The study of Classical literature gives students an enormous edge in life.  The Graeco-Roman classics are foundational, whether one chooses to pursue history, art history, philosophy, political science, law, religious studies, literature (e.g., English literature or other modern European literatures), or healthcare professions and the sciences (much of scientific and medical terminology is derived from Greek and Latin).  Homer, Herodotus, Plato, Aristotle, Virgil, Cicero, Ovid, Seneca and many other great, world-class authors are and will continue to be an ingrained part of our intellectual heritage.  Through the study and interpretation of these works students acquire a deeper understanding of the linguistic and conceptual roots of their own culture.  They will join the ranks of those who have become inspired by the classics and who go on to reach the highest level attainable in whatever fields they choose. The list is long, diverse, and ever growing, from John Milton to Toni Morrison, from Thomas Hobbes to Michel Foucault. As the great Greek philosopher/biographer Plutarch of Chaeronea wrote: “The mind is not a vessel that needs filling, but tinder that needs igniting.”  The study of Classics is the fire that ignites the mind.