Classics Professor Presents Research

Dr. Dwight Castro, professor of classics and chair of the Westminster College Religion, History, Philosophy, and Classics Department, recently presented his research, "Ad libitum Latin Composition: A Holistic Approach" at the American Philological Association (APA) in Montreal.

 "This presentation was based on my experience with a Latin class I taught in spring of 2004 and will influence my next offering of this class," Castro said.  "I was one of five presenters at the workshop 'Active Latin in the Classroom.'

"This was the first time in history of the APA that a session on this topic has ever been accepted by the Program Committee," Castro said. "This presentation was based on my own experience with a Latin class I taught in Spring of 2004 and will influence my next offering of this class.  In 2004 I changed my approach to teaching Latin composition to focus more on allowing students to compose, in Latin, short, connected paragraphs on topics of their own choosing, rather than on simply having them translate into Latin the prescribed English passages found in the traditional Latin composition texts.  My presentation focused on this new approach and included not only what I perceive as its strengths, but also certain weaknesses that I plan to address in future offerings of this class."

 Castro, who has been with Westminster College since 1970, earned his undergraduate degree from Gettysburg College and a master's and Ph.D. from Indiana University.

 Contact Castro at (724) 946-7150 or e-mail castroad@westminster.edu for more information.

Dr. Dwight Castro