NATIONAL RECAP
What They Don't Tell
You About National
Convention
Abby Almaguer, Summit Country Day
Do as many projects as you can. If
you have already taken a graphic arts
project to OJCL convention, you can
still take it to NJCL convention! Many
people think you can’t take graphic
arts projects to nationals, but because
fewer JCLers take projects to
nationals, you have a good chance of
placing. Sometimes, you could place
higher than you did at state
convention.
If you forget to sign up for ludi and
olympika, there is a good chance they
will still let you participate. The
SCLers and sponsors are flexible.
Don’t skip the 5k because you missed
the registration like I did. Skip the 5k
because it is a 5k at 7 am.
If you do not make Ohio's certamen
team at nationals, you can still
play certamen! There is open
certamen that anyone can join. It
is a great opportunity to meet
people from other states, and you
get to play certamen.
Agora, which is called Bazaar at
state convention, is completely
different at NJCL. They sell
anything Latin related you could
imagine. There are books ranging
from dictionaries to Latin
translations of your favorite
novels to a fictional book about a
certamen team’s effort to win at
state convention. They have pins,
clothes, flower crowns, stress
balls, and even a KFC bucket
signed by the national officers.
Make sure you bring enough money
to buy these treasures, and I suggest
you volunteer at the Ohio booth.
Don’t stay in your dorm room. If you
don’t have anything to do or don’t
know anyone yet, walk around. You
might find a group of people from
five different states to welcome you
into their card game. You might get
lost and find people playing twister or
participating at a JCL trivia night. If
not, there are other places to hang
out. Troy had a great bookshop.
Miami had an old-fashioned diner
with amazing milkshakes.
Most importantly, try new things,
even if it is scary. Spirit may seem
crazy to some people, but it can be
super fun if you try . Try a ludi event
you have never done before. Most of
the people doing shot put and discus
did not know how, but they still had
fun. Take a test in something you
know nothing about. Even if you
haven’t taken Greek, you might place
in the Greek derivatives test.
DID YOU KNOW?