Seize the day, and Seize the Contest

Maclay Latin Students Compete at the 74th FJCL State Latin Forum

Photo by Leah Song/Maclay Andalusian

Even though Latin appears to be the least common language studied among Maclay students, the passion of those who pursue it is no less than that of students who study other languages. One of the biggest opportunities for Maclay Latin students to demonstrate their interest in Latin is Florida Junior Classical League (FJCL) state competitions. From March 29 to April 1, seven middle school and 20 upper school Latin students participated in the 74th FJCL State Forum at Wyndham Orlando Resort. Over four days, the students bonded as a team and participated in various activities related to Latin.

On March 30, students mainly prepared for their academic events and attended the opening ceremony, which included speeches, announcements, a spirit orientation and the pledge of allegiance. During the night, several students participated in certamen, a team competition in which they answer questions about Latin, history and mythology.

“Certamen is one of the most fun activities offered at state,” Certamen Coordinator Louis Dearman said. “The real value of playing certamen is all the teamwork skills that you can learn. Players work together with all the players on their team, so certamen serves to unify people that would otherwise be spread over a broad range of categories.”

Certamen continued on March 31, but none of the Maclay teams advanced to the semifinals. On the same day, all students took their individual tests, and some presented their creative projects. After the academic events, students also experienced a day in old Rome by engaging in unique activities, including Bazaar, Impromptu Art, Toga-war and the dance.

“I love how there are a lot of different events, so everyone really gets a chance to shine,” middle school FJCL sponsor Emma Perry said. “Academics, athletics, costumes, speeches, arts, whatever you’re good at, you get a chance to show it off and have fun with it.”

Awards and the closing ceremony took place on the following day. Overall, Maclay placed 16th and won many individual awards from both academics and creatives. Among the contestants for creatives, senior Tovah Levenson won first place in Miscellaneous and the Best of Show award, which was only given to five students in the entire state forum.

“I think many people walked by my project, seeing that it was very detailed, and it obviously showed the time and effort that I spent on it,” Levenson said. “I just feel so proud of the effort that I put in and that it paid off. I'm glad that others could see that it belongs to the placings.”