CIG Graduate Student Conference, Brock University, February 16, 2013

The organizers, Brock Classics’ MA students, from left to right: Ana Wagner, Sarah Robinson, Jennesa Dyck, Sarah Rowlands, Andrew Fulham, David Farag, Tessa Little, Jesse Johnston, and Brandon Garib

On Saturday, February 16th Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario was the proud host of the CIG Graduate Student Conference. The grad students in our Department of Classics organized the conference, and chose the theme of Revelations and Revolutions in the ancient world. About fifty or so people ascended the escarpment to hear papers that ranged from Agamemnon to Augustus, delivered by grad students from a variety of universities in Canada and the U.S.

The speakers after the talks, from left to right: Paul McCarthy (U Chicago), Nizar Ghazal (Laurier), David Farag (Brock), Ana Wagner (Brock), Tessa Little (Brock), Susan Grouchy (Western), Benjamen Kelly (York), Lydia Spielberg (U Penn), Rachel Dewan (Laurier), and Hannah Rich (U Penn)

Rachel Dewan, a former CIG intern and Laurier student, delivered an excellent paper on ethnicity and Greek colonization at Pithekoussai; she also stood out as the only undergraduate to deliver a paper! Andrew Sparling, the grad student representative on the CIG executive committee, was there to spread the word about CIG. We also got to hear Benjamen Kelly of York University deliver the keynote address on “Punishing Revolution: Repressing Riots, Revolts, and Rebellions in the Roman World.”

Andrew Sparling, CIG’s grad student representative, speaks about CIG

Plenty of time for questions was built into the schedule, as well as coffee breaks and a lunch provided by the organizers. This gave attendees the opportunity to hobnob and make new connections, both with each other and with the speakers. Nevertheless, no doubt due to the efficiency of the organizers, the conference ended exactly on time!

Sarah Rowlands, a second year MA student at Brock, and Allison Glazebrook, chair of the Department of Classics at Brock

Afterwards the organizers and speakers relaxed and celebrated at a local restaurant called the Cat’s Caboose. Congratulations to Brock’s MA students for a well-run conference, and to the speakers for a job well done!

R. Angus K. Smith
Brock University