A Post

Well, I've begun my second semester at Notre Dame, and I am also in the second play of my ND dramatic career. It is A Man for All Seasons by Robert Bolt. I am playing Cromwell, the main villain (although Richard Rich is perhaps more memorable). The show is being produced by the Orestes Brownson Council for Catholicism and American Politics, of which I am not (yet) a member. The cast consists of individuals with experience ranging from none to medium-high. I must say that I am certain how this will affect the show, whether it will render it moderately Blame or not really matter. It will be performed on April 26-28, A. D. 2007 at the Lab Theater of Washington Hall.

I am currently somewhat under the weather, a situation which I do not enjoy. I am also both bored and LOed.

I had a fairly enjoyable night yesterday, playing board games with some people in Knott Hall, several of whose acquaintances I had made in the past. (Also, one of them is in AMfAS with me.) We played an overwhelmingly complicated variant of RISK called Godstorm. Each player has at his disposal a pagan pantheon (Babylonian, Egyptian, Greek, Celtic or Norse). Other than that, I will not attempt to explain the convoluted and interminable rules of the game. I came to the conclusion that I prefer regular RISK.

I have 5 or 6 classes, depending on whether P. E. is counted as a class (although it gives me 0.00 hours of credit).
1. Logic
2. First Year Composition
3. Reading and Writing Latin Prose
4. Beginning Greek II
5. Genetics, Evolution, and Society
6. Physical Education
1. Logic is somewhat interesting, although one can definitely understand why it is a Math class. Taught by a graduate student, who is rather humorous, as well as lefthanded.
2. FYC is, I am sure, going to be useful, but really: does it have to be so demanding and boring?
I guess I can understand demanding, but I just don't have much interest in the American dream, which is what the class is about. Ah well, I think I'll live through it.
3. Reading and Writing Latin Prose is my favorite class this semester. We are reading the Pro Archia Poeta Oratio of Tully, and it is interesting, mainly because of the information about Latin we receive from our knowledgeable and interesting professor, David Ladouceur. (For instance due to Prof. Ladouceur's interests in ancient medicine and Egyptian hieroglyphs, we have been treated to discussions of the xyphoid process or gladiolus, as well as an explanation of the various voices of Ancient Egyptian.) We are also using an book originally published in the 19th century called Bradley's Arnold Latin Prose Composition. It is extremely informative and actually pretty interesting for a grammar. Go Classics!
4. Greek is even more boring than last semester, but I think that is mainly because we are focusing on a certain class of verbs called -mi verbs. Apparently both our textbook, Athenaze, and Prof. Baron think that we have to learn 5 very similar verbs separately before we understand or are able to use them. We are going to be learning the subjunctive this week, which (I hope) will not mean simply more extremely boring (and I do mean extremely) exercises. I can't wait until we actually start reading Real-greek, which we are supposedly doing this semester (specifically Xenophon's Anabasis).
5. Genetics will presumably become more interesting once we leave what amounts to review behind. So far we have covered basics such as cell structure, mitosis, meiosis, and Mendel's basic discoveries and laws. The teacher, Dr. Harvey Bender (for whom a Cherry Coke is a big bet) constantly says "in this case," by which he does not mean to infer the subjectivity of all reality, but whenever he does say it I am reminding of such a Weltanschauung.
6. P. E. is Volleyball this rotation, and I find it fairly enjoyable, probably about as much as Racquetball last semester. I am going to be doing Contemporary Topics after this, which will be both boring and (I think) demanding, ergo something like FYC.

I am still working at the South Dining Hall, doing pretty much the same things as last semester: Kitchen Prep, Pizza, Dishline, and Grab 'n' Go. Pizza is cool because it includes the delivery of Family Ties, food, etc. (especially cakes and enormous cookies) which people (usually parents/families) cause to be made for and delivered to students at Notre Dame. Kitchen Prep is also fairly interesting.

For me, true friendship is hard to find. I have hopes that both AMfAS and the Classics Department will yield some results in this connection. I wonder how much I need to do to form friendships. In the previous segments of my life, I have basically fallen into friendships (whether close or not), sort of like falling in love, I guess you could say. The circumstances of my life have formed and maintained (to a certain extent) my relationships up till now. How does one effect this sort of change of attitude, when one is flung into a completly new set of individuals? Ah well, I still have something like 3 1/2 years to make friends, and I think at least some seeds have already been planted. (At least I like to believe that they have.)

Ceteris paribus, I miss my friends from home. Why was it fated that I should attend Notre Dame while everyone else I know should not? It would have been wonderful if at least one of my friends had been able to and/or really wanted to come here. But all this is proverbial spilt milk. The present is a different story.

I have much to look forward to, and much to look back on. Each is a solace in this period of my existence.

Vita, dulcedo, spes.

I'm sorry I haven't posted for so long. A lot has happened, of course, over the last month or so. We performed the Importance of Being Earnest twice, which was a wonderful thing. However, its being over is not a wonderful thing. I wish I knew a specific quote in any language about summer (specifically) being fleeting, or some such word. There must be one somewhere. However, we performed, and later that week we went to see Door Shakespeare do the same play. It was interesting to discover that we were actually better than them, whereas I (at least) had expected them to be superior to us. They were, in fact, ludicrously bad. The parts I laughed the most were the parts where they did the worst, the parts where they unexpectedly departed from our edition of the play, and some of the parts we cut or were not in our version.

Then I left for Notre Dame.

Yes, I miss you all. I am so glad you still wish to speak with me. (I am also glad I have a cell phone.) There is no question that there is a part of my soul which is actually heartbroken. (Perhaps that part of my soul could be called my heart.) But I am also quite happy on another level. My classes (the three I have taken so far) were quite informative, enjoyable, and interesting. My physics professor is English; that is cool beyond words (practically).

I got into the Glee Club, but I am not sure that I will actually join. It requires a large time commitment and also a fair-sized financial one. I think I might prefer not to be in it, even though it is so prestigious, etc. For anybody who doesn't know, the Notre Dame Glee Club is a prestigious all-male choir at Notre Dame; in fact not only is it prestigious, but it is also world-famous. It performs all over the place.

My RA said I might be able to get football tickets even though myh financial situation does not permit my buying the normal student season ticket package. That was cool to hear, since I really would like to go to the games. (I would also like to see some soccer games if I can.)

I have already had two Classics classes. They were both cool, but I liked my Literature seminar about Troy better. The teacher has been at Notre Dame 17 years longer than the Greek one, (i. e. the Greek professor is new) and seems not only more experienced, but also more knowledgeable and more confident. She also seems to like Classics more, although I do not know if this is actually the case.

There is a man called George in 3 of my classes (or perhaps more). He know Modern Greek fluently, which is cool beyond words (practically). He, too, plans to major in Classics.

I wish some of you would call me sometimes. I really enjoy talking to anyone in my home area. If you don't know my cell phone number, Gwendolen does. (If you don't know who Gwendolen is, she is my sister, my elder sister.)

Well, I have other things to do.

One last note: I am eating all my meals in a really cool building called the South Dining Hall. It practically looks like Hogwarts. (I have heard that Hogwarts' design in the films of HP is based on the South Dining Hall, but I don't know about that; they say the person who designed the films is from Notre Dame, but I think it might be more that they are both based on the same concept.)

I love you all, my friends.
I miss you.
I hope to see you soon.

P. Vergilius Maro.

P. S. If any of you ever came and visited me, that would be excessively Dude. Maybe you could come for Actors from the London Stage's performance of Hamlet. For more information go to http://www.nd.edu/~ftt/theatreevents.shtml
Also, maybe I could show you the coolest floor of the library: the 9th. It is excessively Dude as well.

The Importance of Being Earnest

I am involved in a production of The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. I am Algernon Moncrieff, a wicked, over-educated man who likes to eat English muffins. I am satisfied with this role beyond my capacity to say how much. I am naturally the funniest character in the play. Actually, I am not sure that is quite true, but I've got to keep my facade intact. You may ask what facade I am referring to. Until I am sure myself, I will not even attempt to tell you. I think what I mean by my facade is Algernon's personality.

The reality of the fact that I am going to attend a prestigious university in Indiana is beginning to dawn on me more and more. There is some sadness involved in this. I could not in any way be described as ecstatic. I suppose you could call me vaguely enthusiastic, but that is all. It will certainly not be excessively pleasant to forsake all my friends and family for the sake of an excellent education. I hope it will be worth it.

I am going to major in Classics, which is definitely a good thing. Perhaps I can translate Ovid's poems which he wrote in exile. Not that I really consider what I am undergoing an exile (at least not completely).

I hope to study abroad. I would really like to go to Oxford. That would be not only marvelous, but also exquisite and wonderful. Words fail me.

I await with anxious anticipation tonight's rehearsal of TIOBE. I think it will be a good one.

"A girl with no talents, no money, no beauty, and no class."--Jane Eyre: A Musical Drama
"It's seven o'clock in the morning."--ibid.

Maud

I began reading "Maud" by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. It didn't seem very Tennysonian, but then I am not specifically a Tennyson aficionado. It was also quite hard to read, due to the fact that I was reading it in very small type in an oldish book lent to me for that very short period of time by a certain one of my friends, who actually is herself a Tennyson aficionado.

It was quite negative and well, Sad, in tone.

I prefer the Aeneid, read in Latin.

Conticuere Omnes: The Beginning

My dear people:
This is the beginning of a blog of utmost proportions.
Its title, "Conticuere omnes," consists of the first two words of the second book of the Aeneid. It means, "They all fell silent together." It refers to all the Trojans and Carthaginians who were present when Dido invited Aeneas to tell the story of the fall of his city, Ilium (also known as Troy). I do not propose to tell the story of the fall of Troy, the Trojan Horse, Laocoon, or anything else exactly of that nature. Nor do I propose to force you all to fall silent together. I would, of course, like your comments (hopefully with as good grammar and spelling as my posts) to appear on my newly-founded weblog.

It (i.e. my blog) will indeed have a somewhat Classical/Roman/Greek orientation (perhaps even some Sanskrit will be involved). But since most of you are not classicists, I do not require anything of the sort. In fact I require nothing but your good will, and perhaps not even that.

I thank you for your friendship, love, camaraderie, and all-encompassing Dudeness. Pray continue to be as you are, no matter what (or who) happens.

Publius Vergilius Maro
Classicist, Author, Dramatist, Actor, Poet, Blogger, Friend, etc.