Speech and Debate Grabs Second Big Ten Title
College of Arts and Sciences
Professor Uses Classics to Help People Dealing with Trauma
University of Nebraska-Lincoln Speech and Debate became two-time champions of the Big Ten Conference this past fall with its victory at the Conference Challenge Tournament held at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill. When the team won at the same tournament in 2011, they earned a place in the record books as the first organization on campus to capture a Big Ten title. This year, UNL led the field with a two-day point total of 190, ahead of the University of Illinois, which grabbed second place with 56 points, and tournament host Northwestern University with 53 points. “I am extremely proud of the hard work and effort our students and coaches put in to prepare this competition,” said
By Jeanne Ortiz Jones Anne Duncan probably can’t count the times she’s read Homer’s “Iliad,” Aeschylus’ “The Oresteia” or other ancient texts central to her work as a classicist. But these days, she’s seeing them through new eyes and helping others find meaning in them, too. The UNL associate professor of classics and religious studies is invested in a unique outreach project, one that aims to help veterans grapple with post-traumatic stress disorder and other challenges
Anne Duncan
of returning from combat. Benefitting, too, are those struggling “I have always believed that ‘classic’ literature is considered
with other life-altering traumas. The project is called “Ancient Greeks/Modern Lives” and
great because it has the ability to speak to people across centuries
Aaron Duncan, Speech and Debate di-
is one of many across the country – the only one in Nebraska –
and cultures, but now I’m seeing it happen in a whole new way,”
rector. “None of the students on our team
organized by the New York-based Aquila Theatre Group. Aquila
she said. “I’m seeing people connect to 2,500-year-old books and
receive full-ride scholarships; none of
has partnered with classics professors in 100 U.S. cities over three
find things in them that are relevant to their lives here in 21st
years in its mission to present performances, host workshops and
century America.”
them will be drafted into the professional ranks. They compete because of their love for this university and this activity.” UNL students captured seven individual Big Ten titles. Students winning conference championships included
Aquila, which specializes in the classics and pursues outreach to
senior Lauren Schaal of Omaha in per-
traditionally underserved
suasive speaking; senior Marc Otero of
audiences, is supported
Lexington in program oral interpretation;
in this effort with a grant
junior Amanda Stoffel of Raymond in
from the National Endow-
after-dinner speaking; junior Josh Planos
ment for the Humanities.
of Omaha in poetry interpretation; junior
Duncan, in turn, partnered
Grace Kluck of Lincoln in dramatic interpretation; and sophomore Reece Ristau of Omaha and sophomore Josiah BeDunnah of Lexington in prose interpretation. BeDunnah and junior Roger Allen of Firth claimed victory in duo interpretation. UNL Speech and Debate team, 2012 Big Ten Conference Challenge Champions
More recently, they welcomed professional actors from Aquila
stimulate discussion on this important topic.
“I have always believed that ‘classic’ literature is considered great because it has the ability to speak to people across centuries and cultures, but now I’m seeing it happen in a whole new way. I’m seeing people connect to 2,500-year-old books and find things in them that are relevant to their lives here in 21st century America.”
with Dr. Christine Emler,
– Anne Duncan
associate chief of medicine
workshop where they explored the challenges and rewards of performing Ancient Greek plays to modern audiences. The actors also delivered a staged reading in which they performed selected scenes from Greek tragedies – all having to do with combat
at the Lincoln clinic to bring the events to the VA Nebraska-West-
and the warrior’s return home. Duncan also presented a public
ern Iowa Health Care System. Such activities are part of patient-
lecture on combat trauma in Homer’s “Iliad.”
centered care and focus on the patient as a whole person and not
Her goals are simple: one being to help non-academic audiences discover that ancient Greek literature actually has a lot to say
just a disease, Emler said. They began with a book club in August. Doctors, nurses,
to them about issues that are important to them, even though it
psychologists, Vietnam veterans and
seems so remote. She also hopes it will give veterans and non-veter-
widows have filled the seats, bringing
ans alike a new forum to speak and to really hear each other when
their life experiences and their eager-
they talk about their experiences, thoughts and reactions.
ness to discover new insights together.
Duncan is hopeful this new effort’s life won’t be short-lived.
Duncan is discovering, too, in com-
“Although I’m not sure what shape it would take, I’d love to
paring the Greek warrior returning
see this evolve into a longer-term community outreach project,” she
home from warfare to the experiences
said. “I feel a certain responsibility to use our unique strengths to
of those who’ve served in Afghanistan,
play a part in helping solve some major issues facing our country.”
Iraq or Vietnam. 24 | GoodNUz | COLLEGES
Theatre for a performance
cas.unl.edu