By Mia Mathew, Features Editor

“Salve tes omnes!” (Hello everyone!) This is the energetic introduction that greets every Latin student coming into class. Payton’s Latin program brings life into the Latin language, and it is all thanks to their teacher, Mr. Kirk Halverson.

Mr. Halverson has been teaching at Payton for six years now, starting with 70 students in total his first year. Transitioning from a program in the suburbs, he stated that it was “cool to work with a diverse population of students” from all over the city. He was inspired to see “how these students, coming from different backgrounds and stories, [were] connecting to the ancient world.” The enthusiasm for Latin has only grown from his first year, and he is hoping to continue this momentum for years to come.

When asked why he loves the Latin language, Mr. Halverson shared, “I love being able to teach a language and history that survived for 2500 years, has impacted the world around us, and is still vibrant and alive in our daily lives.” An exercise that his classes regularly complete is trying to find examples of Latin in their day-to-day lives. Many students recall Roman-style architecture patterns, Latin words in religious settings and even an episode title of the popular TV series Stranger Things. His favorite part about teaching the language is being able to “connect what we talk about to politics, literature, art history, sociology, engineering, medicine, law” and how “every field alive is connected to Latin.”

Latin might not be a common language choice for a high school student, but it stands out in many ways. Mr. Halverson says that “knowing more about Latin expands your abilities in English to speak more effectively, use a wider range of words and read more texts.” Future doctors or lawyers would be glad to hear that “Latin roots are highly utilized in many fields.”

There is a common belief that learning Latin is extremely difficult, but really it is “no harder than any other language,” Mr. Halverson said. “We are hardwired to learn language, and it is a cool experience learning something from thousands of years ago.” He would recommend it to any student who finds speaking and writing foreign languages difficult, as Latin is more focused on reading.

Joining Payton’s Latin program comes with opportunities and memories that will be a highlight of any high school experience. Payton’s program is famous for its Rome trip, where Latin 4 and AP Latin students travel to Italy to see ancient ruins and the sights they have been studying all these years. Mr. Halverson said, “Students research objects or monuments and present them [to the class]. The first time they see their object, their eyes go wide and they can barely believe what they are seeing. It is so incredible to see the connection to real, actual artifacts that they have spent time studying.”

Every year, Payton’s Latin program participates with the Illinois Junior Classical League one weekend during the winter, where students from around the state have fun in costume contests, trivia competitions, arts and crafts and all sorts of activities relating to the ancient world. This is the perfect chance for any student looking to win a state level competition surrounded by their friends in an event-packed weekend.

The Latin program also offers Certamen, a quiz bowl-type competition about Ancient Rome and the Latin language, and Payton’s Certamen team are recognized as state champions.

Mr. Halverson states that his favorite part about teaching Latin to high school students is “seeing students make specific connections to their lives and how what they are learning is relevant to the world around them.” Being the only Latin teacher at Payton is a unique experience as he is “one of the few teachers who have students for all four years” so he can “see them grow as people and Latin learners and scholars.”

Over the summer, the Latin program has faced significant challenges and cuts to the program. This change was unexpected: Mr. Halverson said that “we [Payton’s Latin program] have grown 40% in enrollment over the last five years that I have been here. [It is] surprising to see a growing program affected by budget cuts.”

However, he hopes to continue the program and “show our growth and enthusiasm for future years to come.” He is “proud of my kids every day, there are so many accomplishments that my students do on a day-to-day basis…seeing kids come into Latin excited to learn and wanting to learn more about stories and how the language works.”

The Paw Print interviewed Latin students from Payton to get to know their experiences with Latin and their perspectives on taking the class in high school. These students are from a diverse range of levels, from Latin 2 students to a current Teacher’s Assistant helping Mr. Halverson.

“Mr. Halverson is my favorite [teacher]. Originally, I wasn’t going to take Latin, but Mr. Halverson made it so fun for me and I genuinely fell in love with the language… Latin is one of those things that I didn’t think I would enjoy at all or even need in life, but Mr. Halverson helped me see the beauty in Latin. Throughout the years, through Certamen and ILJCL and all the Latin activities, the more and more I’ve fallen in love with the class… I feel like I’ve become the person I became today because of Mr. Halverson and our Latin class.” -Isabella Cabral (Latin 3)

“Mr. Halverson is an incredible teacher that makes all of his students feel welcome and engaged with the language. He makes learning fun in a way that not all teachers can do. He is a big part of the reason why I learned to love the Latin language.” -Heidi Warden (Latin 3)

“[Mr. Halverson] teaches a subject that is so complex and so difficult to wrap your head around, but he doesn’t rush us or make us feel like we are stupid. He truly takes the time to identify our problems and what we are confused about, works one on one, and makes sure we don’t have that issue again.” -Evelyn Basken (Latin 2)

“I think Mr. Halverson is a fantastic teacher and I have learned so much from his tutelage and [if there is] anything I can do to help him this year and explore Latin, I would love to!” -Akshara Rajan (Latin Teacher’s Assistant)