Wednesday, March 22, 2000
Retired teacher honored for
online contributions
By Loretta Fulton
Reporter-News Staff Writer
Rose Williams would likely never have to
offer a culpa est mea because she rarely commits a lapsus linguae.
Nor is it imaginable that the prim “Ms.
Rose” would ever be a persona non grata in any of the countries
of the old Roman Empire that she frequents each summer.
However, a hearty carpe diem isn’t
out of the question for the retired Latin teacher, who now devotes
her time to writing educational material and contributing to educational
Web sites.
Williams recently was awarded the Bronze
Chalice for her “outstanding submissions of the week”
to Classics Technology Center. CTC is part of a Web site operated
by AbleMedia, a management and technology consulting firm that
develops techniques for integrating multimedia technology into
existing educational curricula.
Williams’ contributions to the Web
site included common Latin phrases and mottoes such as those used
by universities. Included in her list of phrases were culpa est
mea, or “the fault is mine,” lapsus linguae or “a
slip of the tongue,” persona non grata or “a person
unwelcome,” and carpe diem or “seize the day.”
Her entire lists can be found on the Web
site www.ablemedia.com/ctcweb under the heading, “Ms. Rose’s
Latin Phrases & Mottoes.”
Williams began collecting phrases and mottoes
when she was teaching, first at Abilene High School for two years,
then Cooper for 32 years and McMurry University for five years.
“Students love finding these phrases
in newspapers and their other textbooks,” Williams said.
Since retiring, Williams has devoted her
energy to writing material for Latin teachers and to contributing
to educational Web sites where teachers can draw on each other’s
work and answer one another’s questions.
“It’s like posting something on
an international electronic bulletin board,” she said.
An international stage is a long way from
Lamesa High School, where Williams got her first introduction
to Latin. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in English
and history from Baylor University with a minor in Latin. She
later earned a master’s degree in Latin from the University
of North Carolina.
In her nearly 40 years of teaching, Williams
never had any trouble getting students to take Latin. They soon
learned that it helped them master other foreign languages, improved
their English grammar, and helped them score higher on college
entrance exams.
“I’m still teaching Latin,”
she said. “It’s just kind of undergone a metamorphosis.”
Contact staff writer Loretta Fulton at
676-6778 or fultonl@abinews.com.
Copyright ©2000,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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