Eta Sigma Phi
Eta Sigma Phi is the National Honor Society for Classics, with an active chapter, Gamma Omega, here at Baylor. Classics majors and minors who qualify are inducted into this organization annually, and the group elects its own officers. Our students compete in the annual Maurine Dallas Watkins Greek and Latin translation contests, as well as in the National Greek Exam. The National organization offers scholarships for undergraduates to travel in Athens, Rome, or Campania during the summer, and for Latin teacher training. Look
Nuntius.
Baylor's Eta Sigma Phi members have attended and read papers at the annual Eta Sigma Phi National Convention, where they have also held offices and won awards. Baylor's chapter hosted the 68th Annual Convention that took place in Waco in March 1996. Baylor's Gamma Omega also puts on regular Classics-oriented events on campus, notably the annual OctHOMERfest and Take-A-Dative.
Eta Sigma Phi officers elect for the 2009-2010 academic year are led by Anna Sitz, President; Jessi Carrothers, Vice President; Danielle Washington, Secretary; Heather Outland, Treasurers; Allyson Ray, Sergeant-At-Arms.
Annual National Conventions
Our chapter's delegates attended the 81st Eta Sigma Phi Convention, held at Rhodes College, in Memphis, in March 2009. Our T-Shirt, The Roman Empire Strikes Back, won the Best T-Shirt award in 2007, at Temple University, for the second time in two years! Our last award winning T-Shirt, EtaSigmaPhia, won the prize in 2005, at St. Olaf College. Check out the galleries below, with pictures from this convention and also pictures from years past!
Eta Sigma Phi 81st Convention, Rhodes College
Eta Sigma Phi 79th Convention, Temple University
Eta Sigma Phi Conventions
OctHOMERfest
The tradition of the OctHOMERfest began in the fall of 2001. Since then we have celebrated seven annual OctHOMERfests successfully, reading Homer in several languages, including Greek, German, French, Italian, Russian, and Esperanto. Eta Sigma Phiers also cook, bake, and sell goodies!
Gallery OctHOMERfest 2007
Gallery OctHOMERfest 2006
Gallery OctHOMERfest 2001-2005
Eta Sigma Phi Inductions
Every Fall and Spring semesters new students are inducted into Eta Sigma Phi. The students must be in an Intermediate Greek or Latin class or beyond and should be in good standing with regard to their grade, performance, and behavior.
Eta Sigma Phi Induction Spring 09
Eta Sigma Phi Induction Fall 07
Take-A-Dative
As an Eta Sigma Phi tradition, Take-A-Dative began in March of 2005. The theme of the cook-out gathering at Dr. Augoustakis' house was Homer on the Ranch. In March 2006, we celebrated our second annual Take-A-Dative at the same place with the theme Homer is where the heart is. Our wonderful T-Shirts displayed a drawing of Hector and Andromache inspired by Iliad 6. In 2007, we celebrated Take-A-Dative on March 3rd, 2007, a chilly afternoon for us Texans (i.e. 50 F), and our theme was "The Roman Empire Strikes Back." We produced a wonderful T-Shirt, inspired from Star Wars, with the logo "May the Forms Be With You." The product of our gathering was the completion of a laborious puzzle of 500 pieces, in just a few hours!
Last year, Take-A-Dative took place on April 12th, 2008. Our theme was "Make it a Dative of Respect, not a Dative of Advantage," illustrated on our shirts by a depiction of the abduction of Persephone. We were not lacking of delicious burgers and hot dogs, however sadly we were defeated by the puzzle which was slightly more difficult (1000 pieces).
This year, Take-A-Dative took place on March 21st, 2009. Our theme was "Take me to your Leda," illustrating a swan on our shirts. The puzzle proved impossible, an all white MILK one with four cows in it!
Take-A-Dative 2008
Gallery Take-A-Dative 2007
Gallery Take-A-Dative 2005-6