A fortunate group of American students will visit the beautiful shores of Greece this year for a semester of stimulating programs based on ancient Greek texts.
Professor Deborah Byrd, a professor of English who specializes in Women’s Literature and Gender Studies at Pennsylvania’s Lafayette College, will run the initiative in partnership with the College Year in Athens (CYA) program.
Professor Byrd was at the helm of the extensive program from 1994 – 2004 but had to put the successful project on hold due to family commitments.
“Gender, Race, and the Classics: Modern Responses to Ancient Greek Texts” will be the primary focus of this year’s Fall semester studies. Byrd also hopes to include theatrical performances of famous Greek tragedies and discuss how modern writers have reworked the core principles of the Greek tragedy successfully.
The professor intends to teach a number of her lessons amongst the extraordinary historical sites located in and around Athens, adding further cultural gravitas to the students’ learning experience.
The college students will be staying in the very heart of Athens during the semester, living in apartments owned by the CYA program. They will be living alongside friendly Greek residents and sharing accommodation with other schools.
The city’s excellent metro system, as well as an extensive bus system, will help the students navigate the city, but most parts of Athens can — and should — be accessed on foot.
The first few weeks of the semester will include regular walking tours to help the students familiarize themselves with the most important historical sites and the many local amenities of the Greek capital.
Dr. Byrd lived in Greece for three years, where she taught on a military base. While there, she spent all her free time roaming the country, visiting as many as thirty of the stunning islands off the mainland of Greece, learning the history and customs of each so that she could share her knowledge with her students.
For more information on Lafayette College’s Fall 2020 Athens study program, please click here: https://calendar.lafayette.edu/node/49105
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