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Education news and issues in the Ozarks.

Ancient Greece Leaves Legacy of Drama, Democracy and Argument

    Ancient Athens can be credited for so much of the foundation that is today’s society: drama, both tragedy and comedy, and democracy with laws made by the people. Dr. Edwin Carawan, professor of modern and classical languages at Missouri State University, noted that the ancient Athenians also created the art of speech writing and rhetoric, both of which have inspired his publishing projects, which have focused on the intersection of law and rhetoric.

Based on these speeches, Carawan derives what the layperson presumed about the laws and how statutes were interpreted, giving Carawan a deeper understanding of the culture. This cultural understanding is what motivates him to each new research project, recognizing the differences in lifestyles 2,500 years ago and the metamorphosis of ideas and beliefs over time.

“Do we really know what we think we know?” he asks. “I’m taking issue with just about everything that’s been written previously.”

Listen to his full interview.

Nicki received a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from Missouri State in marketing, in 2002 and 2004 respectively. After gaining experience in writing, marketing, special event planning, fundraising and public relations, she returned to the university to work in the office of strategic communication. There she tells the university’s story by sharing the stories of individuals at Missouri State.