By the afternoon of November 14, 2011, it was for sure: Riverhead had yet again dominated in the SUNY Stony Brook’s annual Suffolk County Declamatio, a competition in which student dramatically deliver from memory selected passages of Latin literature.Through months of preparation, Latinists in Levels I and II memorized passages of roughly one hundred words, while those in the advanced level, or Level III, committed to memory passages of about one hundred fifty words.
Thanks to the diligent work of Middle School Latin teacher Ms. Custer, and High School Latin teacher, Doctor Greenberger, these memorized passages, though already remarkable, were transformed into dramatized declamations, which gave Riverhead an extra edge over their competitors.
At the middle school level, Level I, there was a first: the recitations were so amazing that the judges appointed three first place winners. They were, in no particular order, Gwen “Aqua Columba” Hilles, Peter “Argentus” Cook, and Helene “Abelinda Lunae” Drozd. Second place went to Emily “Hibernia Rosa” Pearce, and third went to Aidan “Ignis Lux” Saltini. The five Level I competitors from Riverhead took all three places. Most people did not know that that was even possible.
Due to a large number of participants in Level II, the participants were split into two groups: Cicero and Seneca. In the Cicero Division, James “Octavius Aurelius” Rios took first, Erin “Pandibula” Plitt won second, and Emily “Marnibear” Behr placed in third, while in the Seneca Division Liana “Bellatrix Atalanta” Salgado won first place.
Finally, in the high school advanced level, Level III, second place went to Katelyn “Amystella” McKissick, a sophomore, and John “Odysseus Tyrannus” Rios, a senior, won first place along with the first ever “Suffolk Classical Society Scholarship” in recognition of his many triumphs in Declamatio and Certamen (a competition held in the Spring) over the past six years.
At the end of a very dramatic, eventful day, Riverhead returned home with a righteously earned 11 out of 14 awards. Not too shabby.
Photo Caption: (Front L-R): HS Advanced Level - John Rios (12th gr. /1st Place ) and Katelyn McKissick (10th /2nd ); MS Level - Peter Cook (8th/1st), Gwen Hilles (8th/1st); (2nd Row L-R): HS Regents Cicero Division: James Rios (9th/1st), Erin Plitt (9th/2nd) and Emily Behr (9th/3rd); MS Level - Emily Pearce (8th/2nd). The Latinists are pictured with the 7-8 Grade Latin Teacher and Latin Team Coach Lorene Custer (Center - Back Row).
Not pictured: HS Regents Seneca Division - Liana Salgado (1st place); MS Level - Helene Drozd (1st) and Aidan Saltini (3rd).
Also not pictured: HS Latin Teacher and Latin Team Coach Dr. Jeff Greenberger
(Photos by Sandra Kolbo)