VOX LATINA | Page 5

Left top: Summit delegation at Nationals

Left middle: Julia Dean and her dad at Nationals

Left bottom: Jimmy Fraley, current 8th grader, wins 2nd place at Open Certamen at Nationals

Below: Nationals attendees

This year’s convention was not just memorable because of the success Summit students had, but because of the entire experience of convention. Some great memories were created at Troy University, whether it was walking under an umbrella with a complete stranger during a rainstorm or laughing at 2 am with your roommates about the most ridiculous things. The Ohio delegation grew so much closer together this year and we became such a close-knit family. Our fellowships, though they are extremely late at night when we are all tired from our days, helped us get to know each other and let us create new friends from across our state. We had so much fun competing in the ludi events, specifically Ludi Ultimate Frisbee where we got 2nd place, much further than we had anticipated. The bond that the entire Ohio delegation has never been stronger, which is why we cannot wait to see everyone again at state this year.

Now to look at the convention community as a whole. The entire atmosphere was just one that just exuberated passion for the classics. The general assemblies showed the passion people had for such a great organization and language from screaming competitions to adults receiving their award for 20 years of attendance. You can feel that everybody that was at Troy wanted to be there. Maybe they wanted to connect with old friends from previous years or maybe they wanted to create brand new friendships that will last long after high school. The community of NJCL never ceases to amaze me with the wide array of talent, the diversity, and the many different personalities there. This year I felt that people took advantage of every opportunity at convention to share their gifts and talents through both That’s Entertainment and through their academics, whether it be testing or certamen. There is a place for everybody at convention, which is why I encourage everybody to attend the 2018 NJCL Convention at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio!