Category: Quotes

Core Curriculum’s First In-Person Lecture since 2020

September 10, 2021 at 10:06 am

We’re back! After over a year of online classes, staying home, and biweekly covid tests, Boston University’s Core Curriculum has had its first in-person lecture for its Ancient Worlds course, otherwise known as CC101. As tradition would have it, the students were welcomed into the lecture to the glorious sound of Bruce Springsteen’s “Land of […]

By Gabriela Padilla | Also posted in Academics, Announcements, Community, Core Lecturers, Covid-19, Curriculum | Comments (0)

The bright ghosts of antiquity by John Talbot

February 17, 2021 at 9:54 am

In this feature for The New Criterion titled “The bright ghosts of antiquity”, BU alumnus John Talbot writes about the baffling translations of the Loeb Classical Library, and wonders about the impact of such translations on the study of Latin and Greek: https://newcriterion.com/issues/2011/9/the-bright-ghosts-of-antiquity But then if your Greek were good enough, you wouldn’t be reading […]

By Gabriela Padilla | Also posted in alumni, Community, Great Books, Other Publications, Uncategorized | Comments (0)

From Vox: Trumps grab ’em by the p***y line anticipated by 600 years

October 16, 2016 at 12:49 am

That “Canterbury” contains “Cant-“, and that “cant” shares a precarious assonance with another word, suggests that one of our most literate bards and bawds, Chaucer, might have anticipated Trump’s latest perversion. This possibility was recently illuminated by Constance Grady at Vox. Or, less likely, Trump might have been paying tribute in his comment to some […]

By Kush Ganatra | Also posted in Art, Great Books, Great Ideas, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

from In Defense of Literacy

November 10, 2015 at 8:59 am

Snug within the book-bricked walls of a University, it may not seem that literacy is under threat. However, there is a great tradition of humanisticcommentators taking on the role of reminder to bid us keep in mind that literacy in its broadest conception is not just about the ability to decipher meaning out of written […]

By CAS Core Curriculum | Also posted in Great Books, Great Ideas | Tagged | Comments (0)

Alumni Profiles: Danielle Isaacs

November 13, 2013 at 9:15 pm

(Core ’07 CAS ’09) Years at Boston University: 4 years. Current location: Washington DC. Company and Title: Fine Art Specialist at Weschler’s Auctioneers and Appraisers Recent activities: Danielle writes: I completed my MA in fine and decorative art at the Sotheby’s Institute in London in 2011. I organized a sale of vintage film posters at Weschler’s from […]

By mdimov | Also posted in alumni, Announcements, Community, EnCore, Great Personalities, Postcards, Tuesday Humor, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Core Texts on Leadership

February 28, 2013 at 1:37 pm

Here are samples from the Odyssey, the Aeneid, and Don Quixote on the topic of leadership: My child, what strange remarks you let escape you. Could I forget that kingly man, Odysseus? There is no mortal half so wise; no mortal gave so much to the lords of open sky. ~ The Odyssey, Book I, […]

By mdimov | Also posted in Academics, Curriculum, Great Ideas, Great Personalities, Great Questions | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments (0)

John Keats: “This Living Hand”

January 31, 2013 at 2:16 pm

Some spring semesters, CC202 studies the works of John Keats. Here is an interesting untitled fragment the Romantic poet scribbled in a margin: This living hand, now warm and capable Of earnest grasping, would, if it were cold And in the icy silence of the tomb, So haunt thy days and chill thy dreaming nights […]

By mdimov | Also posted in Academics, Art, Curriculum | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Semi-Serious Science Quote: CC105 from Fall 2012

January 28, 2013 at 3:18 pm

The Core presents a quote on the death of stars: In the later red giant phase, the Core will shrink further and heat up to over 100 million Kelvin. ~Dr. Mark Jonas  

By mdimov | Also posted in Academics, Core Lecturers | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Analects of the Core: Montaigne on fear

January 16, 2013 at 12:15 pm

The Core wishes students and faculty a very fruitful and enjoyable New Year and semester, and welcomes everyone back to the trials and tribulations of intellectual life. To boost students’ courage for the coming months, and instill some Core spirit, here is today’s analect: “A man who fears suffering is already suffering from what he fears.”

By mdimov | Also posted in Analects, Community | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)