Et Tu, Ringo?

Tue., Nov. 9, 1999

All together now: “Erat abhinc viginti annis hodie, Centurio Piper catervam canere docebat.” What’s that? Don’t know the words? There’s hardly a baby boomer alive who wouldn’t recognize the first line of the 1967 Beatles song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” - (“It was 20 years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play”) - if only it weren’t in Latin. Benjamin Joffe, 23, a Cleveland native and senior at Yeshiva University in New York, managed to combine his two loves - Latin and the Beatles - by translating the 12 “Sgt. Pepper” songs into Latin. Why? To get into the National Classics Fraternity. The annual initiation rite, which dates to the 1950s, requires fraternity pledges to translate something from contemporary culture into Latin. Past inductees’ works include dialogue from “Peanuts” cartoons and testimony from the O.J. Simpson trial.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.

Et Tu, Ringo?

Jesse Tinsley

Jim Meehan

Molly Quinn

Rob Curley

Russia conducts massive nuclear drills as Putin visits China

Boeing-maintained plane flaw found 10 other times, NTSB finds

NATO is starting to consider Hormuz mission to protect ships