Students don’t just learn about Classical antiquity here. Ours is an innovative program that sees your entrepreneurship and skills-building as part of your educational experience. Our opportunities help you develop “real-life” skills, build your résumé, and form social and professional networks that foster your post-College transition to the workplace or higher education.
Develop programming and events at Beloit; learn how to manage an annual budget and estimate costs; learn how to manage College resources; for the national organization: present your Classics research to a professional audience; engage in nationwide competitions; develop a network of other undergraduates from across the country; fund summer and post-graduate educational opportunities.
Deepen your understanding of contemporary issues in the discipline; develop your research, writing, and editing skills; work collaboratively with your Professor and learn how academic research and writing gets done.
Learn how to develop College-level course materials; learn how to set learning outcomes and assessments; learn strategies for managing a classroom; assist your peers in developing and honing their research skills; learn how to cope with uncertainty and work independently.
Develop a compelling project proposal; set independent timelines for project goals and benchmarks; learn how to condense a research project or study abroad experience and communicate it effectively to a non-expert audience; prepare audio-visual materials for presentation; learn how to engage a non-expert audience and field questions as a public speaker.
Develop your ability to articulate to a diverse audience what the discipline is, what skills you are learning, your post-graduation and/or College educational trajectory, and compelling rationales for taking Classics courses at Beloit; devise marketing campaigns and/or materials for the Classics department (including drawing up itemized budgets for material costs); lay the groundwork for serving as a mentor to students when they come to Beloit.
Develop independent goal-setting and project planning; approach your major/minor from a professional and cultural perspective outside Beloit; develop personal resilience in the face of challenges and emotional discomfort; develop a wider network of professional and undergraduate contacts.
Eta Sigma Phi is a national academic honor society which recognizes undergraduate students with high achievement in Latin and/or Ancient Greek language courses.
The national organization sponsors: scholarships for travel and teacher training; translation contests at the intermediate and advanced level in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Koine; a yearly conference, where undergraduate Classicists can network and discuss their research with their peers and faculty from other institutions; and annual panels at the Society for Classical Studies (SCS) meeting and the Classical Association of the Middle, West, and South (CAMWS) meeting (locations for these events vary by year). Membership in the organization grants you access to these exciting opportunities for celebrating and furthering your work in this discipline!
The Beloit chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, Epsilon Tau, initiates new members at the start of every semester. New members must have achieved a B+ or higher in an advanced Greek or Latin class, and they are strongly encouraged to maintain their academic performance in the ancient languages while at Beloit.
We host various gatherings for our members, including museum trips to Madison and Chicago, trips to see performances of ancient drama, “bad Classics film night,” and the occasional bowling outing!
To inquire about joining or to propose an event, contact our current “Prytanis” (president), Robert Heckner (hecknerrj@beloit.edu).
Awards
The following three awards are granted annually by the Classics Department. Recipients of these awards are recognized at the annual Honors’ Day celebration.
Awarded for excellence in special work by a classics major. This prize was first established in 1901 by Mr. White, an 1853 alumnus. It was endowed in 1922 by his daughter, Amelia Elizabeth White, in memory of her father, who was editor of the New York Evening Post. He died in 1916.
Recognizes student excellence in Latin courses (student need not be a major). This prize was established by the family of Professor Porter, who taught Latin and mathematics for more than 50 years, from 1853 to 1906.
Recognizes student excellence in Ancient Greek courses (student need not be a major). This prize was established by the students, colleagues, and friends of Professor Robson, who taught Greek, Latin, and film studies courses for more than 40 years, from 1966 to 2009.