Darcy Krasne

We worked through translations of Cicero and Catullus, integrating grammar review throughout.

This seminar taught a multitude of things that are very helpful for being successful in grad school and a career in the classics. We covered good research methods, bibliography information, how to write good personal statements, and we got to practice giving presentations on a small scale. We also got to discuss issues facing the classics world and ask some hard questions. It also was designed, and I think succeeded, in giving an honest look at how grad school will look like and how we should prepare for it or even if it is the right fit for us.

I learned a survey of the important Greek myths

Professor Petrella is not your typical Latin professor. She actually cares about her students and wants everyone to cultivate a lasting love for learning latin. She made herself available to help each student with their individual needs outside of class. She set the pace of the course based on the needs of the students; and she was always patient with students who needed to slow down, and have something re-explained. I never felt afraid to shout out a wrong answer. She was patient and considerate but still firm and able to keep the course on track. I was able to engage deeply in the course content because she generated a genuine interest in Latin literature by sharing old prose, graffiti writings, epic literature and more. I look forward to taking Latin II with her because she has shared with us some of the exciting works we will be reading. This is the only course I looked forward to this semester because she made the content so relatable; Professor Petrella was able to take an ancient and intimidating language off of its ivy podium and brought it down to earth. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2023 Course: LATNUN1101_003_2023_3-ELEMENTARYLATINI : LATNUN1101_003_2023_3 - ELEMENTARY LATIN I Instructor: Erin Petrella

I think that I would recommend this course if a student felt like their grammar was solid but needed some review. For people in that area, I think it is a very helpful class in solidifying that knowledge and pushing you to translate more and more precisely. I probably wouldn't recommend this course to someone who is still struggling with syntax questions, and that they should take a 2000 instead. 1 Columbia University: Arts & Sciences Fall 2023 Course: LATNUN3309_001_2023_3-LATINLITERATURESELECTIONS : Roman Satire (LATN 3309, Fall 2023)- LATNUN3309_001_2023_3 - LATIN LITERATURE SELECTIONS Instructor: Darcy Krasne

This class helped me further develop my understanding of Latin grammar and add to the list of vocabulary that I was familiar with.

I learned numerous grammatical constructions which built upon prior base skills in both Cicero and Catullus and I learned how to perforn scansion and all the nuances which come with Latin poetry.

I was given access to a plethora of resources that I was previously unaware of as an undergraduate. I now feel confident doing research on a variety of research topics in many different disciplines. At the very least, I know where to get started. I also learned about the tradition of classics and how it has grown as a field since the 18th century. I think this class is a useful course for getting your feet wet as a grad student in this department. I would only say that perhaps a little bit more curation of the course for individual needs might also be helpful. I know the course used to be about filling in research gaps within classics. I feel like I would have enjoyed a little bit more of this for my own personal experiences, but I get that some people need a basic overproduction. Therefore, perhaps the personal work for discussion posts could perhaps be a bit more designed for a students own personal needs going into graduate work.

Aside from the historical and mythological aspects of this course that I learned, I was better able to understand how perspective and interpretation can greatly affect the outcome and result of the stories we read. My skills as a reader of ancient texts have be tremendously improved, as well as my ability to interpret it in my own way or fashion, due to the multiple short paper we had to write about certain myths thats often related to contemporary experiences. It also enlightened me, as a classical art connoisseur, on how this stories greatly affected or influenced some of the most important and prestigious pieces of literature or art that can be admired to this day,

I learned a lot about different translation methods, new grammar concepts (as well as some much-needed refreshers on some old ones!), as well as the importance editors and their role in transmitting a text.