HALLS: Issue II

modern Freudian psychoanalysis too.
Such a radical change in our common
cultural encyclopedia would feel like a
change of alphabet, of the common
values in which our identity is deeply
rooted, not only as citizens, but as human
beings.
food on the table?”, I don’t reply giving
the answer that says the only reason to
study Classics is to understand the origins
of western civilization. Rather, I
like to make people reflect upon how important
it is to know your past in order to
live your present life in a different, more
conscious way.
In fact, if we stopped reading the Aeneid,
we would lose contact not only
with the Roman world, but also with
everything that has happened after
that. Losing Virgil would mean losing
Dante as well, and forgetting the
meaning of the Oedipus myth would
have probably signified the loss of
Studying Classics is not about what is
valid, but rather about what prevails -
the development of a mindset that
allows us to see and deal with the
world and make use of a different perspective
that is enriched by the
thoughts and philosophies of those
who have questioned the essence of
life before us. In addition, seeing the
world through the eyes of people from
these ancient cultures almost brings us
back to childhood and a dimension
marked by innocence, since these people
used to explain everything
through myths, which may now appear
almost ridiculous to us, or maybe
just naive.
Yet, looking back at the mythological
past has the healthy effect of bringing
us back ro a sort of primitive harmony,
in communion with nature and
imagination, things that almost seem
totally lost now.The Greeks and the
Romans express a reality that is alternative
to the one we live in daily, and
I invite everyone to rediscover it with
enthusiasm.
EUROVISION—BRINGING EUROPE TO-
GETHER OR PUSHING IT APART?
F
or as long as I can remember,
the Eurovision Song
Contest has been my guilty
pleasure, minus the fact
that I don’t and have never felt a
pang of guilt as a result of my nearobsession
with the event. I’ve been a
card-carrying member of the fandom
for as long as I can remember. Having
an undying love for such a marmite
week of tack, flamboyance, and charisma
comes with the role of having to
defend its relevance and importance to
anyone who will give me their ears
once a year. My devotion to the cause
dates back to the night Ireland