Dies Undevicensimus - VMFA! Certagon!

Salvete omnes! Today was a big day for all as we had a long field trip in the morning and afternoon. We visited the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts! In the evening, we had the GLA version of Certamen (like Jeopardy but Latin), Certagon, as well as a Q&A session where we had the opportunity to ask the staff about their experiences in pursuing classics.

Before we start though, we have a special announcement to make. We had our third birthday today, and it was Josh’s!!! Happy birthday to Josh!!!

VMFA: a magnificent beginning. We had the stellar opportunity to see a 2,000-year-old marble sculpture of Caligula! Cavedo showed us the photo of the statue in Quae Nunc Est Romae, so seeing it in person was exciting for everyone. There was also a statue of Septimius Severus (with 17th-century modifications) and Cleopatra. After the quick exhibitions, we had a scavenger hunt that allowed us to view East and South Asian, African, and Native American art exhibitions. It was a fantastic visit and a memorable way to spend our last Thursday at the Academy.

In the evening, we had a GLA edition of Certamen - Certagon! It was like traditional Certamen, i.e. we played three preliminary rounds and one final, but with a special Academy Twist. The questions were based on GLA classes, field trips, and movies we watched so that questions would be fair for those who have never played Certamen. We had a winning team - the Ranae (Tucker, Alexa, and Michael). Congratulations to them!

After Certagon, we had a quick Q&A session where we asked staff members their experience in pursuing the classics, what made them pursue it, and practical tips for majoring in classics or using it for future jobs. Thank you so much to the staff for your time and valuable insights - we are immensely grateful for your advice!

Today was the antepenultimate day of GLA! We cannot believe three weeks have fluttered by so quickly and that it is almost over. Thank you to everyone for making these past three weeks a special period that we can fondly reminisce about.

GLA Out of Context: We have a lot today.
“I got a paper cut on my buzzing thumb!”
“Are you eating communion wafers?”
“Who needs microplastics when you have macroplastics?”
“Bad decisions result in rope”
“I will literally yoink you into the water feature”
“What is the mass of Roman visual culture?”
“Can I rip off its face?”
“Electricity has different tastes. Electricity on the West Coast tastes like iron. Electricity in the South tastes like copper. Electricity in the East tastes like slightly oxidized copper.”
“Oh gosh I have six hours left”
“I hate mint but I love the concept”

Arleigh's Fanta Furies:
Total: 94! Can he hit 100 before GLA ends?!

Valete, omnes!
Ciara and Philip (Your True Aediles)