Hillsdale College Students Win 13 Awards in National Classics Translation Contest
Hillsdale students won or tied for first place in four out of six categories.
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Seven Hillsdale College students took home prizes in the Maurine Dallas Watkins Translation Contests sponsored by Eta Sigma Phi, the national classics honorary. Hillsdale students won or tied for first place in four of the six categories.
“Through the liberal arts, Hillsdale College helps students understand the value of studying the classics and prepares them to do so with excellence,” said Joshua Benjamins, visiting assistant professor of classics and advisor to Hillsdale’s chapter of Eta Sigma Phi. “It is rewarding to see our students earn national honors for their achievement in this important field.”
“Through the liberal arts, Hillsdale College helps students understand the value of studying the classics and prepares them to do so with excellence.”
Hillsdale College students took home 13 of the 30 prizes awarded:
Advanced Greek:
- First Place: Zachary Chen ’27 (The Lawrence Crowson Prize)
- Second Place: Brian Curtin ’26
- Honorable Mention: Mason Settergren ’28
Intermediate Greek:
- Honorable Mention: Thaddeus Reudelhuber ’28
Koine Greek:
- First Place: Brian Curtin ’26
- Second Place: Zachary Chen ’27
- Honorable Mention: Mason Settergren ’28
Advanced Latin:
- Second Place: Zachary Chen ’27
Intermediate Latin:
- First Place: Lucinda O’Connor ’28
- Third Place: Robert Keeton III ’27
Latin Prose Composition:
- First Place: Brian Curtin ’26
- Second Place (Tie): Ezra Phillips ’26
- Second Place (Tie): Zachary Chen ’27
Advisors of Eta Sigma Phi chapters administered the tests for their campuses, and winners were announced shortly after the Eta Sigma Phi annual convention. All winners received certificates of recognition, with monetary prizes awarded for first, second, and third place.
Hillsdale College’s chapter of Eta Sigma Phi allows classics students to participate in several competitions, including college Greek and Latin exams from the Classical Association of the Middle West and South and the Maurine Dallas Watkins Translation Exams from Eta Sigma Phi. Students have also presented papers at various classics conventions, including CAMWS, Eta Sigma Phi, and the Ohio Classical Conference.
The honorary also hosts Latin teaching at a local charter school, invited lectures, spoken Greek and Latin tables, and peer tutoring sessions, along with reading marathons, performances of Roman comedy, picnics in the park at Baw Beese Lake, movie nights, Latin scrabble, and more.