Chloé Benner brings the classics to life Magic spells and the Coptic alphabet. Mythology and teaching children. Bluegrass and cello. These may sound like disparate pairings, but Chloé Benner embraces all of them. This 2015 graduate who majored in classical studies creatively links ancient worlds, teaching, and the arts. Applying lessons of the past to challenges of the future is Benner’s passion. In a scene reminiscent of Harry Potter’s Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, one of her undergraduate projects involved Coptic texts on invisibility spells, charms, and enchantments. “It's important to study these documents because they provide a window into daily life,” Benner said. “They reveal the concerns and wishes of people who may not have had their voices preserved in ancient literature otherwise.” A University Honors student, Benner received the 2013 Class of 1956 Ut Prosim University Honors Fellowship, which identifies “students with outstanding ability and the capacity to make a difference in the world in which we live through volunteerism or service,” and awards them a $10,000 scholarship. Thanks to the scholarship, Benner studied in Greece in 2014, visiting 121 sites in six and a half weeks with the America School of Classical Studies in Athens.
For her project related to the fellowship, Benner initiated an after-school program at Gilbert Linkous Elementary School in Blacksburg that combined Latin, her minor, with mythology and art. “Kids love stories,” she said. “Myths help communicate about culture and provide background for how we approach things today.” Her work in classical studies has been cited by the Foreign Languages Association of Virginia, which last fall bestowed upon her the College/University Student Recognition Award. She has also presented her work to Latin teachers in the state of Virginia at the spring meeting of the Classical Association of Virginia. Benner applies her passion for storytelling to another discipline: music. A classically trained cellist, she also plays mountain dulcimer and folk harp. She is a mainstay at Friday night jamborees in Floyd, Virginia, and has adapted her cello to traditional bluegrass. She is a fan of ballads because of their storytelling capacity—not unlike myths, she said. Whether performing onstage or working with children, Benner is adept at connecting past and present, said Andrew Becker, associate professor of classics. He called Benner “intellectually adventurous and ever curious” and “a teacher and scholar of languages, music, cultures.” Benner is attending Hollins University this fall to pursue a master of arts in teaching.
Chloé Benner works with Assistant Professor Richard Phillips on Coptic spells. At left, Benner in Athens.
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