FJCL Uvae Vitis: Spring 2018 by Florida Junior Classical League

FJCL Uvae Vitis

Spring 2018 Issue Edited by Taylor Rohleen Photos by Maya Harris, Kiki Schmalfuss, and Dakota Williams

2 Salvete Omnes, We hope that you had fun at the 2018 State Latin Forum. In these few days, we laughed, tested, played certamen, presented speeches and costumes, danced to the macarena, and, most importantly, shared our JCLove. We were lucky enough to have convention and National Classics week happening at the same time, so could celebrate the Classics in unity, with our Latin family! In this issue of the Uvae Vitis, you will get to know your Executive Board through various ~snazzy~ questions. You can also find information about Regional Leader applications, check out some Classical memes, discover more about Ms. R, CAF Vice President, learn critical information for the 2018 JCL National Convention, and so much more. We hope to reunite with you, over the summer, in the Ohio heat! See you soon, Your 2018-2019 FJCL Executive Board

Table of Contents:

State Officer Bios.............................3-6

Regional Leader Applications............7 Historianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner...............................7 State Recap..........................................8 State Forum Memories...................9-10 Get to Know Ms. R..............................11 Nationals Checklist...........................12 Tips for Nationals...............................13

Find Us on Social Media!

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2018-2019 State Officer Bios President: Matthew Thomas Level of Latin? AP Latin Favorite Snapchat filter? The puppy filter. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? Easily the horse-sized duck. Might makes right. Favorite song? “God’s Plan” by Drake. What’s the best part about fora? The exciting uncertainty of being halfway through an intense Certamen round.

Vice President: Taylor Rohleen Level of Latin? Latin III Favorite Snapchat filter? The one that makes your smile HUGE. It makes me look more excited than I already am. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? Probably a duck-sized horse. I loved ponies when I was younger, and a duck-sized horse is basically a smaller, cuter version of a pony! Favorite song? Anything by Rihanna. I’m obsessed. However, “Nice for What” by Drake has been a recent bop. What’s the best part about fora? Meeting people from all over the state/country. In most cases, there is literally no other way you would have met them, and that just astounds me.

4 Parlimentarian: Esha Patel Level of Latin? Latin III Favorite Snapchat filter? The face swap because it’s so entertaining but can also be very scary. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? Horse-sized duck because between my size and how aggressive ducks can be, I could conquer the world. Favorite song? “8TEEN” by Khalid. What’s the best part about fora? Going to bazaar and buying some really cool merch, or listening to some of the hilarious responses to the “funny” question at Candidates’ Open Forum.

Recording Secretary: Afreen Ashraf Level of Latin? Latin V / IB Latin SL Favorite Snapchat filter? The cute new Avengers one where it looks like you’re eating them. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? I would rather be a horse sized duck. You gotta go big or go home. Favorite song? “Trespass” by Rich Brian. What’s the best part about fora? Honestly, if I tried to describe my favorite part of convention, we would be here for a long time. If I had to choose, it would be lazying around with friends and cramming for tests and Certamen ... let’s just say some “interesting” stuff happens at these 4 a.m grind sessions.

5 Historian: Maya Harris Level of Latin? Latin III Favorite Snapchat filter? The face in bread. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? I would rather be a horse-sized duck so I could freak people out when I go out to restaurants. Favorite song? “Sunflower” by Rex Orange County. What’s the best part about fora? Watching Certamen like I know what they’re talking about.

Treasurer: Kristina Liao Level of Latin? Latin V Favorite Snapchat filter? The meerkat. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? A duck-sized horse. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself as a horse-sized duck, because Peking Duck is one of my favorite foods. Favorite song? “Favorite Song (ft. Childish Gambino)” by Chance the Rapper. :) What’s the best part about fora? Staying up really late with my roommates!

6 Corresponding Secretary: Devin Rankin Level of Latin? AP Latin Favorite Snapchat filter? The flower crown. Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? Duck-sized horse, because I could be a horse riding other horses. Favorite song? “Window Pain” by J. Cole. What’s the best part about fora? The moments before a Certamen round starts, when everyone is super anxious, and there is a lot of nervous laughter, brought about by totally unfunny puns and laughs.

Technology Coordinator: Charlotte Varnes Level of Latin? Latin III Favorite Snapchat filter? The hearts--basic, but so cute! Would you rather be a duck-sized horse or a horse-sized duck? I’d definitely rather be a duck-sized horse. It’d be a lot easier to get around. Favorite song? Honestly anything by Taylor Swift or Lorde, but righ now it’s “Golden Hour” by Kacey Musgraves. What’s the best part about fora? I really love getting to meet new people! No matter if you’re going against someone in a speech or academic test, everone is still so kind and supportive, which is awesome.

Regional Leader Historian’s Corner 7 historians/camera enthusiasts are welcome to create videos for Applications Released All the Youtube channel and submit photos for the FJCL social media

The application for Regional Leader is released! It can be found at accounts. Every school’s JCL events deserve to be seen, and I need https://goo.gl/forms/z0kL9Qyt4WoMQfZv1. Entries are due on your help! All you have to do is email historian@fjcl.org with your Saturday, June 30th. We encourage any JCLer who wishes to increase work. I can’t wait to see what all of you accomplish this year! their involvement in JCL to apply. - Maya Harris, 2018-2019 FJCL Historian Regional leaders are responsible for establishing and maintaining contact with the schools in their region and spreading vital information on service projects from the local to state level. They increase communication between FJCL VP and local JCLs. Past Regional Leaders have found the postion to be enriching and great leadership experience. If you have any questions, please contact me at VP@fjcl.org or ask any of the former Regional Leaders!

Check out the State Latin Forum videos HERE!

Cum amore, Taylor Rohleen 2018-2019 FJCL Vice President

The 2018 State Latin Forum service project was making beds for the homeless out of plastic bags! Apply to be a Regional Leader to get more involved with projects like these!

Capture FJCL moments like these and submit them to be posted!

2018 State Recap

On April 19th, students took to the Wyndham to celebrate the classics, as the 69th FJCL State Forum went underway. As always, the schedule was packed, and it was tough to decide how to spend the precious couple days. Here are a few of the highlights. An entire auditorium collectively lost their voices over 10 minutes of competitive spirit. To the great excitement of the crowd, JCLerin-flux Ethan Ream graced That’s Entertainment with his dance moves for the second year in a row. Certamen players with sweaty hands duked it out in intense matchups, with Midtown, Oak Hall, and Stanton coming out with a dub. Friday afternoon was filled with aggressive entrepreneurialism as students pulled out all the stops to sell T-shirts and goods for their club. A satyr was even spotted wandering around the Bazaar. To relax and unwind, students broke it down at the “Bad and Zeus-ie” dance Friday night. Meanwhile, many FJCLers generously gave up their time to make sleeping mats from plastic grocery bags, in order to help shelter the homeless. Even with all the volunteers, Florida brought in so many bags that there was a huge pile of surplus. To refuel and recover from all the activity, JCLers agree that Wawa was the pit stop of choice. Finally, after a busy Thursday and Friday, closing out the convention on Saturday, Escambia unseated Oak Hall’s mighty reign to take first in the overall sweepstakes. I encourage you to check out the recap video that Dakota Williams and 2017-2018 Historian Kiki Schmalfuss displayed after a sleepless night of work; it aptly captures the spirit of Forum. If you’ve attended in the past, it’s a great source of memories, and if not, you can get a glimpse of the remarkable experience that States truly is. State Latin Forum is always a weekend to remember, and I hope that you all will return on April 4th, 2019 for another incredible convention. Ab imo pectore, Matthew Thomas 2018-2019 FJCL President

JCLers campaigning for their friends by wearing signs and discussing platforms!

Two JCLers from Leon High School high-five during Ludi!

“What Was Your Favorite Memory from the 2018 State Latin Forum?” Latin & Greek I

Briauna, Escambia High School “Seeing everything happen with everyone coming together, no matter where they went to school.” Ellis, The Geneva School “Probably making friends at 11:30 at night. We were about to go to bed, when we got a knock on the door. We open the door, and learn that the knock was about one of my roommates who lost a bag. We start talking with the people who found the bag and then spent a good 10 to 20 minutes talking to them before finally getting some sleep.” Hope, Midtown Classical “That’s Entertainment and making new friends during Bazaar!” Kanna-Isabel, Stanton Preparatory School “Meeting so many new kids from all over Florida and spending time with them and my classmates at Karaoke and the dance!” Maxine, Saint John’s Episcopal School “Seeing all of my friends again!”

“Maximas gratias vobis agimus” to everyone who submitted entries on @officialFJCL Instagram! Follow us on our Instagram account to stay updated on future oppurtunities to be featured in the Uvae Vitis! N.B. Entries may have been edited for grammar, punctuation and clarity.

Latin II

Adriana, Saint Stephen’s Episcopal School “Getting to see the Latin students from my old school and reuniting with all of my friends.” Alejandra, Winter Springs High School “Playing Marco Polo with some cool Timber Creek kids and my best friends.” Alena, Escambia High School “John Menton.” Caitlin, Escambia High School “Winning first place in my last year as part of the FJCL.” Connor, Escambia High School “Playing Agon and seeing the FJCL memes.” Heather, Satellite High School “Helping my friend Taylor campaign for VP, meeting (and forcing stickers onto) a bunch of new, cool people who I hadn’t met before, and getting the absolute weirdest looks from non-FJCL people for wearing an avocado sign around my neck. Oh, and, of course, the memes.” Katie, Winter Springs High School “There was so much. Everything was this beautiful dream and I wish we could have this year round!” Mattlynn, Escambia High School “Becoming more comfortable with the rest of the State Latin team from my school and building relationships with them.” Sara, Cornerstone Academy “Getting to know people from my school better: being more comfortable around them and becoming better friends with them.”

Advanced Latin

Amelia, Edgewood Jr/Sr High School “Doing the scavenger hunt and having to perform a Fortnite Battle Royale dance for John Menton. Luckily, my friend got it on video, so I can always remember that moment. Ben, Classical Conversations “Tying Oak Hall for 2nd in Spirit, because that’s the closest we’ve ever come to beating them in something.” Chris, Escambia High School “Playing Agon with Oak Hall JCL and my Escambian loves.” Eli, Escambia High School “Magistra Hornick’s look of absolute elation and love as we were announced in first place.” Graham, Oak Hall School “Receiving the honor of being able to answer the final bonus question of our Certamen finals, by standing as a team and reenacting the illustrious and epic “Wakanda Forever” moment from Black Panther.” Harrison, Christ Classical Academy “Competing in Impromptu Art and getting to see everyone’s awesome creations!” Ishwary, Florida State University Schools “Karaoke night, the service project, the kindness of those those running for office―even if they were running against you. Basically everything!! State rocks!” Kiki, Oak Hall School “Moral duty.”

Advanced Latin Continued...

Krystin, Escambia High School “Seeing all my team’s hard work pay off and Escambia getting first overall for the first time since 1992.” Maya, Oak Hall School “Bawling my eyes out with my schoolmates after Graham Bernstein delivered a heart-wrenching speech about Noah Harris’s last state convention.” Michael, Escambia High School “Joel Sexson buzzing in ‘tunica recta : wife.’” Rudy, Winter Springs High School “Honestly, my favorite part of this States was all of the people I met because I ran for office. Yeah, things didn’t turn out as I wished they could have, but running for FJCL office will forever be one of the best experiences I have ever had. There’s something to it that’s hard to explain, but if you think you have even the smallest shot at getting an office position, then take the chance. It’s a lot more fun than it looks.” Rushee, Oak Hall School “Singing ‘I’ll Make a Man out of You’ with John Menton, Noah Harris, Keegan Hogan, Deo, et al. at Karaoke.” Skyler, Escambia High School “Making memes out of Chris Harden’s reaction to winning State.”

Left: One of the aforementioned memes created by Skyler from Escambia! Like every JCLer, Chris Harden feels the PCD (Post Convention Depression)

Teachers

Ms. Austin, Leon High School (Class of ‘03) “My favorite part of State Forum is seeing students come out of their shells and get excited about Classics. Whether it’s someone who came to State on a whim, someone who spent hours studying for a test, someone who is excited to perform their declamation or submit their project, someone who had a blast participating in Ludi/Olympika, or someone who just tried out for That’s Entertainment, all of these students share this expression of joy and discovery at how much FUN the Classics can be. I love seeing the camaraderie that happens when a bunch of students being the truest form of themselves come together and find their JCL family.” Ms. Barry, Leon High School (Class of ‘03) “Giving Dr. Jackson a hand with the first round of Competitive Certamen and actually having a chance to talk with her for more than five seconds for the first time in years.” Mrs. R, Lincoln High School “I loved watching my students break top 10 this year and seeing my alma mater take first place.” Ms. R, Windermere Preparatory School “Personally, I absolutely love the interactions at State Forum. Whether I’m watching my students participate in Spirit or working with the officers to grade Ludi at 2:00 in the morning, when I am at State Forum, I am at home.”

Keegan from Oak Hall School and Deo from Stanton Preparatory School share the JCLove.

Get to Know Ms. R Salvete, omnes!

I am Rachel Robison (Ms. R), Vice President of the Classical Association of Florida and middle school Latin teacher at Windermere Preparatory School. I have been in love with Latin for 14 years, teaching it for four. I have been fortunate enough to attend fora as a JCLer, an SCLer, and now a sponsor. In fact, this year I will attend my ninth National Latin Forum! As CAF VP, my main duty is to work with and advise the FJCL Executive Board and to chair the State Planning Committee. This means that I have the unique privilege to work with both the student officers and the adult committee members. I meet with the officers throughout the year as they plan national spirit, coordinate service projects, orchestrate Fall Forum, run Ludi at State Forum, and dozens of other things that pop up unexpectedly. I also get to work with the incredible adults who put State Forum together each year! I honestly can’t imagine a better blend of hard work and #JCLove. If you were at State Forum, you may remember that I have four cats (yes, you read that correctly). Their names are Her Royal Highness, Lady Mu Madeleine, Fitzgerald von Fluffington, Abraham DeLacy Giuseppe Casey Thomas O’Malley (O’Malley the Alley Cat), and Loony, Loopy Lucy (whose name must always be sung). The officers asked me to send photos because THE WORLD NEEDS TO KNOW.

Left: Fitz (orange marshmallow) snuck up on Mu while she was napping. Here you see her rolling her eyes in disgust.

Above: 8th grade me, posing in my Sphinx costume. Left: Lucy (...enthusiastic Gryffindor) and Tom (the MOST Hufflepuff) snuggle up because they’re perfect and everyone loves them.

If you want to know anything more about CAF, FJCL, or my cats, please feel free to reach out to me at cafvp@fjcl.org. See you at Nationals! Pax, amor, et feles, Ms. R

Nationals Checklist In order to ensure that all of your ducks are in a row, complete all of the followings tasks, and you will be all set for Nationals! 1. This goes without saying, but, SIGN UP FOR NATIONALS on NJCL.org!! The price rises on May 15th, so reserve your spot ASAP. 2. Fill out the FJCL Delegate Form here and send a $25 check (or PayPal payment) to Mr. Mize by May 26th. 3. Figure out how you are going to get to convention. Whether driving, taking a flight, boarding a bus, or teleporting, make sure you have your transportation sorted. 4. Over the summer, study for your academic tests and/or prepare your creative contests. In the time from States to Nationals, you are bound to have forgotten information, so you may want to refresh your knowledge. 5. Scroll to the next page and check out Charlotte’s “Tips for Nationals” piece. It provides critical information on how to have a blast. 6. When the end of July rolls around, pack your bags, charge your devices, and head on over to Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Students about to test at State Latin Forum. Come to Nationals and you can take more than two tests!

JCLers partaking in Ludi at State Latin Forum. At Nationals, there are manifold oppurtunities to try Ludi!

Tips for Nationals

Whether it’s your first time at Nationals or your fifth, it is always a good idea to prepare for convention. Check out the following tips for some pointers so you can maximize your experience! 1. Go over Florida’s Spirit cheers, so our state will rock it this summer. Examples of the cheers will be posted on the FJCL YouTube leading up to Nationals, and check out @OfficialFJCL on Instagram to see how you can submit a video of your own! 2. Leading up to Nationals, keep an eye on your email! There will be specific information regarding Spirit themes and what to wear each day. 3. Bring a water bottle! It’s easy to get dehydrated walking around in the summer heat, so a water bottle is an absolute necessity. 4. Bringing a camera is a great idea, especially for historians looking to capture awesome moments of their club members and the rest of the FJCL. Between Olympika, GA, and Spirit, there are so many great memories to photograph. 5. Sneakers are another necessity. Between walking to GA, fellowship, and all of the events going on, sneakers are the most comfortable. 6. Bringing extra money for Bazaar is also a good idea. Nationals Bazaar has different JCL and Classics related items sold by JCLs from all across the nation, so it’s well worth it to bring a little extra money for it. 7. Those who have attended Nationals before know that Spirit is intense. Bring throat lozenges for after GA to make sure you have a voice. 8. Whether traveling by car, bus, or plane to Miami University, journeys will be long. Cards, study materials, books, and summer school work are all great items to bring to pass time while traveling. 9. When at Nationals, try to get to as many events as possible! No matter Olympika, the dances, karaoke, or lectures on the Classics, there are so many awesome ways to get involved throughout the week. 10. Make sure to be on time to Fellowship! The meetings are often held pretty late, and getting there on-time not only guarantees yourself a seat, but assures that the meeting will run on-time as well. 11. Don’t be late to testing either! Seating takes a long time at Nationals due to the large amount of people and running late will cut into your testing time. If eating beforehand, make sure to leave early in order to give yourself plenty of time to eat and then walk to testing. 12. Don’t be afraid to talk to JCLers from other states! Everyone attending NJCL is united by love of Latin and the classics, so don’t be afraid to strike up a conversation with someone from a different delegation. See you at Nationals, Charlotte Varnes 2018-2019 FJCL Technology Coordinator