Friday, October 16, 2026
Siena University
Sarazen Student Union
515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, New York
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration & Breakfast
9:00 AM – 9:30 AM: Workshop Session 1
Speaker: John Starks (Binghamton University SUNY)
Title: Indicia plus quam Punica: Carthage and African Identity for AP and Across the Latin Curriculum
Description: Teaching topical modules about Roman perceptions of the “other” and stereotyped representations of Carthage, Punic culture, and African identity in Latin texts alongside the Aeneid. This workshop offers a breadth of genres and periods in Latin history for reading Rome and her arch-other more deeply using excerpts from Plautus, Nepos, Horace, Livy, and more.
9:30 AM – 10:00 AM: Workshop Session 2
Speaker: Michael Kutny (Pittsford Central School District, Retired)
Title: Integrating Speaking & Writing Tasks Into Your Daily Routine
Description: If you’ve ever struggled to add authentic speaking and writing tasks into your teaching routine, this session provides easy-to-implement ideas like “bell ringer” activities, quick presentational prompts for Checkpoint A & B assessments, and scaffolded writing tasks.
10:15 AM – 11:00 AM: Workshop Session 3
Speaker: Dennis Sullivan, PhD
Title: The Fire of Love Gaius Valerius Catullus: Rome’s Greatest Lyric Poet: Lessons for Scholarly High School and College Students (Under Prudent Magisterial Direction)
Description: Catullus, Rome’s leading lyric poet and a key figure among the “new poets,” rejected epic tradition in favor of highly personal, emotionally charged verse influenced by Hellenistic models like Callimachus. His sharp, innovative Latin style shaped later poets such as Virgil and Ovid, though his surviving work comes from a single rediscovered manuscript. This presentation highlights Catullus’ enduring relevance for students today and introduces Dennis Sullivan’s new bilingual translation and teaching materials. At the end of the presentation, Dennis will offer to make lesson plans for interested teachers, upon request.
11:15 AM – 11:45 AM: Workshop Session 4
Speaker: Carl Bernard (Ben) Strange
Title: Adaptive Translation
Description: Learn how to bring the entire text of an ancient poem, along with its cultural and historical connotations, into a modern form. This session reworks original ancient impulses into modern provenances (e.g., a javelin becomes a missile, a krater of wine a martini) and shares classroom-ready examples.
11:45 AM – 1:00 PM: Lunch, Business Meeting & Mini-AI Presentation
Speakers: Kristen Griswold and Billy Breitweiser
1:00 PM – 1:45 PM: Workshop Session 5
Speaker: David Pellegrino (NYS Education Department)
Title: Reading Inscriptional Latin Poetry Aloud
Description: Practice reading Latin poetry aloud while exploring fascinating poetic inscriptions. This session reviews techniques for reading Latin verse with careful attention to syllable quantity and word accent, exploring everyday Roman voices via dactylic hexameter, elegiac couplet, and more.
2:00 PM – 2:30 PM: Workshop Session 6
Speaker: Christopher Buczek (East Syracuse Minoa Central School District)
Title: Six Simple Strategies for the Latin Classroom
Description: A demonstration of six simple, low-prep activities used on a regular basis to help teach for acquisition and comprehension. These adaptable strategies apply to all levels from Checkpoints A through C.
2:30 PM – 3:00 PM: Workshop Session 7
Speakers: Carina de Klerk & Valerie Spiller (SUNY Binghamton)
Title: Collaborating Across the Secondary and Post-Secondary Levels: Challenges, Opportunities, and Paths Forward
Description: A report on a recent community outreach collaboration (“Classics College Student for a Day”) that brought high school students into college-level advanced Latin classes and university special collections to handle medieval manuscripts.
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM: Workshop Session 8
Speaker: Jennifer Armstrong (Shenendehowa High School / Siena College)
Title: Carmina Moderna: Ancient Texts Meet Modern Media
Description: This session focuses on integrating modern multimedia content (song and video) into the Latin classroom to engage students, encourage critical thinking about ancient texts, and prompt modern connections.
3:45 PM – 4:15 PM: Workshop Session 9
Speaker: Kristian Powell, Fordham University, CAES Scholarship Awardee
Title: Latin Along the Camino de Santiago
Description: This presentation recounts a three‑week, 315‑kilometer pilgrimage along the Camino de Santiago from León to Santiago de Compostela. His presentation highlights the enduring presence of Latin language and culture along the route, including prayers, inscriptions, and the Latin-written pilgrim certificate. He also discusses the Roman sites he visited in northern Spain, once part of Hispania Tarraconensis.
5:30 PM – 8:30 PM: Evening Reception & Banquet
Holiday Inn Express & Suites Albany Airport Area – Latham
400 Old Loudon Rd, Latham, NY 12110