The 83rd annual Eta Sigma Phi convention
took place in Austin, Texas at the invitation
of Gamma Sigma at the University
of Texas at Austin on March 25–27, 2011.
After registration on Friday afternoon, the
convention opened with over 85 delegates
from around 26 different chapters gathering
outside the Union for a reception
of cookies. The delegates then entered
into the Quadrangle Room for a formal
welcome to Texas by the Gamma Sigma
chapter members and advisors as well as
the officers, Dr. Sienkewicz, and Dr. Davis.
Certamen teams formed and the
competition began. Questions this year
ranged from Classical names of modern
Texas towns to “What would Icarus say his
father’s profession was?” While all teams
gave valiant efforts to be on the top, two
teams, the Amazons and the Officers,
battled it out to be number one in the end.
The Officers won in the final round after
a tough string of questions. After Certamen,
everyone received information about
the next day’s events and returned to their
rooms to rest up for the day ahead.
On Saturday morning, once the delegates
had their fill of breakfast burritos,
the first business meeting commenced, led
by Megas Prytanis, David Gioviagnoli. The
minutes from the last convention were
approved and the chapter reports began.
While some delegates discussed their
service projects for the past year, others
talked about things such as their dagger
shaped cookies for the Ides of March and
various fundraisers. Chapters were urged
to submit typed versions of their reports
to Dr. Sienkewicz by April 15th. Dr. Sick
then presented the winners of this year’s
translation contests. Numerous participants
were up in both Latin and Greek
tests this year. Next, the winners of Eta
Sigma Phi’s scholarships were announced.
More members were encouraged to apply
for next year’s round of scholarships. The
Alpha Mu delegates from the University
of Missouri-Columbia then played a video
about the details of the 84th Annual Eta
Sigma Phi Convention. Following this,
the officers gave their annual reports,
bids were taken for the 2013 convention
site, and nominations were accepted for
2011–2012 officers.
Student paper presentations were next
on the program. Three students were
selected to present. Stephen Margheim of
the Gamma Omega chapter at Baylor University
presented a paper entitled, “Non Ita
Creditum: Mercantile Language in Horace’s
Ode’s concerning Vergil.” Theodore Harwood
of the Eta Delta chapter at Hillsdale
College delivered a paper called, “Learning
to Speak and Pray in Confessions Book I.”
The last presenter, Ashley Vanessa Young
from the Gamma Upsilon chapter at Austin
College, presented “Myth and Identity:
The Role of Mythology in Greek Colonial
Sicily.” It was easy to tell why these papers
had been chosen.
For lunch, the delegates met in the
Classical Studies building on campus and
took their food with them to their committee
meetings. These committee meetings
discussed several topics from new chapters,
finances, scholarships and contests, to
future convention sites, resolutions, and
potential officer’s information. Following
the meetings, convention attendees
embarked on museum excursions to places
such as the LBJ Library and Museum,
Texas Memorial Museum, Bob Bullock
Texas State History Museum and the
Harry Ransom Center.
That evening, the delegates gathered
in the Santa Rita Suite for the formal
banquet. During the banquet, the costume
contest took place. There was a convention
first when the entire Theta Kappa chapter
from University of Texas at Tyler received
the best dressed chapter award. All
attending chapter members were in their
Classical garb. After the costume contest,
the service awards were given to both the
Zeta Beta chapter at Temple University
and the Gamma Sigma chapter at University
of Texas at Austin. Temple University
received the award because of their help
in reactivating the chapter at University
of Delaware and their development of a
mythological coloring book for a local
children’s hospital. The University of Texas
at Austin received recognition for their
protests against the motion to end Latin in
local public schools. No award was given
out for Exelauno Day because no chapter
report had exemplified the meaning of the
day. Chapters are encouraged to develop
more activities to take place on Exelauno
Day and to try again next year. Two
lifetime achievement awards were given,
one to Edward V. George and the other
to Bobby LaBouve. After the banquet,
the delegates walked over to the Jessen
Auditorium for a musical presentation of
Thucydides by Athens v. Sparta.
Following breakfast on Sunday morning,
the second business meeting of the
convention took place. The first item on
the agenda was the regalia contest. Students
from various chapters explained and
modeled their t-shirt designs for this year.
The winner was the Eta Zeta chapter from
Truman State University. Next, committee
reports were given outlining the topics
covered in each meeting held the day
before. Dr. Sick, representing the resolutions
committee, gave a humorous report
detailing the events from the convention.
During the report of the Nuntius editor,
Dr. Irby asked for submissions of pictures
and articles to be sent to her for publication
in the Nuntius. Dr. Sienkewicz gave
the report of the executive secretary and
Dr. Davis presented the report of the Chair
of the Board of Trustees.
During Dr. Davis’s report, she called
for the Assembly to approve an additional
three-year term as Trustee for Dr. Daniel
Levine, and an additional year as Executive
Secretary for Dr. Thomas Sienkewicz.
(Editor’s note: This was done.) Dr. Davis
also mentioned that Dr. Sick would be
leaving the Board this year and that Dr.
Antonios Augoustakis would be taking his
place. In addition to these announcements
an exploratory committee was approved
that will plan the Eta Sigma Phi 2014 centennial
convention in Chicago under the
leadership of Dr. Sick, Dr. Levine, David
Giovagnoli, and a new officer. At the end
of the reports, Dr. Froberg discussed the
Eta Sigma Phi endowment.
Next, the proposed bylaws concerning
distribution of the proposed amendments
and the term of the Executive Secretary
were passed. The agenda then turned
to the acceptance of new chapters into
Eta Sigma Phi. After a brief discussion
of each potential chapter’s qualifications,
Christopher Newport University and Ohio
Wesleyan University were accepted as new
chapters of Eta Sigma Phi. Afterwards,
the budget for this year was discussed and
approved and it was announced that Wake
Forest will hold the 85th Eta Sigma Phi
Convention in 2013.
Finally, the officer nominees presented
their speeches and one person spoke on
behalf of each of them. After the voting
was tallied, the new officers were elected:
Ashley Gilbert as Megale Chrysophylax,
Lauren Milburn as Megale Grammateus,
Kyle Oskvig as Megas Hyparchos, and
Christopher Rios as Megas Prytanis. The
new officers were then installed and the
convention ended with the traditional
ΗΣΦ song.
2011 Convention Awards
Best dressed femina: Kimberly Reeves, Theta Kappa at the University of Texas at Tyler
Best dressed vir: John Cushing, Theta Kappa at the University of Texas at Tyler
Best dressed chapter: Theta Kappa at the University of Texas at Tyler
Best regalia: Zeta Eta at Truman State University
Certamen: the team of officers
Best Paper: Theodore Harwood of Eta Delta at Hillsdale College
Best Service Project: Zeta Beta at Temple University for
1) coloring book of mythological characters for Children’s Hospital in Philadelphia
2) representing ΗΣΦ at CAAS 2010
3) traveling to Newark, Delaware, to reactivate Delta Tau chapter of the University
of Delaware by initiating 17 new members
Special Service Prize: Gamma Sigma at the University of Texas at Austin for participating
in and for eloquently speaking up for the value of the study of Latin at a
public demonstration to save Latin in the Austin Public Schools.