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JCL, or Junior Classical League, is a middle and high school organization for students taking Latin, Greek, or classical humanities.
The JCL State Convention is essentially a competition for JCL chapters around the state. And from May 16 to 17, the JCL team had 11 delegates participating in the 69th annual state convention, held at Barnstable High School.
Academic exams were the main academic event of the convention on Saturday morning. We prepared ahead of time using practice tests and review materials. Apart from academics, state candidacy was especially active this year.
Alice Zhu ran for state secretary and put a lot of effort into her campaign. She created an Instagram account to appeal to delegates, posted 48 campaign posters around the campus, and spoke with people throughout the event.
She also handed out candy during the convention as part of her “bribery,” which made her campaign highly visible.
Ultimately, she was elected secretary of the state executive board after a very competitive campaign.
Creative Arts included a mix of performances and writing. Some participated in English oratory, costume making, impromptu art, etc.
Pre-convention writing submissions included Yvonnie Li’s Pompeii graffiti piece, Chloe Silbermann’s poem, and Sarah Fromm’s written entries. Each of these showed various styles and ideas, which helped us rank in the top three both individually and overall.
Graphic Arts was another strong area for us this year. Sarah Fromm, Chloe Silbermann, and Bella Li each submitted artworks before the competition. All of them placed, which made it a really strong result for the team overall.
Additionally, Olympika, which includes athletic competitions such as shot put and various running events, was also a huge point of participation from our delegates.
Whole school contests focused on teamwork and quick coordination. The state T-shirt design, created by Sarah Fromm, was selected as the winning design that will represent Massachusetts in the National JCL coming up this summer.
Spirit events were some of the most energetic parts of the weekend. The Worm Race team included Maddox Rae, Ethan Lin, Yvonnie Li, Christopher Sprague, and Bella Li and placed second.
The Chariot Race included all of the WHS delegates, who placed second in Race A and first in Race B.
For the Toga Pledge, Winchester JCL prepared sunflower shields and headbands during club meetings and focused heavily on energy and enthusiasm during the chants. Even with strong competition from the BLS team, known for being especially loud with 69 delegates, Winchester placed second.
As a first-time delegate, Bella Li said she got to see how much planning and teamwork go into every part of the convention. Each event needed different skills, from academic preparation to creativity and performance, and it was interesting to see how everyone contributed in different ways. It really made it clear that the results come from a lot of effort happening all year long.
In the end, Winchester JCL placed first overall as a school, finishing six points ahead of BLS. Sarah Fromm, Christopher Sprague, and Chloe Silbermann each placed seventh overall in individual rankings.
Overall, the state convention was a memorable and exciting experience. To all the delegates at Nationals this summer, bonam fortunam!
Alice Zhu contributed to this article as editor/copy editor.
