Caitlyn Yoshina is the first teacher at Kalani High school to teach Latin. She is already well-liked and considered fair and helpful to the group of students in her two Latin sections this year.

The Latin elective doesn’t just explore language, it also dives deep into history.

“You learn a lot of background information, which ties to history so that’s good,” Angelina Capobianco (10) said. “We get a bit more on the history part. Especially when it comes to Rome and the Greeks.”

Students all agree that Latin is a good language to start with as it’s a gateway to the Romance Languages like French, Spanish and Italian. It does not, however, have any connection to Asian languages, which are popular with Kalani students.

“If you are pushing more to Japanese or Chinese it won’t help you,” Mina Nakamoto (9) said. “But if you’re interested in taking any languages other than those, I’d recommend it.”

Capobianco believes the teacher is helpful and works hard to make class enjoyable.

“She makes sure that we’re all on the same page, and it’s a really good paced class,” Capobianco said. “We don’t feel like we have too much work.”

Latin also teaches students about theater, mythology, and word origins. Students test their knowledge with games and communication exercises.

Students say that Latin isn’t necessarily a dead language and teaches essential knowledge.

“Latin helps with the SAT and other tests,” Nakamoto said. “It broadens your vocabulary and understanding of words.”

Capobianco said she is going to continue with the class and has no regret. 

“The teacher is great and she’s pretty chill,” Capobianco said. “She should not be underestimated. She’s very enthusiastic, she’s young, and she knows how to make things interesting.”

Vale, farwell.