This year the students of the class chose a wide variety of media and episodes from the Odyssey. Emma Lengkeek's project, an embroidery of Odysseus' ship not only shows one of the major elements of the epic—the hero's struggle to get home—but also showcases one of the most important crafts of women of the period: needlework. Another student chose an audio rather than visual representation of the Odyssey. Grace Oglesby composed and performed a classical piano piece that captures the adventure of the epic as a whole. Christian and Elise Lengkeek chose to combine both the audio and visual with a whimsical claymation video production in which the man's man Odysseus is interviewed in a modern setting.

      The climactic point of the Odyssey occurs when Odyssey puts the arrow in his bow and takes revenge against the suitors. From the very beginning of the epic, the arrogance and violence of the suitors have been on full display. They plot the death of Odysseus' son, pester Odysseus' wife, and spoil Odysseus' larder. No prophets or omens have been able to restrain their insolence. Gianluca Milani decided to represent that climactic moment of revenge through crafting a bow and and arrow.

     One famous scene in the Odyssey takes place on the Island of the Lotos Eaters. Odysseus's crew have been away from their families for many years, and their travel at sea has been tedious and seemingly never-ending. The soporific effects of the lotos flower creates a lethargy that makes them unwilling to continue. The Victorian poet Alfred Tennyson found this scene so engaging, that he wrote a poem titled titled "The Lotos Eaters," where by using slumberous-sounding words he creates a mood of lassitude. With oil paints, Anna Rose created three paintings of the lotos flower.

    Throughout the years, students of the Greek Influence class have written poems, painted oil paintings, written music, did embroidery, performed a dance, made tiles, and crafted bows and arrows. This year, however, was the first year that a student created a work not for the eyes or ears, but for the taste buds. Sophia Burrowes wrote a Greek Cookbook, which i am sure will become a keepsake. I hope that she works on it to publish it someday!

     You will  notice among the projects is a beautiful embroidery of Penelope, Odysseus' wife who is weaving as she patiently waits for Odysseus to return home. Penelope's dress is purple, symbolizing that she is rich, royal, and wise. She also represents the "excellent wife" the Bible talks about in Proverbs 31, with her purple clothing and diligent work. On Penelope's left is the helmet of Odysseus, who is constantly on her mind. To her right, is the island Ithaca, where she lives, awaiting her husband's return.