VJCL Convention 2019:
wrapped
Tip #1: Keep your hotel keycard in your lanyard so you don’t lose it. Also, keep a pencil in your lanyard so that you have a good one for the testing session.
Let me just start by saying that this year’s VJCL convention was one to remember! From the spirit contests to That’s Entertainment!, to Roll Call,
the VJCL convention is one that you’ll want to attend for years to come. That being said, let’s get into it. First and foremost, when you get to the convention center, you will be given a lanyard with an ID card that has your name, Latin level, and ID number; not to scare you, but this lanyard is very important, so please keep it on your neck at all times. As you may know, Convention is packed with activities nearly every hour, so you might be wondering, “How am I supposed to know if I should be at That’s Entertainment watching a Latin rendition of Old Town Road or taking my Roman History exam?” Thankfully, the organizers of VJCL have a super useful schedule available online and a hard copy is given to you at the convention, so all of your scheduling is easily accessible whenever you need it.
Tip #2: Highlight/mark all of the activities you want to participate in as soon as you get your schedule to prevent confusion later on.
Now, once you actually get there, one of the first things you’ll do is register your graphic arts project. Don’t worry about getting lost; there are plenty of maps, signs, and people all around you
who are willing to help. After that, if you belong to an extra large delegation, then you’ll participate in the first spirit contest! Spirit contests are one of my favorite things about the convention and they happen at nationals, too. The spirit contests consist of chanting Latin and/or English cheers designated by your school’s
Tip #3: Bring cough drops to the spirit contests. You’ll need them!
And with the pound of the gavel, the spirit contest has ended and the (mandatory) Salvete Assembly has begun! The Salvete Assembly is where the important announcements are made, the Pledge of Allegiance along with the JCL Song and Creed are sung, and the keynote address is given. Last year, the keynote address, given by Dr. Gus Grissom from McLean High School was entirely in spoken Latin! After that, you can go to English Oratory, where you recite a memorized passage of classical relevance. Then, there’s Dramatic Interpretation, which is like English Oratory, but with more gusto and acting. Next, what we’ve all been waiting for; lunch. Lucky for us, there are food options in and around the convention center, but if you’re looking for a more price-friendly option, you can usually order from a food delivery service and pick it up later.
Creed are sung, and the keynote address is given. Last year Dr. Gus Grissom gave the Keynote Address entirely in Latin! After that, you can go to English Oratory, where you recite a memorized passage of classical relevance. Then, there’s Dramatic Interpretation, which is like English Oratory, but with more gusto and acting. Next, what we’ve all been waiting for: lunch. Lucky for us, there are food options in the convention center, but if you’re looking for a more price-friendly option, you can usually order from a food delivery service and pick it up later on.
Tip #4: Order your food 2+ hours in advance: it always takes a long time to come
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delegation while marching into the main convention room, then proceeding to shout them as loud as possible until you see someone pound a gavel on the podium.