Languages can be some of the most tedious courses in a student’s schedule, and learning a new language in a virtual environment proved difficult for students. Students struggled especially last year in a less popular language, Latin. Along with having to learn Latin virtually, students had no extra resources for help besides the teacher. Today, the Latin Honor Society is making a comeback to help Latin students catch up on missed time after a year of virtual learning.
During the virtual year, the Latin Honor Society was put on pause. The main purpose of the club is to provide tutoring to lower level Latin students and to create a community for AP Latin students to share their knowledge. These factors made it extremely difficult to carry out this club while online.
Now, the club is operating in full gear and is greatly benefiting all Latin students in both lower and advanced levels. All Latin students are grateful for the opportunities the Latin Honor Society brings to them, including tutoring.
“One of the biggest things that hurt was I saw [the students] for such a short amount of time each week and that always hurts a curriculum,” Latin teacher Karen Generose said.
Latin students compose a very small group of people; the language is not nearly as popular as Spanish or French. Along with the few students taking the course, there are also only two Latin teachers. Therefore, resources are very limited, and the Latin Honors Society has become an important asset for the students.
“I think the tutoring is really helpful and it is great to talk about Latin with other advanced Latin students,” junior and Latin student Ali Elgin said.
The Latin Honor Society has no president, vice president, treasurer or secretary. However, once students reach AP Latin, they are automatically considered a Latin Honor Society officer due to the expertise the AP level requires. AP students are excited to tutor lower level Latin learners and receive recognition for making it to such a high level.
“I think that if you’ve done that much Latin and done that well in the subject, you deserve it,” Generose said.
Officers and lower level Latin students alike are grateful to have the opportunity to be a part of a community of Latin speakers through the Latin Honor Society. Since there are so few students learning the language, it is a privilege to have a community to talk with people with the same interests. The aspect was lost last year so it has been refreshing for the students to have a place to talk about their interest in Latin together.
“Us AP students have known each other since freshman year, and we all get along really well which is fun and makes for a great community,” Latin Honor Society officer and senior Taryn Dalton said.
