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Students Honored at Awards Banquet

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

At the end of each year, the department holds a celebration and awards recognition for our students. Associate Professors Justin Arft and Stephen Collins-Elliott served as the masters of ceremonies.

Our 2024 Eta Sigma Phi initiates were: Robert Greene, Priscilla Owens, Drew Piper Jr., Katie Emler, Madeleine Shroades, Landon Bryan, Apeksha Sawarkar, Wyatt Smith, Lela Flowers, and Dorothea Stansell. Our leadership team for Eta Sigma Phi and the Classics Club, Ethan Peebles and Desirae Cordell, remain in place and have done a stellar job organizing our activities and membership.

Several students were recognized for their outstanding academic work during the 2024 academic year, or have been awarded scholarships for 2024-2025. Ethan Peebles received our signature Arthur H. Moser Memorial Scholarship for language students, and CC Hazelton our signature Albert Rapp Memorial Scholarship for archaeology and civilization students. Landon Bryan and Henry Greene received Haines-Morris Scholarships, and Mak Pentz a Haines-Morris Award. Evan Shannon received a departmental Poikilia scholarship. Shannon also was honored with a national Snowden scholarship of the American School of Classical Studies at Athens for participation in a 2024 summer seminar in Greece, as well as with a UT Commission for Disability Undergraduate Student Award.

Several students were awarded departmental travel scholarships: Landon Bryan received an Athena travel scholarship, Henry Greene an S.D. Martin Excellence Scholarship, and Isaac Buck, Natalie Newsome, Mak Pentz, and Ben Smelser Haines-Morris travel scholarships, which enabled them to participate in the Hesperides project in Morocco.

Two of our students were recognized as Volunteers of Distinction: Houston Boyd in classical civilization, and Adelle Rosendale in Latin. The College of Arts and Sciences also recognized outstanding graduates for the May 2023 commencement: Houston Boyd for classical civilization, Adelle Rosendale for Latin, and Tony Caldwell for classical archaeology. In addition, the department gave senior awards to Tony Caldwell in classical archaeology, Christina Onolfo in classical civilization, and Adelle Rosendale in Latin.

Henry Greene also received our department’s Classical Association of the Middle West and South (CAMWS) Award for Outstanding Accomplishment in Classical Studies, and Tony Caldwell was given the department’s Dedication and Service Award.

Many of our students excelled at the CAMWS National Latin Exam 2023-2024. For Intermediate Latin, Grant Williams placed in the cash award group (the highest); Alexander Wyrick and Joshua Adedokun placed in the book award group (the second highest). Noah Hornback, Lela Flowers, Lauren Shinn, Houston Boyd, and Kaitlyn Emler earned certificates of commendation. For Advanced Latin, Henry Greene placed in the cash award group (the highest).

The Department of Classics heartily congratulates the students who were recognized for their hard work and devotion to the study of classics. We are very proud of them and of all our graduates!

UT Students Present Papers at Classical Association

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

Two of our students—Henry Greene and Walter Price—wrote excellent research papers for Assistant Professor Jessica Westerhold’s Latin class and were encouraged by her to present their work at the 2023 annual meeting of the Classical Association of the Middle, West, and South—Southern Section (CAMWS-SS) in Greensboro, North Carolina, Nov. 3-4, 2023. Both received CAMWS Manson Stewart Travel Scholarships, and Greene was given in addition generous funding by Professor Emeritus Chris Craig from his Faculty Public Service Award to cover the expenses of conference travel and stay.

Greene, a senior in classics and philosophy, and a prospective Latin teacher, spoke about, “Problems in Epicurean Readings of Horace.” Price, an alumnus of our department (’23) and now a graduate student at the University of Missouri, Columbia, gave a talk titled, “Poetic Uses of Structure and Meter in Catullus 108, 51, and 23.” Our congratulations to Henry and Walter for this significant achievement.

Both students share their experiences presenting for the first time at an academic conference. 

Henry Greene: 

“It was exhilarating to see what the process of academic research is actually like—as something done both through the papers presented, and the discussions and Q&As they spurred afterwards. I feel that attending the conference and seeing this firsthand has reaffirmed my commitment to apply to graduate school. I also feel very motivated to submit more abstracts and, hopefully, attend later CAMWS Southern Section conferences, or other conferences in the near future. Additionally, while I was already interested in Latin pedagogy and possibly teaching Latin at some point, seeing certain presenters talk about (and demonstrate) the use of spoken Latin in middle school/high school classes has made me more excited about that as well.

“There were many fascinating presentations, but I think my favorite part was interacting with so many interesting and knowledgeable people, and getting a feel for the shape of the world of classics. It’s always a pleasure to get to talk to those who are passionate about the same things that you are.”  

Walt Price: 

“This experience was definitely a big step in my professional career, and I think it’s helped me come to a better understanding of what my goals actually look like. I was asked a few times whether I’d be turning my talk into an article, and this has certainly encouraged me to do so. It puts into perspective the necessity of feedback before the publication of such an article as well. Having had the chance to present my research, I feel more inclined to continue doing so, and I’m really excited that I’ve been accepted to speak at the larger CAMWS conference in April.” A number of the questions and comments after various papers gave me some good examples of what kind of feedback is helpful versus what kind isn’t helpful, so I’ll be taking that forward and trying harder to give helpful feedback to other scholars.

“The best part of the whole experience was how much passion everyone had in their work and the joy they had in sharing it with others.”

Undergraduate Research Conference Sets New Record

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

After a year’s hiatus because of short-staffing among our faculty, our 12th undergraduate research conference was held at Strong Hall on February 24, 2024. The conference received generous support from alumna Bettye Beaumont (’74) as well as from our Classics Enrichment Fund; the College of Arts and Sciences; UT’s Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development; the Denbo Center for Humanities and the Arts; and the Departments of English, History, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and World Languages and Cultures.

This year’s conference was impeccably organized by classics students Tony Caldwell, Desirae Cordell, Natalie Newsome, and Adelle Rosendale under the guidance of Associate Professor Stephen Collins-Elliott. To our relief, the one-year hiatus had not caused classics students elsewhere to forget about us. On the contrary: We received 55 abstracts from around the country and welcomed 36 student-speakers—both absolute records. After a warm welcome address by Robert Hinde, interim executive dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, Associate Professor Trevor Luke of Florida State University delivered the Beaumont Keynote Lecture titled, “Master and Commander: the Roman Emperor and the Sea.” Luke’s presentation was penetrating and yet accessible, and it generated a lively Q&A among the audience. 

Our 36 student participants came from 22 colleges and universities throughout the US, from as far away as Dartmouth College, Boston University, the University of California (UC) Los Angeles, and UC San Diego. They presented research on a wide variety of topics such as, “From Bulls to Beetles: Rethinking Sacrificial Animals in the Iconography of Bronze Age Crete” and “The Role of Family Structure in the Spread of Indo-European Languages in Europe” to “Utilizing Sentiment Analysis Algorithms in the Study of Identity in Ancient Greek and Latin Literature.” Once again, we were happily surprised at the wide range of research topics and the high quality of the papers as well as by the audience’s keen attention and interesting questions. 

Clearly, our conference is attracting very bright young scholars who are deeply engaged with classics. It is now quite common for us to meet promising graduate students and young faculty in the field who experienced their first scholarly conference at UT and remember us warmly.

Classics faculty presided over nine well-attended panels. During the lunch hour, Associate Professor Justin Arft, Assistant Professor Sam Blankenship, and Luke held an optional professionalization workshop on “Classics as a Career and Beyond.”

The presenters included UT students Victoria Padgett, Henry Greene, George Livesay, and  Evan Shannon. 

Collins-Elliott expresses his deep gratitude to his colleagues for generously giving their time. He also acknowledges the hard work, initiative, and efficiency of the student organizers, and a special thank you to Ann Robinson-Craig (business manager) and Jessica Black (events and communications coordinator), Mitchell Harper (travel coordinator), and Megan Beeler (space coordinator) for their logistical support and very helpful administrative oversight.

Students Explore Greece with Study Abroad

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

Evan Shannon (Haines-Morris and Poikilia scholarships)

This summer I attended the American School of Classical Studies at Athens (ASCSA) Summer Seminar II “Alexander to Actium: The Archaeology of Hellenistic Greece,” led by Professors Thomas Rose and Jake Morton. We toured nearly all of mainland Greece, visiting 37 archaeological sites and 18 museums. The program included 20 students from diverse backgrounds, including undergraduate students, graduate students and professors.

One of my primary interests within classics is disability studies, particularly in relation to current academia and classical reception. I found great value in seeing archaeological evidence for sanctuaries to Asklepius, god of healing, as well as in observing how museums chose to organize and present the evidence. My favorite sites were the Nekromanteion and the Sacred Oak of Dodona. These sites have persisted in ritual and public interest, and I find the continuity across the ages beautiful.

My participation in the ASCSA seminar was partially funded by the Society for Classical Studies’ Frank M. Snowden Jr. Undergraduate Scholarship, with additional support from a Haines-Morris Travel Scholarship and a Poikilia Scholarship from UT’s classics department. As a first-generation, low-income student, I have always dreamed of studying abroad, but it wasn’t until this summer that that dream was actualized. 

Ben Smelser (Haines-Morris scholarship)

This summer, I was extremely fortunate to participate in the excavation of the Megalos Peristeres cave in Crete under the direction of Professor Thomas Strasser of Providence College, Rhode Island. The cave was only a few kilometers away from the University of Crete in Rethymno, and I was lucky enough to get to know some of its students. Crete was absolutely stunning, and the culture was rich and beautiful. I will never get over the views of the mountains every morning when I woke up, and the sunsets of the Aegean Sea towards the end of the day.

Digging in a cave was quite the experience. My major is in classics, and I study mainly the Iron and Hellenistic Ages. However, the goal of this dig was to find evidence of late Pleistocene to early Holocene humans in support of the theory that those early humans inhabited Crete. This was my first excavation, so I really didn’t know what to expect; little did I know digging in caves is hard because of the difficulties differentiating stratigraphic levels. The soil was rough and rocky, and honestly, it was hard to determine different soil compositions. However, we managed to get it done. 

The best part of the experience was the people I got to work with and learn from. Professor  Strasser and the co-director, Assistant Professor Miriam Clinton, taught me so much about the practice of archaeology as well as the subject of prehistoric humans. The students were phenomenal, and we are still friends. I very much thank the UT classics department for giving me a Haines-Morris Travel Scholarship to make this experience happen.           

UT Hosts National Junior Classical League

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

The 2024 annual convention of the National Junior Classical League (NJCL) was held on the UT campus July 22-27. Among the organizers was alumnus Ryan Vinson. 

As many as 1,300 junior high and high school students and chaperones from all over the country spent six days enjoying talks and competing in a slew of contests on subjects such as etymology, Roman civilization, Latin vocabulary, ancient Greek civilization, and mythology. There even was an academic heptathlon and decathlon for hard-core attendees. 

Students also participated in ancient fashion, oratory, and graphic arts contests, as well as in sports events (including a marathon, of course). In short, they had a grand time immersing themselves in all things classical. 

They were warmly welcomed by Beauvais Lyons, UT’s divisional dean for arts and humanities, and by Jessica Westerhold. Dylan Bloy gave a much-appreciated talk about his excavation at the Roman villa at Vacone, providing a clear, energetic, and often humorous explanation of the nature and importance of this site, the challenges of organizing and executing a dig, and the personal dimensions of the teamwork that Roman archaeology demands. 

Our thanks to everyone who helped make the Knoxville NJCL convention an unforgettable experience for our visitors!

Latin Day Welcomes Secondary Students to Campus

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

Our 41st Annual Latin Day took place on October 26, 2023, in the UT Student Union. As many as 312 young scholars from Knoxville, Kingsport, and Murfreesboro, their teachers, and chaperones attended a combination of talks and workshops. 

The program was enhanced by feedback from our amazing high-school Latin teachers. Sessions were more interactive than before, and tailored to different audience levels to accommodate student attendees from seventh through 12th grade. A business meeting for teachers provided a welcome opportunity to share thoughts and talk about Latin pedagogy and the future of classics. 

UT’s Classics Club participated for the first time. Its students designed and moderated a myth-themed trivia game during the lunch period. Our esteemed speakers included faculty from the classics, English, and history departments. We look forward to welcoming even more young scholars on Latin Day XLII (Oct. 30, 2025).

The talks for our 41st annual Latin Day included from the Department of Classics:

• Associate Professor Justin Arft, “Mythology from Greece to Rome”;
• Lecturer Tristan Barnes, “The Real Dial of Destiny: The Antikythera Mechanism”; 
• Assistant Professor Sam Blankenship, “mater, mētēr, Mutter, Mom: The Indo-European Language Family Tree”;
• Senior Lecturer Dylan Bloy, “Shipwreck! The Roman Taste for Greek Art”;
• Lecturer Lorenzo Del Monte, “Roman Paintings Between Past and Present”;
• Senior Lecturer Reema Habib, “Smelling Powerful: The Perfumes of Caesar, Cleopatra, and Pericles”;
• Distinguished Lecturer Theodora Kopestonsky, “Defigo Eos: How to Curse Someone in Ancient Rome”; and
• Chancellor’s Professor Aleydis Van de Moortel, “Pirates of the Bronze Age.” 

Also presenting were:

• Associate Professor Jacob A. Latham, Department of History, “Roman Social Media: Imperial Communication and Provincial Consensus”; and
• Caitlin Branum Thrash, a lecturer in the Department of English and Latin coordinator for the Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies, “Introduction to Medieval Manuscripts and Paleography.” 

UT Classics Going Strong

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

It has been another great year for classics in Vol Country. We were able to hire a new medieval Latinist and digital manuscript scholar, Charles Kuper, who also brings considerable expertise in Byzantine Greek, thus further enriching our program and the language offerings of the Marco Institute for Medieval and Renaissance Studies. We were sad to lose award-winning Distinguished Lecturer Theo Kopestonsky, but happy for her that she took a tenure-track position at Wabash College. In Theo’s place, we hired Nikola Golubović (PhD, University of Pennsylvania), a specialist in Roman rhetoric and a linguist who speaks or reads no fewer than 13 languages. With the addition of these two energetic new colleagues, our faculty is back to its original strength. 

As the number of undergraduate students at UT keeps expanding, more students are drawn to our department. Last year, our number of majors increased by 16 percent, and our minors by a whopping 35 percent. We now have a record 40 majors and 40 minors. 

Much credit for this must go to our faculty’s many outreach and recruitment efforts, from Latin Day and Archaeology Day to a variety of high school and on-campus recruitment fairs. Many kudos also must go to the excellent teaching by our faculty, and to their initiatives in creating new courses that introduce students to ever more fascinating aspects of the ancient Greek and Roman world. For example, Tristan Barnes is teaching a new Ancient Astronomy course, using UT’s planetarium to simulate the skies visible to the ancients thousands of years ago. He and his wife, Reema Habib, also have designed a new study abroad course on Roman Britain, set to launch this May. 

Our high-quality training is reflected in our students’ excellent results on national Latin exams, their ability to garner national awards, their presentations at professional conferences, and their successes in graduate school and the workplace. We are very happy to see that more of our students are choosing the highly rewarding career path of high school Latin teaching, as there is a chronic shortage of such teachers in Tennessee. As we know, learning Latin is super “brain candy” for high school students.

We remain keen to stimulate research among our students. Our nationally acclaimed Tennessee Undergraduate Classics Research Conference last year drew a record number of participants. We also enjoyed a variety of stimulating lectures by visiting and on-campus speakers on a variety of topics in classics and archaeology.

At the end of August, we said goodbye to our good friend and business manager Ann Robinson-Craig, who decided to join husband Chris in retirement. We will miss her greatly, but will always be grateful for all she has done for us. One of her legacies is to leave us an excellent administrative team, and a fund that supports high-school Latin teacher training.

Thank you for reading this newsletter, and do stay in touch!

Valē/Χαῖρε!

Aleydis Van de Moortel
Professor and Head

Students Train in Moroccan Archeology Lab

November 25, 2024 by Kayla Lang

This past July five classics majors from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, traveled with Associate Professor Stephen Collins-Elliott to help with processing finds from the joint Moroccan-American archaeological project Gardens of the Hesperides: The Rural Archaeology of the Loukkos Valley. The project is co-directed by Aomar Akerraz of the Institut National des Sciences de l’Archéologie et du Patrimoine, Rabat and Collins-Elliott.

This summer students worked in the conservation lab at Lixus identifying, quantifying, and inventorying the finds of the past seasons of survey and excavation from the earliest city in northwestern Africa. 

“We received valuable training in the identification and quantification of ancient biological remains and artifacts, and the processing of those remains,” said Landon Bryan. 

Natalie Newsome explained, “We learned how to quantify artifacts, distinguish the differences between pottery sherds, find the attitude of a rim sherd, the diameter of the vessel from the rim sherd, the percentage missing of the pottery, and how to create highly detailed artifact illustrations.”

Isaac Buck said the trip was an amazing experience. “From the historical sites so closely tied to the myths that I love to study to the incredible opportunity to work in an archaeological lab with materials from thousands of years ago, I felt it was an incredible privilege.” 

“For me,” Henry Greene said, “this visit represented a unique opportunity to interface with the history of the Mediterranean in the most unmediated manner I have yet had access to, whether this was the ancient or medieval history preserved in the untold numbers of potsherds we sorted through or the living history of the cities, peoples, and customs of the nation.”

Collins-Elliott led the group on field trips to nearby cities and sites, including Tangier, Tamuda, Tétouan, and Meknes. Volubilis was a favorite for several of the students. 

“In Morocco, the presence of this history is palpable,” Greene said. “It hums in the very air, with the Moroccan ways of life, though no doubt much influenced by the modern world.” He noted that during the day the students saw a triclinium in the ruins of Volubilis. Later that day, they would sit at benches around a table in a manner not unlike the triclinium style.

Several of the students noted with appreciation the travel scholarships through the Department of Classics that made the unforgettable trip possible for them.