Click here to see all the day’s pix.
The morning was filled with students registering for their various contests later in the week – the art projects (with the required 3 x 5 card….), Olympika (swimming, track and field), the state t-shirt contest, the creative/performance arts. Many students woke up in time for breakfast, others slept in and waited for an early lunch.
The Dean family went for early morning runs. Separately. And mine was more of a jog, and then a walk as I finished my jog but was still somewhere on campus but not near my dorm. So I will call it an ‘unplanned cool-down stroll’. Hali also went for a run. Connie said it was too hot.
At 10 am, all the state officers and chairs met to discuss the 1st ever Fall Forum, Sat Oct 1st, 10 am – 4 pm, at Columbus Academy. What is a Fall Forum? It is a sort of mini-state-convention, but with more emphasis on fun and on the ‘fostering of brotherhood’ from the NJCL Creed (from the Latin word credo ‘believe’). It will include: Open Certamen, Capture the Flag, a Service Project, Food (pizza?), Impromptu Art, Fun But Stupid Prizes, and much more.
Who are the officers? Check out pp.17-19 of the Spring Issue of the Torch (Editor, Josh Young, formerly of Indian Hill, presently of Duke University).
At 1:15, the 1st General Assembly officially kicked off the convention. Here are some highlights:
- The OH delegation was late. The delegation did not arrive at the meeting place on time, and the distance to the auditorium was underestimated, and this resulted in an inauspicious start to the week…
- Someone played the auditorium’s organ during the JCL song – the organ sounded better than the crowd, but we have 4 more GA’s to improve.
- 2 of the NJCL officers have attended the OJCL convention as guests: President Brier Clough (VA) and 1st VP Michael Kearney (WI).
- NJCL Historian Hannah Barrett created a near riot when she attempted to force the delegates to raise their right hands during the JCL Creed. President Clough used her executive power to correct Hannah and prevent violence.
- Maddie Briner (formerly of Wyoming, formerly of UTenn) and Bobby ‘Please call me Robert’ McDonald (formerly of Columbus Academy, presently of UC) were both on stage as SCL officers. The SCL stands for the Senior Classical League – college students who help to run the convention, particularly the Ludi, Olympika (‘no dabbing allowed, and yes that means you!’), and ‘That’s Entertainment!’ Talent & Variety Extravaganza. They are part of the ‘starting lineup for the SCL team’!
Here are the numbers for the NJCL in 2016:
- 43,103 members in 1,073 schools in 43 states, 2 Canadian provinces, and Taiwan
- 12 schools have over 200 members in the NJCL
I ran into a number of OH alumni: Kate Hattemer (formerly of Walnut Hills, formerly a Tarpeia, VA Latin teacher, Young Adult fiction author), Adam Williams (formerly of Fenwick, formerly VA Latin teacher, now FL Latin teacher), and Hugh Himwich (my predecessor at Summit, now teaching Humanities in the west).
I joined 4 other teachers and judged the Advanced Level Latin Oratory in the evening. Each student had to memorize a 2 minute passage from the historian Livy (in Latin, of course) about Hannibal’s attack on Italy in 218 BC to start the 2nd Punic War; each student then tried to bring the passage alive through their performance. About 15 students undertook the challenge. All the teachers were impressed with their preparation and effort, and some students did really amazing speeches. I will be judging another Creative/Performance Art later in the week.
For the students, the evening included Test Session #1, karaoke and trivia (aka, trivioke), the agora (where stuff like t-shirts and buttons and such are sold), and the dance.
Quotes from fellowship about the day:
- At the introductions at the start of the fellowship, after Mrs. I and I identified ourselves as State Chairs, each teacher then stated his/her name and added, ‘and I am not a State Chair.’ Optimus Prime varied the formula: ‘I am Mr. Stem from St. Edward, and I am sitting in a chair.’ Then the ghost of Socrates appeared and confused the situation even further by inquiring of the delegation, ‘But what is a chair?
- Aquila from Wellington: ‘Is the food at the track and field only for the athletes?’
- Avery from Indian Hill, about the swim meet: ‘We swam.’ When pressed for more details, she admitted, ‘We won everything!’
- Grant from Sycamore, about the colloquium entitled ‘Latin & NASA’: ‘It was really interesting to hear about how classics and science work so well together.’
- Dustin and other Ohioans won the trivia contest by answering the last question correctly.
- Kelly from Westlake: ‘We made easily over $300 at the agora!’
- Matthew from Shaker: ‘For over 18 years, I have ardently avoiding dancing. I danced tonight, and I am sorry.’
