MONMOUTH, Ill. — Eleven members of Monmouth
College’s Gamma Omicron Chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the national Classical
honorary society, recently attended the organization’s 76th Annual
National Convention at Loyola University in New Orleans.
Attending were seniors Carrie Casper of Tinley
Park, Kimberly Darby of Galesburg, Michael Fannucce of Oregon, Sheena
Glass of Galesburg, Matthew Katsenes of Frankfort, Mathew Underwood of
Cary and Brian Walgren of Batavia; junior Wyatt Preul of Columbia, Mo.;
and freshmen Savannah Dorsett of Pasadena, Texas, and Richard Harrod of
Annapolis, Md. The group was accompanied by their adviser, Tom Sienkewicz,
the Minnie Billings Capron Professor of Classics at Monmouth.
“Members of the Gamma Omicron Chapter have
attended almost every national convention since the chapter was founded in
1956,” said Sienkewicz.
The MC group participated in a classical certamen
(a College Bowl-modeled competition), listened to the reading of scholarly
student papers, saw a risque performance of Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata” by
a Loyola student theater group, attended a presentation by Togaman (who
recently had visited the MC campus) and took part in various other
activities on and off Bourbon Street.
Although their chapter T-shirt – featuring Mary
Poppins and the Latin grammatical construction “Future Passive
Periphrastic” – did not win the prize for best chapter apparel, the
chapter was awarded the prize for the best service project of 2004 – a
dramatic reading of a Latin translation of Dr. Seuss’ “Green Eggs and
Ham,” which will be presented to Monmouth-area schools in April.
At the convention, the national organization
acknowledged a generous bequest from the late Bernice Fox of Monmouth
College and named Eta Sigma Phi’s Latin Teacher Award in her honor. Also,
Harrod was elected megas chrysophylax (national treasurer) for 2004-05.
Sienkewicz has completed his term as national trustee and now serves Eta
Sigma Phi as executive secretary and editor of the society’s newsletter, “Nuntius.”
Upon its return to campus, the chapter initiated
four new members: Dorsett, Darby, senior Robyn Shope of Bartonville and
freshman Ashleigh Tweed of Monmouth. Fannucce, the chapter prytanis
(president), conducted the ceremony, which was held March 15, coinciding
with the 2,045th anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar.
