Within the purple and gold of the Junior Classical League, I have found a haven where brotherhood thrives. In my local chapter, the seniors know the faces of the freshmen; the Certaminers fist-bump after every correct toss-up, and the delegates socialize at service projects. Our school’s typical trip to Georgia’s state convention looks like this: in the day, we gather in our togas and scream our hearts out to represent our school, and at night, we listen to seniors recount their happiest moments in the JCL and sob bittersweet tears to their departure. We bond over the unpalatable food in the dining hall and venture to the lake to watch the geese. We help tie each others’ togas, wake each other up for the morning testing blocks, and cheer each other on during the Olympika events. This is the JCL I have come to cherish. And it goes past the “southern hospitality:” these acts of brotherhood are common to all schools and states. An unbreakable link has connected me to all of the JCLers I have known and will know.
During the first national convention I attended, I was a bright eyed eighth grader. This trip to Miami University would act as a transition into high school, since our county’s school district opened almost immediately after we returned. Unlike the ride to state convention, which was raucous with warm, familiar laughter, the trip to Ohio for me was somewhat awkward. I took an empty seat in the coach bus close to the front. Nobody sat next to me. The awkwardness slowly faded, however. We visited the Knoxville Zoo, and I somehow got absorbed into a group of boys from both my school and from a few other schools in Georgia. Tasked with an animal scavenger hunt, we set off in hopes to win some mysterious prize (which I still have, by the way. It was a rubber animal pencil grip). I was unsure about being the only female JCLer in the group, but I soon realized that I had a lot in common with everyone, anyways. In hindsight, this small group of JCLers allowed me to open up for the first time to people outside of my friend group. Although we were on a trip to national convention, I found brotherhood locally.
Last summer, the prospect of flying to national convention awakened a more daring spirit within me. With freshman year completed, I took this opportunity to fly to a rarely-visited state and feel the JCLove at North Dakota State University. A slightly different set of friends were in my company for this convention, since some who attended at Miami were unable to go to Fargo. Despite this, I found our bonds to be just as strong. Before the General Assemblies, I stood next to Georgians I had never met before, but I shouted the same cheers and performed the
IN THE JCL
Brotherhood
Walton High School, Georgia
Grace Shen
Although we were on a trip to national convention, I found brotherhood locally.