Huntington Times

Marshall University is set to commemorate 150 years of its Classics program with a conference from March 6-8. The event, titled “Goddess at the Crossing Place: A Conference for the 150th Anniversary of Classics at Marshall University,” will take place at the Brad D. Smith Center for Business and Innovation and the Visual Arts Center. It aims to engage students, faculty, community leaders, and scholars globally.

Dr. Del Chrol, chair of the Humanities department at Marshall, emphasized the inclusive nature of the event: “This event reflects Marshall in how we interact with each other, our local community and the world.” He highlighted that participants would include scholars, artists, undergraduates, and community leaders.

The conference will feature presentations from scholars across 12 states and three countries on various ancient and contemporary topics. Additionally, undergraduate students from Marshall will host a poster session. Mary Anna Ball, an alumna of Marshall's Classics program, is scheduled to perform classical ballet interpretations of Greek tragedy. Alchemy Theatre’s Nora Ankrom and Mike Murdock will conduct a monologue workshop. An evening performance will showcase Jeff Lidke on Tabla alongside Stanishwar Timalsina reciting Sanskrit.

Chrol noted the enduring influence of ancient Mediterranean culture: “The influence and impact of the ancient Mediterranean world on our present is enormous... Studying how our society has adapted and transformed these ideas from the past gives us insight both into the ancient world and our own.”

All events are open to the public without charge.