By Brandon Fey, News Editor
The Department of Classics at Gettysburg College has officially rebranded itself as the Department of Ancient Greek & Roman Studies. The department held its annual fall welcome party on Sept. 24 in Weidensall Hall for returning and interested students, where faculty discussed the change and the trajectory of the department going forward.
Poster showcasing the change from Classics to Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, including upcoming classes offered by the department. (Photo Brandon Fey/The Gettysburgian)
The renaming was inspired by a motivation to underscore the academic focus of the department, while making it more inviting to interested students.
“We wanted to find a name that clearly indicated what it is we teach and study in this department,” stated Associate Professor Rachel Lesser, the chair of the department. “Ancient Greek & Roman Studies clearly communicates that we study ancient Greece and Rome, and their interactions with other ancient cultures in the Mediterranean area.”
Associate Professor Rachel Lesser, chair of the Ancient Greek & Roman Studies department, speaking to students. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
The faculty of the department also explained that the name “classics” can imply a stigma that suggests an academic superiority of its own subject matter over that of other disciplines, which contributed to the motivation behind the change in names.
“We’re hoping to reach out to a wider array of students, because the term ‘classics’ had the potential to almost scare people away because it can seem rather intimidating and arcane, whereas ancient Greek and Roman studies is more direct in terms of what we do, and hopefully makes it a little bit more approachable,” said Associate Professor Benjamin Luley. “Many people have interest in this realm, coming from different backgrounds, and we hope that students can now relate that better to our department.
Associate Professor Benjamin Luley speaking to students. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
Lesser said that she is hopeful that the new name will attract more students to the department.
“We know so many students love Greek mythology and Roman history, after reading Percy Jackson, or watching films, though some don’t realize that they can study these subjects at the College. We hope that renaming the department will be a call to students to discover what we’re teaching and invite them to explore these interests,” she stated.
The department offers a major and minor in Ancient Greek & Roman Studies (each formerly in classics), in addition to the specialized Greek and Latin minors. The multidisciplinary courses of the department will retain the “CLA” designator, in addition to those designated “GRK” and “LAT” for Greek and Latin language, respectively. Core courses will continue to focus on the languages, literature, history, archaeology, philosophy and art history of ancient Greece and Rome.
The major will continue to consist of any nine courses under Ancient Greek and Roman Studies, including Latin or Greek. Two of these courses can be taken at the 100-level, with at least one at the 300-level. These must be paired with an additional approved “multidisciplinary approach” course offered under a different designator, and a capstone under the form of a seminar or independent study. The minor is fulfilled by six Ancient Greek and Roman Studies and/or Latin or Greek courses.
Students enjoying food at the welcome back party.(Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
“I think the new name is pretty cool, because it lets people who don’t have a classical background and know what the name ‘classics’ means understand what it is that the department studies,” commented Michelle ’27, a returning major in the department.
The welcome event featured a catered lunch and a mythical figure guessing activity.
Students participating in the mythical figure guessing activity. (Photo William Oehler/The Gettysburgian)
