Conventiculum Buffaloniense – June 26-28

The University at Buffalo, SUNY (UB) Department of Classics will host its fifth annual three-day spoken Latin workshop from June 26-28, 2013.

The Conventiculum Buffaloniense offers an integrated, immersive experience in which participants practice speaking on a set of topics, then apply these skills through creative and engaging activities. The workshop welcomes anyone with the equivalent of two years or more of college Latin. Participants need not have any previous experience speaking Latin, though the workshop is also suitable for those with some speaking experience who want to improve their skills.

This year’s theme is amicitia. The touchstone for discussions of friendship will be Cicero’s De Amicitia, selections from which will be read in the workshop.

The workshop moderators are:

Neil Coffee, Chair and Associate Professor of Classics at UB

Catherine Nicastro, East Aurora High School, East Aurora, NY

Kevin Roth, UB Classics Ph.D. Candidate

Dr. Coffee, Mr. Roth, and Miss Nicastro have several years of experience speaking Latin and leading spoken Latin groups, including at previous Conventiculum Buffaloniense workshops, the Kentucky Conversational Latin Seminars of Terence Tunberg, SALVI’s Rusticatio, and the Conventiculum Dickensoniense. All of the moderators are working with active Latin exercises in their classrooms.

After a reception Wednesday evening, sessions will take place through the day on Thursday and Friday. For non-students, there is a participation fee of $95 to defray the cost of meals and materials (opening night dinner, continental breakfast and lunch both days); for students the fee is reduced to $20. Subventions are available for those with need. Teachers can receive professional development credit.

For further information, including the workshop program, please visit http://classics.buffalo.edu/events/buffaloniense/, where you can also register online.

Questions should be directed to Neil Coffee at ncoffee@buffalo.edu.