Res Gestae continued

whole continues to grow at our small college, hopefully in part because of the programs that the Beta Nu chapter has started in the local secondary schools. Each year we hold a practice certamen for area Latin students, and this year the event was particularly well attended. Also we sponsor an essay contest for middle and high school students. Almost one hundred students submitted essays this year from which there were first-, second-, and third-place winners from the senior division and two winners from the junior division. Those who placed were awarded medallions, and all who participated received a certificate. Our last event of the year was a guest lecture given by Dr. Naomi J. Norman of the University of Georgia entitled "Putting People Back into the Ancient City: The Archaeological Evidence for Carthage." All in all, the past year has been great for classics at Mary Washington College. The level of participation by current Eta Sigma Phi members is near one hundred percent, and hopefully we will be able to continue our trend of strong growth for years to come. 

Beta Pi (University of Arkansas): Megas Prytanis Jason Gajderowicz, Megas Hyparchos Charlie McCants,  Megas Grammateus Lindsey Turner, Megas Chrysophylax Douglas M. Bullock, Fellow Members of Eta Sigma Phi, Esteemed Faculty. 

We are happy to report the state of the Beta Pi chapter of Eta Sigma Phi is good. 

This year we gather in beautiful Norman, Oklahoma, to celebrate the goals of this society. 

Our chapter at the University of Arkansas has strived to achieve the goals of this glorious organization and there is no doubt that we have accomplished such. 

 

Quid Novi? Send information on your chapter’s activities to the Executive Secretary by October 1, 2003, for inclusion in the fall Nuntius.  Please include pictures if you have them, and be sure to identify the people in the photographs.

We’ve sent two students to the National Eta Sigma Phi Convention in San Diego; we’ve had Summer Greek Readings at Dr. Levine’s house; we’ve gathered to watch the Life of Brian — an event that has changed us all. 

We’ve held a Reading of Euripides’ Helen in the Spring; this event was crested by the Beta Pi’s famed initiation of new members. Rest assured they underwent the full ritual. 

We’ve helped sponsor Jenifer Neils’ lecture on "Parthenon Frieze"; we’ve sponsored Tony Corbeill’s presentations on "Roman Women in Mourning" and on "Gestures"; we’ve had a fabulous Campout at Devil’s Den with stargazing. 

We’ve posed in togas for the Razorback yearbook; five of our star students took the Watkins Greek/Latin Translation Contest Exams; although we’re unsure of the results, we’re confident that we shall come out on top. 

And throughout it all the tradition of the Eta Sigma Phi Shirt continues. 

Though the Classics department at the University of Arkansas is small, our omnipotent and omniscient faculty — Dr. Daniel B. Levine and Dr. Dave Fredrick — have provided us with incessant challenges in our academic endeavors. 

Make no mistake, though. It is yet true that we will bear any burden, pay any price, and persevere to be the best classics students the world has ever seen. 

Beta Psi (Rhodes College): Rhodes College’s Beta Psi chapter has been very active in its interaction with the Memphis community. Our primary focus has been the SOAR Jr. project at Bruce Elementary School, an institution for gifted young students that emphasizes artistic creativity.  Every week, several of our members go to the school to teach the children a little about the ancient world. We bring the children a snack that usually relates to the day’s activity, such as pomegranates when we discussed Persephone and her role in the seasons. We then conduct an activity with the children, with active being the key word. This year, we have, among other things, taught the children the Greek alphabet and told them ancient 

myths. On one particularly exciting occasion, we told them a little about ancient monsters like the chimaera and the cyclops, and then we all made masks of our favorite monsters. Our introduction to the classical world for these young students is just that — an introduction. It is not our intention to teach the children especially detailed accounts of Greek and Roman history but to show them that the classical world is important and exciting, influencing our lives even today. Hopefully, when the  children are older and are given more formal lessons on the ancient civilizations, some of the stories will sound familiar because of our activities.  That is the ultimate goal of our service project.

In addition to SOAR Jr., the Beta Psi chapter sponsored activities that were open to the Rhodes community. The first was our barbecue, in which Eta Sigma Phi members could dine and chat with students interested in the Classics. Later, we organized a Latin Christmas Caroling session at a local hospital. About twenty students met at St. Peter’s Villa, where we sang carols both in Latin and in English for the patients. In our fall induction, we accepted  seven new members into our chapter.

Gamma Gamma (University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee): On October 26, 2002, the Gamma Gamma chapter held its first initiation ceremony in eight years and so began our second half-century on the campus of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. Six students were initiated. Since there were no current members of Eta Sigma Phi on our campus, we asked  the help of nearby Marquette University to perform the initiation ceremony for us. Special thanks are due to Dr. Patricia Marquardt and the members of the Marquette University chapter for their willingness to perform the ceremony for us. Initiates are Gayle Adornato, Sarah Al-Saffar, Sarah Christman, Andrew Clithero, Claudia Hough, and David Lathrop. After the initiation rites, held at the home of our advisor, Dr. Richard Monti,