When Saturday morning rolls around at convention, there are few smiling faces or dry eyes. Friday’s celebrations with a Day in Old Rome and the farewell dance are gone, leaving only sore throats and widespread disbelief that the week is done. The rain was pouring down on Saturday morning, lending credence to the idea that no one, even Mother Nature, wanted convention to end. As a good deal of Post-Convention Depression sinks in for all attendees, it is necessary to thank everyone who made convention so fun and difficult to leave.
To the Alabama delegation, thank you for being such wonderful hosts. From Sunday evening until next Saturday morning, all of you greeted everyone with a smile, a kind word, and, occasionally, directions. You really showed us why your home is so “sweet.”
To all sponsors and teachers, thank you for instilling a love of the classics in your students. Thank you also for encouraging youth to take a step out of the comfort zone, either by joining the JCL, attending a state convention, running for office, or riding a bus halfway across the country to attend NJCL convention.
To the 2016-2017 NJCL Board, thank you for your approachability, your dutiful approach to your work, and your contagious excitement. You have set an excellent example for subsequent officers to follow.
Thank you to the omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, and indispensable SCL. Your great wisdom was evident in each Ludi and Olympika event, which ran smoothly and successfully. One of the most eagerly-awaited items each day, the Convention Ears were excellent and enjoyable reads. Finally, That’s Entertainment was—as it is every year—one of the best parts of convention when we all come together for a night of fun, and it is not possible without your hard work. You truly are indispensable!
To the National Committee and the chairs and organizers of each event, thank you! The amount of work it takes to organize each event and the attention to detail needed for the success of convention may never fully be known to JCLers. Nevertheless, we thank you for your work and the “behind the scenes” efforts that make convention so marvelous.
And of course, a great thanks goes to Troy University itself! After hours of monotonous
driving through pretty rural areas, none of us knew to expect the beauty of Troy University. Troy, you were the perfect home for JCL this year. Not only was your campus unbelievably walkable and full of hidden gems like the Terracotta Warrior replicas and the little garden outside Smith Hall, but you also were essentially a reflection of the JCL. With your fountain in the Quad boasting a grand, ancient soldier right next to a bright red telephone booth, you were the perfect mixture of ancient and modern, just like the JCL, an organization of high school students waving our cell phones and celebrating Greece and Rome.
Thank You, Troy
GRATIAS · Torch:U.S. · Fall 2017
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BY JADE WOODS
2017-2018 NJCL EDITOR
Photo: Steve Gentle.