PhD Student finds inspiration at Norlin Library
A quotation of George Norlin––the professor of Greek and former university president, for whom the library was named––is inscribed on the lintel of Norlin Library: ENTER HERE THE TIMELESS FELLOWSHIP OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT. I have passed under these words countless times in a rush to get a coffee or check out a book. Those times that I noticed it, I often thought to myself how the epigraph felt cliché. But, over the summer, I found my eyes drawn again and again to those words.
Due in large part to the funding provided by the CWCTP, I spent my summer months at my carrel studying for my preliminary examination which was to take place at the start of the semester. Instead of having to look for gainful employment outside the university, I was able to supplement my earnings from the spring with this grant and, thereby, support myself while I engaged my reading list. My course of study was simple. Every morning I spent the hours copying ancient texts verbatim––like a monk with a MacBook––immersing myself in the rhythm of the language; every afternoon I buried my nose in commentaries and dictionaries as I translated those texts which represent the foundation of the Western literary tradition. Then, on the bus ride home, I would read current scholarly interpretations of these authors and their agendas.
On September 2nd, I passed the written exam; on September 20th, I passed the oral exam. My funding from the CWCTP contributed to my success in my initial step toward my PhD in Classics.
George Norlin’s words––carved in stone––ring true. As I copied, translated, and interpreted ancient texts through the summer months, I entered into a scholarly tradition that spans time: ancient (what did the ancients write?), medieval (how were their works preserved?), and modern (how can we interpret what has been preserved?). - , 2017 CWCTP Student Grantee