As WHHS is ranked by U.S. News and World Report as the #1 school in Ohio, many people may wonder what makes WHHS special.
Some say it’s the 38 AP classes offered or the above-average test scores. Others say it’s the foundational idea of “classical education.” But what does a classical education entail?
“Walnut Hills offers a rigorous classical program, requiring three years of Latin for incoming seventh and eighth graders,” according to the WHHS website.
Students who enter the school as an Effie or E-flat have to take at least three years of Latin throughout their time at WHHS. The Latin classes fall under the Classics Department, led by Laura Brogden.
“The first two years of Latin were pretty easy; the third year was pretty difficult,” Charlotte Lauer, ‘28, said.
After a third year of Latin, students can take Latin lV, Latin lV Honors Poetry, Latin lV Honors Prose, or AP Latin to fulfill the school’s language requirement.
“I personally do not want to take another language, so I thought it would be best to take AP Latin so I can finish the language requirements,” Anushka Goel, ‘28, said.
Another way to meet this requirement is to take an alternative foreign language for two consecutive years at any grade level.
“I am not taking a fourth year of Latin; I plan to take French instead, because I think Latin has prepared me enough to take another language,” Lauer said.
Even though the current E-flats still have to take one more mandatory year of Latin, some already have a plan for their Latin career beyond that.
“I plan to take 4 years of Latin because I do not want to start a new language if I already know Latin really well,” Lillie Smitson, ‘29, said.
Some argue that Latin is a “dead” language, while others say that it is very useful depending on what career you choose.
“Learning Latin is also particularly beneficial for people who intend to study law,” according to the University of Kentucky Arts and Sciences website. “Studying Latin and Classics helps maximize LSAT scores.”
The LSAT is the Law School Admission Test. The LSAT helps prospective law students figure out their acceptance percentages. It calculates their chances based on the students undergraduate GPAs and the test itself.
“The most important thing I’ve learned in Latin is how to derive words from other words,” Lauer said. “Latin helped me to recognize the root of the word even in a different language.”
Latin can be a challenge for incoming students, so there are various resources available for students to use. Such resources include the SSC (Student Success Center), peer tutoring and many more.
“The best study method for me is read, write, repeat,” Marie Shaffer, ‘29, said.
Disclaimer: Goel and Lauer are both members of The Chatterbox staff.
