Alain Gowing

Alain Gowing, a graduate student in Latin Literature at the University of London, is taking an introductory Greek course and loves it. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Gowing taught Latin for a while at the Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., and is brushing up on his Greek to fulfill requirements for a master's degree.

One thing that did surprise Gowing was the presence of Summer School students in his classes and in nearby dorms. "I was really startled by the number of high school kids here--it almost seems like the majority of them are high school students," he said. "You know, I teach high school during the year, and it seems kind of funny to 'escape' from them in June only to find them again back here," he said.

Gowing finds Cambridge "pleasant, but too hot," and said he has been enjoying his summer school stay. "I can't think of a better place to do it," he said.

Still, there is one thing Cambridge lacks. "I used to live in Rome, and we drank mineral water all the time," Gowing said. "You can't get it here, so I drink this stuff, he said, flourishing a flask of Perrier water. "I have to pay a dollar for it at Cardullo's--that's way too expensive."