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February 21, 1992 Classics Department comes under review Five perspectives from around campus To: Board of Trustees, William Rogers, Dan Poteet, Kathy Adams, et. al. From: English Department Date: January 30,1992 We understand that at the retirement of Ann Deagon there is an intention to termi nate study of the Greek and Latin languages and of ancient mythology at Guilford. Of course the English Department is con cerned about the loss. And of course the ordinary—though not less valid for that — arguments for retention spring to mind. They are what everybody would say: Ancient Greece and Rome asked almost every ques tion and started almost every study that led to western culture. Philosophy, art, litera ture, history, politics, jurisprudence, sci ence, mathematics, all have their founda tions in Greece and Rome. Guilford now intends to let pass from the campus direct access to the sources of most of these. We have translations which can be incorporated into the programs of other de partments, it will be said. We can do without the kind of direct light that Ann brought to us. We can live in a dimmer light. And, of course, we can. At a greater cost than may at first appear. The outstanding students who study clas sical languages and mythology, including those for whom the study of Latin is all but mandatory for law and medical school prepa ration, will bypass Guilford. True, there are not many of them, but those students are the salt in our bread. "But if we have lost the savor of this salt.." In the catalogs of the better colleges the distribution of majors is always noted. To: Dick Morton and the English Depart ment From: Dottie Borei, for the Clerk's Com mittee Date: February 6,1992 Having just read the memo concerning the classics program at Guilford, I would like to give my explanation of the current situation. Last year the Cleric's Committee recom mended that classics be merged into the philosophy department (which regularly offers classical thought) precisely to retain What do you think the fate of the Classics Department should be? " v fcr I i £ Guilford's listings show that we graduate more business majors and administration of justice (now, "Justice and Policy") majors than anything else. Still, there was in the listings the presence of ancient connections that signaled the spe cial light Guilford brought to these things. That will be lost. "We need the money elsewhere, we have other lights, we can tolerate this dimming." The English Department cannot concur, nor can it believe that others really wish this. With the loss of classi cal languages and the loss of the study of classical mythology, which have been taught here for more than a cen tury, there will come a radical change in the character of the school. It is sad enough that we must lose Ann's presence and Ann's teach ing, which have been for many students the golden bough that gained safe passage through modern flatness and confusion. Something of our ideals go with her. How can we think of not renewing them? classics at Guilford. Because both the phi losophy and classics departments disliked thatrecommendation and a number of people voiced concern in the September faculty meeting, the Clerk's Committee has asked the Curriculum Committee to review both programs. The classics and philosophy positions will be held open until the completion of such a review. As far as I know, there is no "inten tion to terminate study of the Greek and Latin languages and of ancient mythology at Guilford." I think it's a shame—the classics are important, more than as a language experience. For ex ample, in a Latin class, students learn about the origination of people, language; as opposed to French, the classics are a better learning experience. Vanilla Mitchell f DISCUSSION FORUM: Classics Dept. With the retirement of Ann Deagon, the fate of the Classics Department at Guilford has be come an issue of vital impor tance to students and faculty. A debate has begun over the im portance of Greek and Latin studies in the curriculum. ®J |PW Richard A. Ford Guest Writer n 'on January 30, the English Department circulated a memorandum to the trustees as well as a number of members of this com munity concerning the Classics Department There was strong support for the continua tion of Classics as a department at Guilford and acknowledgement of the importance of Ann Deagon's work in educating students have been that Greece and Rome contributed and enriched these disciplines, however it is inaccurate to say that these disciplines all had their foun dation in Greece and Rome. A number of Instead, we are trying to find ways to integrate classics into the departments (such as history and philosophy) while we wait for the review. As we proceed with institutional restructuring, it seems wise to go slowly and carefully in making any appointment. If we arc unwise, the faculty already at the college will suffer severe financial loss. I hope the English Department will sup port the Clerk's Committee's decision and help us find creative ways to strengthen the classics program in the interim. If students show a significant FBF 7 interest in the classics, it should r* remain an area of the English civilizations before Greece and Rome had developed philosophy, politics, science, his tory, mathematics, jurisprudence, the arts, etc., including the Phoenicians, the Egyp tians as well as others. During the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. teach-in a group of students from the His tory Club of A & T State University pre sented a program on Afro-Centric History and its importance to today's students. In their discussion they made a number of excellent observations concerning the in tentional exclusion of Africa and its influ ence and contributions to Western civiliza tion. If we were to look at the historical record more closely it would be clear that Africa indeed contributed significanUy to all of the disciplines listed in the English Department memo. One of the frustrations of many Af rican-Americans is in the proported begin ning of knowledge from a Eurocentric base and ignoring the contribuuons that Africans have made to modern civilization. I write this memo in the hope that wc at Guilford College can be more accurate in our assessment of History. I again applaud the efforts in maintaining the Classics De partment here. In addition, I would encour age us to support academic courses which emphasize the African contributions to civi lization as well as those of the Greeks and Romans. Richard Ford is Associate Dean of Students over the years. I would concur with the assess ment that Clas sics is an impor tant department and should be strongly consid ered worthy of continuing. In the memorandum's second paragraph there was refer ence to a number of disciplines having their ori gins or founda tions in Greece and Rome. A more accurate statement would Further view points from Ri chard Kan and Rudy on page 5 THE GUILFORDIAN Photos by Joan Malloch Understanding hubris and other concepts we inherited from our predecessors can be a valuable addition to our lives. Study in the classics can help us not repeat mistakes of the past and provide positive ex amples we can adopt. In fine, study of the classics can enrich us all. Let us not lay aside such a rich resource. F. Tom Clark 3
The Guilfordian (Greensboro, N.C.)
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Feb. 21, 1992, edition 1
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