Keeping Up with SASA Alumns: An Introduction

From its inception, SASA has always strived to create a community of like-minded people who share a passion for keeping ancient studies alive. Our vision is to help enable classics to become an integral part of worldwide education, and to cut through the rhetoric that it is a non-essential part of understanding everyday life. We maintain that everyone deserves access to this knowledge regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, nationality, age, race, disability, religion, and socio-economic or professional status. 

While our organization has and always will be grateful for those who bunker down for the long haul, It’s also a proud feeling to know that SASA has been a revolving door for several people who embrace our ideals. That’s why we feel it'd be both interesting and important to check in with some of our alums to explore all the ways in which past interns and volunteers continue to be exemplars in revitalizing Classical education whether it be through academic, political, or artistic means. We'll be kicking off this mini-series with none other than or most recent Managing Director Julie Levy!

About Julie

SASA was fortunate to have Julie Levy among our ranks, an independent scholar and activist with a practical head on her shoulders. Julie has a BA in Classical Civilizations and East Asian Studies, an MA in Classical Philology, and an MA in Classical Studies. While no longer involved with formal academia, Julie always jumps at the chance to engage with fellow scholars and classical enthusiasts alike in hopes of making the discipline more accessible and prolific. 

Julie played an integral role in making sure our organization operated efficiently and utilized the unique talents each member had to offer. She also took charge in leading our Fifth Annual Virtual Conference this year, which explored body and medicine in antiquity. A multitasker at heart, every project and role was on the table! Julie was always wearing several hats, eager to fulfill her academic interests and aid communities around her. Her past projects included several papers and presentations, including but not limited to: 

• “The Mechanics of Antiquity” an article for Paizomen, a Database of Classical Antiquity Games (2021)

• “By All the Wake and Waters!: Language and Worldbuilding in Heaven's Vault” for Hitpoints and History’s 2024 Archaeogaming conference

• “Does It Belong in a Museum?: A Case Study on Stardew Valley and Roots of Pacha” for Hitpoints and History’s 2025 Archaeogaming conference

The crossroads between interactive art and academia is what draws Julie to classically influenced videogames, zeroing in on how they can inform our discussion of archaeology. She brought this energy to our Archaeogaming streams with every broadcast; Before her departure Julie conducted our Archaeogaming stream on the game “Outer Wilds”, exploring how the game’s attitudes towards material culture can lead us to ask “What do a culture's surviving artifacts tell us about the lives of the people who lived here?”. SASA’s continued goal with our livestreams is to engage our viewers in discussing ancient themes in popular game franchises, aided by experts in the respective fields being tackled. Julie Levy was an invaluable cog in that machine! 

For ongoing and upcoming projects, Julie has several things on her docket. The YouTube channel Zylla's Athenaeum is Julie’s brainchild, crafted to be a hub where she can freely share what she knows with a larger community. The channel hosts a varied collection of video-essays on philosophical and political topics, as well as educational commentary on several forms of media. She also has several publications lined up, working with a publisher on her collection of fantasy short stories and books on the topic of Archaeogaming as a whole. 

Unsurprising for a past member of SASA, Levy’s altruism leads her to be proactive in local politics. As of now her main concerns lie with her community’s zoning laws, the inclusion of walkable infrastructure, and the election of officials which will take the onus to facilitate the change the area needs. At all times, she wishes to inspire others to take agency of their lives and engage with the world at large. 

Going forward Julie plans to throw herself fully into her passion projects, academic interests, and political activism. From videogame conferences to linguistic papers, to enacting effective leadership strategies and organizational change. Wherever she goes, we here at SASA are confident that Julie Levy will continue to make our organization proud!