Schneider Revives Dead Language

Senior Zoe Schneider has started a Latin club this year to promote the Latin language and culture.

While she spends most of her time at Campolindo, Schneider takes Latin at Miramonte every day during 3rd period. “I take 1st and 2nd here, drive over during brunch, take Latin there, and then have 4th off campus to drive back,” she explained.

Both Schneider’s love for Latin and her friends’ eagerness to learn about the language and culture inspired her to create the club. “I love it [Latin] and everyone over there [at Miramonte] loves it so much. I’d bring out my Latin homework here,” said Schneider. “People would always ask about it and get really excited. I’d tell them, ‘Oh yeah, I speak Latin,’ and everyone was like ‘That’s really cool!'”

“So I asked, ‘Would you be interested  if I started a club here?’ And everyone here was like ‘I’d join it’, she explained.

According to Schneider, her favorite part of leading the club is showing people that they’ve been unknowingly speaking Latin all their life. “A lot of people don’t realize how much Latin they’re using, all the time. I’ll show them a word and be like, ‘This directly comes from this,'” she said. “And everyone’s like, ‘Oh, I never knew that’s what it came from.’ People just find that interesting.”

The Latin club meets about 1 or 2 times a week, depending on the schedule of Lisa Herzig, the club’s teacher advisor.

The club has been watching the movie Gladiator.

Senior Tanvir Kaur said her favorite part of the club is “when Zoe teaches us how to insult people in Latin. That’s been fun. Gladiator has also been fun, because it’s a really good movie but it’s also educational.”

Schneider already has a multitude of fun events planned for the club. “Towards the end of the year we have more stuff, like Olympic games.” She added, “We’re gonna have a toga party at the end of the year.”