2026 NJCL
CONVENTION RECAP
Fall 2026 · Torch: U.S. · CONVENTION RECAP
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By Olivia Chen, 2025-26 NJCL Editor
On a moderate summer day in late July, JCLers and sponsors landed at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. With some dragging their luggage around campus and others being dropped off at Teter Hall, classics lovers from every corner of the world gathered for the 73rd National Junior Classical League Convention.
After hours of traveling, those arriving for pre-convention headed down to Early Arrival Dinner and campus tours by the admissions office. Socializing with JCLers, students joined Freeze Tag games and decorated their name tags before making their beds with sheets and blankets provided by the university.
Registration filled up the next morning, as attendees scrambled to Teter Hall for Olympika registration, Eigenmann Hall for Graphic Arts registration, and online for several Ludi and Creative Arts registrations. The excitement was apparent, as JCLers chose which events they wanted to join and Slashers registered for SCL.
Gathering for General Assembly I, President Reesey Lai of Virginia called the meeting to order, officially launching the convention. She shared her opening remarks on the convention theme: concordia parvae res crescunt, “In harmony, small things grow.” Editor Olivia Chen of Massachusetts led the NJCL Creed, and the NJCL officers led the singing of the NJCL Song, followed by the introduction of the officers and the committee, a welcome to Indiana University by Classical Studies Department Chair Cynthia J. Bannon, convention rules and regulations discussion by Committee Vice Chair Jennifer Jordt, and contest orientation by Olympika Chair Bennett Henkel.
Krystal Kubicheck, Membership and Public Relations Chair, gave a membership report. For the year 2025-26, the JCL continues to face a devastating loss of 1,514 members, more than four times the members lost last year.
Officers and committee chairs presented a variety of awards, including for membership and publicity awards, websites, and constitutions, as well as several book awards and scholarshops for NJCL registration. Then Parliamentarian Kai Benton gave an election orientation, and Second Vice President Sophia Kantsevoy gave a spirit orientation before NSCL Vice President Jake Presson led the Olympika oath. The first General Assembly concluded with closing remarks by Courtney Jolly of South Carolina and announcements by Historian Aanshi Patel.