Comments on: Quote of the week

By: Kirk

Kirk — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:12:22 +0000

Two years of Latin in high school — best investment of time the entire four years. Continues to pay dividends to this day, nearly 30 years after the fact. Of course, we’re too smart to teach our kids latin these days.

By: Tatyana

Tatyana — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:21:01 +0000

oh, that’s why I’m such a model of arrested development! Now you know.

By: Guy S

Guy S — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 04:46:37 +0000

signed up for Latin 101 going into my freshman year of high school. Sadly, only 2 others signed up for it and the class was canceled. They never offered it again (to the best of my knowledge). And I am the poorer for it.

By: McGehee

McGehee — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 02:31:17 +0000

Nine weeks in the seventh grade. Certe, puer. Um. And dinero. I think. No wait, that's cogito, not dinero. Hmmm.

By: sya

sya — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 01:41:40 +0000

I wouldn’t argue about Latin enriching the vocabulary, but for the one year I took it during high school, I was bored out of my mind. Maybe the class was being taught too slowly. As for discipline, I think learning how to play musical instruments contributed more than any language class. I’ve never taken a multicultural studies course, but I really doubt the whole subject is as worthless as he makes it out to be. Whether or not the class itself (of whatever topic) is worthless depends on who’s teaching it.

By: Lisa Paul

Lisa Paul — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 19:24:17 +0000

I’d have to agree with the Latin part (3 years from Jr. High to High School). I couldn’t for the life of me pick up a copy of the Aenid and read it by now, but the discipline has stayed with me. Also the ability to figure out a word from its Latin root.

I would disagree somewhat with the ethnic studies, women’s studies, African American studies part. It’s nice to have proof for students that Dead White Men aren’t the only ones who ever said, did or created anything.

I guess I just don’t see them as mutually exclusive. Make Latin a requirement and offer the “studies” as an elective — an extra class IN ADDITION to your core studies.