Hillsdale College Classics Students Win National Translation Contest Awards
HILLSDALE, Mich. — Four members of the Hillsdale College chapter of Eta Sigma Phi, the national classics honorary, placed in the top three and one received an honorable mention in the annual Maurine Dallas Watkins Translation Contests. The students competed for cash prizes against other Eta Sigma Phi chapters, as they sight translated passages from Greek and Latin.
“We were extremely pleased with the results of the exams,” said Chairman and Professor of Classics Joseph Garnjobst. “We had a deep bench from which to draw upon our talent. Enrollments in the classical languages at Hillsdale are very strong, reflecting the college’s thorough grounding in the liberal arts. The results reflect the years of hard work on the part of these students.” Garnjobst also serves on the national Eta Sigma Phi board of trustees.
The competing students won a total of eight awards. Jonathan Rolfe (‘25) won first place in the advanced Latin, advanced Greek, and Koine Greek contests. Noah Schleusener (‘23) placed second in advanced Greek and tied for third place in Koine Greek with Elyssa Witsken (‘23). Isabella Krob (‘26) placed third in the intermediate Latin contest. Michael Frost (‘23) received an honorable mention in the advanced Latin contest.
Hillsdale College’s Eta Delta chapter of Eta Sigma Phi was chartered in 1996. Since then, its members have competed in national translation contests, presented papers at conferences, and hosted live readings of classical literature on campus.