For the Love of Latin

In the heart of Pop Hall, Lawrenceville's Language Department stands as a cornerstone of the School’s academic excellence. In modern language courses, students gain cultural fluency alongside linguistic competence, but in our Classics classrooms, students don’t just master an ancient language but also develop analytical skills through translation and textual exploration. 

The Latin program in particular exemplifies this excellence: Students engage Ciceronian rhetoric with the same intellectual rigor they bring to Harkness discussions. They read Ovid's Metamorphoses not just for grammatical mastery but for insights into power, society, and human nature that remain relevant today. The skills they develop—precision in analysis, attention to textual detail, and systematic thinking—enhance their work across all subjects, from crafting arguments to approaching complex problems. Students can further expand their analytical skills through the Honors Latin Electives, where they undertake independent research projects. This commitment to supporting advanced and scholarly work extends beyond the classroom through opportunities like the Delmas Scholar Award in Classics, a grant provided by the school for summer studies in Greece or Rome.

Despite these strengths, our Language Department still has untapped potential. While Lawrenceville celebrates academic excellence through various scholar programs in core subjects—from our Hutchins Scholar Programs to the Heely and Merrill Scholar Programs—our language department, despite being a core academic requirement, lacks similar extracurricular programs where students can deepen their intellectual interests through independent academic inquiry. Even the Hutchins Institute for Social Justice, which isn't a core subject, has its own scholar track. For a school that emphasizes global citizenship and requires three years of language study from most students, this gap in recognition presents a clear opportunity: We have the chance to elevate our already strong program by lending language study the same institutional support we extend to other fundamental academic areas.

Indeed, the progression of Latin students at Lawrenceville exemplifies the kind of academic depth that deserves enhanced recognition. While students begin with essential grammar and vocabulary, they quickly advance to sophisticated textual analysis, which enriches the entire academic experience. In higher-level courses, discussions of Caesar's commentaries complement and deepen students' understanding of political theory. The study of Virgil's poetic techniques reinforces literary analysis skills developed in English courses. When classes examine Catullus's poetry or Cicero's speeches, students naturally draw connections to their interests in science, philosophy, or literature. These interdisciplinary connections, already strong in our everyday classroom experiences, could be even more powerful with formal institutional support and more opportunities for would-be language enthusiasts to discover a language that piques their interest.

As a Latin student, I have often heard students dismiss the language with a quick "Latin is dead" or "When will I ever use this?" I've watched many peers miss out on this transformative experience simply because they never got the chance to see what Latin truly offers. Walking past Pop Hall, I often wonder how many of my peers would have chosen differently if they could spend just one class period experiencing the electric discussions and "aha" moments that fill our Latin classroom.

The current system, which asks students to commit to a language pathway early in their Lawrenceville career, often simply by continuing the language they had studied in middle school, could benefit from the same flexibility we offer in other departments. Not all Lawrentians had access to languages like Chinese, Latin, or Ancient Greek before starting high school. Without allowing those students ample time to explore the academic opportunities that were once out of reach, Lawrenceville further perpetuates the inaccessibility of world language study.  Implementing a "shopping period" at the start of the II Form year would allow students to explore different languages before making their choice, giving new students firsthand experience of how different language courses uniquely teach skills in linguistics and understanding of culture. This “shopping period” would be an effective method of harnessing the untapped potential of the Language Department by promoting more academic exploration among students, which in turn emphasizes Lawrenceville’s larger goal of fostering deeper thinking in its students.   

Imagine a new II Former sitting in on a V-Form Latin class during this shopping period, watching older peers engage in sophisticated analysis of Catullus's poetry or debate ancient Roman political theory. They would see that Latin isn't merely about memorizing conjugations but about developing the kind of analytical thinking Lawrenceville values across its curriculum. Similarly, students exploring modern language courses would witness how these classes prepare them for global citizenship or life outside the language classroom.

Further investments could elevate our already-strong language programs. Reinstating languages such as Arabic and German would give students access to a wider range of world languages and cultures. A summer scholars program dedicated to language studies could expand beyond the Delmas Award, enabling students to pursue intensive language study and cultural immersion across multiple languages and places. 

As Lawrenceville continues to prepare students for leadership in an increasingly interconnected world, our language department has a vital role to play. The analytical precision developed in Latin courses and the cultural fluency gained in modern language classes are exactly the skills our school aims to cultivate. By implementing a shopping period and dedicating more acknowledgment and resources towards language programs, we can ensure more students benefit from these transformative educational experiences.

Most importantly, the cultural literacy and analytical rigor gained through the core study of language embody the very essence of Lawrenceville's mission: to inspire students who will contribute to a changing world. By strengthening our language department, we invest not just in better language education, but we will further  develop the kind of intellectually-curious, globally-minded, and analytically-skilled graduates that have always been Lawrenceville's greatest contribution to society.