The English Club hosted an Ides of March party in the Tudor & Stuart Room in Gilman on March 9. The event, which commemorated the day that Julius Caesar was assassinated in 44 B.C.E., included elements of both Roman and Shakespearean literature, with allusions to the play written by the Bard in the 16th century. The event appealed to students of all majors and varying degrees of knowledge about Caesar and Shakespeare.
The celebration took place nearly a week before the actual Ides of March, which occurs on March 15 every year. This date corresponds with another day on the Roman lunar calendar — the “ides” referring to the midpoint of the month according to the placement of the moon. The death of the dictator marked a significant transition in Roman history.
The story of the assassination was dramatized by Shakespeare in 1599 in the play Julius Caesar, which introduced the infamous quote, “beware the Ides of March.” With this connection to literature, the English Club took the opportunity to celebrate both the work of Shakespeare and the day itself.
The party was initially delayed due to a fire alarm that went off minutes before the event. However, once students were able to reenter the building, the event was able to start. English Club co-presidents Emily Karcher and Jessica Terekhov set up the various elements of the event as students trickled into the room.
The Tudor & Stuart Room, a space that features older architecture and engraved wooden surfaces, was ideal for the event. In the center of the room was a large wooden table covered with a selection of Roman-themed foods including grapes and Fontal and Savello di Roma cheese. There was also cranberry juice as a substitute for Roman wines. As students ate and mingled, the calls of Roman bagpipes echoed throughout the room.
Sophomore Holly Tice commented on the atmosphere created by the various elements of the event.
“The cheeses and the music created an authentic Roman atmosphere that I think even Caesar would have felt at home in. It was an apt celebration for the late, great conqueror and I enjoyed it immensely,” Tice said. “Even the fire alarm that went off beforehand couldn’t put a damper on the celebration. I wish the English Club would hold more events like this one.”
Another student who attended the event, sophomore Willah Peers, was puzzled by the advertising surrounding the event.
“I guess I was confused because they said there would be free used books, but I don’t think there were free books while I was there,” she said.
Another element of the event was the chance to win a Barnes & Nobles gift card with Shakespeare’s image on it. Students who attended the event entered their name into the raffle. This prize shows the English Club’s commitment to books and literature and their desire to share their passions with the student body.
In addition to the Ides of March celebration, the English Club also hosts a number of other events throughout the school year, including literary events and movie screenings of book-to-film adaptations.
One event last semester was a Secret Santa gathering in which the club’s presidents retrieved books and artifacts from the Special Collections section of the Milton S. Eisenhower Library (MSE) that members expressed interest in.
Another event that occurred in November was a tour of the MSE’s conservation lab.
The club also seeks to bring news of local literary events to Hopkins students via emails to their mailing list. They recently showed their support for the Baltimore community by providing updates at The Book Thing of Baltimore, a book swap store which was recently damaged by fire.
While the club is primarily for English and Writing Seminars majors, their events are open to any student that is interested in reading or writing.
