Ariel Landvick

Latin teacher Ariel Landvick is one of a handful of people — quite possibly the only person — at LFHS for whom the Friday Five word limit does not come as a welcome relief. The twelve books of the Aeneid would not be remotely enough to do her justice, Cicero himself could not truly speak to her presence in the classroom, and Aristotle would be upset that he had to settle for Plato.

Senior and former AP Latin student Susanna Noble was similarly unequivocal in burying her teacher beneath a blanket of praise. “She is one of the most enthusiastic teachers I have ever had,” she said. “Being in her class is such a joy because you can just tell by her amazing attitude that she is incredibly passionate about Latin and anything relating to the Roman Empire.”

Senior and incipient AP Latin student Ben Rosa said Mrs. Landvick “brings a lot of energy to the classroom and really is able to make a ‘dead language’ come to life.”

Her passion and energy led Mrs. Landvick to take charge of Latin Club, an intensely informal group that is proud to count every single Latin student at the high school among its members. Under her leadership (and that of fellow Latin teachers Phillip Woodruff and Kirk Halverson), Latin students and a brave bovine named Bessie dine at Olive Garden, celebrate the Roman holiday Saturnalia, and watch films that in some contrived fashion relate to Latin. 

She has also brought her students to vastly more exotic locations — the Pantheon, for instance. She has managed to make conjugating verbs enjoyable and interesting by arranging a March Madness-style conjugation bracket of destiny. She bounds around the classroom with tangible joy at the prospect of passing her boundless knowledge on to others. 

But above all the antics, she has been a steadfast friend and ally to all those who pass through the doors of room 55. In making time to talk about the present during a class otherwise set firmly in the past, she ensures that help is always given at LFHS to those who ask for it.

“I like to think of her as someone you can always go to for help with anything that might be on your mind,” Noble said.