The Summit’s nationally award-winning Latin program has brought recognition to the school because of student performance at state and national academic competitions and on national skills tests. For the past decade, Summit students have consistently been among the officers of the Ohio Junior Classical League.
Students are introduced to Latin in the sixth grade and can opt to study it in the 7th through 12th grades. The Latin Club provides a culture within the school that promotes academics, friendship and community service, says Latin teacher Larry Dean. The involvement of students engaged in the classroom and outside the classroom can be intense. An annual Celebration of the Classics gives students an opportunity to connect the language with classic civilization. Study of the language also teaches students the origins of many contemporary practices and messages. For example, students learn about the “Spell of Sisyphus,” which is the basis for Red Bull commercials featuring a man pushing a boulder up a hill, where the “Midas touch” came from, why the modern-day Senate is structured the way it is, and why U.S. coins bear the phrase “E pluribus unum” – Latin for “one out of many.”
While Latin is not spoken in contemporary cultures for the purpose of communication, the study of Latin helps students in very tangible ways. Latin helps critical thinking skills and attention to detail. It prepares students for analyzing speech, taking tests and studying English and other modern languages.
Latin also promotes better understanding of English. Of all the words in the English language, six out of 10 come from Latin. Ninety percent of multisyllabic words come from Latin. That’s why students who take Latin perform better on standardized tests.
"Part of my Rhodes interview was about Latin. My studies in Latin were a minor reference on my application but one of the interviewers had a Master's Degree in the classics. So I was asked questions about my view of classical history. It was not what I was expecting to have to answer, but I was in one of the best Latin programs in the country here. Learning about ancient cultures taught me to think. I didn't realize how much I had internalized what I learned."
Jared Dunnmon '07
Rhodes Scholar
