UIC to host first Chicagoland Homerathon

The University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Classics and Mediterranean Studies will be hosting the first Chicagoland Homerathon on April 4, beginning at 9 a.m.

The event will last until approximately 12 a.m. and welcomes anyone to participate at any time and for as long as they are available. The Homerathon will feature a complete live reading of Homer’s “Odyssey“ (in English translation) along with a variety of food from local restaurants, live music and other performances, and special guests from the Chicago area and beyond.

At the Chicagoland Homerathon, the reading of the “Odyssey” will commence promptly in the morning and continue throughout the day with students, faculty, experts in the field of classical studies, authors, artists, and interested Chicagoans taking turns reading 3-5-minute passages from the epic poem. Students from the University of Illinois at Chicago, Valparaiso University, and Loyola University Chicago will work together with their communities to prepare for this event and share their love of history, art and classical literature with the Chicagoland area. This student-organized event is an opportunity for people of any age or experience to come together to engage with classical literature —and most importantly, have fun!

The event will be free to attend and the University will provide food to participants. It is family friendly, with lawn games, art activities, and face-painting for children of all ages during the day. There will also be Homerathon T-shirts and stickers available, as well as prizes for everyone who reads a passage. Donations to support future student-organized events are welcome!

Instruction for signing up ahead of time are here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aoU-UbeO6QiFnWP4ofpioPLIxenGjwyeKYk1uircEc0/edit#gid=1430335315. For more information, email UIC’s point of contact, Grace Li, at gli39@uic.edu or the UIC faculty sponsor, Dr. Krishni Burns, at ksburns@uic.edu.