President's Letter, Winter 2025

Salvete, sodales. χαίρετε, ὦ φίλοι.

May you have a happy new year!  I hope this president’s letter finds you all warm and safely tucked away with family, friends, a good book, beautiful music, and whatever else helps you to feel peace and joy during these cold winter days.  The recent snowfall brought these images to mind:

Vides ut alta stet nive candidum
Soracte nec iam sustineant onus
    silvae laborantes geluque
    flumina constiterint acuto?

Dissolve frigus ligna super foco              
large reponens atque benignius
    deprome quadrimum Sabina,
    o Thaliarche, merum diota.

Horace, Ode I.9 1-8

(The cold snap inspired me to write this adaptation:

Do you see - how deep in snow stands white Soracte    
how the trees struggle to bear that burden
how the basement pipes have frozen solid. 

Dispel the seasonal cold and heap logs upon the hearth
bring forth the space heater, o Thaliarch,
and point it more piercingly at that wall.)

Daniel Libatique at the Annual Meeting.

During my winter break, I found joy in peaceful reflection and time with my family. While visiting with my parents and high school friends, I found myself mulling over my own journey and the particular moments that shaped my identity as a classicist and a teacher, which was the theme of Daniel Libatique’s talk at the ClassConn Annual Meeting in November. I did not choose Classics, initially. I was required to study Latin in the seventh grade at Boston Latin School, where the school motto “sumus primi” imposed a philosophy of exclusionary success. The most vivid memory of my introduction: my eighth-grade teacher calling us “dumb-dumb kiddies” whenever we made a mistake. This focus on competitive achievement made me want to run and hide. I never imagined that I would want to continue Latin past those required courses. Then I discovered the pleasure of reading Latin poetry together with my classmates, uncovering layers of language as a collaborative act. It felt fun to learn and safe to ask for help. These have become pillars of my practice as a teacher: creating a playful, collaborative classroom and a space where mistakes and personal authenticity are embraced as essential to learning.  Well, these are my on-going aspirations, at any rate! 

I encourage you to share in the collaborative and (I hope!) joyful activity of Classics in person in Connecticut in 2025. This spring, bring your students to the 2025 Connecticut State Latin and Greek Day, which hosted over 40 schools and close to 1,200 people last year. We will host informal social gatherings at different locations in the state as we have in the past. (I’ve got my eye on Caius Farm Brewery in Branford, which was founded by a classical scholar and serves beverages with Greco-Roman appellations.) Fortune favors those of us living in the Constitution State with the annual CANE meeting to be held at Yale. I hope to see many of you there in person on March 21-22. 

Although the rapid emergence of new technology can be stressful, I am appreciative of how it can connect us across space and time in this busy world. Let’s make the best use of technology this year to support our members and expand our organization. Past-president Andrew Morehouse created this survey to gather your input on how ClassConn can best serve its membership. What benefits do you use and enjoy? What different benefits would you like to have from ClassConn? If you know of classicists in CT who are not members, encourage them to join us.  And visit the website to find more information about events like the annual meeting in the fall, ClassConnected in Retirement, CSLGD, funding, and membership. Contribute your own news, events, and Classical creations to the newsletter, such as these lepida carmina by Gil Gigliotti.

—Gil Gigliotti

—Gil Gigliotti

I will leave you with some pictures of Saturnalia 2024. My students celebrated this “best of days” by making and decorating cookies, making tali and playing Roman games, creating a lararium, decorating candles, and making sigilla. We sold cookies, fudge, and candles at our school holiday fest to raise money for the Connecticut Food Share.

curate ut valeatis,

Kate Horsley

President's Letter, Fall 2024

Andrew producing and restoring at SALVI this summer.

Andreas praeses sodalibus suis s.p.d.

This summer was wonderfully productive and restorative. I spent time with colleagues, friends new and old, and most importantly, with family. But as the weather gets colder and the leaves change their colors, I am filled with excitement for the Fall. I look forward to our annual meeting, the smaller gatherings we share as a Classics community, and working to keep ClassConn relevant.

Daniel Libatique

Our Annual meeting will be held at Yale University on November 9th starting at 8:00 AM. This year’s theme is Personal Journeys. We are fortunate to have Daniel Libatique  as our Keynote speaker to share his own personal journey in Classics. After lunch, there will be a small workshop offered by the folks in the Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. It will indeed be exciting. Registration information will follow soon!

If you find yourself, however, in search of sodalitas or iucunditas ahead of this event, check out the ClassConn Facebook group. We are planning more in-person, casual hangouts where you can learn from your peers or, of perhaps even greater import, find other like-minded sodales with whom you can enjoy your time away from daily cares. On September 12th, our very own Joey Meyer gathered a group in West Hartford and, though I sadly could not attend, I heard it was a wonderful time. Our next in-person event is already on the calendar! Vice President Kate Horsley is organizing a gathering at Rudy’s Bar in New Haven with the esteemed Nathalie Roy! This event will be held from 4:00 PM—­5:30 PM on October 10th. quo plures, eo melius! ClassConnected in Retirement is active, as well. Check out information about them here.

This all brings me to my final point: we want to know how we can better serve our Classics community in Connecticut. I mentioned in my very first letter as President (fugit inreparabile fugit, ut ait quidam Vergilius) that I have only recently become a Connecticut resident. The ClassConn community has been welcoming and invaluable. How else can we serve you? How can we grow our community? Take a moment to fill out this survey and to share your thoughts.

haec hodie habui quae dicerem! I hope that your own personal journey takes you to our forthcoming annual meeting! bene valete!

 imo ex animo,

Andrew “Andreas” Morehouse

President's Letter, Summer 2024

Andreas praeses sodalibus suis s.p.d.

Summer is finally here! I, of course, mean the metaphorical summer break that comes with the end of the school year and not the actual seasonal change as I write this, though that indeed is also around the corner. For me, summer brings with it two things: a time to rest, relax, and recharge, and a time for personal and professional development. I plan on devoting more time to the former than in previous years to keep up with the demands that I met with this school year. However, I cannot help but give myself to the latter as it makes me feel balanced and centered, reminding me of the joy I get from this field and from the many amazing folks who have so much to offer from their own experiences.

So, what am I doing this summer? I will tell you first what I wish I was doing—the American Classical League Institute in Tucson, Arizona. A healthy contingent of ClassConn folks will be in attendance and quite a few are presenting! I was not able to fit ACL Institute into my schedule this year, but it is such an enjoyable, enriching, and welcoming atmosphere where I have had great opportunities to learn, network, and see friends old and new. Are you attending or presenting at ACL this year? We’d love to hear from you all about it!

I will, however, be spending about three weeks in West Virginia to run and assist the Latin immersion weeks called Rusticationes offered by SALVI (Septentrionale Americanum Latinitatis Vivae Institutum). At these events, you spend an entire week immersed entirely in Latin. No, we do not wear togae nor lie on klinia as we engage in this; rather, we immerse ourselves in the language and the literature that spans two millennia from authors of different backgrounds, temporal, geographical, and otherwise. In my time teaching and studying Latin, I have found no better professional development. It has not only broadened my view of Latin and its literature, but also restored my zeal for learning and instruction.

habesne lac?

Beside the above, I will be producing content and classes in Latin and ancient Greek for my own endeavor, Latinitas Animi Causa. Our goal is to increase access to ancient Mediterranean languages through research-informed methods and copious amounts of fun and joy (whence the name).

Among all that, I will be spending time with my family, practicing archery, playing video games, and catching up on my year-long neglected reading. We would love to hear from you about your summer plans and other professional development you are attending! Let us know!

Imo ex animo,

Andrew “Andreas” Morehouse

President's Letter, Winter-Spring 2024

Andreas nuper praeses factus sodalibus suis s.p.d.

Over the past few years, there have been many things new for me among which is moving to Connecticut and becoming a part of ClassConn. During this time, the importance of community, professional and otherwise, has been the thing that I have felt most that I have lacked and something that ClassConn has helped me to find. I want to extend immense gratitude to Katy Reddick whose excellent example of leadership I now follow and the other members of the ClassConn board who have welcomed me, a peregrinus nuper civis Connecticutensis factus, and made me feel a part of the community that we cultivate here.

I felt that sense of community deeply at the annual meeting held at Yale this past year. It was an immense pleasure to spend time with so many passionate and erudite members of ClassConn, as well as the various members of the Yale University Classics Department who further enriched our meeting with their knowledge and sodalitas that made the event particularly joyful and instructive.

Our next professional gathering is approaching! The CANE annual meeting held at the University of New Hampshire on March 22nd and 23rd . I am again looking forward to seeing so many familiar faces and meeting more folks with whom I have not yet made acquaintance. These gatherings are personally and professionally enriching for me in a myriad of ways. At these meetings, I get the opportunity to see how so many of our colleagues in ancient studies bring these notions to their own students and listen to scholars expand my understanding of ancient texts, offering new perspectives and readings that I can in turn use in my own classroom. These boons cannot be ignored but in these professional spaces, what I find myself admiring even more is seeing everyone, joined by a similar studium for the anicent world, coming together to share their ideas, lives, and time outside of official sessions.

My highest and most important goal as president is embracing our community and expanding it even further to celebrate the ancient Mediterranean that ties so much of us to each other. I would love to see the expansion of our membership to ClassConn and use each other and our deep knowledge and wisdom to support those entering the community. We currently have a committee who is looking into how we can do that but, we also want to hear from you, our community. What do you want to see from ClassConn? We are spread throughout the state of Connecticut but this organization connects us. I have felt this connection myself and we want you to feel it too. I encourage you all to sign up for CANE so that we can strengthen further these bonds and foster love for the ancient world, not only in its ancient context, but also how we receive it and interact with it today.

haec hodie habui quae scriberem! operam interim date vos ut quam optime valeatis!

imo ex animo,

Andrew “Andreas” Morehouse

President's Letter, Fall 2023

Salvete et xairete, sodales!

Katy, visiting Connecticut’s unsung gem, The Slater Museum.

A year ago, ClassConn met for its first annual meeting since the pandemic. It was glorious to gather at Central Connecticut State University and to spend time in person with others who are engaged and passionate about the ancient world. Since then, I have been fortunate to meet with many of you on other occasions: social gatherings in West Hartford, Connecticut State Latin and Greek Day, a visit to the Slater Museum, and at the CT COLT summer book club. Our ClassConn Facebook group is also proving to be a regular acta diurna, full of information about local classical events in Connecticut. Please keep contributing!

I am so excited to announce that we will be gathering for our annual meeting this year at Yale University on October 28th. It is looking like a stellar program that will include tours of the Yale University Art Gallery after lunch. As I like to tell my students, Connecticut has the only Mithraeum in the Americas, at least to my knowledge. Please be on the lookout for registration information going live shortly. 

When we gather together as classicists, I believe we are doing something countercultural. Over the last few weeks, TikTok has informed us that men are secretly obsessed with Rome. Sarah E. Bond and Stephanie Wong wrote an insightful piece for MSNBC about the Rome most often envisioned by the general public as a Hollywood inspired, patriarchal, bro-mance, fantasy world that prioritizes war and violence over law and inclusion.  It rather reminds me of Ken’s reductionist interpretation of masculinity in the Barbie movie. By reading, writing, and sharing an expanded, source based, multilayered view of the ancient Mediterranean, we expand and sometimes dismantle other’s perceptions. It is courageous to counter fantasy with truth, and it is a courage we need to continue to muster.

Thanks for all you do to bring a more accurate view of the ancient world to the people in your lives,

ave atque vale!

Katy Reddick

President, Classical Association of Connecticut

President's Letter, Winter 2023

What a joy it was to see so many friendly faces at the Annual Meeting this fall! Many of us have missed gathering in person over the past few years and I am so glad that we can gather again. Gil Gigliotti hosted a lovely meeting at Central Connecticut State University with a varied program that included modern reception of the ancient world, rare books from Central Connecticut’s Rare Book Collection, and a presentation by Joey Meyer on what modern art can teach us about the missing voices of the ancient world. Later in December, the ClassConn Carol Sing, graciously hosted by our 2022 Distinguished Service Award recipient Arlette de Koning, returned with seven student readers. We had a great  informal gathering of members at New Park Brewing last week and vice president, Andrew Morehouse, is in the process of scheduling an informal spoken Latin gathering. 

I want to acknowledge the leadership of Joey Meyer, Lindsey Sears, and Gil Gigliotti who shepherded ClassConn through these pandemic years. Three years ago, many of us didn’t even know what Zoom was. these amazing individuals transitioned our organization to virtual annual meetings as well as maintained the behind the scenes board meetings in a new format. Kudos also to Arlette de Koning and Drew Warchut who brought back Connecticut State Latin and Greek Day—a tremendous undertaking amidst continuing pandemic fallout. These events take far more work than those not directly involved can realize.

These last few years have left us viewing the world through new eyes. Last summer I read Starting from Scratch: The Life-Changing Lessons of Aeneas by Andrea Marcolongo which reflects on how the pandemic left us all in a unique position to see the world through the dual lens of a before moment in time  and an after. We are living in the after, as Aeneas did after Troy. Marcolongo confesses that, as a middle school student, she saw Aeneas’s travails as rather boring. Today she identifies with the metamorphosis that is required of individuals and systems as the world changes. As we move forward, may we all continue to reflect on why the ancient Mediterranean world is important to us and how to make it matter to others in our changing world.

Sincerely,

Katy Reddick

President, Classical Association of Connecticut

• Latin Speaking Meet-Up at New Park Brewing, Jan. 26 from 4-6.

• Pompeii: Sin City in CT will be showing at The Kate, Old Saybrook, on January 28th at 1 pm.

• Hadestown is performing at the Bushnell Theater, March 7-12- group pricing available.

• CANE Annual Meeting will be held March 17-18 at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, MA.

• Chroma: Ancient Sculpture in Color at the Metropolitan Museum of Art closes March 26th.

• Connecticut State Latin and Greek Day returns to Holiday Hill on April 27th.

• American Classical League Annual Meeting will be at Washington University in St, Louis, MO June 29-July 1.

• Do you know of other events of interest to our members? Feel free to share on our Facebook group!

The Annual Latin Carol Sing is Back!

by Dr. Gil Gigliotti

On Sunday, December 18th, at 4 PM at the Buckingham Congregational Church in Glastonbury, the Classical Association of Connecticut once again hosted its Annual Latin Carol Sing after a two-year Covid-induced hiatus.

Emceed by ClassConn board member and Glastonbury High School Latin teacher Arlette deKoning, with musical accompaniment (on both piano and organ) by Rich Prario, the hour-long event featured Latin readings, both Biblical and classical, recounting the Christmas story, as well as Latin carols and songs—with brief historical introductions for context.

Assisting Ms. de Koning in the seven lectiones were Glastonbury High School senior Hunter Lawrence; Cecilia Gigliotti, visiting from Berlin, Germany; and Gil Gigliotti, ClassConn Immediate Past President and CCSU professor of English and Latin.

After a beautiful piano postlude by Mr. Prario, the participants and audience members adjourned downstairs for a reception with cider, baked goods, fruit, and good conversation.

The audience, most of whom had not attended such an event previously, said they’d return next year for the 6th Annual Latin Carol Sing.

And so, ‘til next year, “Io Saturnalia!”

Artful Aspirations: Farmington Latin Students Bring the Wadsworth to Life

By Margaret Antonitis

Latin Teacher, Farmington High School, Farmington, CT

Starting with the class of 2023, students in Farmington, CT, need to complete a project-based class that meets all of the standards of the district’s “Vision of the Global Citizen.” Farmington High School initiated  a program of studies called Aspire, which stands for an Ambitious, Self-directed, Personalized, Interdisciplinary and Reflective Exhibition of learning. The goal of Aspire is to “Bring the world to the student and the student to the world.” I proposed a course entitled, “The Art, The Myth, The Museum.” I was hoping to channel students’ passion for mythology into a product that a museum could use to engage a younger audience. The proposal was approved, and I piloted the course in the fall of 2021 in cooperation with the Wadsworth Atheneum.

As a Latin teacher, I love taking a group of students to view the artwork at the Wadsworth Atheneum. It is culturally diverse but also contains pieces that represent things that we talk about in our classroom. One of my personal struggles with taking kids to any museum is engaging their attention and sparking their enthusiasm. Usually when I want to know how to make things more interesting, my students are the best resource. They are innovative and love giving their opinions. Therefore, my goal for this course was to have the students come up with ways to make a trip to the museum more engaging. 

“The Art, The Myth, The Museum ASPIRE course available to Farmington High School’s juniors and seniors brought out . . . a passion for community building, teamwork, and hands-on collaboration. Creating a functional, publicly-accessible product was not only incredibly rewarding in its completion, but in its creation.”

— Giovanni S., Student, Farmington HS

The Judgment of Paris, Johann Joachim Kaendler, Meissen Porcelain Factory, c. 1762, hard-paste porcelain - Wadsworth Atheneum - Hartford, CT

We started with the essential question: “How can we make a trip to the museum more engaging for a younger audience?” We started with the Judgment of Paris. The museum has three pieces that depict this myth. During the first month of our course the students researched the myth in order to gain an understanding of what happened and how this event led to the Trojan War. The students administered a survey to our local 7th grade students which identified the  kinds of learning activities that interested them. These responses drove our brainstorming sessions for our end product..

In October, we visited the museum for the first time. The students excitedly gathered around one of the paintings we had been studying and started pointing out the attributes that identify the various gods and goddesses in the painting. Our guide, Ms. Fyfe, expressed that she wished all patrons could read the painting like the students were doing.  She thought it would be a great idea if we could create something that benefited patrons of all age levels.  We agreed, and  returned to the classroom to work on a product that would help the general public “read” a work of classically-themed art.

Our class decided to create  a guide on how to identify Greek gods and goddesses in different works of art–a skill that can be used when visiting any museum. The students used an existing table of reference created by the Wadsworth and added to it. They then took the painting “The Judgment of Paris” and wrote little blurbs identifying each figure in the painting and explaining how the attributes in the painting help distinguish the gods from each other. Using the data from the middle school survey, the students created a quiz for the painting “The Feast of the Gods.” The idea is that people would use the “Judgment of Paris” resource as a learning tool and then apply that knowledge to identify the figures in the “Feast of the Gods” painting. The students also created a survey that  put the audience in Paris’s: shoes:“Three goddesses bribed Paris in order to win his favor for the golden apple. Which of their bribes would you choose?” The poll is a fun way for people to make a personal connection with the myth and then get to see the responses of others who also take the poll.

 This class has grabbed the attention of students who love mythology and who want to share their passion for learning the stories behind these magnificent pieces of art. We are hoping that our contribution to the Wadsworth’s mobile guide will not only teach the public how to identify different deities in artwork but will also ignite a passion to learn more about mythology. You can access the resources our class created here.

“The course provided such a great opportunity to collaborate with people who were interested in the same topic and help the community at the same time! . . . By creating such a simple resource we were able to provide others with the opportunity to be able to teach themselves. The class was such an amazing experience where we were able to really have autonomy over what we did and how it impacted others.”

— Laila A., Student, Farmington HS

The Judgment of Paris, Jacques Stella, 1650, oil on canvas—Wadsworth Atheneum - Hartford, CT

For Spring 2022,  I had a new group of students. Our goal was still to increase the engagement of a younger audience at the museum, but our product was very different. Ms. Fyfe and Ms. Holchin requested a “Family Mythology Quest” that elementary-aged children could complete with their families while visiting the museum. Our class researched the myths behind nine pieces of artwork and wrote “kid-friendly” versions of each myth. They then created discussion questions and activities for each piece of artwork. Families will be able to discuss the stories behind these art pieces and make a personal connection with them. The Wadsworth Atheneum is a wonderful resource for our Latin and Greek classrooms. I strongly encourage you to check out its rich collections.

If seeing the artwork in person is not attainable for you the museum has some options for remote visits:  

Virtual Guided Tour - a 45 minute docent or educator-led experience using a slideshow and digital images on Zoom. Followed by a short period of time for questions and conversation; 

Art and Writing Program Print & Digital Curriculum Set - a combination of a digital and printed curriculum for teachers, classroom posters, and a USB of images to view on your own time. Select by grade or theme. Materials will be mailed; 

Studio Program Videos - pre-recorded 15-20 minute gallery tours and art demonstrations to view on your own time. Video will be sent as a Vimeo link.
For more information on tours, email tours@thewadsworth.org. For more information on Margaret’s course, email Margaret.

President’s Letter, Summer 2021

Salvete, amici amicaeque. χαίρετε, ὦ φίλοι.

Perhaps like me you are just starting to emerge from the psychic miasma that was the 2020-2021 school year. Perhaps this missive finds you deeply ensconced in personal projects, pleasure reading, or joyful time with friends and family. If so, I won’t keep you long. 

I’m writing to congratulate you (us) on collectively making it through the past 10 months. For many of us, the emotional and mental costs of this past year are only just being tallied. We have had our faith in our own identity and worth as teachers profoundly shaken. Some have left jobs (myself included) or left the profession entirely. 

But you know all of this. I want to tell you something you may have forgotten: you were enough this year just by showing up for your students. Here’s what I mean. On the last day of school, one of my students said, “You know, Magistra, this year wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been because I got to see my teachers and friends every day, even on Zoom. And I knew that all of my teachers were still there for me, ready to help and support me when I needed it.”

Just by showing up, ready to help and support, you were a lifeline for your students this year. And maybe sometimes they were also a lifeline for you. That’s all, and that’s everything. Yes, we are teachers of classics, but we are humans teaching other humans first. In this most human of crises, we have held one another up, and we have helped one another survive. dīs volentibus, may we never endure another year like this one, but it is worth knowing that we can. I urge you to remember that as you look toward the fall with both its hope and its uncertainty. 

And in case you need something concrete to feel hopeful about, I am pleased to announce that we are planning on an in-person annual meeting this November! Date and location TBA, so stay tuned. It will be a true joy to share space with you all again. 

In the meantime, please do whatever you can to refill your metaphorical cup after the most draining of years and don’t hesitate to reach out if ClassConn can help in any way. 

curate ut valeatis,

Lindsay Sears

president@classconn.org

res novae

salvete, socii,

Things are changing around here! 

First, I would like to introduce myself as your new “Newsletter Editor.”

Second, I want to announce a change in our newsletter format. Instead of a separate website for the newsletter, we are posting all relevant information on our main ClassConn website. We are making this change to streamline our communication. Members will receive quarterly blasts with highlights about anything new.

So, what does a Newsletter Editor do when there is no newsletter? Well, I have been spending my time reorganizing the website into a way that hopefully makes sense for you, our membership. 

To that end, I encourage you to browse the website and send feedback. Is something missing? Do you have suggestions? This is a work in progress and I welcome your comments.

 I hope that you find these changes helpful and more consistent with how you use information. I understand that to some, these res novae may seem revolutionary. My job is to make sure it is a revolution for the better.

SVB

Stephany Pascetta

pascettas@glastonburyus.org

"Fasti Praenestini - National Museum Rome" by jimnista is licensed under CC BY 2.0