It is with great consternation that I discovered that Faculty Dean
Adam Jaffe has put forward the motion to discontinue the teaching of
Ancient Greek language and to dissolve the Department of Classical
Studies. For the Dean to put forward this proposition he must
assume certain fallacies about the contemporary significance and
cultural depth of Greek. What the Dean does not realize is that eliminating the study of the
language single-handedly destroys the study of the literature, the
history, and the culture of Ancient Greece at Brandeis. Language is
the key to the study and research of a culture. Students who desire
to pursue deeper understanding of the texts will be confined to the
superficiality of translations. Should they not have the option of
pursuing intellectual study to the depth they wish? How is it possible
that the removal of advanced study in the Classics will benefit the
Brandeis community in any way at all?

The central argument of detractors of Classics is that they are
unpopular with students, that Greek and Latin are unimportant
compared to more practical studies such as economics or law.
Nothing could be further from the truth. Greek and Latin are the
study of humanity, intellectual cornerstones that inform and enrich
any field of study. The Greek language is significant in and of itself: it
illuminates and increases the comprehension of the English
language, which shares its roots with Latin, Germanic and French.
The deeper understanding of English through the study of the
classics can only aid a student. The rigors of Greek and Latin teach
the student to enjoy and love learning for its own sake; no other
subject better conveys the joys and essence of study. The study of
Ancient Greek and Latin fosters and nurtures this philomathean urge
that, once obtained, can be applied to myriad pursuits. Greek and
Latin illuminate an ancient culture that has continued for the last two
thousand years to have a significant lasting impact on the literature,
art, and culture of the Western World. To become acquainted with
the Classics is to glimpse a traditional world that lives beneath the
surface of the contemporary. To study the Classics is to observe the
ancient world that still lives within the modern, and this fruit bears
fulfillment, wisdom, and understanding.

The Classics department at Brandeis is a caring, nurturing, and
attentive one. It is a department fueled by passion; more importantly,
it is a department that changes the lives of students. As a student
who majored in Greek and wrote an undergraduate thesis with
Professor Leonard Muellner, I cannot emphasize enough the
academic excellence, the positive interaction and the genuine
affection that Leonard, Anne, Cheryl and Patricia share with their
students. The loss of such a department to the University would be
the loss of the beating heart of a Liberal Arts education. Universities
were founded with the express purpose of studying the Classics -
how can we call ourselves a liberal arts university without the very
soul upon which such institutions were founded?

I am aghast that the Dean of Faculty would deny future students the
wonderful experience of Greek Language and Literature. The motto
of our University, "Truth even unto its innermost parts," is a lofty and
noble goal. It implies a keen devotion to profound study and
contemplation of its particular significance. To eliminate Greek is to
eliminate the careful study of an ancient culture that resonates to this
very day. To remove Greek from the curriculum is not only to betray
our artistic, scientific, and humanistic heritage, but it is also to betray
our intellectual mission.

-Sean Signore class of '02