Classical Conferences and Meetings in 2014 and 2015
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NB: As best as possible, we also note presentations by B-C authors.
TCA—Texas Classical Association
November 7–8, 2014
University of Texas at San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
Representative: Rose Williams
Presentation:
"Pontifex Maximus: The Priestly Career of Julius Caesar" and "Nox Intempesta: Religious and Legal Oddities of Nocturnal Rome Hans-Friedrich Mueller, author Caesar: Selections from his Commentarii De Bello Gallico and coauthor (with Rose Williams) Caesar: A LEGAMUS Transitional Reader
Special Opportunity: Hans-Friedrich Mueller and Rose Williams, authors of B-C Caesar texts, will autograph their books during the 10 am coffee break on Saturday.
ACTFL—American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Language
Annual Convention and World Language Expo
November 21–23, 2014
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center
San Antonio, TX
Representatives: Allan Bolchazy and Don Sprague
SCS / AIA—Society for Classical Studies and Archaeological Institute of AmericaJoint Annual Meeting
January 8–11, 2015
Sheraton New Orleans Hotel
New Orleans, LA
Representatives: Marie and Allan Bolchazy, Bridget Dean, and Donald Sprague
CANE—The Classical Association of New England
109th Annual Meeting
March 13–14, 2015
Noble and Greenough School
Dedham, MA
Representative: Donald Sprague
CAMWS—The Classical Association of the Middle West and South
111th CAMWS Meeting
March 25–28, 2015
Millennium Harvet House at the invitation of the University of Colorado
Boulder, CO
Representatives: Marie and Allan Bolchazy, Bridget Dean, and Donald Sprague
International Congress on Medieval Studies
50th Congress
May 14–17, 2015
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI
Representatives: Adam Velez and Laurel Draper
ACL—American Classical League
68th Annual ACL Institute
June 25–28, 2015
University of Connecticut
Storrs, CT
Representatives: Marie and Allan Bolchazy, Laurel Draper, and Donald Sprague
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Putin as Hercules
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. To celebrate the Russian president’s birthday, a group of fans assembled a set of artworks that portray Putin as Hercules performing the Twelve Labors for which the artists provide a contemporary Putin achievement. For example, Putin’s annexation of Crimea is compared to Hercules’s capture of the Cretan bull. A Google search provides a treasure of sites discussing the birthday art exhibit. New York political commentator Katie Zavadski provides an engaging take on the event and a full set of images.
Roman Cure for Hangover
An episode of How-To Friday on the Science Network revealed that the Romans used saffron to cure a hangover. In the ancient world as well as today, saffron is an expensive commodity.
Saffron threads, the source of the spice, from Iran. (Photo courtesy of Rainer Zenz / Wikimedia Commons)
Setback for Spoken Latin
Popular Pope Francis directs participants in the Family Synod to speak in Italian rather than Latin.
Students Help the Weather Channel Latin students at Bozeman High School, Montana, choose names for winter storms. |
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Important Classics Deadlines
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Nov. 7, 2014: Deadline to register for Classical Association of the Middle West and South Latin Translation Contest
Jan. 13, 2015: Deadline to register for National Greek Exam
Jan. 15, 2015: Deadline to register for National Mythology Exam
Jan. 20, 2015: Deadline to register for National Latin Exam
Jan. 30, 2015: Deadline to register for National Latin Vocabulary Exam
Jan. 30, 2015: Deadline to register for National Roman Civilization Exam
Feb. 1, 2015: Deadline to register for Medusa Mythology Exam
Mar 1, 2015: Deadline to register for Exploratory Latin Exam (Exams may be administered at any point between October 1, 2014 and April 1, 2015.)
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"Helping AP® Latin Students Explore Themes & Make Connections"
Tuesday, November 4, 2014 6:00–7:00 PM EST
Presenter: Mary Pendergraft, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Professor Pendergraft's presentation geared for AP® Latin classes attracted capacity participation three times last year. For those new to the AP® syllabus for Caesar and Vergil or who missed this informative webinar . . .
"Julius Caesar and Roman Religion"
Tuesday, November 11, 2014 6:00–7:00 PM EST
Presenter: Hans-Friedrich Mueller, Union College, Schenectady, New York
Professor Mueller has canvassed the country since the publication of his text of Caesar's De Bello Gallico giving talks on Caesar at the invitation of various groups. In this webinar, he will share some insights of Caesar and Roman religion and looks forward to audience participation.
"Sabinus and Cotta in Caesar's Bellum Gallicum"
Tuesday, November 18, 2014 6:00–7:00 PM EST
Presenter: John Jacobs, Montclair Kimberly Academy, Montclair, New Jersey
The Caesar component of the AP® Latin Curriculum is here to stay. Master Teacher John Jacobs presents a case study for how to help make the Bellum Gallicum more interesting and exciting for students.
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Participation is free. All webinars provide opportunity for participants to ask questions. Learn lots—attend as many presentations as you can. Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers provides documentation for your participation. You can share this with your supervisors. Many webinar presenters provide handouts, etc.
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The Pompeiiana Newsletter created and edited by Bernard Barcio ran from 1974 through 2003. The newsletter offered a place for Latin students to publish comics, stories, games, and articles, and was a beloved resource for Latin teachers. In 2008, Barcio granted Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers the rights for all of the Pompeiiana Newsletter. B-C is proud to serve as curator for this archive and has made the issues available for teachers, students, and friends of the classics. Check out http://pompeiiana.blogspot.com/
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The eTextbook trend is progressing and Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers is adding more eTextbook providers to offer a variety of eBook platforms for users. Currently Bolchazy-Carducci textbooks are available through GooglePlay, MBSDirect Digital, and Chegg. Each eBook platform offers a variety of tools to enhance the learning process. eBooks have the same content as our traditional books in print.
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The autumn colors this fall in Illinois and northwestern Indiana, where my regular peregrinations take me, have been absolutely spectacular. Hope you’ve been enjoying the fall and those little joys of the classroom.
Part of my Bolchazy-Carducci responsibilities includes representing the company at various conferences. It is always a delight to connect with my teacher colleagues and especially gratifying to see them honored. At CAAS this year, Jennifer Roberts from the Graduate Center of the City College of New York was honored with an Ovatio. It has been my great pleasure to be a friend of Jennifer’s from when we first met as participants in a Vergilian Society program in 1979.
An inveterate NPR listener as I make my various commutes, I often make a quick note at a stoplight in anticipation of the Classics Tidbits section of this newsletter. Such was the impetus for the piece on Vladimir Putin as Hercules. This provides a terrific teachable moment. Check out the piece in Classics Tidbits and a resource provided in the Resources & Teaching Tips section.
May your teaching always be a treat!
Don Sprague
Editor
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Google has many products that can be very useful for teachers. I really like Google Forms which is available to anyone with a free Google account. Imagine a handout with fields for your students to answer questions and provide information. Now, imagine that all the students’ answers and responses automatically go into a spreadsheet. That’s what happens with Google Forms. The process of setting up the form is simple. I usually begin by selecting what type of question I want to add. The question type options are text, paragraph text, multiple choice, check boxes, choose from a list, and scale. The first field I add is always a box for the student’s name. Then, I type in my instructions and/or question text and the necessary answer choices. I repeat the process until I have entered all of my questions. Finally, I share the completed form with my students by providing them with a link to the form. Then, by following the link, students are able to submit their responses.
It’s really a handy tool with a variety of applications. Initially, I used Google Forms to get to know my students and their schedules at the start of the school year. I also used them to collect the information that I needed for club memberships and field trips. I found it much more convenient to use a form and have all the information automatically entered into a spreadsheet than to make copies of a paper form and collect it from students. This year, I have extended my use of forms to my classroom. I am currently using a form to give my vocabulary quizzes. My preference for vocabulary quizzing is to have students provide me with the genitive, gender, and meanings of nouns and the principal parts of verbs. I have created a simple form that I can easily edit as the vocabulary words change. When it’s time for students to take their vocabulary quiz, I share the link to the form with them and they submit their responses. The spreadsheet containing the student responses makes grading quite straightforward. Each student’s responses are put in a row of the spreadsheet. So, each column of the spreadsheet contains the responses to a single question. To grade, I read down the columns and it’s easy to spot the incorrect responses. I’ve been really happy with how easy it is to create and grade these vocabulary quizzes.
Lynne West
Bellarmine Preparatory School
San Jose, CA
A screenshot of one of Lynne’s vocabulary quizzes using Google Forms.
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Both conferences celebrated record attendance—the Classical Association of Virginia meeting on Saturday boosted numbers at CAMWS-SS. The only book exhibitor at each of the conferences, Bolchazy-Carducci was pleased that its tables, strategically located by the refreshments, generated significant interest from both college and high school instructors. Many a teacher remarked how nice it is to check out the books in real time.
Don enjoyed reconnecting with folks at both conferences, learning about teachers’ classroom needs, and giving a presentation at CAMWS-SS on eyeVocab, a multimodal vocabulary program that B-C is pleased to soon begin to distribute. Do anticipate an imminent newsflash announcing the launch of two programs for the AP® Latin vocabulary—one based on Pharr’s frequency list and one based on the frequently used words of the current Boyd’s Vergil's Aeneid Selected Readings from Books 1, 2, 4, and 6. Soon to follow will be Caesar’s frequent vocabulary from our Mueller‘s Caesar: Selections from his Commentarii De Bello Gallico text. Next up are programs for Level 1 and for Level 2 of Latin for the New Millennium.
A Photo Gallery
CAAS
A snapshot of the Latin for the New Millennium display table at CAAS.
Christine Meyer, author of Latin Synonyms for Language Lovers, presented various ways to implement the book in the high school Latin classroom.
Editor Don Sprague joins CAAS Executive Secretary Mary Brown (at center) surrounded by some of her registration volunteers (left to right): Shane McGlynn, Kerry Horleman, and Jennifer Ranck.
Titian’s luscious painting, Jupiter Visiting Danaë, on loan from the Capodimonte Museum in Naples was on view at the National Gallery, a ten minute walk from the conference hotel.
CAMWS-SS
Mary Pendergraft (Wake Forest University) consults with Linda Montross at the National Latin Exam table.
Trinkle Hall with its neoclassical architecture welcomed CAMWS-SS participants to the Friday afternoon presentations. Originally built as Mary Washington University’s library, it now houses faculty offices, including the Department of Classics, Philosophy, and Religion, classrooms, and the NLE offices.
Janine Kuty serves as the office manager for the National Latin Exam whose office is located in Trinkle Hall.
The rotunda of Trinkle Hall offered a plentiful feast of savories and sweets at a reception sponsored by the university.
A memorial to civil rights activist James Farmer stands opposite Trinkle Hall. Farmer served as Distinguished Professor of History and American Studies at the University of Mary Washington from 1984–1998. For more about James Farmer, see the James Farmer Project.
Eta Sigma Phi, the national honor society of college and university classics students, celebrated its centennial with a festive birthday cake.
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Resources & Teaching Tips
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√If you teach Vergil, whether for the AP Curriculum or not, you should join the Vergilian Society and take advantage of its many resources. In November, the Society will announce the 2014 Vergil Translation Exam, a great opportunity for your students to strut their stuff!
Vergilian Society tours are a terrific opportunity for professional growth stimulated by the firsthand experience of significant sites from the ancient world. Teachers leading groups to Campania, should consider staying at the Villa Vergiliana where the cucina Italiana is absolutely divine.
The Harry Wilks Study Center at the Villa Vergiliana sits amid extensive grounds within the archaeological park of Cumae and adjacent to the Roman amphitheater. Many of the guest rooms and salons enjoy spectacular window and balcony views over the Tyrrhenian Sea and the site of Cumae. (Drawing courtesy of the Vergilian Society)
√Classics majors score best on the LSAT*. Check out the full report in PreLaw Back to School 2014. Perhaps you can use this to underscore the pragmatic significance of studying the classics?
*LSAT is a registered trademark of the Law School Admission Council.
√Many classes include ancient Athens and classical architecture as enrichment topics. The digital resource Athens 3D provides a variety of materials including the three videos, two on the Acropolis and one on the Doric order, found with this link.
√For folks who want to do a quick review or full-blown lesson on Hercules and the Twelve Labors, the Perseus Library has a terrific overview along with images from ancient art.
√We’ve previously recommended Open University as a resource, Managing Editor Bridget Dean suggests checking out a new game about Hadrian.
√Ghost stories always maintain student interest and investment. We’re happy to provide excerpts from two B-C publications for your one-time-only duplication for in-class use. The first reading, an adaption from a ghost story by Pliny, is from Chapter 16 of the Latin for the New Millennium Level 1 workbook. It should be a ready read for Latin 2 students. For more advanced students, we provide a selection from Petronius’s Satyricon where Trimalchio tells a scary story. |
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Myth Is Truth: A Radio Series
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The Serpent in Indo-European Religions:
Who Is the Serpent in the Garden of Eden?
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers takes great pleasure in providing this eighth installment as a free download for classicists and students of mythology across the globe. Myth Is Truth, a series of interviews with Dr. Nancy Boyle as host and Dr. Lou Bolchazy as comparative mythology scholar, was broadcast by WLUC, Loyola University Chicago, in 1977, and by WRRG, Triton College, in 1978.
Potsdam’s Sanssouci Palace (1745–47), a masterpiece of German Rococo architecture with grounds that extend for more than 700 acres, demonstrates the ongoing influence of the classical world. This statue of Asklepios from the palace gardens illustrates the positive symbolism of the snake. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)
In another compelling selection from Dr. Bolchazy's Myth Is Truth series, we explore the identity of the mysterious serpent in the Garden of Eden. Addressing numerous misconceptions, Dr. Bolchazy presents the various identities of the symbol of the serpent found in both Greek and Indo-European civilizations. Learn how the symbol of the serpent transformed from a god of medicine into the sinister character with which we are so familiar.
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Special Audio Discount for eLitterae Subscribers
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Composer, Musicians: Teddy Irwin, Constance Claire Couch
Product Code: 00003
ISBN: 8-29218-00003-5
$24.00 25% discount $18.00
(This offer is valid for one copy, prepaid, no returns, special price is
not available to distributors. This offer expires 11/20/14)
Make sure to mention that you are an eLitterae subscriber if you place your order by phone or fax. If you place your order via www.BOLCHAZY.com, enter coupon code eLitCD1014 on the payment page. The special eLitterae offer pricing will be charged at checkout. |
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In anticipation of Veteran’s Day, we offer a free download of “America the Beautiful” in Latin from Carmina Popularia.
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