2. Achieving success at this level in Certamen requires dedication and preparation. Can you briefly explain your preparation process? Was there anything different that you did this year that proved effective?
William: "I think all of us collectively do a ton of flash carding on the software Anki. I know all of us have done probably several tens of thousands of flashcards for Certamen at this point. What we did this year is a lot more practice before the tournament to get ready. We also wrote our own questions to get a better sense of question structure and what questions would work and things like that."
Ribhu: "I read both source books for lit, and I also made my own flashcards for Hadas [because] I don't think anyone's made flashcards for Hadas."
Jerry: "I think this year's win was more of a culmination of the studying we've done throughout the year. We actually won. As a team, we won the past three collegiates. I think the knowledge has been really fresh throughout this entire year. Also, one thing different about this year is that we have a bit more team cohesion. We know where our place is. We were all willing to collaborate and communicate with each other and have good team chemistry."
3. We know the practicing process can be repetitive at times. What motivated you all to keep practicing hard?
William: "I think for this year, a lot of our motivation is just that it’s many of us’ senior year. This is the last shot we have at the tournament, so we might as well give it our all. All of us actually go to the same school with the same Latin teacher, Mr. Farnsworth. He retired this past year, and he was at the convention, so we were all like, “We have to win this for Mr. Farnsworth in his last year.” Thankfully, we did."
4. Not only does Certamen foster teamwork, it cultivates our appreciation for the ancient world and our values. How has participating in Certamen shaped your academic or personal growth?
Kashyap: "I think for me personally, just like studying for Certamen has sparked an interest in not just the subject I study, which is history, but when you practice and play rounds, you hear other subjects. It just kind of sparked an interest [for me] to start learning classics, [in a] more general sense, and learning all the subjects together."
William: "I think in the process of studying Certamen, I just got more curious about things. I think even though when I'm flash carding, I'm kind of just doing flashcards over and over and typing in answers and seeing questions, I'll still see things that I find interesting and just Google them, and then [I] go down these rabbit holes of just researching weird or wacky things. Sometimes I'll even go into Roman cookbooks or Roman recipes and things like that. And I think it's really fostered a sense that learning about the ancient world is something that is both cool and very different from anything else we study in school. So I enjoyed it a lot."
Aaron: "For me, it's kind of like what William said. Most of the time, when I'm studying myth, I'll see a name that I don't recognize or something, and I'll just look it up. Then, I start seeing all these different stories. I've kind of started getting to enjoy the process of doing that."
Jeremiah: "I think for me, Certamen really taught me about friendly competition, especially with friends, because even though we're a team and we're cohesive, there's always that drive to be just a bit better than your friend or your competitor, and that carries over to school. It's not toxic competition, [but rather] it's like friendly competition, trying to be just a bit better. So I think Certamen’s the activity that really brought that out for me."
Ribhu: "For me, I started to look more closely into the stuff I read. For source books, you read specific clues to see what would come up in Certamen. I started doing that with other school related textbooks [and] just general reading books. It was kind of interesting, because I would remember stuff in a book I read a year [ago]."
6. For new JCLers interested in Certamen or perhaps incoming advanced players, what advice would you give them?
Jerry: I'd say to take it easy at first. Because when you're just entering Certamen, or any other extracurricular activity, you always have a new kindled passion for it. Just don't let that die because that will help you push yourself to further limits. The journey is going to be rough if you want to work as hard as you can and try to win those championships. Try to make it fun and really just kind of prepare yourself for the one game.
William: I'd say [something] similar to Jerry. Just find something that you really, really have a passion for. I think if you really have a passion for something and you're really interested in it, that'll keep you motivated because I know it can get a slog throughout the year. Also, don't take it too deeply. It is, after all, just a high school game. I would not place too much of your self worth in Certamen or anything like that. I [would] just take it as almost a hobby, just have fun with it. In the end, it's just a game to have fun.
Ribhu: For me personally, I would say stay consistent [in your] study. [For] my first two years, I really didn't stay consistent. I did one week on and one week off, and I forgot a lot of stuff. This past year, I've been doing a lot of just reading, in general, and also flashcarding.
Jeremiah: Don't let the pressure get to you, because at least in our school [and] in our state, we have people like William and Ribhuleaving, and they are really good at what they do. For the people coming in, it's just practicing and being able to have that experience to perform under pressure, like this team in the past year has had. That allowed us to be so great and able to perform under pressure. Just gaining experience and practicing what you study is always the most important thing.
CERTAMEN CHAMPIONS INTERVIEW · Fall 2025 · Torch: U.S.
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