Brand New and Already a Classic
After decades of being part of the Hispanic studies department,
classical studies is striking out on its own.
Faculty in the new Department of Classical Studies hope that the move will increase
awareness of Latin, Greek, and Greco-Roman culture studies on the Rice campus. “We
wanted to make classics more visible to students, major and nonmajor alike,” says
Hilary Mackie, chair of the new department. “The change also should give
us a clearer professional profile outside Rice.”
The department has three full-time professors: Mackie, who teaches courses on
Greek language and literature, mythology, and the epic; Scott McGill, who teaches
courses on Latin language and literature, the Roman epic, and the ancient novel;
and Harvey Yunis, who teaches courses on Greek language and literature, rhetoric,
and ancient political theory. There also are two lecturers: Kristine Wallace,
who teaches courses on Latin language and literature, Roman civilization, and
women in the ancient world, and Coulter George, who teaches courses on Greek
language and literature, Greek civilization, and linguistics. Michael Maas, an
associate history professor; Donald Morrison, a philosophy professor; and Caroline
Quenemoen, an assistant professor of art and art history, also will be involved
with and teach courses in the new department.
Mackie says the department also took the opportunity to redesign the classical
studies major by increasing the flexibility of the requirements. In the past,
students who majored in classical studies followed the traditional route of taking
nearly all Greek and Latin language courses. Now students will have the broader
option of taking either Greek and Latin language courses, courses in translation
on Greek and Roman civilization and their legacy, or any combination of the two
types of courses. “We wanted to make the major more flexible,” Mackie
says, “so that students could use their classical studies major to do different
things when they graduate.”
Mackie also hopes the change will encourage more students interested in classics
to study at Rice and increase the number of nonmajors who take Greek, Latin,
and classics courses.
—Ellen Chang
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