Увольнение единственного преподавателя латыни в Портлендском государственном университете ставит под угрозу программу классических исследований

Editor’s Note: Noah Carandanis graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy. His Hellenic heritage cultivated a deep appreciation for Greek and Roman antiquity, leading him to seek deeper study of classical philosophy. The field of Classics is essential to the story of academia, and Nidever’s layoff from PSU only further illustrates the self-alienation of the University. Upon walking into The Language Lounge in Fariborz Maseeh Hall during a Portland State University World Antiquities Guild (PSWAG) meeting, one is met with the sight of students excitedly speaking in Latin and the aroma of freshly baked bread. The room, buzzing with esoteric excitement, is filled with enthusiasm for a language rarely spoken outside of academia: Latin. PSU is home to the Classical Studies Minor, a program which requires students to undertake two years of Latin language courses alongside courses exploring the history and culture of Roman and Greek antiquity. Within this minor, a community of passionate students have taken up the study of Latin under the mentorship of Tim Nidever, an assistant professor for 16 years at PSU. In the University’s sweeping cuts to faculty, Nidever was notified that he would be laid off at the end of the next academic year. Since Nidever is the only professor equipped to teach Latin, his departure effectively ends the Latin program at PSU. “Fortunately, there is a 12 month lead time on [the layoff] … which is, honestly, a remarkable thing,” said Nidever. “I mean, most people, when they get let go of their jobs, they just have to go immediately. To have a full year to be able to plan and to think about the next step [is something] I’m very grateful for.” Nidever’s journey through higher education was unconventional, like many of the students which make up PSU’s academic community. “I was a little bit older when I got my [bachelors degree],” said Nidever. “I feel like it’s kind of a contemporary, common story where a lot of people are trying to do other things to see how it’s going to work. But there’s something that kept drawing me back.” Before graduating with a degree in Philosophy from PSU, Nidever worked odd jobs in the food industry, the coffee industry and at the iconic Powell’s Bookstore. His love of ancient philosophy led him to enrolling in a Latin class during his undergraduate years. “I absolutely loved it. It was just such an unexpected delight, and it was five days a week [of class] at that point … it was tough but it was so much fun,” said Nidever. “That’s when I first got the bug.” Nidever went on to graduate with a masters degree in Classics from the University of Oregon in 2009. He first began teaching at PSU during the 2010 to 2011 academic year as an adjunct professor of Latin when the previous Latin professor David Thompson left the University. “It’s almost shameful to have as much fun as I do in the classroom. It is just delightful,” said Nidever. Christina Osborn graduated from PSU in 2024 is a current graduate student at the University of Kentucky in their Classics program. As the founding president of PSWAG, Osborn worked closely with Nidever within the Latin program. “If [Nidever] is in a group of people and they want something, he’ll try to make it happen so that they can continue their studies and so that their degree will be worth more when they get out into the world,” said Osborn. “There isn’t a classics major, and he knows that if we want to continue and go on to study classics, then he has to give us as much value as we can get.” According to Osborn, Nidever is not only PSWAG’s faculty advisor, but their “patron saint.” “A minor in Classics is often just a small thing,” said Angel Antonucci, PSWAG’s president-elect. “But the way Tim has been so passionate and thorough about it [shows that] he goes way beyond just a few classes introducing you to the subject. He really turns a minor into a major … We joke that you major in Tim.” For many graduate programs in Classics, study in Latin is essentially a prerequisite for admission into a degree. Nidever’s layoff effectively means the end of the Latin program at PSU, thereby making it difficult for students interested in pursuing graduate studies in Classics. “I think there isn’t much of a future for classics at Portland State if I’m let go,” said Nidever. “That means, as far as I can tell, the end of the Classical Studies minor which is the only thing that we have here.” According to Osborn, students would need at least two years of Latin, and preferably four, in order to gain entrance into masters or doctoral programs in Classics. Nidever’s students described a classroom environment that emphasized student personalization and tailored instruction that cultivated a deep sense of community within the course. “He works with and understands each person’s capability,” said Antonucci. “You have your life, you have your work, you have your other classes. It isn’t just Latin, and he really values that and understands that and will push you if you want to be pushed.” According to Osborn, Nidever remakes materials for every single class in order to make sure that class materials fit the needs of current students and do not become obsolete. Yet, it is not only the academic material that Nidever is known for. “[Nidever] will sit there and [do] this before teaching anyone Latin. He will sit and memorize every single person’s name in the class,” said Dakota Monro, a founding officer of PSWAG and student of Nidever’s. “He quizzes himself [and] he does it one at a time until he can go around the entire room and say them in order.” Nidever also fosters community through maintaining classroom rituals to mark milestones in student’s Latin careers. According to Osborn, he personally carves miniature wooden swords with “PSU Latin” stamped on the side to celebrate students successfully completing two years of Latin. “I want people to understand that they are not just a PSU ID number that’s paying for credits of tuition,” said Nidever. “They are people, and I want them to feel like people and that they’re seen.” Outside of his academic education, Nidever attended the San Francisco Baking Institute. At every weekly PSWAG meeting, he offers students a freshly baked loaf of bread to enjoy throughout the course of the event. “Tim is the most passionate person I’ve ever met,” said Antonucci. “There is nothing that kills his spirit, and I’m amazed at how much he cares, no matter what. I’ve never seen a person like that before.” For Monro, Nidever showed that Latin was accessible for students from a diverse array of backgrounds and life experiences. According to Monro, this is demonstrated in the diversity of PSWAG members who hold marginalized identities. “Its incredibly important that we are providing new perspectives into [Classics], and that’s what we’re doing with our club,” said Monro. “Our club is largely queer, poor, trans, women [and] people that have had no opportunity to enter into this conversation.” While Latin may have the stereotype of being a dead language, the University’s motto still is written in Latin. “Who is there to translate the motto of Portland State?” said Antonucci. “What is the point of referencing this academic tradition if you don’t understand why it’s there?” While Nidever recognized the niche nature of Latin, he understood how impactful that education could be for the students involved. “It is a small program, and I realize in the larger picture, it may seem insignificant,” said Nidever. “But it certainly has affected and shaped the lives of a number of my students … and they would like to see that continue.”