CAMWS Rocky Mountain Region
Annual Report
1998-1999
This report was prepared by Eric Huntsman in the absence of Roger MacFarlane.
In most of the Rocky Mountain Regions constituent states, CAMWS membership
remained constant or increased slightly. Colorado, New Mexico, and Wyoming added new
members and Arizona provided CAMWS with two new members. Utah witnessed a surprising drop
in the number of members, which is partially due to several professors and students who
joined to participate in last years convention. Unfortunately several of our high
school teachers failed to renew this year and some university faculty have recently become
less active in professional organizations. The new Utah State VP, who is currently
reporting, now knows how much needs to be done in this usually reliable CAMWS bastion.
In the area of awards and scholarships, CAMWS member Erin Corbett from Arizona was awarded
a travel grant from ACL to attend the Conventiculum Latinum in Kentucky this May.
Individual members from our region continue to offer considerable service to the
Association. In Colorado Peter Knox is completing his first year as editor of the Classical
Journal. From Brigham Young University Cecilia Peek serves on the Resolutions
Committee, and Eric Huntsman continues on the Finance Committee while also getting
oriented as a state VP. Roger Macfarlane, who has rendered considerable service to CAMWS
as a Regional VP and as a member of Steering Committee on Awards along as working with
several of its subcommittees, has taken a temporary leave of absence while he helps direct
BYUs London Study Abroad Program. John Hall is Immediate Past-President and is
serving on the Committee on the CAMWS Centennial, the Ad Hoc Committee on Long Term
Planning, and the Committee on Nominations.
From Arizona Cynthia White reports that Classics continues to be strong. At the U of A
Annual Language Symposium there was a Latin break-out session that included graduate
students, community college Latin instructors, university Latin teaching faculty, and
several undergraduate students who are majors. Cynthia presented CAMWS scholarship
materials and organized a round-table discussion of the Standards for Classical Language
Learning and Latin textbooks. Undergraduates at U of A organized Eta Sigma Phi Honor
Society chapter this year, and their first organized activity was a serious of lectures
and a visit to the Splendors of Egypt at the Phoenix Art Museum. Particularly noteworthy
is the fact that ALL students who have completed their Latin Teacher Training at U of A
have found positions teaching Latin at the secondary/community college level--in Tucson at
St. Gregorys College Prep, Tuller School, St. Michael's School; in Phoenix at
Phoenix College and ASU; and in Connecticut at the West Hartford High School. In addition
several part-time positions have been filled through the Arizona Placement Service at U of
A. Cynthia also met with high school teachers in October to share CAMWS materials and to
organized the Latin competitions of the annual U of A Southern Arizona Language Fair.
Special language programs in Arizona include the Intensive Summer Latin program at the
University of Arizona and the Modern Greek Program under the direction of Prof. Gonda Van
Steen.
Arizona CAMWS members are also active in the broader profession. Marilyn Skinner is editor
of TAPA. Norman Austin is Visiting Professor in the School of Classics at the University
of Leeds, in the UK, for the spring semester 1999. Mary Voyatzis is President of the
Tucson AIA (Archaeological Institute of America) now housed in the Classics department at
the U of A.
Monica Cyrino has reported considerable activity from New Mexico this year. The UNM
Classics program continues to grow and expand its offerings. In October, Warren Smith,
Prof. of Classics, in conjunction with faculty from the department of Theater and Dance,
hosted "Roman Holiday," a week of guest lectures, film screenings and plays
focusing on ancient Roman comedy. Guest speakers included Prof. Martin Winkler of George
Mason University, Prof. Margaret Malamud of New Mexico State Univ, Prof. Charles Mercier
of Univ of Southern California, and Prof. Mary Kay Gamel of UC Santa Cruz. Films included
The Fall of the Roman Empire, Quo Vadis and Ben Hur. The week ended with a UNM production
of The Braggart Soldier by Plautus: all four performances were sold out. In other news,
Prof. Monica Cyrino was awarded one of this year's Excellence in Teaching Classics awards
from the American Philological Association. The award was presented at the annual meeting
in December in Washington, DC. Latin programs continue to grow in the local high schools,
with the Albuquerque Academy starting a Latin program for fall 99. Albuquerque Public
School Latin programs remain strong, especially at Highland High School, under the
direction of Tom Siegel, UNM graduate and winner of last year's CAMWS Good Teacher Award.
In Utah two new Latin programs, Jackie Liddles at Cottonwood High in Salt Lake City
and Sheri Latimer at the College of Eastern Utah, have entered their second year. Nancy
Granducci continues to have success with her multi-school Latin course on the EdNet. The
American Fork High School Latin program continues to be strong under the direction of
Laurel Shelly; its students participated and performed well in BYUs annual spring
Latin fair. Sandra Woodward serves on the board of the National Latin Exam. Sue Olsen who
teaches the FLEX program at Roland Hall-St Mark's School, participates in the VROMA
project.
Philip Holt reports the status quo from Wyoming and John Gibert of Colorado filed no
report.