Classical Studies

Learning Beyond the Classroom

The classics faculty at Hollins recognizes that a great deal of learning occurs outside the classroom when students have an opportunity to apply what they have learned and to encounter new dimensions in the study of ancient literature and art. To encourage this process, we have some longstanding programs that either take the classics student outside of Hollins or bring the outside world to her.

Eta Sigma Phi

The national honor society for classics promotes interest in the study of the history, art, and literature of ancient Greece and Rome. At Hollins, Eta Sigma Phi sponsors recreational events.

Archaeological Field Schools and Excavations

Virginia is a perfect training ground for archaeologists. There are several early American and Colonial sites nearby where Hollins students participate in excellent archaeological field schools. This experience puts our students in a competitive position to secure spots on excavations in th e Mediterranean. Recently, students have participated in excavations in North Africa and Greece.

• Cynthia Wood '97 worked in the American School of Classical Studies dig in the Athenian Agora in the Summer of 1997 and was re-accepted in 1998.
• Virginia English ’96 worked in the University of Georgia excavations at ancient Carthage in Tunisia.

Museum Trips

Courses in ancient art and archaeology take field trips to museums in the south with exceptional collections. The Introduction to Ancient Art class usually visits the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, while the Women in Ancient Egypt visited the "Splendors of Ancient Egypt" exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
    Other trips may be planned to the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore, The Michael Carlos Museum, or the Nashville Parthenon.

Sophia

The Philosophy club's lecture series, Sophia, has sponsored lectures which intersect with the interests of classics. Recent lectures were Debra Nails on "Plato and the Divided Line" and Tom Brickhouse on "Socrates."

Peer Mentoring

The classics faculty recognizes that the best way to learn a language is to teach it. We have developed a program in which third-year (and some advanced second- year) students mentor the first-year Latin students. The third year students provide language drills, encouragement, and additional practice for the first-year students in a relaxing environment.