When a student lists Latin as a class they attend, people immediately assume the language is useless, boring, and a poor strategy for college. Even worse, when students mention they participate in the Junior Classical League, or JCL, any non-member draws a complete blank. Why is the world’s second-largest youth organization so anonymous to the general public? And why on Earth would anyone take Latin?
Sixteen Jesuit students and two faculty traveled to Trinity University from July 27-August 1, challenging cultural beliefs on Latin’s impact. They joined an elite group of almost 1,600 students from all corners of the nation, state finalists competing in dozens of competitions. Unlike the Texas state competition, where slots are scarce and students must compete in only a few divisions, anyone can participate in everything the National convention has to offer. Competitions are divided up by level of Latin, ranging from written academic tests, works of inspiration acted and written in the creative arts division, graphic arts created from every possible medium, and intense sports heats. In addition to the competitions, lectures on various topics called colloquia as well as intense quiz games called certamen filled every waking moment. Coffees in hand, contestants immerse themselves in the classics constantly, some even clocking in 18 hours plus each day.
Recent graduate Zach Schutze ’15 witnessed first hand the club’s exponential growth, one of the first students to attend nationals his freshman year. “Nationals is like going home,” reminisced Schutze, the JCL integral to his entire high school experience. Completing his fourth NJCL convention this summer, Zach’s lifelong connections and intense competitions have cemented each summer’s nationals as “the greatest week of every year.” He satisfied his longtime dream and finally won first place at ancient geography, a feat he’d been striving for since freshman year. “The people you meet, the chance to compete, do well, and place among some of the smartest people in the nation” all stood out to Zach as amazing reason to participate in JCL.
Jesuit set another record this year, electing our first Texas JCL officer Jack Mason ’16 as treasurer. Despite initial nerves about his heightened club role and interactions with other Texan delegations, Jack happily confirmed “the state student board is cohesive because we are all Latin lovers and respect the same ideals for the JCL.” When asked about unexpected challenges with his position, Jack quipped “person or professional,” generating a huge laugh from those listening nearby. As per tradition, Jack received zero help from his predecessors, instead having to “learn everything about the treasurer in twenty minutes, [he] just sat there and figured it out by [himself].” Duties extending beyond balancing checkbooks, Jack also acted as one of the TSJCL’s faces, helping motivate the club in many other ways. Spirit plays a huge role at the national convention, states devising personalized cheers and competing for inflatables and other fun prizes. Take for example one grand prize for extra large states this convention, a six foot inflatable whale! As someone filled with zeal and vigor for the club, Jack was ecstatic that “instead of being in the crowd contributing to spirit, [he’s] actually a part of making the spirit” through his behind the scenes role.
No one could be more thrilled and proud than club sponsor Magistra (“teacher” in Latin) Jones, chaperoning the largest number of enthusiastic students she’s ever brought to nationals. The face of Jesuit JCL’s revitalization, Magistra has likewise seen the club in all its stages, recollecting that “the first year it was difficult to convince students to come because it was something they didn’t really understand.” By fostering enthusiasm and increasing the club’s activities with the addition of a winter Saturnalia festival, summer of 2015 saw a drastic difference with “all of our guys high quality competitors and vying to go.” Competition in San Antonio allowed for far larger participation, with almost double the typical Jesuit students from all grade and Latin levels. Magistra appreciated the convenience, grateful that this year “was a lot easier logistically because we didn’t have to fly” and allowed for broader student participation.
Finally, at conventions such as these, one person exists as the axis upon which the entire process revolves. Ruiqi He, 2014-2015 National Junior Classical League President and TSJCLer herself, graciously gave her insights into the difficulty of planning such a massive convention. She appreciated the easy access to the campus in-state nationals offered, thankful that “whenever I needed to visit campus to plan for an activity or to help set up, it was only a short drive away!” However, that’s not to say taking charge of a 50,000 member organization was an easy task in the slightest. Ruiqi dealt with hundreds of requests and contrasting opinions each step of the way, learning to “take small steps toward [her] objectives rather than set grand goals.” By acclimating to this more collaborative style of leadership, Ruiqi was able to balance her personal ambitions with the desires of her fellow board members. Thrilled about the convention’s success, Ruiqi saw the location in her home state as a culmination of years of dedication, the massive amount of Texas representatives giving her “a great sense of pride and honor during convention.” After years of service to the JCL, Ruiqi begins classes at Harvard this fall, proud of the successful event she planned and the contributions she made during her four amazing years taking Latin.
Each interviewee gave a unique perspective to the question of why Latin isn’t properly represented worldwide despite it’s prestigious and popular nature. Jack believes the JCL should be “taking more of a front role” worldwide comparative to their massive membership, the mere three events per year too small to attract sizable attention. While other delegations host several other events and practice sessions outside of competition, they don’t nearly reach the scope of far more active clubs like debate or football. Rather than question the degree of involvement, Zach affirmed the very nature of the Junior Classical League acts as a detriment, “a classics-based organizations which people don’t think of as valuable.” The historic elements of JCL actually act to its disadvantage, Zach argues, the constant push for modernity in this era prohibiting organizations cemented in the past from receiving major attention. Ruiqi perceptively noted geopolitical reasoning behind the wording of dead language, correlating Latin’s status as “not the official language of any nation” to the presumption of its uselessness. Despite the multitudinous societal impacts Greco-Roman civilization has left upon society, many individuals cannot overlook Latin’s lack of spoken presence on a worldwide scale. Finally, Magistra Jones examined Latin itself from the viewpoint of a news outlet, saying “bad news and controversy gets a lot better ratings than youths being productive and doing intelligent things,” an intrinsic social barrier much larger than simply a foreign language class. These significant challenges all hoped will be combated by the club’s larger presence this school year.
Graduating seniors like Zach and Ruiqi mark the beginnings of a new stage in the JCL, one where some of the most passionate and dedicated individuals have now graduated and are no longer active. However, just because their high school days are over doesn’t mean JCL opportunities have likewise disappeared. Zach and several other Jesuit alumni plan to participate in the Senior Classical League or SCL, “an organization comprised of college students who have been in the JCL and want to remain active and keep coming to the conventions.” Rather than competing like typical students, these former JCLers help run sports events and manage the day-to-day logistics. Zach dreams to also return to Jesuit as a club chaperone “hopefully [assisting] at nationals” and returning home to his favorite place someday in the near future. Ruiqi likewise understands this intense love of latin “so much that [she] couldn’t bear to completely give it up after graduating high school,” joining the SCL and simultaneously winning the position of Texas SCL Secretary. Even after completing an impressive career in the JCL, Ruiqi continues her passionate participation by joining fellow alumni and contributing to the experiences’ of current attendees. Her future shines brightly with Latin still very much a part of, participating in the SCL integral to “ensure the continuation of my involvement with an organization I’m so indebted to.” The flames of classical passion burn on far beyond high school, JCL spirit helping foster the next generation of chaperons, club sponsors, and Latin instructors alike.
Latin wields a huge influence over our lives, and without the classics everyday human life would be starkly different. Organizations like the JCL help bring history into everyday life, providing a lens into the ancient world of the Romans and Greeks. Ruiqi He, Zach Schutze, Jack Mason, and the countless other student leaders forged from their classics experiences promise a better future for our country, one which uses our predecessors’ successes to improve upon the world of today. Ruiqi echos the sentiments of every Latin and Greek student when she proudly proclaimed “taking Latin and joining the JCL are the two best decisions I’ve made so far.” Through their unceasing work and dedication, each JCL member continues to prove that latin and the classical world are far from dead.
2015 Nationals Awards List:
1st Jo Vance Art Piece
1st Giovanni Rivas Site Recitation
1st Jarod Petroll Slogan
1st Carson Ward Sculpture
1st Carson WardModel
1st Jared Petroll Greek Life&Literature
1st Zach Schutze Ancient Geography
1st Nick Motter 100m
1st Nick Motter 200m
1st Nick Motter Long Jump
2nd Jared Petroll, Jaylon Briscoe, Giovanni Rivas, and Nick Motter relay
2nd Michael Miramontes 800m
2nd Carson Ward Pottery
2nd Carson Ward 100m Free
2nd Carson Ward 50 Free
2nd Zach Schutze Map
3rd Giovanni Rivas Latin Oratory
3rd Zach Schutze Essay
4th Zach Schutze Latin Oratory
4th John Alfred Zevallos Site Recitation
5th Jack Schwab Site Recitation
5th Giovanni Rivas 800m
5th Carson Ward Essay
6th Alex Motter Dramatic Interpretation Advanced Poetry
6th Joseph Duebner Games
