Kendall Smith

Gateway to University Honors 007

Passion Reflection
What?

For many years now, I have been incredibly passionate about classics. I am a classics major, so
naturally I am very interested in all things classically oriented. The classics can include many
topics, such as anthropology, archaeology, mythology, and linguistics. I think all of these things
are fascinating, but the one I am most interested in is linguistics. Classical languages are Attic
Greek and Latin, two dead languages from which we derive many English words, and from
which some other languages were derived, such as Spanish or modern Greek. Some other
important topics covered when learning Classics are culture or anthropology. Classical culture
refers to how the ancient Greeks, Romans, and other peoples in existence during that time period
lived: how they governed themselves, provided for the family, organized their economy, utilized
architecture, and more. Anthropology is the study of people, and it is often associated with
Classics because some of the earliest written documents and written language we study today tell
us a great deal about the history of humanity. Classics is a broad field and classicists can study
many things, but the field of study encompasses primarily Greek and Roman life.

So What?

Classics may seem like an unimportant field to many people, because they assume that learning
dead languages is not useful today, or that observing old architecture is not worth the time, but
this has been proven wrong by many classicists. Learning Greek or Latin is an incredibly
beneficial skill to have. I am studying Latin for my fifth year and Greek for my third and I can
attest to the fact that knowing these languages is actually very helpful in learning modern
languages. Latin, in particular, is the parent language of modern romance languages: Italian,
Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Romanian. Although I have never taken a formal Spanish or
Italian class, I am teaching myself them outside of class, and it has been relatively easy for me to
grasp them, since they are structured similarly to Latin. So studying Classics can be a gateway to
easily studying modern languages. Classics also became a passion of mine after I learned just
how much of the society we know today was shaped by antiquated politics. We can thank the
Ancient Greeks for ideas of democracy, and the Romans for formation of a republic. We owe a
great deal to these fascinating peoples and I think studying the past is crucial in order to make
progress as a society. We get many mathematical, scientific, and philosophical principles from
ancient scholars as well. Studying Classics ensures that we continue to correctly pass on these
ideas.

Now What? There is so much I still want to learn about the Classics, since I have mostly focused on the
linguistic aspect thus far in my education. I want to learn more mythology and archaeology.
There are sometimes opportunities to study abroad in Greece or Italy at archaeological dig sites
or touring sites where we have confirmed ancient people once roamed. I am determined to use
my knowledge of the Classics to encourage others to study some aspect of them to enrich their
own educations, and I hope to use my opportunities in college to spread the importance of my
passion in as many ways as possible.