My memories of Latin at Arizona are many and fond, both because of the high level of education I received at the feet of full time faculty, in addition to great adjuncts and grad students, as well as the cherished relationships developed with fellow students. I became infatuated with Roman poetry in my first metrics class, a passion that was confirmed and enflamed in Dr. White’s Ovid class and while learning lyric poetry under Dr. Skinner. These, as all language classes, formed me and my peers in the crucible of preparation, daily and hourly, drawing us to the good of pondering every word, analyzing every thought, and accurately understanding the beauty of the classical world in its languages and literatures. That crucible shaped us into people who could celebrate accordingly, whether it was enjoying a communal study session with friends on campus or Christmas party at Dr. Jensen’s place, considering echoes of medieval Latin and Latin mass with Dr. White, or Italian wine and cheese over a bit of Latin verse at a friend’s house. All of these experiences and many more besides have worked their way into the way I teach students and encourage them today in their classes with me and in their endeavors and vocations.
I took Latin as a freshman just because I wanted something different that would stand out from the crowd. I had no idea that the bug would bite and infect me so completely. Arizona prepared me at a high level for an academic career in Classics in which I find myself very fortunate to be doing what I love – teaching, reading, and researching – because I love what I do.
