Leadership

 

Alex Larrow (he/him), Editor-in-Chief and Lead Articles Editor, is a senior from Vermont. He is majoring in Classical Studies and Economics. Outside the classroom, he is a member of the Classics Board, and he enjoys playing and listening to classical piano.

 

 

 

Articles

Editors

Erika Olsen (she/her) is a freshman from Marathon, New York. She is planning to major in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in Ancient History. Outside of Discentes, she is also involved in the Penn Band as a clarinetist, the Clio Society, and the Classics Board. In her free time she likes to read fantasy-fiction and dystopian works, think about all 20 of her named chickens back home, and learn about cultures of old–Mesopotamia, Ancient China, the Viking Age, the Inca–you name it.

Lev Weitzman (he/him) is a freshman from Narberth, Pennsylvania studying Classics. Outside of the classroom Lev enjoys reading, playing table tennis, and visiting museums and archaeological parks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Contributors

Devin Casano (he/him) is a senior from Long Island, NY studying Political Science and Earth and Environmental Science. Outside of Discentes, Devin is a member of Phi Alpha Delta and Pi Lambda Sigma (POLIS) and is involved in a host of student groups, namely the Penn Aerospace Club, Transfer Student Organization, Penn Undergraduate Law Journal, Clio Society, and the Government and Politics Association. In his free time, Devin enjoys reading about history, learning new languages, and keeping up with contemporary politics.

 

Copy

Selima Aousheva (she/her), Lead Copy Editor is a sophomore from Cincinnati, OH studying Classical Studies (Languages and Literature) and Linguistics. Outside of classes, Selima is involved in the Classics Board and Penn Shotokan Karate Club. She is also a strong enthusiast of good coffee and fantasy novels. In addition to her role on the Copy team, Selima is a Discentes Article Editor.

 

Angela Bellacosa (she/her) is a freshman originally from Rome, Italy. I am considering a major in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics with a minor in Classics. Outside the classroom, I enjoy reading classics and watching movies. I also enjoy going on walks and getting food with my friends.

 

 

 

 

 

Ben Yan (he/him) is a freshman from Hinsdale, Illinois. He is currently planning on majoring in PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) and the Classics. In his free time, he enjoys finding/eating good food, reading, listening to music, and ANYTHING outdoors, especially camping. In addition to his role on the Copy team, Ben is also a Discentes Translation Editor.

 

Tim Samba (he/him) is a freshman from Berkeley, California planning to study Neuroscience and Psychology. Outside of school, he likes to paint sweaters, write comics, and rewatch old movies from the 90s.

 

 

 

 

 

Research

Matthew Breier (he/him), Lead Research Editor is a senior from Woodbridge, Connecticut, studying Classical Studies, Anthropology, and History. Outside of academia, he plays alto saxophone in the Penn Wind Ensemble and the Penn Jazz Ensemble, has founded the Fencers Group at Penn and co-heads the Internal Committee of the Clio Society. In his spare time, Matthew loves to bake (especially muffins!) and read. In addition to his role on the Research team, he is a Discentes Event Contributor.

 

Sophia Lee (she/her) is a senior from Pennsylvania studying Classics and Creative Writing. In her free time, she likes to read novels at home, write poetry, fall into spirals of random Wikipedia tangents, and indulge in sweets.

 

 

 

 

Katrina Korendiy (she/her) is a senior from Detroit, Michigan double majoring in Health and Societies, with a concentration in Public Health, alongside History, with a concentration in World History.  At Penn, she works at a cell identity and cancer diagnosis lab, but outside of that she tutors students in different languages  (she speaks 7 languages in total). She enjoys watching horror movies with her friends, traveling, and eating new food.

Tenzin Kunsang (she/her) is a post-baccalaureate student in Classical Studies. She earned her BA in Classics at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, from where she originally hails. Her main academic interests lie in the interactions and intersections of Greco-Roman material culture and religion. She plans on pursuing classics at graduate school. Outside of academia, Tenzin likes to run, bake, and read Romantic and Victorian era fiction. She also enjoys watching 1950s/1960s films about the ancient world, like Mankiewicz’s Cleopatra or Pasolini’s Medea. 

 

Translations

Isaiah Weir (he/him), Lead Translations Editor is a senior from Bronxville, NY studying Classical Studies and Linguistics. Aside from the copy editing team of Discentes, he is involved with the Penn Judo club, the Collegium Institute and Penn Cru. He enjoys good tea, reading (I mean, that’s sort of why we’re here), and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. In addition to his role on the Translation team, Isaiah is a Discentes Copy Editor.

 

Jax Gottschalch (he/him) is a freshman from New Jersey studying Classics and Physics at Penn. He loves to read and write poetry, translate Danish, Latin, and Greek literature, improvise on the Jazz Piano, and play soccer and tennis. He is a gigantic Philly sports fan. In addition to his role as a Translation Editor, he is a Research and Articles editor.

 

 

Web

Jong Cheevaprawatdomrong (he/him), Lead Web Editor is a second-year graduate student from Bangkok, Thailand studying Creative Writing and Classical Studies. In his free time, he reads fiction, re-reads the Harry Potter series, and writes fictional stories while listening to music. In addition to his role on the Web team, Jong is a Discentes Article Contributor.

 

 

Matthew Seiberlich (he/him) is a freshman from Mequon, Wisconsin. He is majoring in history and political science and minoring in classical studies. Outside of the classroom, Matthew loves to watch movies, build Legos, play ultimate frisbee, and do anything outdoors (especially fishing, camping, and hiking). In addition to his role on the Web team, Matthew is a Discentes Copy Editor.

 

 

 

Roha Herial (she/her) is a freshman from Merion Station, Pennsylvania. She hopes to major in  Neuroscience and Classical Studies. Outside of the classroom, she is involved in the Classics Board, Penn Certamen, KDSAP, and the Muslim Student Association. In her free time, she enjoys making jewelry, reading mystery and fantasy books (Leigh Bardugo for the win), spending time with her family and dogs, and meticulously dissecting Noah Kahan lyrics. In addition to her role on the Web team, Roha is a Discentes Translation and Articles Editor.

 

We are currently looking for new members for many of these teams. We accept applications on a rolling basis. Please visit the “Join Us” page for more information.

 

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2025 Masthead

Editorial Board

Editors-in-Chief – Alex Larrow

Lead Articles Editor – Alex Larrow

Lead Copy Editor – Selima Aousheva

Lead Research Editor – Matthew Breier

Lead Translations Editors – Isaiah Weir

Lead Web Editor – Jong Cheevaprawatdomrong

Articles Staff

Editors: Alex Larrow, Selima Aousheva, Roha Herial, Erika Olsen, Jax Gottschalch, Lev Weitzman

Contributors: Devin Casano, Jong Cheevaprawatdomrong

Copy Staff

Associate Editors: Isaiah Weir, Selima Aousheva

Editors: Matthew Seiberlich, Tim Samba

Research Staff

Associate Editors: Katrina (Katya) Korendiy, Matthew Breier

Editors: Sarah Freeman, Jax Gottschalch, Tenzin Kunsang, Tim Samba, Lev Weitzman

Translations Staff

Editors: Isaiah Weir, Roha Herial, Jax Gottschalch

Web Staff

Editors: Jong Cheevaprawatdomrong, Matthew Seiberlich, Sarah Freeman, Roha Herial