Lecturer Alison Traweek reports that senior Michael Freeman, a student in her ‘Magic in the Ancient World’ Critical Writing Seminar four years ago, helped curate the ‘Ancient Magic’ exhibit currently at the Penn Museum.
Traweek says she didn’t know of Freeman’s role in the exhibit until she saw his name on the list of credits. After the two reconnected, Freeman, a Classics major who’s writing his senior thesis on ancient magical amulets, gave a special tour of the exhibit to her ‘Magic’ class.
“I’m like a proud mom,” says Traweek, in her fifth year as a Critical Writing instructor. (Freeman also works as a Critical Writing peer tutor). “I’m happy I was able to play a little part in that.”
As a freshman, Freeman came to Traweek’s class with a background in Latin and classics in general, she says. “I don’t expect he came in knowing anything about ancient magic in particular. It’s a pretty esoteric subject, even for classics majors. I’d love to take credit for steering him in that direction, but I’m not sure.”
Traweek suggested that Freeman take Classical Studies Professor Peter Struck’s ancient magic seminar, “and the rest is history,” she says.
Speaking of Classics, Traweek, a Houston native who earned her Ph.D. in Classics at Penn, says she’s “chipping away’ at her book about Medusa.