Department of Classical Studies
Penn Certamen -- a classics quiz bowl -- took place for the second time on Saturday, April 6, 2024, with 200 students competing at the Novice, Intermediate, and (newly added) Advanced levels (up from last year’s 130).
More than 40 teams came to campus for the day, from public, independent, and parochial schools in the Philadelphia area, as well as New Jersey, New York, D.C., and … Wisconsin!
The event was organized by students and faculty in Penn Classical Studies together with an energetic team of students and teachers from Harriton High School in the Lower Merion school district. Leadership was provided by the dozen undergraduate and graduate students in Prof. James Ker’s Academically Based Community Service course CLST 3805/5805 “Classical Studies in Philadelphia Schools”.
We used the same tried-and-tested model from last year: soft pretzels, an early pep talk (“Fortuna fears the brave, but crushes the cowardly …”), and many student volunteers writing questions and moderating the rounds.
By the end of the day, most of the students had visited the Penn Museum and nine teams competed in the final rounds for gold, silver, and bronze medals. The MVPs received copies of Homer's "Iliad" personally signed by Penn faculty member Emily Wilson. Spot-prize “Odysseys” were also awarded.
Special thanks go to Harriton High School student Lev Weitzman and Magistra Veronica Vladimirova-Cambria for taking the initiative; to Penn community members Sunme Zhao, Peter Psathas, and others; and to the staff at the Penn Museum.
The first two iterations of Penn Certamen have been made possible by a generous donation to the Department of Classical Studies by Keith A.,C’83, and Alixandra Morgan.
Participating schools: B. Reed Henderson High School, BASIS DC, Bayonne High School, Boys Latin of Philadelphia, Brookfield Academy Middle School, Brookfield Academy Upper School, Calvert School, Franklin High School, Garden City High School, Germantown Friends School, Harriton High School, Hunter College High School, Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, Radnor High School, Ridgewood High School, St. Joseph's Preparatory School, Stuyvesant High School, The Haverford School, Townsend Harris High School, Upper Dublin High School, Welsh Valley Middle School, William Penn Charter Middle School, Pelham Memorial School, Lower Merion High School.
Final round results, Novice level: Hunter College High School (1st place), Brookfield Academy A (2nd place), Brookfield Academy B (3rd place); MVP: Ishani Joshi (Brookfield A).
Final round results, Intermediate level: Brookfield Academy A (1st place), Stuyvesant High School (2nd place), Harriton High Schpol (3rd place); MVP: Stella Anderson (Stuyvesant High School).
Final round results, Advanced level: Brookfield Academy (1st place), Pelham Memorial High School (2nd place), Harriton High Schol (3rd place); MVP: Spencer Conrad (Pelham Memorial High School).