By Leea Rebeca Ruta — Graphics Editor

What is Classics Cafe? Well, for one, it is not a physical cafe on campus. The first time I heard about it was in the fall of 2020 when classes were online due to COVID. I had taken the course Food, Community and Culture in the Greek and Roman World with Dr. Catherine Tracy, and she had mentioned Classics Cafe in her class. Of course, at the time, it was happening on Teams. Lots of people attended, including BU alumni. We made silly polls in the chat and talked about TV shows and movies, cooking, novels and sometimes even classics! There were a few live-streamed movie nights with or without a classics theme such as Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods, a marathon of The Hobbit movies, and we even watched some episodes of Xena: Warrior Princess and Ancient Aliens.

Dr. Tracy started Classics Cafe in 2007 to provide a casual social group for anyone who likes Classics, regardless of whether they were a Classics student or not. In her own words: “I’ve tried to make Classics Cafe live up to its name by providing coffee, but most people who come prefer tea. We also have sweet treats to eat, and a pizza party once every semester. One year, one of my Latin students (Tristan Matheson – we miss you!) decided we needed to play Latin Scrabble at the Cafe, which we did, and it was a blast. Then, for several years, we always played some sort of board game; Latin/multi-lingual Scrabble, Cribbage, Cranium, and Pictionary. Another student at the time (Austen Metcalfe – we miss you too!) even donated the game Funglish.”

Fourth year classics major Hailey Swift mentioned how she did not go to Classics Cafe in her first year. She only started attending when it was taking place online because it was convenient for her. She said: “I got to know some of the people who [regularly] attend, which is why I attend in person now that it’s available. Being able to talk to a group of people with similar interests in and out of my program is very fun, and every time I go there’s something new to do, whether that be the conversation topic, a board game, the flavor of tea, the types of treats, etc.”

Emily Long, third year classics student, described how Classics Cafe has been a staple of her university experience over the past seven years since she previously did a BA in modern languages. In her words: “It had a cozy and welcoming atmosphere even before I officially joined the department. I know there’s always at least once a week when I can go and enjoy a hot beverage with friends.” Another third year student mentioned how Classics Cafe has been a great opportunity to socialize with classmates and fellow students. As an introverted person, they felt that the small cozy environment of the cafe has given them an opportunity to step out of their comfort zone. For them, the interaction has been especially welcoming after the past few years of quarantine.

As for myself, I have been attending Classics Cafe every week of every semester since Fall 2020 and it is what I often look forward to the most in my week. This semester is the first time that the group has been fully back in person. It is now held every Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. in the Morris House lounge, though the date and time changes every semester depending on the attendees’ schedules. Anyone is welcome!