Getting Ready to Re-Embark

It's so hard to believe that I'm moving back to Berkeley in less than three days! This summer has gone by too fast! So many amazing memories were made though. I landed an incredible summer job that taught me a lot about myself and what I want to do with my life. I met many inspiring people - young and old - who have given me hope for mankind in a world where it is easy to find reasons to doubt it. I taught myself how to knit and am now working on my third scarf! I was blessed with a wonderful church family and I found myself discovering and re-discovering many of the things that I have come to love about God. All in all, this has been a fabulous summer and as much as I love Berkeley, there will be so many things that I will miss about this place:

* Sharing morning coffee and great conversations with my mother before work

* Driving around in my reliable little Toyota pick-up - Nothing makes me feel more empowered than rocking  the stick-shift with the windows down and some music blaring :)

* Enlightening dinner table talks with my parents

* Late night chats with very old friends

* Having the freedom to watch inspiring films whenever I want

* Journaling in my favorite coffee shops

* Being surrounded by beautiful mountain ranges and fresh air

* Reading good stories and reading them at a more manageable pace than is often required of me at school

* My room, which I have poured a lot of heart and soul into over the years

* Our silly cat, who is quite the lover boy, and always greets me when I come home

* Taking time to root around in my favorite used book stores and thrift shops, and experiencing the thrill of finding new little treasures

So here's to summer, but also to fall. Autumn is my favorite season after all. I'm excited for all of the adventures that are just over the horizon! Also, thank you for all of the wonderful birthday wishes. I'll be honest, I usually dread my birthday every year, but my nineteenth was truly the best birthday that I have ever had. I was equally blessed by my family and old friends as well as new ones, and I have never felt more loved. Thank you for that. 

Move-in Day is on Sunday afternoon at AOII and there is so much to do before then! But I will try to write a few updates in the weeks to come. I hope that you all have a great rest of your summer :)

Sincerely,

Olivia

Classics: An Overview From Yours Truly

Welcome to your crash course on what it's like to be a Classics major! Just as I said in my last post, I have been asked more questions about Classics than about any other thing since I've been home. I'm going to do my best to hopefully put some of those questions to rest!

To start things off, I will refer to the Berkeley Classics Department's Mission Statement from their website:

The mission of the Department has four major components.

• To give students across the University access to the literature, history, archaeology, mythology and philosophy of the ancient Greek and Roman world through an array of undergraduate courses on classical culture in translation. These courses introduce students to texts, artefacts, and ideas that are worth studying both in their own right and as abidingly influential elements in the imagination and history of later cultures. Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective that takes account of both the differences and the continuities between contemporary and ancient cultures.
• To enable undergraduates to immerse themselves in the language and culture of ancient Greece and Rome through its majors in Greek, Latin, and Classical Civilizations. These majors equip students with knowledge and analytical skills that can be applied in many areas (e.g., law, politics, business, biosciences, computer science and media) as well as providing essential preparation for graduate study in Classics, Comparative Literature, Philosophy, and other fields.

I only included the first two out of the four components for my purposes, but they convey the gist of what I love about Classics - especially when it says - "Such study deepens students' understanding of present-day issues by inculcating a sense of historical perspective . . . etc." I love being able to study peoples and cultures that were thriving thousands of years ago and recognize many of their same characteristics, desires, and interests in myself. 

As it said in the opening statement, Classics has many different facets under the same department - literature, history, archaeology, mythology, and philosophy (I would also include language, architecture, and art history). That's one of the reasons why I love Classics so much - the diversity of the disciplines studied. The Classics department steals from many of the other departments on campus. This occurs because practically everything having to do with Ancient Greece and Rome are diverted into Classics. For example, nearly all archaeologists and archaeology classes belong to the department of Anthropology, except for Classical Archaeology which is separated out. The same is true for Art History - there is Art History and Classical Art History. I like to think of ourselves as being the bandits of the academic world for this reason.

Also, since Classics has so many different disciplines, people who are Classics majors decide to focus on a wide variety of topics within their major. I for one have chosen to focus on archaeology - "the study of human history and prehistory through the excavation of sites and the analysis of artifacts and other physical remains" - as opposed to art history or architecture, etc. My fondest memory of studying archaeology at Berkeley so far occurred during one of the lectures for my "Introduction to Roman Archaeology" course last semester. My professor wanted to show us some samples of pottery that were incredibly prevalent during the time of history that we were studying that week so he passed them up and down the rows while he talked. I remember holding that little shard of red pottery that was about half the size of my palm and immediately wondering who had made the pot or jar that it had originally been a part of. I wondered what the man's name was and whether or not he had had a family. I wondered what his favorite food had been and where he had grown up. To me, that man felt so real as I held that piece of pottery in my hand and thought about how his hands had touched that same piece over two thousand years ago. At that moment, I fell in love with archaeology. I mean, if I get that ecstatic while sitting in a classroom, I can't even imagine how glorious it will be to actually be in a foreign country, pulling things out of the ground that haven't been touched by humans for thousands of years. What a special endeavor to be a part of.

So there you have it. I think this answered many of the sorts of questions that I've been asked recently. If you have any more questions or may be interested in becoming a Classics major yourself, PLEASE ASK ME! I am more than happy to answer any inquires that you may have :).

Also, I'm moving back to Berkeley two weeks from today! Crazy right? This summer has gone by so fast, and I have enjoyed it immensely, but I'm also ready to get back to the place that has stolen a piece of my heart. It feels so great to be able to love both places, and that lets me know just how generously I've been blessed :). Here's to a new year and a new adventure! I'm ready for it. Bring it on.

Sincerely,

Olivia