Salvete, amici!
Things are, for the most part, finally beginning to look up as we start to emerge victorious from the trials of the pandemic. And even in the not-as-crazy, pre-pandemic years, summer has typically been a time of celebration, as kids celebrate the end of the school year and the start of summer vacation, and we JCLers celebrate our annual summer convention. And with that, we transition from the hope of spring to the celebration of summer, the overall theme for this issue.
As you click through this issue, you may notice that water is also highlighted alongside the summer theme, and I chose to use water as a motif for a few reasons. Water is renowned for its healing properties, which we could all use nowadays. And beside from that, water is the domain of Neptune (or Poseidon, if you prefer), the god of the sea who is the namesake of the Roman summer festival hosted in his honor, Neptunalia.
Several of the articles in this issue were written to reflect the celebration of summer and the motif of water. Convention is also rapidly approaching, and there are some links at the back of this issue to help prepare for the celebrations this summer and to navigate convention registration and virtual events for this year. You can also check out the results of three monthly NJCL contests, or browse through the list of National Latin Exam perfect papers to celebrate your achievements or those of your fellow JCLers. Neptunalia is highlighted in the “A Day in a Roman Kitchen” article, where you can check out the actual recipes to ancient dishes, and the cover story is about the baths and bathhouses in the ancient era, where the Romans could get unparalleled rest and relaxation. And of course, a beachy color scheme is steeped all throughout the pages.
So go ahead and sit back, relax, and treat yourself to the fourth and final issue of the Torch: U.S. for the 2020-2021 academic year! And of course, if you have any questions (or even if you want to say hi!), my inbox is always open.
Ab imo pectore,
Irene Calderon
2020-2021 NJCL Editor
EDITOR'S NOTE
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EDITOR'S NOTE · Torch: U.S. · Summer 2021
Neptune by Irene Calderon & Monet Shum
TORCH: U.S.