STALOS from a tutor’s perspective
by Anna Coopey (PhD Candidate, University of St Andrews)
Working with STALOS has been, quite frankly, a hoot. I’ve always tutored privately, before, and mostly on a one-to-one basis, and so the opportunity to branch out to a whole room of people felt rather intimidating at first. When that room of people happens to be as enthusiastic, supportive, and bright as the one I worked with, though, that intimidation melts right away. Over ten weeks, we worked through a textbook that I haven’t seen since I was eleven and muscled (somewhat doe-eyed and nervous) into my first ever Latin class, and the sheer nostalgia of getting to revisit it was only enhanced by watching the class experience it all for the first time. It was a privilege to see them get to grips with Latin, even if the grammar might have caused the occasional grumble – often from me.
STALOS is an excellent initiative. Latin and Ancient Greek (and the Humanities in general) are often declared to be “dying”. The work being done here proves that, whether you like it or not, they are still alive and kicking.
