Salvete, comites!
As I set out early this morning to greet this fine day, it was clear to me: Pruina quidem in cucurbita est! The chilly days of Autumn have finally come. Many of us school teachers find ourselves already into our second quarter, and professors are giving Fall midterms. We’re in the thick of it. And that means we are busy not only with our classes, but also with all the extra-curriculars that enrich our and our students’ engagement with the Classics.
We enjoyed a successful Fall Meeting at UVA on September 27th, attended by over 30 people in-person along with a handful of virtual attendees. The morning business session included announcements on the Latin Tournament Exam, and the Latin and Classical Essay Contests. You will find detailed information on those later in this newsletter and online. Bart Natoli announced the Virginia Undergraduate Research Symposium in Classics 2025, to be held virtually on Friday November 7th. The Classical Association of Virginia is sponsoring this event, and will be inviting the undergraduate presenters to the Spring CAV meeting. A highlight of the morning certainly was the Ovatio Molinarii, a tribute to the recently retired John Miller of UVA marking his recent retirement, but especially his decades of dedication and service to the CAV. Jon Mikalson presented some heartfelt words of thanks and reminiscence, and I declaimed a proclamation in John’s honor, which had been rendered into elegant Latin by UVA’s Anthony Corbeill. You will find a copy of the proclamation later in this newsletter and online. UVA’s own Inger Kuin commenced the presentations with a talk on Diogenes the Cynic entitled, “This Barking Dog Also Bites: The Radical Philosophy of Diogenes the Cynic.” Noah Cogan of St. Catherine’s School (Richmond) explained his program-wide recreation of Roman gladiator games in his talk, “Spectacula Nova: Experiential Learning and Fostering Community in a Latin Program.” Jorge Wong Medina of the University of Richmond rounded out the afternoon with an engaging linguistic and art historical search for “The Names of Odysseus.” We are always grateful to our presenters for taking the time and effort to share what they do in their classrooms and their research.
The Fall FLAVA Conference in Norfolk on October 9th – 11th once again had a strong Latin and CAV presence. Not only is Sue Robertson a perennial stalwart at FLAVA, but our CAV Secretary, Holly Fitterer, is the FLAVA Communications Coordinator, Virginia Kibler the Conference Coordinator, and Aliea Lewis the Volunteer Coordinator. There were at least 30 Latin teachers at the conference, all sessions had presenters for Latin, and CAV hosted a breakfast get-together on the final day. New connections and friendships were formed among teachers from all over the state, old friends were able to catch up with one another, and new CAV members were found. All sorts of collaboration are already growing from the meeting. The central role of CAV in promoting Classics in Virginia was a through line in all. I could not have been more proud and energized to be representing the Classical Association of Virginia at this statewide language teacher conference. And in the same spirit, the VJCL Latin Convention is right around the corner. This will be another chance for current CAV members to collaborate again, and for new members to be found.
I encourage you all to mark your calendars for our Spring Meeting to be hosted on May 2nd by The College of William & Mary in Williamsburg. Be sure, also, not to pass up any chance to challenge and reward your students, colleagues (and yourselves!) by taking part in the many CAV programs. Now is the time to resolve to have your students participate, and to encourage your colleagues to do likewise. Nominate your students for the Wayne Wray and Jim Bigger prizes, and your colleagues for the Lurlene Todd and Angela Lloyd awards. Apply for a Professional Development Grant. And, of course, take part in the Essay Contests and Latin Tournament.
Oh, and if you have received this newsletter, but have not yet renewed your CAV membership for this year…get on it…now. Just make your way to the CAV website and click (cavclassics.org/become-a-member/). Perhaps remind a colleague who has never joined that new members get their first year free, the Essay Contests have no fees, and the Latin Tournament allows students to compete free of charge if their school is registering for the first time or has not registered in the past five years. Remember that we continue to offer a virtual option for attending our meetings for those unable to make it in person. Let’s build on the energy of the start of the year to expand our membership base and participation in the premier organization for promoting Classics in Virginia since 1910!
Valete!
Patrick Bradley
Rockbridge County High School
Lexington, VA
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