emmalt@princeton.edu
I’m a Classics concentrator.
Role(s) held in the Humanistic Studies Program:
Humanities mentor
Activities I participate in on campus:
Associate Opinion Editor for The Daily Princetonian, Daily Princetonian Editorial Board, Leadership Team member for Matriculate cohort, Bogle Fellowship Programming Assistant, Tutor for Princeton Tutoring Company, Bogle Fellow, Service Focus Fellow, Borrow Direct Employee at Firestone Library
Why I decided to study the humanities:
I frequently find myself defending my choice to major in Classics: “What are you going to do with that?”, I am often asked. However, the more I study these ancient texts and the wisdom they contain, the more confident I am in my choice. Not only does this sort of study, whether in Classics or another liberal art, grant its student analytical and critical thinking skills that are valuable in any workplace, but it also provides extraordinarily practical tools for everyday living. Undeniably, each of us seeks meaning and purpose for our lives. In this desire, we find commonality, not just with those living around us but also with those generations before us. Why would we set off in search for meaning alone and defenseless, rather than bulwarked by the theory and work of the many philosophers who have fought that same fight? Thus, I find the humanities an incredibly worthwhile pursuit, and I wish it were more accessible to all students.
HUM Sequence fall break trip:
In Greece, I researched one of the oldest known Greek inscriptions, examining its original positioning and environment; the main impact of the trip was seeing the texts we had studied come alive—I saw where Socrates had once stood, the same mountains ancient Athenians once gazed upon, and the remnants of the agora, where countless people had once gathered.
