Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Dr. Holland offers two Classics independent research courses this semester: one on the Augustan Age, the other on Caesar and the Civil Wars. Originally not intending to take either, I decided to enroll for them after discovering I would not be taking Latin or Greek translation classes formally. Dr. Lavigne spent the past couple of days figuring how to find anyone with time to read Latin with me, and sent a very late e-mail this morning to the effect that he had failed. However, Dr. Holland caught me this afternoon and mentioned we could read certain important passages in the original Latin as we read Caesar.
I do love deviant old men. At one point during our discussion, Dr. Holland giggled: "Of course, I can't change the syllabus; the administration is more vigilant than they used to be..." Dr. Christiansen has offered his services as a guide o' Greek (Lucian and possibly Herodotus) pro bono. We will meet tomorrow morning at his sehr humongous office in the Philosophy building (he is Department Chair). I am a little anxious about the impression I will make, since I have not looked at Greek much over the break. But things should progress well enough after the first session or two.
MWF: Classes are at eleven and one. I have algebra in the morning with a pretty Turkish grad student. She admitted her English is not the greatest, but she seemed patient. She gave a review lecture on important properties after reading off the syllabus. I did well enough in algebra in high school and anticipate few problems, provided I attend class and do the homework assignments on occasion. At one Der Grair Bär teaches a class in English covering Northern myths and legends. I took an English fiction class sophomore year that used Freudian and Jungian theories of analysis. Dr. Grair encouraged interpreting the stories beyond those archetypal concepts, for which I am grateful. We needn't be exclusive.
TR: Tomorrow morning I begin at nine reading Greek with Dr. Christiansen for an hour. Afterward I am free until a twelve-thirty German grammar class, followed by a meeting with Dr. Holland concerning the course of our independent research.
Friday after classes I hope to purchase a replacement bike. I have three hundred dollars in-store credit, plus some additional funds from the tuition refund I received this afternoon. The money allows me to finalize grad school applications, pay rent, get the bike, and pay off other delinquent bills. Glorious.
[Lauree Frances Keith concluded this diatribe at 2:22 PM]