Beware the Ides of March

Sophomore year of High School, I was placed into "Honors Social Studies II." Many thought this was great, especially my parents, but they didn't know that I was now to be subject to an entire school year under the tutelage of Mr. Grasso; the up-tight, no-nonsense, tight-wad of a teacher...or so was my opinion of the man prior to ever having had his instruction.

As the year passed, it was very apparent that this man's one and only passion was history, and his constant support of Great Britain over France in all of the historical conflicts as if we weren't yet aware of who came out on top, actually made learning fun. There were definitely the dull days, but other days were filled with heated debates and historical re-enactments!

As a general feeling, I find history fascinating. I don't remember a heck of a lot of it, but the one thing I definitely remember was walking into class on March 15th, not noticing Mr. Grasso at first because he was in the back of the classroom. Finally when we were all seated and settled he got up and walked very slowly towards the front of the classroom. By the time he reached the head of the classroom, you could hear a pin drop with everyone wondering what was going to happen.

Then, in a loud and booming voice (very out of character for him) he cried:

"Beware the Ides of March!"

None of us knew what he was talking about! We thought perhaps he fell and hit his head?! My classmates and I were giving each other looks, wondering if we were supposed to know the meaning behind that statement. A good minute passed before he continued to orate a part of Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar," and continued to explain the importance of the day and how it shaped Roman history. It was one of the best days in his class. I couldn't really say why, but after that day, I became extremely interested in Roman history and mythology. It's probably the only thing I have retained from his educating, but it is still greatly appreciated.