Monthly Archives: March 2016


Announcements for March 27th

CANE

  • Couldn’t make it to the Annual Meeting this year?  Fret not.  See the CANE Annual Meeting 2016 folder for materials, presentations, or, to see what you missed.  Requires a Google account to access the drive.

BEYOND CANE

  • Aquila Theatre is offering discount tickets to CANE members ($35, instead of the usual $50) for their upcoming performance of Sophocles’ Philoctetes on April 6th, 7th, 13th, and 20th in Brooklyn at the GK ArtsCenter.  When you order at aquilaphiloctetes.brownpapertickets.com, simply type in the code SCS35 to obtain the discount!  Groups of ten or more should contact aquila@aquilatheatre.com.
  • The Rose-Marie Lewent Conference at NYU’s Center for Ancient Studies is Thursday and Friday, March 31-April 1, entitled “New Yorkers in the Land of the Pharaohs: Fieldwork in Egypt by New York Institutions” is free and open to the public.  View the full program here, or download a PDF flyer for this
  • John C. Rouman Classical Lecture: Dr. Yannis Kourtzellis will lecture at 7:30 pm,Wednesday, April 6, 2016 on “Archaeology in the Digital Age: The Ionic Temple of Messa on Lesbos in Greece.” The lecture will be held in Murkland Hall, room 115 (Richards Auditorium) on the UNH Durham campus.
  • Workshop at Dickinson College, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Saturday, April 9, 2016, 10-5:00 in Tome 115: Julius Caesar’s Art of War: A Graphic Portfolio of the Battlefields and Tactics in the Commentarii de Bello Gallico. Antonio Salinas, United States Military Academy, West Point, NY.  The workshop is free of charge, but registration is needed by April 2, by email to Mrs. Terri Blumenthal,  blumentt@dickinson.edu
  • If you’re interested in active Latin, but don’t have much (any) experience, and don’t want to have to commit to a week-long full immersion seminar or travel far distances, Express Fluency’s Latin Summer Intensive and/or Latin Teacher Training weekends are for you!  Held in lovely Burlington, VT, this Latin weekend is being held August 11-12 for $165 ($135 until May 1st; +$100 for the Latin Teacher Training seminar), and will be taught by Justin Slocum Bailey.  See Express Fluency‘s website for more details and to register.
  • Registration for SALVI’s Rusticationes Tirorum, Veteranorum, and their Pedagogy Seminar is now open for July 2016.  For more information, or to find out how to apply for the Amy High Fellowship, point your browser at Latin.org.  Hurry because half of the spots are already gone!
  • The Boston Area Classics Calendar has a lot going on, and a weekly email digest of upcoming events.
  • If you live in the western Massachusetts, northern Connecticut, or southern Vermont area you may be interested in Amherst College’s list of upcoming lectures in the Pioneer Valley.
  • The Massachusetts Foreign Language Association (MaFLA) is looking for applicants for it’s Elaine G. Batting Scholarship.

Meetups

  • Live in western MA or northern CT and want to practice speaking in Latin? There is a large group that meets every Thursday at 7 p.m. in Hadley, MA! For details, contact TJ Howell.
  • In the Boston area? Check out the Active Latin Meetup page for events.

Links for March 24: Riddles, Games, Song and Dance

Here’s a  medieval Latin riddle:  In girum imus nocte et consumimur igni.  It is also a palindrome.  The answer to the riddle (what is described therein) may be found and explained here, along with many other links to games and fun stuff.
For more fun with spoken Latin….try these phrases!
In the Spirit of Holy Week, below, Father Reginald Foster extols an ancient number.  If you enjoy this, you may listen to many older gems (somewhat religious) from the Vatican Radio Broadcast: The Latin Lover and be entertained simul atque educated.

Ecclesiastical terminology for the devoted.
Why shouldn’t we Passover Easter?…on the origin of the holiday, and whether or not there was a pagan precedent.
British traditions and customs during Holy Week (not too much ancient here, but interesting to an Anglophile.)
A new ritual which began during Holy Week: Jesus as the Lord of the Dance.
 
rhogain
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
***Getting your Greek back***
Finally, unattested here, but intriguing:  Video games!
 


2016 Annual Meeting Reflections

Smith College in Northampton hosted our Annual Meeting last weekend, and nearly 200 registered and attended the gathering.  We had two exciting and full days of papers of the highest caliber running concurrently with two teaching workshops per session, challenging us in widely ranging topics from …The end of Philosophy to exploring an application for digitally mapping mythology, and there were workshops on teaching with Coins, Comprehensible Input, multicultural Latin, digital tree-banking and more.
For me, the decision of what to attend is always difficult because everything is intriguing and gives me so much to think about.   In this particular gathering it is the establishing of new friends among colleagues and renewing older friendships that makes the collegiality of our gathering so refreshing.   I admire and have learned so much from my colleagues….thanks to you all!
Here are a few quotes from attendees this last weekend:
“At CANE 2016, several workshops called for increased advocacy activity on the part of CANE’s membership. The data presented validated what Latin and Greek teachers have been facing for quite some time … teachers, often isolated, need to create a strong community to advocate for the continuation of the teaching of Latin and Greek in their schools. Thank you, presenters, for reminding us of this priority and for giving us the tools and connections to continue to strive for access to Classics for all students.”
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“This was my first time at CANE. I was surprised by the esprit de corps, and came back energized and motivated. My favorite part was the Prandium Latinum! I also learned tons from the teacher workshops. I already miss the atmosphere, and will definitely be back next year!”
“The quality of presentations this year was only matched by the wealth, between sessions, of expertise shared among attendees of all ages.”
“Although it was a long drive out to Smith College, it was well worth it. Each year I look forward to CANE events as I get to reconnect with old faces and connect with new ones! I really enjoyed the workshops this year – they encompassed a variety of teaching styles and actively engaged the audience. The workshops really demonstrated how passionate about Classics and teaching our members are, whether it was by instructing the audience in Latin about using Roman coins in the classroom, or teaching us about online tools to support our students in their exploration of grammar and culture. The CANE press and other vendors offered such great materials and resources, from textbooks to pencils with Latin phrases! Every year I feel lucky to be part of such an amazing professional organization, which really helps cultivate its members through sharing ideas and resources.”
“T.J. Howell’s Nummi et Historia- Teaching History through Coins was nothing less than inspiring. He modeled how it is indeed possible to present cultural topics with realia (coins) in Latin! This is the first workshop that I have ever attended at CANE given only in Latin and I hope it is the start of a trend. The paper sessions on Caesar were wonderful examples of the benefits of close reading. My understanding of Caesar was deepened on a number of levels.”
“The teaching workshops provided practical activities to employ in class right away, and as always it is wonderful to reconnect with old colleagues and meet new Classicists and Latin teachers!”
“The only complaint I have of Ray Starr’s Roman Law in the Classroom is that I wish it was longer! I would have loved to hear how he assesses his content material with the writing of a Roman will. His handouts, I am sure will be helpful, but not nearly as entertaining as having it explained live.”
“We came away with technology tools for differentiated learning, inspiration from new teachers and experienced scholars, hearty laughs, Dionysian epiphanies, old friendships renewed, circles of friends extended, oracular suggestions for the route to a bright future :all from CANE 2016.”
“I think this was the best CANE EVER! But I say that every year….”
Thanks to all who presented, attended and those who were with us in spirit but couldn’t make it. We look forward to seeing you all back in 2017. And if you can’t wait until then, the counterpart to our Annual Meeting is the esteemed CANE Summer Institute (CSI), to be held at Brown University, July 11-16,  So join us for amazing lectures, in-depth courses, and fun reading groups!  This year the theme is “Quid Sub Sole Novum:  Imitation, Innovation and Creation in the Ancient World.”  See you there!