Classics Newsletter

Classics Spring/SummerSpring/Summer 2011 2012 News Plurimi Magnis cum Honoribus In this issue... Convocation 2012 Classics together with Religious Studies part: “From the beginning of his stud- Plurimi Magnis reached the heights at the King’s College ies, Gavin grasped that serious work in cum Honoribus Encaenia and Dalhousie’s Spring Convo- the humanities and religion requires deep cation this year. Seventeen new Bachelors and accurate study of languages: both the ancient ones which preserve revelation Viatores: of Arts received degrees with Honours in Religious Studies or Classics (one of and the development of theology and Chairman’s Message them combined both). Twelve of these doctrine, and the languages of modern were first class magnis( cum honoribus is the scholarship. What makes Gavin outstand- A Celebration of term used on Dalhousie parchments—not ing is that in his classes on religion, theol- Robert Crouse summa cum laude). This is both the largest ogy, and philosophy, as well as in those on class of Honours, and the largest group Greek, French, and Italian, his work was Department News of First Class Honours graduates in the always in the first class, so that the careful history of the Department: Plurimi Magnis reading each required fed the other.” All University award cum Honoribus!!! admired how he combined hard scholas- recognizes Classics’ tic work with devoted leadership in the King’s Chapel of which he was a Warden Christopher Grundke The first graduation of students whose Religious Studies classes came wholly and where he gave long hours to out- from the new Programme administered reach, to administration, and to worship. Graduate Studies by Classics was celebrated by five Hon- Programme ours degrees, four of these First Class. Taking a Canada Graduate Scholarship Gavin Keachie, from Toronto, took First with him, Gavin goes off to graduate Student Profile: Class Honours in Religious Studies com- study at the University of Toronto where Luke Togni bined with French. Susan DeMont, from he will work on the figure of Melchize- Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia, received dek in the New Testament Epistle to the Simon & Riva Spatz Chair First Class Honours in Religious Studies Hebrews. Gavin has begun studying the in Jewish Studies and International Development Studies. Hebrew and Aramaic he will need to add Gerjan Altenburg received First Class to his other languages for this research. Pythian Games 2012 Honours in Religious Studies and Clas- sics. Rochelle Basen, from Toronto, took Classics graduated 13 new Bachelors of First Class Honours in Religious Studies Arts with honours. With seven students Alumni Profile: and Contemporary Studies. receiving degrees at King’s Encaenia and Ben Frenken six at Dalhousie’s Convocation, the class Gavin was Alumni Profile: awarded Kim Kierans both the University’s Alumni Profile: Medal in Patrick Graham Religious Studies and Alumnotes the King’s College Medal for the best First Class Hon- ours graduate in Arts and Sciences this Spring. The citation for Gavin’s King’s Medal King’s Encaenia 2012. L-R: Dr. Wayne Hankey, Dr. Peter O’Brien, Kevin Gaul, read in Andrei Mihailiuk, Shannon Ireland, Aaron Higgins-Brake, Dr Eli Diamond Plurimi Magnis cum Honoribus continued... was not only extraordinarily large, it was grateful to all three; it will be good to and Immunology made no mention of also outstandingly accomplished: 8 of the have them all together again in 2013-14. Classics, we want to claim him as one of 13 earned First Class Honours. Among us. Andrew entered King’s from Hills- those receiving First Class Honours was Gerjan Altenburg’s First Class Honours borough, New Brunswick, through the Elizabeth Montgomery, from Enfield, were in Classics as well as Religious Stud- Science section of the Foundation Year Nova Scotia, who received the first ever ies, with Arabic and Latin as languages. Programme. A first class performance in combined honours degree in Classics and Gerjan will begin a fully-funded MA both FYP and his Science classes drew Environment, Sustainability, and Society. programme in Religious Studies at Mc- him to continue both in the humanities Master in the Fall, his work centering on and in the natural sciences. In his second Aaron Higgins-Brake took First Class Buddhism. Gerjan comes from a farm in year, Dr Stewart’s class in “Ancient and Honours and the University Medal in Riverside, Nova Scotia, and this Summer Medieval Science” during the Fall term Classics. His plans for the summer include he will again be working for his father, led to Dr Hankey’s “Mediaeval Philoso- travel to France, Spain, and Italy with hoof trimming dairy cows around Nova phy from Arabic and Jewish Thinkers to his girlfriend, Kait. This Fall Aaron and Scotia. Aquinas” during the Winter Term. As- Kait will be moving to Korea, where they tonishingly, Andrew had the courage and will work as boarding assistants at the Andrei Mihailiuk from Lindsay, Ontario, desire to take Dr Hankey’s seminar on international school on Jeju Island. Aaron having achieved First Class Honours in Aquinas and Meister Eckhart in his third plans to return to Dalhousie for a MA in Classics and Contemporary Studies, will year where he achieved a stunning A+. As Classics in the Fall of 2013 working with begin graduate studies in Archaeology at a result, when Dr Kim Cameron estab- Dr Hankey. the University of British Columbia De- lished an award to encourage intellectuals partment of Classics in the Fall. Andrei’s who bridge the natural science - humani- Bruce Russell’s First Class Honours de- proposed research involves ‘reading’ Clas- ties divide, and two Classics professors gree went with being named an Academic sical Greek town planning, particularly the were given the privilege of choosing the All-Canadian. This is Bruce’s third time Hippodamean grid plan, to determine the first recipient, Andrew was the obvious receiving this athletic distinction. He and thinking behind the Greeks’ conception choice. As he goes on to a PhD at the Rachel McLay preceded Convocation with of the city and its influence on contempo- University of Ottawa, Andrew writes: their wedding on Saturday, May 12th at a rary ideas of urban space. His studies are “I don’t know that I would be nearly as small ceremony in Purcell’s Cove. Bruce’s being funded by UBC. confident an academic without having classmate Aaron Higgins-Brake served as taken your Classics courses, especially the Best Man. Bruce took the Chair’s Prize Shannon Higgins, from Halifax, with First Eckhart seminar, and I am glad to have at the Pythian Games with his original Class Honours in Early Modern Stud- been given the opportunity to move away Horatian ode in Latin, Cursores trepidis, and ies and Classics will be working both at from the microscopic world on occasion published a Latin prose composition, De home and in Cape Breton this summer as and learn something relatively unrelated.” Fato et Factis Troianorum, in Pseudo-Dionysius a research assistant on Biblical idioms in Kim Cameron is convinced that the fu- XIV (2012). In consequence it is no secular language with Dr Stephen Snobel- ture of humanity depends on overcoming surprise that he shared the coveted Nicole en at King’s. In September, she will begin the humanities-natural science divide. We Knox Memorial Award for the best a MA in the Department of History at claim Andrew as someone who will help undergraduate work in Greek and Latin. Dalhousie. Her thesis, to be supervised by build the bridge to the future. The other recipient of the Nicole Knox Dr Snobelen, will focus on the evolution was Kristan Newell from Arcadia Nova of the conception of God throughout Max (Zhicheng) Ma from Vancouver, a Scotia, who is doing combined Honours the Scientific Revolution, particularly with student member of the Dalhousie Univer- in Classics and English. I expect to be respect to astronomy and the shift from sity Board of Governors, took a tote bag writing about her First Class Honours geocentrism to heliocentrism. full of awards away from the Student Im- degree this time next year. Bruce will be pact Awards banquet this March, gained returning to the Department in Septem- Erik Tarbush from Guelph, Ontario, took as a result of four years of governance ber to begin a MA. He plans to work with a First Class Honours degree in Early centered student activity at King’s and Dr Eli Diamond and to write a thesis on Modern Studies and Classics and the Dalhousie. At Convocation Max achieved Aristotle’s Ethics. How shall we number University Medal in Early Modern Studies Honours in Early Modern Studies and his talents? at the King’s Classics. He will begin a JD at Queen’s Encaenia. Law School in September. He is adding Kevin Gaul received First Class Honours French to his languages this Summer. in Classics and History. Kevin is return- Andrew Wight ing next year to add Greek to his lan- was another Our thanks go to our Undergraduate guages with the hope of doing a Master’s First Class Advisors, Dr Christopher Austin (Reli- degree in the Department. He and his Honours gradu- gious Studies) and Dr Michael Fournier friends, Aaron and Bruce, are all from ate at the King’s (Classics) who played crucial roles in our Halifax and entered Classics from the Encaenia, graduates’ achievements. King’s Foundation Year Programme. They and, although shared the responsibilities of the senior his BSc in offices ofRes Publica, the undergraduate Microbiology Classics society, this year. We are most Andrew Wight Viatores The Chairman’s Message faculty member, and the mother of our Petronella (Nellie) Neish fell ill during our students.

Load more