A “Classy” Study Spot

Written by Jennifer Leonard

My favorite classroom to study in after hours is definitely the classics library, which sits just inside Kendall Hall. It has what looks like a 12-person dining room table, which is perfect for studying if you’re one to spread out the entire contents of your backpack, as I am. Usually, the table is already quite full; there are two bookstands holding 5,000-page Greek and Latin reference dictionaries, owl mascots for the classics honorary, and assorted classic texts. Dr. Joseph Garnjobst, chairman and professor of classics, often leaves a bowl of fruit and chocolate for students to feast upon as they study.

Though I am not a classics student, I enjoy looking through the shelves that line half the classroom. From full collections of all the major classic works, from Isocrates to Augustine to more obscure Greek and Latin texts, a student can find almost anything he can think of, conveniently located right where he has class. 

I asked a classics major, Stephen Conner, ’24, to give me an in-depth tour. “These are the classic classic texts,” he said, walking to a shelf filled with green and red books. “The red ones are all Latin; the green ones are all Greek,” he explained, pulling a book off the shelf. “They’re all in this format where you have the Latin on the left side and you have the English translation on the right.” He pointed out that the books are quite rare, so it is remarkable that the library contains so many for student use. A shelf situated by the window contained reference books, dictionaries, biblical commentaries, and the Greek New Testament. 

He turned to another book sitting on the table. “There are well-known classics dictionaries called the Liddell-Scott lexicons. There’s a ‘little-Liddell,’ a ‘medium-Liddell,’ and a ‘big-Liddell,’” he said, hoisting a book with a five-inch wide spine into the air. “You can probably guess which one this is.” 

Stephen related an anecdote about Dr. Garnjobst, the founder of the classics library. “I was studying for my first Greek final in second semester of my freshman year, and I was super confused about adjective endings,” Stephen said. “I just happened to be in the classics library studying, and Dr. Garnjobst came in and brought a bunch of fruit for studying students. He walked me through predicate and adjective endings. I had never met him before, but he taught me the entire subject on a whim.”

On snacks, Stephen said, “Dr. Garnjobst brings in random snacks, like these wasabi peas. He usually has a big carton of peanut-butter filled pretzels, or sometimes Goldfish, so it’s very Sunday-school-feeling, except now you’re reading the Bible in Greek.”

Upper-level classics classes and some history classes utilize the round-table style of the room to encourage class participation. In Stephen’s Intro to Greek Literature class, for example, almost the entire period is spent going around the table as students take turns translating passages.  

Also strewn around the library are a number of artifacts and replicas of pieces from antiquity. You can find maps, columns, and a bust of Julius Caesar. Eta Sigma Phi, the classics honorary, has a Roman-inspired purple banner in the corner near a stack of children’s books, all written in Latin and Greek. Dr. Garnjobst encourages students to read classic languages as often as possible, and several small books are available for students to practice. “These are children’s books,” Stephen explained. “They’re a good way to get experience with vocabulary.”

After my tour of the classics library, I decided to work on a history research project. Dr. Garnjobst happened to stop by, looking for a particular Isocrates text. I had never met Dr. Garnjobst before, but I asked him a question about the origin of the word “state” because I thought it might relate to some 20th-century European history research I was conducting. He sat down and talked with Stephen and me for almost an hour-and-a-half, walking us through the etymology.

My experience exploring the classics library is a perfect example of the benefits of how small class sizes and dedicated professors help create a comfortable, homey atmosphere on campus. The classics library is truly a treasured study spot hiding in plain sight! 

For further reading: https://www.hillsdale.edu/hillsdale-blog/academics/stay-mighty-awesome/


Jennifer Leonard, ’24, is a student writer for Hillsdale’s Student Stories blog and an editor at The Forum. She enjoys studying English, pressing flowers, and dreaming about writing her Great American Novel.


Published in February 2023