it, between the extremes of reverence and contempt. Something with more humor would be a good start.

3) Sunday afternoon: study break to see the latest Harry Potter. I think I might be growing too old for it--it didn't captivate me as the one before, which hadn't wowed me as the one before it, which hadn't...well, you get the picture. Anyway, I came back and read a little more on it, and lo and behold, I find this wii trailer, whereby kids can 'practice their magic moves' through the wii remote and 'play' Harry (looking all square and digital)...I am shocked. There goes magical thinking, just like that (Jordan, what would Phaedrus say about this?!). No need to imagine it anymore, you can simply buy it! I don't know what gets me more: the fact that books and movies are entire corporate events now, or the fact that I am already at this point in life where I can say things like 'when I was growing up, 20 years ago, we didn't have that!'. Here is the accursed wii trailer:

http://gametrailers.com/player/21243.html

I wonder, does wii conserve all the Latin references and dictions of the books? I mean, aren't the spells successful ONLY when the Latin is produced correctly? Isn't that the whole point of the power of the spell, in the books at least? Flailing one's arms in front of a TV set is supposed to 'recreate' the magical experience??!

4) Ah, the power of words...which brings me to Sunday evening. Reading this poem by Yeats made me think about the supremacy of the written word, of poetry, and of literary exchange, as the ultimate and most long lasting love affair of one's life:

After Long Silence (or: Long After)

Speech after long silence; it is right,
All other lovers being estranged or dead,
Unfriendly lamplight hid under its shade,
The curtains drawn upon unfriendly night,
That we descant and yet again descant
Upon the supreme theme of Art and Song:
Bodily decrepitude is wisdom; young
We loved each other and were ignorant.

I hope y' all have had restful, joyfyl, and thoughtful weekends. Missing you all---come by the office when you have time!

Vestra,

EM

PS. Rachael, thank you so much for posting the information on Queen Ann's lace. What a story! I am afraid the Greek name for this plant is much less glamorous, although I wonder (after reading on its connection with silphium), whether the Greeks were on to something. They call it 'selino,' the exact same name they use for the regular celery, that looks nothing like this plant...hmmm....

Queen Anne's Lace

After showing my vacation pictures to Stacy, Jordan and Prof. M. at the reunion yesterday, I got to wondering about this one in particular. Prof. M. asked what the flower is called. It's most often called "Queen Anne's Lace" in the US, although it's also called "wild carrot," and she said that they have them in Greece as well. (I forgot to ask you: What are they called in Greece, Professor?) I thought about it later, wondering why they're called "Queen Anne's Lace." So I looked it up... Supposedly, it's after Queen Anne (Anne of Denmark), wife of James I of England. There are several legends about why that is, none of which have been concretely legitimized in fact. The most popular one seems to be some variation of this: While making lace meant to imitate the flower, Queen Anne pricked her finger with a needle and stained the lace with a drop of blood. The flower has one violet-red floret at the center, you see... which to me calls that whole legend into question even more 'cause really, what are the odds...? Whatever the reason, the name has stuck.

But in my research I found out something else that's pretty interesting about this plant, and it connects this whole thing if not to Latin then to Roman history and culture at least, so I'll share...

The following is copied from an herb supplier's website:

"Queen Anne’s Lace
Daucus carota
Family: Apiaceae
Biennial. Native to temperate zones worldwide. The wild carrot is more strongly endowed with the wholesomely odoriferous and stimulating essential oils than is the domesticated carrot. These have pronounced carminative (gas-relieving) effect. The whole herb may be collected and dried for tea. The seeds themselves may be taken internally as a birth control measure. I have heard this works pretty well, but wouldn’t rely on it alone to prohibit conception. Queen Anne’s Lace is the closest living relative (on the basis of family and medicinal activity) to the Silphion, which was picked and used by the Romans as a culinary spice and contraceptive until it became extinct in the first century AD. Supposedly Nero was given the last remaining root. He should have planted it back in. Note: Although Queen Anne’s Lace seed is not toxic, Conium maculatum (Hemlock) seed which can readily be confused with Daucus carota is indeed very seriously toxic. Know and trust your supplier, or grow your own! Cultivation: Easy. Direct seed during mild weather in early spring. Thin seedlings to 3 inches apart. Flowers to 4 feet in the second year. Not for sale to WA state."

The flower heads at peak bloom can also be used as a natural dyestuff (you can see a picture of wool dyed with it here), producing a yellowish-green or greenish-yellow color on most natural fibers. I myself have tried to cultivate it for this purpose because that's the sort of thing I like to do, grow plants historically used for dye to make historically accurate reenacting accessories, like my shawls... But unfortunately, Queen Anne's Lace will not grow in this part of Florida. Our summers are far too hot to allow it to complete its life-cycle. Ah, well...


~Rachael

reunion, etc...

I was so happy to get to see you all today at the reunion... I hope next time we can coordinate it so that even more people can come. Next time, Prof. M, please bring photos of Greece! ;D I want to see what you did on your summer vacation too!

Here's a link to my photobucket, which contains all my photos, if anyone is interested. There are more clearly labeled photos there of people and places... more pictures of the Burough and of family, as well as actual pictures of the farm my parents have bought in Virginia.

Or perhaps, just embedding slideshows here would be easier... Sorry, I can seem to get them set up so that they won't play on continuous loop...

My cats...

The farm in Bassett, Virginia...

The Burough in Sumter, South Carolina... The only other place on the web that there is significant information about the property is at the National Registry of Historic Places, here.

Some of my family (most of the photos taken at various places in Virginia and South Carolina)...

~Rachael

A Day Full of Wonder

Tomorrow, that is. I shamelessly stole this line from someone that I much admire, to invite one and all, fall Latin, spring Latin, summer Latin, to a late lunch tomorrow at 3 pm at Perkins on Fowler. Stacey B., Rachael, and Jordan will be there, but I want to see as many of you as can come. I will be leaving my office (CPR 288) at 2.45 so do drop by if you want a ride.


Latin springs eternal,


EM.

Study Group?

Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone else is interested in forming a study group. If so, what days and times are best? I can meet any time in the mornings before class or any evenings. Once summer C ends, my schedule is much more flexible.

Thanks,

Jennifer

Plans for Friday

So, just to recap: The two Stacies can make it Friday after 9.30-10 pm.

I am free the whole day, and I don't mind meeting at night instead of for lunch.

Rachael? Olivia? Candace? Alii? E-mail me or post here so that we can set a time. I am free the entire day.

EM.

Hey all! I read about a reunion on Friday, I am working that day, but if you'll be there at night I can come by after work. I work in the mall and I get off at 930pm. I hope I will be able to make it.
Life has been hectic lately. School is out and I work full time. I've decided that I loathe retail and cannot wait for my "real" life to begin.
GREAT UPDATE! I obtained a freelance position with a magazine in the Tampa Bay area and have been promised a permanent position when a graduate. I may possibly receive a senior editor position of some sort and I am really excited! It's a great relief to know I'll have something when I am done with my bachelors degree.
I really like the magazine business. I feel as though I a made for it. I love deadlines, researching, interviewing, brainstorming with great writers... I hope it all works out.
Another great part of my life is being celebrated this weekend. My boyfriend Trey and I are coming up on our 2nd year together and we plan on celebrating on Sunday, our official anniversary. ;) We are going to Beach Comber which is where we had our first date. I'm very fortunate to have such a great man and I am excited about this weekend.
Hope all is well with everyone. I REALLY REALLY HOPE I CAN MAKE IT FRIDAY!!! Let me know what's going on!
Miss you all.
Stacey Bedard

Moving on, at light speed

Salvete omnes--

Et gratias ago Racheli, notitiae suae--oh, wait, I need to switch languages here! Rachel, thank you so much for your previous post--informative and entertaining at once, as always! I don't know where you come up with those websites, but I laughed and laughed with those kitties. I too collect random pictures of cats with funny legends/contexts, so I am posting two here (give me a bit, and I will find a way to connect this to Latin!)

As for our reunion, I am game for that Friday at Bennigan's. I didn't manage to get into the myspace.com symposium, so do tell the people there yourselves. I wish I could send a collective e-mail, but Blackboard took away my access to the class list as soon as I handed your grades.

The title of the posting reflects my thoughts on the current class. I don't know if they even have time to check this board, seeing that we move on at turbo speed (we must, this is no teaching enthusiasm on my part---trust me!). We covered 3 chapters in the first week (Perfect, Imperfect, Pluperfect, Ablative and Accusative of time, numerals, did I mention the locative?!!) It's unbelievable. And what is more surreal is that they *take* to it immediatelly (summer Latin, if you are reading this, don't get on your high horse!). I am beginning to think I should restructure the semester- long class to pick up a little faster than we were moving on during this past year. What do y' all think? It's doable, that's for sure, but I would like to hear from any of you if you have any thoughts on this.

Oh, and Rachel, let me know if you would like to read a story I wrote a few months ago about an imigrant's laundry experience in this country. The English is a little weird, as usual, but I think it's a good story--if I may say so myself! I am also attaching a picture from my recent vacation...just an intimate dinner with 10 of our closest relatives (and, Olivia, *don't* say anything about Tulla's family dinner---I know how this looks!!!). You can see the city lights of Iraklion in the background, and the darkness below is the sea...it was so beautiful. Gotta love my dad though. Everyone was posing, but he was reaching for the grub.

Much love to all---see you at Bennigan's, I hope!


EM.

Hey all!

Now that I found the username and password which had been lost somewhere in my inbox, I can make a proper post!

Welcome to the new Latin students! I hope you're enjoying Latin as much as I do... Don't be intimidated by all us old students who still post on the blog. Really... Just jump right in! Questions, things you've found interesting/difficult/annoying/fun about the class so far, things you've found on the web, just something to introduce yourselves... really, post anything!

Note to Prof. M and all the old Latin students: I'll still be free for a reunion in the afternoon on Friday, July 13th if others are up for that... say, lunchtime at Bennigans on Fowler?

Also, I have a link to share... not Latin related, but cat related, so I don't think Prof. M will object. Be careful if you're drinking or eating when you open this link because some of the images are pretty funny... I don't want anyone to choke... The site was sent to me by my cat-loving aunt... I Can Has Cheezburger Dot Com.

On a similar note: I got two new kitties recently... They are rescued strays from the county pound.

Blossom:

Frodo:

I also wanted to post a proper link to the Project Laundry List Newsletter with the articles I wrote: Hanging Out, Summer 2007 issue. In case you're wondering, PLL is a non-profit "organization which aims to demonstrate that personal choices can make a difference for the Earth and its people. Our focus is on North America's over-dependence on nuclear power and other unsustainable forms of energy." In short, PLL is "changing the world through clotheslines–one household at a time." For the main site, go here. You can also sign up to receive the newsletter by entering your e-mail in the field at the top right-hand side of the page. The people who run the site and the newsletter are always looking for newsletter submissions of all sorts - childhood stories about hanging out laundry, opinions relating to laundry issues, laundry tips, letters-to-the-editor, etc. See the newsletter page for details. I'll be writing again for the Fall issue too... really looking forward to that...

Okay, this is long enough... iubeo vos valere! (Did I remember that right, Professor? It's been a long two months...)
~Rachael

Long time, no post --- Greetings new students!

Hey, guess who is not dead? This girl!

I hope everyone is having a fantastic summer. I have been reading the blog, but I have been super lazy when it comes to replying to anything or making any sort of a post. With today being the 4th of July, I don't have work or school, so I figured making a post would be a great reason to take a break from laundry.

The other night, like the loser I am, I decided to organize my things from past semesters. I save a lot of work from school and for the past two semesters, everything just sat in a dusty pile on top of a bookshelf. I have no idea what got me into the kick of going through it all, but I did. I saved all my tests from Latin 1 and 2, along with the textbooks and most of my notecards. Maybe when I get another kick into me, I'll go through the notecards to see how much vocabulary I've retained. :)

Dr. M., I can't imagine taking Latin 2 during a summer semester! To you brave souls who are taking on this challenge, I congratulate you! You all have chosen the best professor to endure such a quick semester. Along with Rachael, I agree that you should post on the blog. A few other helpful tips: Make friends in the class and have study groups, ask Dr. M. ANYTHING and she will help you without hesitation... and do your translations! They really are beneficial (especially come test time). And have fun! For those of us who took back to back semesters with Dr. M, we really had a good time because we made it fun for the class and for Dr. M.

Um, yeah, don't know what else to say. I'm still game for a reunion. Fridays and Sundays are the best days for me (no work or school on those days). I'll try to make myself more of a presense around here. And to you new students, feel free to ask questions. Hopefully some of us veterans can help you (if anything, it'll give us a good opportunity to see how much we remember).

Have a safe 4th of July everyone!

Olivia H.

welcome summer Latin

Dear all---


As promised in the syllabus, here is a place for you to jot down your thoughts and questions on Latin, and to take heart by reading what students before you have gone through! Use it also to catch up on homework if you are absent, to make announcements, or to share materials about Roman history/ civilization. Lastly, use it as an ongoing course evaluation---let me know if you have any suggestions to make our class better. I have enabled anonymous posting, so that you won't have to worry about 'payback!'. Looking forward to reading your thoughts,


EM.

Beginning Again

Carissimae Carissimique--

I don't know if anyone still reads this, but I thought I would drop this note as the proverbial message in the bottle (btw, I just saw an old movie titled exactly that-what a tearjecker!). Now that the dust has settled and I am back home (gasp! did I just say that?!!) I am hoping for our long awaited and long overdue reunion sometime in July. I am having the presemester jitters today, because tomorrow morning at 10 am I start teaching the summer Latin class and I got 35 kids there. Why does this happen every single time?! I must have taught this class a bazillion times and it's always new to me...But heaven forbid I ever get bored; then I will know it's time to retire and I ain't going anywhere for the next 30 years!

I was browsing the Times this morning and look what I found: they finally caught on the 'Are we Rome' book, news of which Rachael posted so intuitively a while ago! I do agree that Rome is everywhere in the modern imagination, but I don't think that the prez is Diocletian--more like a cross between Claudius and Galba (not one of the stars, but an interesting emperor in his own right...). I am posting below the link to the article --and stay tuned if you will for vacation pictures and the posts from the new generation of Latinists (they have no clue what they are in for...he he he!!)

Vestra, in aevum aevi-

EM.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/weekinreview/index.html?8dpc