Alexandra Counter, a major in Classics and Latin, with a double minor in Archaeology and Ancient Mediterranean Civilizations, recently interned as a Junior Assistant Fellow at the Center for Heritage and Archaeological Studies (CHAS) at Montclair, where she organized events for CHAS and worked extensively on tasks for The Villa of the Antonines Project.

The Villa of the Antonines Project revolves around an archaeological site 18 miles from the center of Rome in the small town of Genzano di Roma, Italy. Although previously a neglected historical site, passionate archaeology students, including Counter, work alongside CHSS faculty to unearth a past once lost. Through this project, Counter met the directors, Dr. Timothy Renner and Dr. Deborah Chatr Aryamontri. After falling in love with the work CHAS does, Counter continued to help around the Center and was quick to take the CHAS fellowship after learning about it through CHSS.

Counter accomplished a lot during her fellowship, applying her existing skills while developing new ones. Her training in Latin enabled her to organize bibliographic materials and work confidently with primary texts. Her strong background in ancient history also enabled her to actively engage in conferences. She enriched her archaeological training and understanding of how preservation works with interpretation and vice versa. In addition, Counter gained valuable experience in academic event planning and coordination along with critical thinking skills that have helped her present intricate ideas to broader audiences.

Counter also helped to organize a group trip to the Newark Museum which served not only as an engaging field trip but also as an opportunity for students and faculty to immerse themselves in classical and archaeological collections together. She also helped to plan a two-day conference focused on memory in the archaeological and classical world and used this experience to refine an abstract based on her own impressive research on Roman Law.

This fellowship also complemented Counter’s experience working in an archaeological lab, allowing her to work with professors in the field and connect with peers who shared her interests. Dr. Chatr Aryamontri provided valuable insight, emphasizing that archaeology is more than field work, that it revives the past and brings forgotten stories to light.

“Her passion for archaeology and commitment to mentoring students made a lasting impression on me,” said Counter. “One thing that stood out was how she emphasized the importance of precision and integrity in research, even in the smallest details—whether it was formatting a bibliography or preparing for a presentation.”

Counter plans to pursue a Masters in Classical Archaeology, followed by a PhD. With a strong dedication to her education, she also plans to continue working on her Archaeological pursuits, specifically on Roman sites in Great Britain. She also hopes to one day teach Latin.

Although managing her time could be overwhelming, Counter affirmed her desire to pursue archaeology further. The fellowship gave her valuable experience in both archaeological practice and academia, providing a solid foundation to pursue her future graduate studies in classical languages and archaeology.

Written by Vivvy Gundani

Toni Dornhard, a junior and Classics major at Montclair, spent the summer interning for Freshta Taeb’s campaign for Assembly as an events coordinator, a position they found through Taeb’s campaign website. Although Dornhard admits to not following local politics prior to interning, working in Taeb’s campaign team has given her a chance to not only understand how local politics work, but to also play a role in it. “I love making and planning events, it is one of my strong suits so I am actively doing what I love while learning the importance of local politics,” says Dornhard.

As a Philosophy and Classics major, Dornhard is able to apply her knowledge of ethics and logic when talking to voters, which is crucial to helping Freshta Taeb not only gain voters but also to better understand how to serve the people of Legislative District 12 in New Jersey.

Post graduation, Dornhard wants to own a business revolving around how to make the world more sustainable. “We would be hosting a lot of events around how to change habits and try to become more sustainable.” This internship opportunity has taught Dornhard a lot about planning different kinds of events as well as interacting with the community at these events.

One of Dornhard’s accomplishments during this internship is putting together a list of venues, caterers and events that are easily accessible to the campaign team. Though the deadlines are strict, the experience has been rewarding. “I have many more connections to great people that I know will help me in what I need to do. In addition, I really do feel like this will add to my skill sets to become a business owner while fighting to make the world more sustainable.”

Local political activists who work for greater change can be an incredible source of inspiration for people. During this internship, Dornhard met Daniel Braile, who works as the campaign manager for Freshta Taeb’s campaign for Assembly.

“One of the lessons he has taught me is that one person makes a difference,” Dornhard says. “One intern, one voter, one speech. I have never felt more able to change things than I do when I am under his care.”

This experience has not only been rewarding to Dornhard in professional experience, but also motivating to pursue one’s dreams and to understand that anyone can be a catalyst for positive change.

Written by Vivvy Gundani

Memory across Time and Disciplines is an interdisciplinary conference that brings together researchers from the sciences, humanities, and technology to explore the diverse ways memory is formed, stored, forgotten, and recovered. By bringing together scientists, historians, archivists, geologists, linguists, technologists, and artists, the conference aims to uncover the deep connections between how we remember—whether through neurons, fossils, books, or bytes. This conference will not only highlight cutting-edge research but also inspire new ways of thinking about memory in a rapidly changing world.

Organizing Committee, ����vlog
Deborah Chatr Aryamontri (Dept. of Classics & General Humanities)
Dawn Hayes (Dept. of History)
Sophia Hudzik (Dept. of Classics & General Humanities)
Joanna Madloch (Dept. of Classics & General Humanities)
Greg Pope (Dept. of Earth & Environmental Studies)
Timothy Renner (Dept. of Classics & General Humanities)
Peter Siegel (Dept. of Anthropology)

Sponsored by the Center for Heritage and Archaeological Studies and the Department of Classics and General Humanities, ����vlog and with a contribution of the Classical Association of the Atlantic States

The conference will be held in-person and virtually. Join the conference on campus in Schmitt Hall, Room 327, or via (passcode: 521293).

View the program schedule below.

Read the full story on

Read more about the Villa of the Antonines Project

By Donaelle Benoit

This two-day, hybrid interdisciplinary event will explore the ways in which people from different time periods and geographic areas of the world have faced issues in the harnessing, control, and usage of water as well as how this indispensable resource has shaped those cultures. The conference, the second of the ‘Bridging the Gap’ series, will bring together national and international professionals and scholars who will discuss water as a socio-cultural phenomenon; human impacts on water environment and soil and weathering processes in the exploitation of water; and sustainable urban and regional planning, public health, environmental management and population prediction in connection with water supply and usage.

In line with last year’s successful hybrid conference, the organizing committee, composed of Deborah Chatr Aryamontri and Timothy Renner (both in the Dept. of Classics & General Humanities), Dawn Hayes (), Peter Siegel (), Greg Pope and Danlin Yu (both in the Dept. of Earth & Environmental Studies), wants to promote and foster awareness of the interdisciplinary effort needed in the investigation, preservation, and daily management of such a vital resource.

Appearing November 14 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Bruce Springsteen clarified a longtime internet debate about the opening line in his classic 1975 song: “The screen door slams / Mary’s dress sways” versus “The screen door slams / Mary’s dress waves.”

“This record is almost 50 years old. Fifty years ago, I was a sociopath,” joked to Fallon. “ I was insane about every single detail that had anything to do with music, my album, my album cover, my lyrics. I went over everything with a fine-tooth comb so everything would be perfect and completely accurate. The lyrics to ‘Thunder Road’ are in this album. The correct lyrics.”

Springsteen says he’s been “singing ‘sways’ all these years. But reading from the album, he discovers the error: “The screen door slams / Mary’s dress waves.”

“This is wrong,” he says, laughing. “This is wrong. I’m telling you this is wrong. How did that happen?”

Montclair’s Springsteen scholar says she saw the clip – and totally understands the explanation.  “As someone who has written books and articles, I found it incredibly relatable,” Jones says. “Who hasn’t looked at the final published version of their work and seen an error or typo that got past all the editing and proofreading?”

Jones specializes in Latin poetry and has also contributed to the scholarly research on the New Jersey rocker, interpreting American pop culture and how Bruce Springsteen’s work reflects the American experience in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. She teaches a summer course, Selected Topics: Bruce Springsteen.

“I’m glad to have an answer from the man himself to something that I’ve wondered about – the handwritten lyrics in his notebooks have ‘sways’ and the lyric sounds to my ear like ‘sways,’ but ‘waves’ in the printed lyrics of the song’s first official release made me doubt ‘sways.’”

“Turns out there was a simple explanation.”

Story by Staff Writer Marilyn Joyce Lehren. Photo by University Photographer Mike Peters.

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