Sym + posium

I’ve always liked the Greek preposition syn. Meaning “together” (altered to sym before certain consonants), these three letters struck me decades ago when I first realized that symphony meant “sounding together.” The next coolest application (for me) came with the term synaesthesia while in college. At that point, I began to study the revolutionary ideas of Russian composer Alexander Scriabin, a visionary who labored to involve all five senses into the composition and perception of music.

Now we’re approaching our second symposium called Teaching the Arts Classically, a one-day event that will be held October 7 on the campus of University of Dallas. I’m excited about the event, particularly when I contemplate the roster of speakers: Professors Matthew Post and Greg Roper, wonderful thinkers and activists in the revival of classical education, Barbara Rogers and Jenny Dickinson, two women whose lives and work in education have touched my heart, and our special guest from Memoria Press, Martin Cothran.

I could listen to Martin 24 hours a day, particularly when he reduces the imperatives of education to “math, Latin, and music.” Working with him closely over the past few years has given me more inspiration than I know how to describe. I too will be speaking, including a talk about overcoming the obstacles we face when teaching or encountering the arts. We expect to have a musical interlude as well.

symposium
Symposium Scene c. 420 B.C., Salamanca Collection (CC BY-SA 2.5)

While thinking about the event the other day sitting in Dallas traffic, I asked myself: “What does symposium actually mean?” Sym, okay I’ve got that part. But the rest of the word? I figured it had something to do with place, like position. WRONG!

Symposium combines “together” with an ancient root for “drinking.” If my sources are correct, the Greeks kept their beverages (wine) for after a meal, whereupon the men would gather, drink, and, discuss worthy ideas. That certainly brings any lofty sense of the term symposium down to the basics, doesn’t it?

Well, we’ll be having our beverages on both sides of our meal (and even during the meal!). We’ll open the morning with coffee, tea, and goodies at registration, 8:30, followed by lunch mid day and more refreshments between our afternoon sessions. The discussion of worthy ideas will likely begin in the parking lot as our attendees arrive. Based on our Spring 2017 symposium, that discussion will continue long after the day’s event concludes.

Over the next days we’ll be posting detailed descriptions of the sessions. And we’ll send out a complete program soon. But for today, I just want to encourage you to join us for the day (8:30 registration, 9:00 beginning, with a 3:30 conclusion). If you can come only for half the day, let us know, and we can work with you.

The link for the event is here. See you soon!