Mary McHugh reports:
After Proctor’s visit and his talks on Cicero and Petrarch, which our CII students attended, one of the students, Claire Sagstuen came into class and told me that all that time spent on Cicero paid off. Claire is on the Gustavus Forensics team, and she won first place in impromptu speaking for a speech centered on Cicero at the Twin Cities Forensic League tournament. Claire argued that an individual can overcome his current circumstances to become a better person.
Here’s Claire: “I explained how Cicero came from a lower class family and wasn’t born into the aristocracy as many people might believe. He used his talents of oratory and his will to succeed to gain education and knowledge that brought him up to his status within the aristocracy. In turn, that allowed him to create his writings, such as “The Dream of Scipio” that are still studied today.” The Twin Cities Forensics League tournament took place at Normandale Community College. There were about 10 different schools represented from Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Illinois.
Congratulations, Claire!