DECEMBER 2010—15TH EDITION CLASSICS AT GUSTAVUS IN THIS ISSUE Will Freiert Retires Will Freiert Retires. 1 William K. Freiert’s retirement this spring One of his signature courses was the Myth News of Old Main . 2 marked the end of an era. Over the course and Meaning course, which enrolled 160 of 38 years, Will has enriched Gustavus with students and always had a wait list. Students The Class of 2010 . 4 his inspiring teaching, his rich vision for the who had anticipated a narrow focus on the Alumni on their liberal arts, and his leadership by example. genealogies of the Olympian gods soon Along with his wife, Patricia, and colleagues became fascinated by Will’s expansive vision Classics Major. 5 Stewart Flory and the late Marleen Flory, of myth as a way to understand the universe. Honors and Awards. 7 Will built a classics department that enjoys He broke the class up into six sections for national esteem. weekly discussion sessions so that students Current Classics Majors. 8 Will came to Gustavus in 1972, with could have an opportunity to engage News of our Alums. 9 B.A. and M.A. degrees from St. Louis more intimately with the material. A firm University and a Ph.D. from the University believer in active learning, Will regularly had News of the Faculty . 12 of Minnesota. Will was the sole classicist students in his Latin and Greek classes take Update on the Flory-Freiert at Gustavus at that point (though Greek turns at teaching their peers. When students and Latin had been taught by members of were unsure about what major to choose, Fellowship Fund . 16 the religion faculty at various points in the Will would tell them to “study what you Fashion Forward . 16 history of the College). But Will has never love.” Will gave his students the freedom to let disciplinary boundaries limit his interests. follow their interests, and the confidence to New Ways to Stay Abreast Wherever curious minds converge for a do so without knowing where they might with the Ancient World. 16 symposium of ideas, Will is present at the eventually lead. His inspirational teaching banquet, often as host. His appointment was recognized by Gustavus with the Edgar Apollonius’ Argonautica to the Hanson Peterson Chair of Liberal Carlson Teaching Award in 1986; four years (by Seán Easton). 17 Studies officially recognized Will’s lifelong later, the American Philological Association interest in the connections between the awarded him its Excellence in Teaching disciplines. Will has been responsible for Award. some of the most intellectually stimulating Will’s breadth of interests has also been events on campus. Just last year, a packed reflected in his scholarship. He has given auditorium listened spellbound as world- papers and written articles on a wide range renowned physicist Arthur Zajonc of topics: Platonism and classical myth in discussed his participation in the Mind contemporary American fiction, African and Life Conference hosted by the Dalai American woman writers, the classical Lama, in which five leading physicists influences on the famous contemporary discussed current thought in theoretical dancer Martha Graham, to name just a quantum physics in the context of Buddhist few. His articles appear in such journals philosophy. This is the kind of intellectual as Classical and Modern Literature and feast that Will has regularly put on for the International Journal of the Classical campus community. Tradition, which explore the legacy of Editor: Eric K. Dugdale Will’s innate curiosity is one of the classical thought and the intersections attributes that makes him a great teacher. between classics and other disciplines. His Layout: Andy Biedermann gustavus adolphus college | St. Peter, Minnesota | 1-800-GUSTAVUS | gustavus.edu scholarship shows a sustained interest in the Throughout his career, Will has continued countless committees and “blue ribbon” mythical treatment and literary afterlife of his professional development. He participated taskforces. In 2005 the College recognized Odysseus and Oedipus. Those who attended in NEH seminars on myth and contemporary these contributions by awarding him the this year’s Festival of Dionysus “got” the theory and criticism, and on Japanese Faculty Service Award. He has also served in-joke when the parodic figure of William philosophy. He did research at the American the profession tirelessly, including terms “Socrates” Freiert in the Clouds adaptation School of Classical Studies at Athens and as president of the Classical Association of exclaimed, “I was born on the day Odysseus at Harvard University as a visiting scholar. Minnesota and of the Minnesota Humanities sailed for Troy . I introduced Freud to He taught at Kansai Gaidai University in Council, and service on the executive board of Oedipus!” Certainly “Odysseus of the many 1992, then returned to Japan on a Fulbright the Minnesota Council of Teachers of Foreign ways” and Oedipus the truth-seeker are Lectureship in 1997, teaching in the Graduate Languages and as chair of the CAMWS kindred spirits to Will. Will not only speaks School of International Cultural Studies at Teaching Awards Committee. He has been Latin and Greek, Japanese and Italian, he Tohoku University. A lifelong learner, Will is invited to serve as the external reviewer of is also conversant in the languages of other increasingly interested in the potential role major classics departments across the country academic disciplines. His book on the for meditation in education; this semester he as well as consultant to the Minnesota celebrated sculptor Paul Granlund (Paul T. has been co-teaching a course on mindfulness Council on Quality Education. Despite his Granlund: Spirit of Bronze, Shape of Freedom, with Chaplain Brian Johnson. heavy commitments, Will is never too busy to 1991) is a powerful testimony to how a deep Will is a servant leader who puts the needs take time to converse. Students and college understanding of the liberal arts can bring of others above his own. He makes those presidents alike have valued his perspective meaning and pleasure to our interactions with around him shine. Those who attended his and sought him out for advice. Generations art. One reviewer described it as “an erudite retirement banquet were not surprised that of classics majors have enjoyed Will and Pat’s interpretation of Granlund’s art” offering in his remarks he deflected the attention onto warm hospitality and Greek culinary delights a “thoughtful literary and philosophical his family, colleagues, and friends. Will has over conversation that continued into the context.” Will’s appointment to the board no interest in the glory of office and little night. Knowing Will, we can look forward to of directors of the Minnesota Humanities tolerance for busy work; it is people and picking his brain and hearing his stories on Commission in 2004 is an indication not ideas that most interest him. But his sagacity, many future occasions. only of his stature in the academy but of his industry, and collaborative spirit are attributes visionary leadership. that have conspired to get him elected to News of Old Main The academic year began pede dextro with a in Rome at the time of Augustus. Dr. Boyd’s barbecue at the house of Yurie and Seán. That talk helped explain, among other things, they were able to welcome hordes of hungry why so many Roman patricians were given humanists to their home amidst decorating the same family names, and why adoption of the nursery for the arrival of their first-born adult men (e.g., Julius Caesar’s posthumous was remarkable. Yes, it is hard not to get adoption of his great-nephew Octavian) ahead of myself: babies trump lectures any was prevalent. In November, international day! In October, we celebrated the arrival film expert Martin Winkler (George Mason in the tenure process. Dr. Gamel also gave of Alexandra, the daughter of Stewart and University) came to campus on a visit a talk to the Theatre of Greece and Rome Ellie. And then in January, Emmet joined the organized by Mary McHugh. Mary’s tireless class in which she argued that in staging household of Seán and Yurie. Their winning work and organizational skills brought a modern productions of ancient drama there smiles add a whole new radiance to our record number of departments and programs are many other ways to be authentic to gatherings: certainly the cuteness quotient of together to sponsor the visit: Art and Art the original besides trying to recreate the the classical community in St. Peter is now History, Communication Studies, Curriculum original conditions of performance, as some sine pari. II, and English/Film Studies all participated! historicizers do. We also welcomed a number of visiting Over the course of his week-long stay, Dr. In January, Matt Panciera and Eric classicists into our midst over the course Winkler visited classes, met with students and Dugdale co-led a travel course titled Rome: of the year. In October, Anne Groton and faculty, and presented a rare Italian film of the City and its Legacy. The 21 students who her troupe of Latin students from St. Olaf Vergil’s Aeneid to Eta Sigma Phi. His main accompanied them came from a range of brought their traveling show to Gustavus. We lecture, The Last Days of Pompeii, delivered to majors. It was interesting to see their varying were treated to a hilarious performance of a large audience in Alumni Hall, analyzed how interests reflected in their journal entries: Plautus’s Aulularia, complete with Latin sing- Pompeii’s cataclysmic destruction has been a poem evoking the haunting splendor of along songs. It was the fourth performance portrayed in literature and film over the years. Roman ruins, a structural analysis of Roman in a single day, but they still had the vim to In the spring we had visits from three construction techniques, or discussion of bring down the house.