Garden City High School students celebrate Classics Day at Stony Brook University
On March 28, nearly 40 Latin students from all grade levels at Garden City High School, accompanied by Latin teacher Magistra Kathleen Durkin, attended Classics Day at Stony Brook University.
Before 2020, this event was dedicated to certamen, or Latin Quiz Bowl, but it was reimagined by SBU Classics Professor Kathleen de Riesthal as a full-day event convening young Latinists grades 7–12 across local, public and parochial schools, stretching from New York City to the east end of Long Island.
Students enjoyed mini-lectures from Stony Brook professors on a wide range of topics—including linguistics, history, ancient medicine and the intersection of AI and classical studies. They also took part in hands-on, classics-themed arts and crafts.
GCHS certamen teams participated, some of whom made the finals at all three levels— novice, intermediate and advanced. Students enjoyed celebrating the study of Latin, Greek and the ancient mediterranean with fellow schools.
