Writting Questionnaire

1. Social identity is understood as parts of our sense of self that derive from membership in a social group. The most common social identity components are race/ethnicity, gender, social class/socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, (dis)abilities, and religion/religious belief. Through the lens of social identity, which text(s) have you most powerfully connected with this semester and why? How has a component of your social identity been in dialogue with a text/texts? You could also discuss how an important aspect of your social identity seems distinctly absent from our syllabus so far. Be as specific as possible.

2. If you could go out to dinner with one of the authors below, who would you take and why? What specifically would you ask this person? In specific reference to their writing, what would you want to learn more about? Or praise? Or criticize?

-Sappho

-Homer

-Sophocles

-Horace

-Virgil

3. When we read ancient literature in translation, we find that some words in their original Greek or Latin remain a part of our vocabulary and help us find language to express complex parts of human experience. Pick two of the five words below and explain why you will take this word with you after the semester is over. Situate the word specifically in relation to the text(s) it is relevant to and explain why you think the word is worth integrating into your future understanding of language/ideas.

-katharsis

-glukupikron

-nostos

-hamartia

4. Old Westbury weaves the values of integrity, community engagement, and global citizenship into the fabric of its academic programs and campus life. In an environment that cultivates critical thinking, empathy, creativity and intercultural understanding, we endeavor to stimulate a passion for learning and a commitment to building a more just and sustainable world.

In specific reference to our class readings/discussions this semester, what parts of the mission resonate? How has your engagement with our texts helped develop critical thinking and/or empathy and/or creativity and/or intercultural understanding? Have these texts spoken to the idea of “building a more just and sustainable world”? If so, how? Be specific in your responses.

5. Consider some of the contemporary challenges that we face: a global pandemic, climate change, an increasingly divisive political culture, crisis in mental health, and more! Although the texts we have read thus far are considered ancient, many of their ideas/questions/lessons still resound today. Which text/author do you think speaks most directly to a contemporary challenge? How does it guide us and what does it teach us? Why does this matter?

choose 3 to write about