The news of the impending gutting of the University of Southern Maine classical languages department – brought about by the elimination of Dr. Jeannine Uzzi’s position – is not only absurd but heartbreaking as well.

I am a Latin teacher for students from fourth grade and above, both locally and for an international online academy. Through the Maine Classical Association, I found out about Latin classes available at USM and took the plunge and went back to school after having earned a degree in music from UCLA over 20 years before.

Drs. Uzzi and Peter Aicher not only welcomed me warmly, they shared their depth of knowledge and passion for all things Latin. Their humor, patience and intelligence made going to class a pleasure and a challenge. They spent time with me individually as I wrestled with passages or investigated future academic possibilities.

I took courses at the 200, 300 and 400 levels, where I was exposed to the beautiful poetry of Horace, the discipline of Cicero, the surprisingly difficult Tacitus, the histories of Livy and the wonders and rich legacy of Rome itself.

Studying primary sources in their original language not only exposed me to great works of literature but enabled me to become a better teacher since I had a newfound depth of understanding.

There isn’t a day when I teach that I don’t make some reference to the literature I studied with Aicher and Uzzi. The knowledge I acquired under their tutelage gives me new ways in which to contextualize the rote learning necessary for studying this not-so-dead language.

While I didn’t pursue matriculation toward a degree due to scheduling and financial impediments, I’ll never regret the time spent at USM and with Drs. Aicher and Uzzi. They are gifts not only to the university, but to the students and the community at large.

Susan Strickland

Maine Schola Latina

Brunswick

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