National Junior Classical League
The National Junior Classical League, or NJCL, is an organization of secondary school students sponsored by the American Classical League. Founded in 1936, the NJCL comprises Latin, Greek, and Classical chapters worldwide, including in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Italy. With over 50,000 members, the NJCL is the largest Classical organization today. Its mission is "to encourage an interest in and an appreciation of the language, literature and culture of ancient Greece and Rome and to impart an understanding of the debt of our own culture to that of classical antiquity." Its official colors are purple and gold.
Conventions
Most state-level NJCL counterpart organizations with larger numbers of members hold annual conventions at locations central to their attendees, where schools compete in varied events. These events are divided into academic levels for scoring purposes (generally Roman numerals I-V); participation can be countywide, regional, or even statewide. Awards are given out to schools based on sweepstakes points by school size. Placing in most competitive events (e.g. academic tests, Certamina, art, costumes, poetry) earns sweepstakes points.
The NJCL hosts a week long national convention annually at a college campus, generally in late July or early August, where 1200-1500 students compete in written tests and creative arts categories (such as oral Latin performances). Other components of the convention in which students may participate include competitive and non-competitive Certamen, seminars commonly known as Colloquia, and Ludi (literally "games" — various athletic and recreational events).
Another perennially popular event is the talent show, known as That's Entertainment!, always held on the night before the final farewell dance. It consists of skits put on by the NSCL between the individual acts, and since the mid-nineties, a final surprise performance from a group of three mysterious men in suits and sunglasses, known only as the Racketeers (for the matching red tennis racket bags they wear on their heads). They walk on stage, perform a silent dance routine to a mixtape-type compilation, and walk off. The 2007 Convention was the second in which the Racketeers made an appearance at without one of its usual three members. In his place was an equally mysterious woman, the first time since the 1993 Convention that this kind of substitution has occurred.
The 2007 National Convention was hosted by the Tennessee delegation at the University of Tennessee Knoxville from Tuesday, July 24 to Sunday, July 29. The theme, chosen by incoming president each year, was originally announced at the final General Assembly of the 2006 convention as simply "Carpe Diem" (to an audible groan of disappointment from the audience, given its overuse both colloquially, as well as its use in the recent past as a convention theme). The National Committee subsequently expanded it to the full "Carpe Diem, quam minimum credula postero" (written by Horace in Ode I-XI), which translates: "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in tomorrow."
The 2008 National Convention will be hosted at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. The theme, from Cicero's De Officiis, is Non nobis solum nati sumus, translated "We are not born for ourselves alone."
NJCL Song
Seeking the best, the highest our goal
Working for greatness through glories of old
Searching the realms of the golden past
We follow the Classics' truths that last
In knowledge, truth, and fellowship, we're growing every day!
The friendly hand of J-C-L!
Aids in every way
In Rome's proud steps we're marching on
With every true colleague
And forever we'll hold
To the Purple and Gold
Of the Junior Classical League!
Delegates generally join arms and sway as they sing except at the lines "In knowledge, truth, and fellowship we're growing every day/The friendly hand of J-C-L!" and at the last three words of the song, where they clap in unison. On "J-C-L" however, the clapping changes to fist pumps, before returning to swaying. The lines ending in "hold" and "Gold" are also held dramatically at those words, making the last line of the song awkward. Typically these performances are sung a cappella, or accompanied by piano. The one exception to this ever made was at the 2006 convention at Indiana University, where an organist led the initial performance of the NJCL Song.
NJCL Creed
We the members of the Junior Classical League, covenant to hand on the torch of classical civilization in the modern world.
We believe an acquaintance with the civilizations of Greece and Rome will help us understand and appraise this world of today, which is indebted to the ancient civilization in its government and laws, literature, language and arts.
We affirm the JCL experience develops responsibility, fosters brotherhood, promotes enthusiasm, encourages competition, inspires dedication and enriches our total growth.
The last line is read with increasing volume, to shouting by the end, always followed by extensive cheering.
Officers
At each National Convention, the student delegates elect officers from their own ranks. Each state may only field one candidate each year, and never for a position whose incumbent is from the same state. The offices are President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Parliamentarian, Historian, Editor, and Technology Coordinator. Voting is conducted by state, with JCL delegates in each state casting two votes (for or abstain), with the exception of a delegation of only one JCLer, in which case only one vote is allowed.
The 2007-2008 National Junior Classical League officers were:
- President Grace "Grace on Fire" Jeong (Duluth, GA)
- 1st Vice President Brandon "Bark-Bark-Bark" Bark (Baton Rouge, LA)
- 2nd Vice President Maggie Marshall (Sterling, VA)
- Secretary Emily Calder (Wilmington, NC)
- Parliamentarian Carissa Williams (Lunenburg, MA)
- Historian Kathryn Kukla (Crown Point, IN)
- Editor Pranish Kantak (Fargo, ND)
- Technology Coordinator Noah "Noo...aah" Young (Irvine, CA)
The Current NJCL Officers are:
- President Brandon "Bark-Bark-Bark" Bark (Baton Rouge, LA)
- 1st Vice President Shilpa Apte (Fargo, ND)
- 2nd Vice President Sherelle Wu-"Hoo"
- Secretary Quinn Stewart (Irvine, CA)
- Parliamentarian Elizabeth Hur-"ricane" (Brookfield, WI)
- Historian Amanda Haislip (Fredericksburg, VA)
- Editor Jacob Welch (Richmond, KY)
- Technology Coordinator Paula Luong (Quincy, MA)
Publications
Torch: U.S. is the NJCL's official publication, which details the events of the organization, reports scores, and issues stories. Published four times a year, the only issue sent to all convention attendees (including non-subscribers) is the fall issue, shortly after convention. Until recently, this convention highlights issue included the contact information of all delegates in attendance for keeping in touch, but given the prominence of online communication and cost/space concerns, is no longer included.
Until October 2007, the NJCL also published JCL Highlights in months when the Torch: U.S. was not published. JCL Highlights publicized administrative details about the League, including details about applying for JCL scholarships, information about the upcoming Convention, and requests for information from NJCL officers and national committee members. According to the Fall 2007 Torch: U.S., the National Committee decided at the October 2007 Fall Planning Meeting to eliminate the JCL Highlights in favor of online distribution of the same information.
See also
- Living Latin - A movement dedicated to promoting spoken Latin
- National Senior Classical League - The college-level affiliate of NJCL