Through the chill and rain on Friday night, students completed a 24-hour long live reading of Homer’s “The Odyssey.”

Students from the classics honorary Eta Sigma Phi held their annual Homerathon at the outdoor amphitheater Oct. 6. Taking turns, students read a book of  “The Odyssey” every hour beginning at 4 p.m. on Friday and finishing by 3 p.m. on Saturday. Professor of Classics Gavin Weaire opened the event by reading the first lines of “The Odyssey” in Greek.

President of Eta Sigma Phi junior Maya Toman said she wasn’t sure when the event first started, but it is a beloved tradition nonetheless. 

“I think it’s stuck around because it’s enjoyed by people of all different majors and interests,” Toman said. “We had a religion major stay all night and an economics major there for half of it.” 

Toman said she estimated about 40 people in attendance with an even mixture of honorary members and others.

Sophomore attendee Lukas Becker stayed for the entirety of the 24 hours and said it was a fun and worthwhile use of his time. 

“I had a lot of fun, I knew that I probably wasn’t going to do anything more productive,” Becker said. “I also have a thing for staying up really late at night and pulling all-nighters so I thought it would be neat to actually do something productive with that skill.” 

The rain, fire alarms in the distance, and cold temperatures were a paltry deterrent for Becker, who stayed through the night listening to the Great Books staple. Becker said he had never fully read “The Odyssey” before and said he thought that he found it to be more engaging when it was read aloud. 

“I experienced ‘The Odyssey’ in a new way this time because up until now I had only read part of it,” Becker said. “It really struck me how it is supposed to be spoken aloud; it really becomes riveting this way and so much more engaging.”

In between books, students also had a chance to socialize and discuss their thoughts over a steady fire, cookies, and hot cider.

Freshman Michael Rupe said one of his favorite moments was listening to a fellow student bring the text to life through his theatrical reading. 

“I loved when Jonathan Schultz read; he acted out parts of it and had a talent for doing different voices for different parts,” Rupe said. “I realized that a book really does come alive when it is read out loud well because it is no longer just words in your own head.” 

Rupe said that the communal experience of reading “The Odyssey” added to his understanding of the book.

“Being able to gather around a reader and treat these stories as actual stories as opposed to literature just meant to be studied gave me a greater appreciation for this book,” Rupe said. “I think just reading books like this doesn’t really do it justice; you have to experience it live and experience it being read to truly get meaning.” 

Enjoying a good story does not depend on one’s field of study and reading an infamous Hillsdalian staple can be enjoyed by anyone, according to Toman. 

“Good stories are good stories no matter what your major, and there is something really cool about sharing those stories with others around a campfire,” Toman said. “Plus, Homer is such a quintessentially Hillsdale author, since everyone reads him in Great Books, so we can all bond over that shared experience and reminisce about freshman papers and quizzes.”