Certamen from the Eyes of a Latin Plebeian
Pierce Bruner, Sycamore
For the past two years, Latin has been my focus. I have adored, loved, and
learned Latin. In Ohio, there is a very efficient way to demonstrate your
knowledge of Latin: Certamen. When I began studying Latin, I was shocked at the
size of the Classics community and the support it gave to a young, immature
seventh grader who thought he had some knowledge of Latin. I’m grateful to the
OJCL for their kindness because boy, was I wrong about that knowledge thing.
At my first Certamen event, I was immediately destroyed by the kids who
were in their second year of Introduction to Latin. Going to a certamen
competition was painful, and being alone during the off-times was just annoying.
Then, I met some friends. My brother introduced me to Peter Hattemer, Charlie
Dwight, and Alan Zhang. I chatted with Kendall and Jimmy from Summit Country
Day. I would never have guessed that such great people were sitting just twenty
feet away. Over time, I began to acquire a weak grasp of datives and ablatives,
and I studied Latin in my spare time “just for fun.” Who was this person that I had
become?
Sycamore Junior High eventually created a team of four players, and the
gang practiced at my kitchen table on weekends. We “dominated” 5th place for a
competition or two. This was the true turning point in my Latin “career.”
Royalmont, Summit, and St. Xavier still murdered Sycamore in Certamen, but I
started having fun. I focused on the small things. Winning two questions and their
bonuses was a cause for celebration. I was proud of the seventy points that my
team acquired during the entire day. OJCL came around, and I looked up to the
students who won each of the age groups. The certamen questions were the most
difficult I had ever experienced, and for good reason — NJCL was on the horizon.
In the middle of July, the climax of my seventh grade Latin year happened. I
was going to the NJCL Convention. On the hot, sweaty bus without air
conditioning, I watched as the Ohio Upper Level Certamen team consisting of
Grant, Alan, Sam, Peter, and Charlie quizzed each other about Latin questions that
I could not even comprehend. Later in that week, I watched as they placed
seventh in the nation. After five days, the extravaganza ended. I went home to
Cincinnati on another hot and sweaty bus, remembering the food, the girls’ rooms
(have you killed those roaches yet, ladies?), and the election issues surrounding
the NJCL presidency. Fun, food and conspiracy — what could be more Roman?
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