Meet Some of Our Students
Robert Landreaux
Classical philology major, Class of 2011
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"My high school offered both Latin and Greek. I started Latin my 8th grade year and Greek as a freshman. Ever since then I could not imagine continuing in college without two languages I absolutely love.
I chose to come to UD because of the rich Catholic environment, the comfortable size, wonderful classics department, and marvelous people."
Hometown New Orleans, Louisiana
Jesuit High School
Topics of Interest Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, Vergil's Aeneid, Cicero, Horace, Herodotus, Xenophon, Solon, etc...
Other Interests I play the guitar and the piano. I'm a freshman class representative. If I do not become a Classics professor someday, I aspire to be some combination of a barista, a ski-bum, a jazz-guitarist, and a cab-driver.
Kaitlyn Willy
History major, Greek concentration, Class of 2011
"I have been interested in language since I was a small child. I started learning Spanish at the age of five. In high school, I took four years of Spanish and one year of Latin, though I would have loved to take more. I have also studied some Welsh, but have retained very little of it. When looking at colleges, it really came down to UD and Benedictine in Atchison. I ended up choosing UD because of the strong academics and the core. I have since discovered that it was the best choice I could have made. I love UD because of the amazing academics and the wonderful people that you meet here."
Hometown Rolla, Missouri
Rolla Senior High School
Topics of Interest Historical Linguistics, Homer's epics, original church documents, anything written in ancient languages, etc. Primarily Latin, but I am quickly falling in love with Greek, even though it is the most difficult topic that I have ever studied.
Other Interests Calligraphy, Literature, American History, Language& I love to watch movies, especially old Vincent Price movies. It is my goal to learn how to speak and read Arabic. I am very fond of Edgar Allan Poe, but Tolkien is my favorite author (he was also a philologist).
Favorite Quotes
"Those who dream by day are cognizant of things that escape those who dream only by night." -E.A. Poe
"Literature is the most noble of professions. In fact, it is about the only one fit for a man. For my own part, there is no seducing me from the path." -E.A. Poe
Philip Carkhuff
Classics major (Latin), Class of 2011
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"I chose to be a Classics major because the way in which the Classical languages are constructed reveals a sharply accurate manner of thought. By making use of broad Classical grammar, the great authors can communicate with their readers on levels deeper than what simple vocabulary might allow."
Hometown Marietta, Georgia
Other Interests Baseball, sports writing, reading
Alexandra Weston
Classics major (Latin), Art History concentration, Class of 2011
“My older sister came to UD, and she found this place to be her second home. She met some of the kindest people, went on an incredible journey to Rome, studied with many brilliant professors, and became captain of Texas’ only Women’s Varsity Lacrosse team. So, when I went to look for universities, I wanted to have a similar experience. The problem was that no other school that I looked at had all these qualifications. So, I came to UD, took my first Greek and Latin class, and that was it, I couldn't leave this university or major. For the next three years I immersed myself in studying the languages, histories, philosophies, literatures, and arts.”
Hometown Houston, TX
John Foster Dulles High School
Other Interests horseback riding, figure skating, hiking through mountains, cross-stitching, and analyzing/studying art
Phillip Peacock
Classical Philology Major, Class of 2013
"I originally came to UD for the classics program. I knew this tradition was something relevant for the modern world and I believed firmly that UD was the university where I should begin my studies. In that regard I would recommend anyone at UD interested in classics should read The Age of Constantine the Great by Jakob Burckhardt."
Hometown Cedar Park, TX
Cedar Park High School
Topics of Interest Latin. Homer, Herodotus, Polybius, Livy, Tacitus, Eutropius and Jordanes.
My Thoughts My favorite books are The Lord of the Rings and the Bible. I do not spend hours more than I need to discussing the important issues - I believe in Chance and the human ability to sort all things out (including the recyclables.) What other sorts of unorthodox things do I do? Well they are many, from marching onto a soccer field in phalanx formation to listening to The Phantom of the Opera while reading Faust or the Nibelungenlied (that's two kinds of Romanticism right there.) And waking up at random hours of the morning to read the next chapter of the Aeneid. If I do not end up studying abroad in the future I shall be gone for a very long holiday indeed.
Other Interests Bringing back the Latin elegiac couplet. Spanish opera. European history in general. Learning Anglo-Saxon and Visigothic.
Recent Graduates
Carrie Knorr
Classics major, Class of 2010
"I chose UD classics without having any background in Latin or Greek, but I thought to myself "delenda Cathargo est", you know? I really think that phrase encapsulates everything I love about classics and how I handle translating."
Hometown Chicago, Illinois
Favorite Quote "This is Sparta!!" -300
Topics of Interest ancient history and linguistics, finding unique passages (like the catalogue of ships in the Iliad), and transhumance in ancient Samnium.
Other Interests I love all movies made before 1960, Battle Star Gallactica, swing dancing, Christian rock music, and bow hunting on my uncle's property.
Bill Farris
Classical Philology major, concentration in Music, Class of 2010
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Hometown Wichita Falls, TX
Notre Dame Catholic High School
"My high school Latin teacher encouraged me to study Latin in college, and she said UD has a Classics program, which it does."
Other Interests I did theatre a lot in high school. I also play music. I'm in Collegium Cantorum here at UD, and that is a lot of fun. I play bass guitar for musicals during the summer in my home town.
Kathleen Moore
Classics and Philosophy double major, Class of 2010
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Hometown Asheville, NC
Veritas Christian Academy
"How I chose UD: I went on the Latin in Rome trip in the summer of 2005. At the time, it was no more than a summer program. When I was there, I met Dr. Davies, Dr. Maurer, five graduates of 2005, and one current student. After spending three weeks with them, I knew that UD was the place with the kind of people I wanted to spend the next four years learning from and with. I arrived on campus the next fall and have been at home here ever since. UD is full of amazing people who honestly care about one another. When someone jokingly refers to something from Philosophy and the Ethical Life and the whole room laughs, you know you've found a home."
Favorite Maurer Quote As hard as it is to pick one, I think I'm going to go with "No country without a great poet is to be considered in the assembly of nations. This includes Switzerland. Chocolate and banks just aren't enough."
Favorite Quote "Quotation is a serviceable substitute for wit." -Oscar Wilde
Topic of Interest Well, Virgil is simply amazing to me. I could be biased because I have read The Aeneid more thoroughly than many other authors, though.
Other Interests I love playing volleyball and am playing intramural here at UD. I also really enjoy art/photography, music, and baking.
Mary Sexton
English, concentration in Latin, Class of 2009
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Hometown Fort Worth, TX
Nolan Catholic
"UD was a gift from God. No joke. In Rome I have seen two pieces of modern-day graffiti in Latin, which amaze me (DUX MEA LUX and USQUE AD FINEM). If you are Catholic and a Classicist you should read St. Thomas Aquinas' Eucharistic hymns in Latin--they are beautiful & will give you a deeper understanding of the Sacrament. "
Topic of Interest I like being able to follow Latin Mass and read prayers and things like St. Augustine's Confessions in Latin.
Other interests Italian, French, the saints, knitting, soccer, calligraphy.
Shelby Smith
Art History, concentration in Latin, Class of 2009
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"I wanted a small setting where I could get individual attention from my professors, and actually be taught by the professors, and not by a teaching assistant. The Rome program was also a big part of my decision to attend UD. The core curriculum was more flexible than at other universities, too. With the strong academics and small class sizes, you get a lot more out of the courses."
Hometown Houston, Texas
Carnegie Vanguard H.S.
Topic of interest Latin and classical mythology
Other interests Literature, singing, mostly (and then things like the mall or the movies when it's time to goof off).
Andrew Bach
Philosophy, concentration in Classics, Class of 2009
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Hometown Walton, KY
Covington Latin School
"I chose UD because of the unparalleled Core Curriculum as well as the excellent Classics department. The Rome semester was also a very important part of my decision. I am leaning towards majoring in Classics because I think that it helps one to think critically and to study broad subjects within one (i.e. translating philosophy, literature, history from the original Latin and Greek)."
Topic of interest "I'm only in my second Latin class at UD and have not yet taken any Greek, so I reckon I have to say Latin...? My favorite author, from my high school Latin, is Vergil."
Other interests Ultimate Frisbee, Intramural Football and Basketball, reading books outside of the Core--if there is time. Haha. Talking about random topics.
Timothy Dean
Classical philology major, concentrating in Math and Computer Science, Class of 2009
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Hometown Pella, Iowa
Homeschooled
"I chose UD for two reasons. It is full of delightfully weird people, and it has one of the best Classics departments in the country. With eleven years of Latin and five of Greek under my belt, I founder the latter very appealing; as a delightfully weird person myself, I appreciated the former."
Topic of interest Philology. The languages themselves are really amazing, as well as the worldviews behind them.
Other interests I've played piano for twelve years. I enjoy long-distance running, I adore Ultimate Frisbee, I study strategy for fun, and Tolkien has been my hero since I was seven years old. I find computers and math fascinating, and I hope to go to graduate school to study computer science.
Bernerd Schaefer
Classical Philology--Latin and Greek, Class of 2009
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Hometown Trophy Club, TX
Coram Deo Academy
"I chose UD and this major because their Classics program is rigorous in the classical languages. That --along with the Core, excellent professors, and (of course) good scholarships -- made UD an easy choice for me. "
Topics of Interest My primary interest in Classics lies in Classical Rhetoric and the Greco-Roman orators. However my horizons have been broadened by taking the classes I have in Classics: I could not help but fall in love with Latin poetry such as that of Propertius, or Greek philosophy such as Plato, and I look forward to falling in love with many other authors which I have never yet read.
Other Interests I am a self-employed programmer who builds database-driven web applications, and I cherish listening to Bach and playing his pieces on Classical Guitar.
David Ring
Classical Philology Major-Greek (with mad props to Advanced Latin ;) ), Class of 2008
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"I spent my first two years at St. John's College in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where my life was changed dramatically, then took a year off due to worsening health problems. For various reasons I chose to transfer after getting better, and UD always impressed me since highschool when they sent me "Latin in Rome" and "Shakespeare in Italy" brochures. The Core is pretty decent, the faculty is great, Rome is great, and the Classics and Philosophy faculty are particularly mirabile dictu. As to "why Classical Philology?", everyone has a long story for this, but the short version is that every sensible person knows that the best words and deeds happened in antiquity! My Rubicon-crossing was in 10th grade when I read the proem to the Aeneid in Latin II and realized the evil of translation and inferred that the same must be true of my beloved Lattimore's Homer. So I tried to teach myself Homeric Greek and continued with AP Vergil and Catullus/Horace and did dual enrollment with Cicero and Livy and the rest is history... Reading Plato's Meno in Greek as a Freshman, and Iliad XXIV as a Sophomore only solidified my conviction that everything went down hill after the 4th Century B.C. (One could even say "after Homer"). ;) "
Hometown Jacksonville, FL
Eunice Christian Private School (homeschool-private school)
Topics of Interest Classics is gargantuan and everything in it is vastly important and fascinating, but my specialization will almost certainly be in Ancient Philosophy and its medieval commentators, Homer, and perhaps Greek Tragedy (although oratory is hard not to fall in love with). I'd also like to be one of the Quixotic revivers of the study of Greek mathematics such as Euclid, Appolonius, Archimedes et alia.
Other Interests I play Blues and Rock n' Roll guitar. I love Bach, early music, Jazz, film, and the Great Books, to name just a few others.
Elizabeth Malone
Classical Philology (Latin) and English double major, Class of 2008
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"I attended Latin in Rome after my senior year of high school and was introduced to the world of the UD Classics program, with its professors like nowhere else. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend four years studying Classics here and an entire semester studying in Rome. In the larger picture, UD's Catholic character really appealed to me, and because it spans so many disciplines (including all of my favorite subjects), the core curriculum was also a big draw. I've always enjoyed languages, literature, and playing with words. An English and Classics combination gives me more experience and a stronger foundation in both areas - plus, I don't want to choose between them!"
Hometown Edgewood, New Mexico
Homeschooled/ISLAS
Topic of Interest Latin poetry and more Latin poetry (Virgil, Propertius, Horace...). Also, I first really learned English grammar through Latin, and Latin's relation to English and other languages has always interested me.
Other interests Latin reading group, Italian, reading books that aren't for class, travel, New Mexican food, surviving -- I mean savoring -- senior year. ;)