“Latin is the language I fell in love with,” Monmouth College hosts Illinois Classical Conference

Karli Strom - Editor in Chief

This past weekend, Monmouth College hosted this year's Illinois Classical Conference (ICC). Alongside the attendees there to learn about classics in all forms, Monmouth students Jen Ruscitti and Jimmy Woeltje presented their research for the first time.

“I also loved seeing how everyone's research reflects their personalities and interests,” said Ruscitti.

The conference was established in 1937 and hosts elementary, secondary, and post-secondary educators. The ICC brings together many different aspects of classics such as history, mythology, politics, culture, and pedagogy.

Ruscitti, Woeltje and Lynn Rech began their research over the past summer after the National Endowment for the Humanities granted the philosophy and religious studies, English, history, and classics departments $149,965 to fund a three-year research project about west central Illinois.

The classics department’s work focuses on the ancient examples of displacement of populations in various Mediterranean places and in what ways that can still be seen today.   

Ruscitti and Woeltje found the experience to be rewarding as well as confirming what they want to see in their futures.

“My main takeaway from this conference is that there are endless areas of research within this field. There is always more to research and uncover,” said Ruscitti. “Sometimes, I worry about what entering this field professionally will mean for me, but these conferences always remind me that I will find my place and my own area to become an expert on.”

Ruscitti hopes to continue to grow her love of classics in the future and be able to share that with others.

“After college, I intend to teach Latin at the high school level or pursue a masters in Classics,” said Ruscitti. “Either way I intend to stay in the field of Classics. Latin is the language I fell in love with, and I plan to center my future around it.”