Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Aeschylus’ Oresteia, Sophocles’ Antigone, Plato’s Apology.
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Written thousands of years ago, these books have survived wars, calamities and upheavals to be regarded as some of the most significant classical books of all time. Their importance is such that studying them is required of all students enrolled in the University’s undergraduate honors program.
“We study the Greeks because there are so many connections to the modern world,” says Joanna Semanske, administrator of the Great Books Program in the Classical Studies Department. “It strikes me how everything comes full circle; the problems we are having now are similar to the concerns people had then.”
With a large number of students taking the class, Semanske has her hands full coordinating teaching schedules and working with the professor, students and staff. Lectures have to be given in the largest auditorium the University has in the Modern Languages Building, and the class breaks out into more than 20 discussion sections led by staff members who are lecturers and graduate student instructors.
Semanske is present at almost all of the lectures. “It’s the best time for me to connect with the staff,” she says. Originally a fan of modern literature, attending the lectures has given Semanske great appreciation for classical books and also has piqued her interest in the antiquities.
“I just visited Turkey last November, where I saw Troy and Ephesus. It was very interesting to see these places because I’m involved in this subject matter. Turkey is unbelievable in the number of religions and empires that had been present in its history,” Semanske says.
Hiking up and down the ruins of ancient cities was no problem for Semanske, who also is part of a local hiking group called the Mountain Mamas. “We got the name when we started going to the Smokey Mountains and we’ve been there 12 times since. We’re women my age, we love to hike and walk and do things together,” Semanske says.
“While we’ve been hiking locally on Wednesday afternoons for over 20 years, we’ve started longer trips as our children grew up and we didn’t have as many responsibilities. We’ve hiked in England and Italy. This year we’re doing Luberon in Provence, France.”
Semanske enjoys spending time with the Mountain Mamas and the people she works with for the same reason. “The staff who teach the discussion sections are so unbelievably bright, well traveled and hopeful—they’re very easy to talk with. With the Mamas, it’s a lot of fun being with people who know a lot about writing, music and art. We share a lot of knowledge and interests.”
Getting to stay in a castle in France on their next trip is an added bonus. “We may hike 8 to 10 hours a day, but we also like our comforts.”
