TO OUR TEACHERS · Torch: U.S. · Winter 2020
9
I arrived at Certamen practice in a predicament: I had taken Latin 1 and 2 before high school, and I would be in the advanced category without ever having played before. My new Latin teacher, Ms. Block, unhesitatingly let me join and treated me like anyone else with my skillset on the Certamen team. Ms. Block is devoted to equality in more than just Certamen, though. Last year, she gave class time to discuss the importance of the Black Lives Matter protests and how we could support them. This year, as Latin 4 began our Caesar unit, we talked about how Caesar committed genocide. She insists that we translate servus as “enslaved person," because the word doesn’t imply voluntary service and should not be allowed to dehumanize the enslaved people. Ms. Block’s passion for Latin class isn’t sacrificed for her focus on equality. She has answered my emails pestering her to promote JCL events, such as JCLive, with enthusiasm. When I asked if my twin and I could start an Instagram account for Latin club, I carefully offered to make it unofficial, or to let her pre-approve all of the posts. She simply wrote back “That would be a great idea!!” My Latin club has no official student leadership; Ms. Block manages to both lead it herself (while coaching cross country and track) and allows the members to actively participate. Under her guidance, my school went to the state convention for the first time. She successfully handled convention, whether it was judging contests or submitting graphic arts entries at 7 in the morning after having been up past midnight (as required by the schedule). Ms. Block is a passionate Latin teacher, an inspiring Certamen coach, and a brilliant leader of our Latin club. I aspire to be as competent and inclusive as she is.
Ms. Kelly Block
by Riona Duncan, ILJCL
"Ms. Block is a passionate Latin teacher, an inspiring Certamen coach, and a brilliant leader of our Latin club."