I flunked 4 years of high school Latin, just so I could answer questions like this.
It was a blast.
The first year, the guy was bitchy. I was a long-haired hippy-wannabe, and looked/played the slacker role with élon. Forrrrrr sure.
So, the second year, I walked in, and he looks up with "Thomas!" (My proper Latin name, right?)
"What're you doing here??? I saw you registered, but I never thought you'd stay with that choice."
And I had to explain to him -- I didn't see a purpose in the other languages. (Everyone seemed to take them as a joke, so I did, too.) But Latin! Whether I became a lawyer (as my mother announced, "cuz you argue *everything* like a Philadelphia Lawwwwyah.") or as was my dream, to be a forest ranger/wildlife biologist/Euell Gibbons guy..... I would want the Latin either way. For sure. For sure. So, I was there for vocabulary only. Maybe some etiological context -- absolutely. But anything else is extra, and not likely to gain favor. (And I was enough of a snotnose to 'require' things to interest me, before I would work at all. Hoooo boy.
)
He didn't really lay off until senior year.
I was the only senior, and I just translated Caesar in the back of the room -- he'd come back, and we'd talk about politics, military campaigns, maybe culture some -- and then he'd hand me the vocab test that I'd burn through. Even acing those, I doubt I made better than a D, but.... I benefited hugely much.
Love your Jeopardy Q.
Solvitur Ambulando. (Et Vidi.
)
