Although Latin is a dead language, it is by no means a “dead” program.
Out of all of the language courses available, the Latin program is by far the smallest, with an enrollment of 89, but the culture of the program remains prominent.
Latin teacher Brian Kane said he perceives different interest levels among his students.
“The Latin student […] usually is one who doesn’t want [to] speak, so modern languages kind of scare them,” Kane said. “They’re more into reading and [tend to be] more quiet.”
He said other students would be better suited in a language such as Latin, which relies more on reading and writing.
“There’s also a lot of kids […] that actually have difficulty with hearing […] so they wouldn’t really be successful in a Spanish class,” Kane said. “They can’t process what they [can’t] hear very quickly.”
Furthermore, Latin offers different outlets that appeal to students.
“Latin I think has kind of a reputation of being an ‘elite’ subject,” Kane said. “It’s something that attracts kids that want to stand out in terms of their course selection. Any language you take is going to help [improve your] vocabulary […], [and] it’s going to help your writing skills. Since Latin is the root of so many languages, we like to claim that it has the largest impact.”
The Latin program offers a range of activities outside of the classroom. Kane is the faculty sponsor for the Latin Club and the Latin Honor Society.
“[The] Latin Honor Society tutors [and the] Latin club […] hang out once a month [to socialize],” Kane said.
The Latin Club also participates in the Certamen Quiz Bowl, an inter-school event covering questions about the Latin language, Roman history, mythology and Roman daily life.
Senior and Latin Honor Society member Laura Boyle said she has wanted to take Latin since fourth grade.
In her sophomore year, Boyle ended up earning the Latin Student of the Year award.
Boyle said Latin helps people to appreciate the construction of the English language.
“I would definitely recommend [Latin] because it is one of my favorite nerdy little things,” Boyle said.
Junior and Latin student Joe Thiringer said he enjoys how Kane chooses to innovate with new teaching methods within the classroom.
“I like Latin because Mr. Kane […] presents us with new ways to teach Latin,” Thiringer said.
2018-10-22