2008 Woodie Awards
Four Students Inducted into Yeshiva's Chapter of National Classics
Commie Staff
Issue date: 12/6/04 Section: News
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On the evening of November 14, Yeshiva students and alumni filled the basement of classics professor Louis H. Feldman's house for the induction ceremony of Yeshiva's Gamma Delta chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, a national fraternity which honors excellent performance in the study of Classical languages. Inducted this year was Stern College for Women sophomore Rachel Chernyak, Bernard Revel School of Graduate Studies student Benzion Chinn, Yeshiva College junior Jacob Hartz, and senior Tzvi Kahn.
In order to gain admission into this society, students must be in at least their second year of either Greek or Latin at Yeshiva and must also translate some piece of writing into either Greek or Latin. Chernyak rendered Lord Byron's "To Thomas Moore" into Greek, Chinn rendered the liturgical Hebrew prayer "Alenu" into Latin, Hartz rendered six songs by Adam Green into Greek, and Kahn rendered an excerpt of President George W. Bush's speech after 9/11 into Latin.
The evening's proceedings commenced with the singing of the club's official song, "Gaudeamus Igitur," meaning, "Let us therefore rejoice." Yeshiva alumni (1960-the present) of Eta Sigma Phi joined together with equal spirit, while the induction candidates played the role of audience.
After everyone had made his or her introductions, the "Dispositio vectationum" was performed. This, of course, is the age-old ritual of arranging rides home for anyone who arrived using public transportation.
The Dispositio having been completed, the four candidates for induction presented their translations to the alumni, who served as the panel of judges and evaluated each candidate based on the accuracy and ambition of his or her translation. The candidate under consideration was removed to the adjacent furnace room so that the judges could freely debate his or her candidacy.
All candidates were accepted without a great deal of controversy, aside from Chinn, whose Alenu contained an editorial comment not found in the original text. A discussion therefore ensued regarding the role of interpretation in translation and the practical ramifications of changing a text from its original meaning to one that is relevant to contemporary polemics.
In order to gain admission into this society, students must be in at least their second year of either Greek or Latin at Yeshiva and must also translate some piece of writing into either Greek or Latin. Chernyak rendered Lord Byron's "To Thomas Moore" into Greek, Chinn rendered the liturgical Hebrew prayer "Alenu" into Latin, Hartz rendered six songs by Adam Green into Greek, and Kahn rendered an excerpt of President George W. Bush's speech after 9/11 into Latin.
The evening's proceedings commenced with the singing of the club's official song, "Gaudeamus Igitur," meaning, "Let us therefore rejoice." Yeshiva alumni (1960-the present) of Eta Sigma Phi joined together with equal spirit, while the induction candidates played the role of audience.
After everyone had made his or her introductions, the "Dispositio vectationum" was performed. This, of course, is the age-old ritual of arranging rides home for anyone who arrived using public transportation.
The Dispositio having been completed, the four candidates for induction presented their translations to the alumni, who served as the panel of judges and evaluated each candidate based on the accuracy and ambition of his or her translation. The candidate under consideration was removed to the adjacent furnace room so that the judges could freely debate his or her candidacy.
All candidates were accepted without a great deal of controversy, aside from Chinn, whose Alenu contained an editorial comment not found in the original text. A discussion therefore ensued regarding the role of interpretation in translation and the practical ramifications of changing a text from its original meaning to one that is relevant to contemporary polemics.