the wjcl
2015-2016
Y[OUR] STORY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ABOUT2 BOARD3-4 WJCL PRESIDENT5-6 NATIONALS7-10 WJCL 2ND VP11-12 CAPTURE THE HELEN13-14 WJCL EDITOR15-16 STATE CONVENTION17-20 NJCL 1ST VP21-22
“ubi concordia ibi victoria” - Publius Syrus
ABOUT THE SCRAPBOOK
T
he Historian’s biggest project is the creation of a scrapbook for Nationals. To put together the scrapbook the Historian must document events, or gather pictures of events, that have occurred throughout the year and combine them. One must keep in mind that these photos are not simply jumbled on a page, but instead strategically organized so that they unite under a common theme that is prevalent throughout the scrapbook. Each photo must be captioned with the individuals and event correctly identified which proves to be a challenge at times. Some of the events that will be featured in the scrapbook this year are the 2015 Nationals, Capture the Helen, and 2016 WJCL State. The theme that will unite all of these events is “Y[our] Story.” While this theme may seem to not pertain any connection to Latin there actually exists one. Greek myths that students have read ever since they began learning Latin tended to be about specific gods or goddesses, each myth telling the individual story of that deity. These stories were related to each other. The gods and goddesses had their individual stories, and each one served as a small part of Greek Mythology. After reading just a couple of myths, a similarity and connection is observed. The deities have their own stories to tell which all formulate together to tell the story of Greek Mythology. This is similar to each individual in the WJCL having a specific story about their experience which is part of of the story of the WJCL. Whether if it’s someone’s personal story about a Certamen round, that story is part of WJCL’s story. Or a memory about a general assembly at Nationals, that story is part of WJCL’s story. No matter what the story may be, in the end, everyone’s individual stories come together to create the story of the WJCL. Please enjoy the 2015-2016 WJCL Scrapbook,
Katya Mikhailenko WJCL Historian Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 2
2016-2017
WJCL BOARD MEMBERS Ansley Laev WJCL President Homestead HS
Ram Gollapudy WJCL Parlimentarian Brookfield Academy
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 3
Caleb Judge WJCL 1st VP Madison West HS
Silma Berrada WJCL Secratary Homestead HS
Katie McCarthy WJCL 2nd VP Homestead HS
Mark Bechthold WJCL Treasurer Brookfield Academy
“vox populi” voice of the people
Katya Mikhailenko WJCL Historian Homestead HS
Margot Armbruster WJCL Editor Brookfield Academy
Michael Ginn WJCL Tech Coordinator Catholic Memorial
A STORY ABOUT THE BOARD
by Caleb Judge, WJCL 1st VP
Latin had me quite cautious; or at least the idea of my first National Junior Classical League convention did. I knew it was my brothers thing and I didn’t want to cramp his style(too much). Originally, I didn’t plan on going but the incessant nagging from Eli, my brother, and Paolo, my friend, eventually got me to sign up. This is why I’ve learned to always give into peer pressure; this ended up being one of the best decisions of my life, and that week ended up being one of the best weeks of my life. This is where my WJCL life really started and I met all my best latin friends.
I met James on one of the first days at dinner, Paolo and I didn’t know where to sit and the Wisconsin table seemed like a logical place to start. We sat across from James and realized he was in the same boat as us. He started cracking jokes trying to make friends, mostly making fun of himself. That was it, all of quickly became great WJCL friends. My favorite memory of that convention was of James. Paolo and I were talking about how we thought that someone could probably run up the wall at Trinity and instantly James just took off, ran up, and did it all in one quick
motion. A lady came yelling from behind us and we knew she was pissed at James, she asked him to come down to talk. We were scared that she saw it all and would make a big deal out of the climbing. But when she started her talk with James she just kept complaining and repeating, “you need to be wearing your nametag” and “why aren’t you wearing your nametag.” I thought that was hilarious. The whole convention experience is what made me fall in love with the JCL part of latin, and what ultimately led me to run for office.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 4
meet...
ANSLEY
laev
WJCL President
Last summer at Trinity, my first nationals, I remember the first General Assembly spirit so clearly for some reason. It was just incredible to see the whole Wisconsin delegation cheering ourselves hoarse, screaming ridiculous chants while wearing even more ridiculous outfits, next to hundreds of other Latin students doing the exact same for their state. The crazy energy and passion in the auditorium made me so happy to be a part of all of it, to have made the decision to take Latin my freshman year rather than something else.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 5
Top left: Ansley Laev, WJCL president, works alongside co-officer Ruby Ladd, former 2nd VP, at the 2016 State Convention. Top right: Magistra Wallach and Ansley Laev pose alongside each other at the Madison Capitol after a successful convention. Bottom left: Ansley Laev, Katya Mikhailenko, WJCL historian, and Katie McCarthy, 2nd VP, are all smiles after being sworn into office. Bottom right: Fundraising money by means of a penny war, Ansley Laev proudly showcases her collection of coins and bills.
OOH RAH RAH
WISCONSIN
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1. Diguised as Egyptians, the WJCL delegacy prepares to cheer. 2. Huddling up during Ludi, Simon Rosemblum, former WJCL 2nd VP, pumps up his team. 3. Mags, Madison West’s Latin teacher, gives wise words of CHARIOT TIME wisdom to the NJCL crowd. 4. Abby Guenther, Caleb Judge, former WJCL president, gets rowdy at a spirit former WJCL secratary throws up her deuces. General Assembly at the 2015 National Convention. Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 7
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LOOKING BACK 2015
by Simon Rosenblum-Larson, former 2nd VP
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7. 5. Individuals running for a national office, including Wisconsin’s Michael Kearney, await their turn to give their candidacy speech. 6. Jack Barron passes on the batton to Avery Ulschmid during Ludi track. 7. A San Antonio architectural beauty is captured on a sunny day. 8. Simon Rosenblum-Larson gets ready for spirit by communicating with his fellow officer via pool noodle.
If I had to pick one moment it would be in the middle of the final GA when I was leading my last spirit and I paused, took a deep breath, and let myself be in the moment. I remember it distinctly. I was surrounded by my best friends putting my heart and soul (and voicebox) into a yelling contest with other states and it felt completely and totally worth it. That moment of bliss comes from the community created when you dedicate 4 years to the WJCL and the incredible people that are a part of it. It was truly one of the happiest moments of my life.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 8
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3. 1. Aliyah Quereshi, former NJCL Communication Coordinator, speaks at a General Assembly at the National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. 2. James Arndt and Avery Ulschmid cheer on Wisconsin teammates during Ludi track. 3. Wisconsin prepares to cheer their heads off during spirit. 4. Are these WJCL’ers about to jump in the pool or cheer their hearts out for their state? Definitely cheer their hearts out. 5. James Arndt sprints the final couple of meters in his track Ludi competition.
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WE DON’T MESS AROUND Fiona Adams, former WJCL Editory, leads Wisconsin delegates during spirit.
LUDI LUDI LUDI
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10. 6. Wisconsin teammates high five after an additional vicotry for the dairy state. 7. All new NJCL officers, including Wisconsin’s Michael Kearney, are sworn into office at the last General ASsembly at National Convention
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8. A great victory means an even greater chest bump. WJCL’ers celebrate their win. 9. Ansley Laev plays hard in Basketball Ludi trying to score some more Ludi points for Wisconsin Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 10
meet...
katie
McCarthy WJCL 2nd VP
My goal is that by the end of my term every school can contribute to donating a cow (or part of a cow) through Heifer International. Heifer International is an amazing nonprofit that believes empowering people is the key to ending hunger and poverty. In order for every school to be involved, every month I send out an email to each school’s 2nd Vice President with an idea for a fundraiser. For example, February’s fundraiser idea was Cupidgrams. The fundraiser to donate a cow through Heifer International should be udderly amazing! (I’m sorry–I just had to!!)
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 11
Top left: Katie McCarthy, 2nd VP, gives her candidate speech at the 2016 WJCL State Convention. Top right: Katie McCarthy, Margot Armbruster and Emily Catlin are all smiles at the state convention. Bottom left: Homestead delegates are all ready for spirit at the 2015 National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Bottom right: Magistra Wallach and Katie McCarthy are very serious about reffing the Capture the Helen tournament which took place at Homestead.
CAPTURE
THE
HELEN
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1. Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 13
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1. Emily Mayer, WJCL delegate, sprints away from the enemy during an instense game of Capture the Helen. 2. Ali Styles and Chloe Wong, WJCL delegates, patiently listen to the explaination and rules of Capture the Helen. 3. All Capture the Helen participants are all smiles after a successful and tiring event. 4. Magistra Wallach takes her job as referee very seriously. 5. Emily Mayer and Alex Van Grunsven, WJCL delegates play on Homestead’s Capture the Helen team. 6. Part of the Homestead High School Latin board helped out in hosting and directing the Capture the Helen event. 7. Frances Bartolutti is exhausted after a back and forth game and decides to take a quick nap on the field.
FLASHBACK by Ali Styles, WJCL delegate
Capture the Helen was absolutely crazy, in the best way possible. We worked on it for weeks prior - planning and organizing and perfecting. In the end, it was totally worth it. We had extra games going and hot chocolate and donuts offered so it was fun even when you weren’t on the field. There’s no way to pick a favorite
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memory from that day. How do I choose between our President and 1st VP trying to steal each other’s cow socks or MadWest’s “bro-est of the bros” speech? How about the overall support and comraderie expressed throughout the entire event? Even though we were competing against other schools, this event did
a fabulous job of uniting the WJCL. It gave us another opportunity to spend time with people from other parts of the state and get to know them outside of Convention. Plus, since Wisco is THE ludi state, it was a *perfect* way to showcase our enthusiasm towards the JCL. Moo-rah-rah Wisconsin!
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Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 14
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meet...
MARGOT armbruster WJCL Editor
One of the hallmarks of my JCL experience is playing Certamen. I’ve played at state and nationals, but the tournaments that I enjoy the most are the invitationals that occur throughout the year at universities including Harvard, Yale, and the University of Chicago. The first invitational I attended was the 2015 Harvard Certamen, where my team placed second in the intermediate division. My fondest memory of that weekend was not the tournament itself but the celebration we had later. After the awards ceremony, we returned to our hotel and played several rounds just for fun, the questions spanning from novice round one to World Series difficulty levels. As the night went on, we grew progressively less serious, often buzzing on the first word of a question and all taking turns trying to answer, laughing uproariously. This experience, while completely nerdy, really helped the team build camaraderie and has become a tradition that we repeated this year. It’s just one of the many memories that keep me invested in JCL and believing in the value it can bring to our lives.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 15
Top left: Margot Armbruster and Emily Catlin celebrate their victory at the 2016 state convention. Top right: Margot competes with her teammates in Certamen at the 2015 National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Bottom left: Applauding the newly elected officers, Margot Armbruster stands with her fellow boardat the state convention. Bottom right: Running for the office of Editor, Margot Armbruster gives her candidate speech at the 2nd General Assembly at state convention.
You’re a Roman, Harry Potter 1.
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1. Students from all over Wisconsin have a great time at the annual dance at state convention. 2. Students are all smiles after a delicious Toga Dinner. 3. Magistra Wallach and Mary Weitzer have a ball at the dance. 4. Katie McCarthy, WJCL 2nd VP, dresses up as Sybil Trelawney from Harry Potter. Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 17
SLEEPLESS BUT SUCCESSFUL The Homestead delegation is all smiles after another amazing state convention in Wisconsin’s state capitol, Madison.
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BITTERSWEET GOODBYE by Janet Wang, WJCL delegate
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7. 5. The beautiful state capitol is captured right before sunrise. 6. Homestead high school’s board is all decked out in Harry Potter gear. Each board member represents a different character from the series. 7. Both focus and patience are required at the annual chess tournament at state convention. 8. Janet Wang, WJCL delegate, speaks at the first General Assembly at state convention.
Because this was my last state convention, the memories of this past January are bittersweet. After coaching the Latin I’s in certamen for many practices, I was proud of their state win. It was terrific seeing the next group of young Latin enthusiasts having a great time and celebrating the Classics. The academic tests were time consuming but worth the effort, the spirit sessions were tiring but rewarding, and convention as a whole was wild, but beautifully so. The 2016 state convention reminds me of why I’m proud to be a member of the WJCL.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 18
BUMPUP
THE SPIRIT 1.
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1. With a Harry Potter theme, Gryffindor scarves and wands are a must. 2. Senior year is always full of many bittersweet moments. These seniors recollect all of the amazing memories they shared while in the WJCL 3. Magistra and Mags show off their amazing dance moves at the WJCL dance. 4. Students are incredibly focused during the impromptu art competetion. Silma Berrada, WJCL Secratary, gives her candidacy speech at the 2nd General Assembly. Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 19
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6. After weeks of designing, creating, and testing, the annual war machine contest begins. 7. Homestead seniors are full of great food and decked out in white togas on the last night of convention. 8. Emily Mayer and Mary Weitzer served as 2nd VPs for their high schooland won the spirit award at the second General Assembly at convention.
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HOW TO... PREPARE OVER 60 PEOPLE FOR A WJCL CONVENTION by Mary Weitzer, former HHS 2nd VP In preparation for state convention, we had to create costumes for the two spirit days: Harry Potter and Olympics. Our idea for Harry Potter was to all be from the house Gryffindor, to have the guys be harrying Potter, and girls are Hermione. We made scarves for everyone. We bought the Gryffindor color fabrics on rolls. We cut them into one long yellow piece, then hot glued maroon squares on top, and fringed the ends to make it look more like a scarf. To finish with the boys costumes we bought glasses and drew scars on their heads. Then made sure everyone brought a wand, and just in case made sticks with cut out pieces of Hedwig on top. For the Olympics theme, we decided to have each
level of Latin be a color on the Olympic rings. We made fags by getting sticks and gluing pictures of the Olympic rings to bring our idea together. We bought headbands matching the Levels color and bought medals for everyone. The key for all of our costume ideas was to make sure whatever we did was unified. During the spirit assembles we had to make sure we were loud enough and communicated to everyone what cheer we were doing. For these reasons we made boards of all the cheers to make sure we were all on the same page. When we received the first place award it felt amazing, knowing that all of our hard work had paid off in the end.
13. 9. Brookfield Central is pumping up their delegation with the goal of placing in spirit. 10. Good friends and good laughs are what this group of girls from Homestead have. 11. The DJ at the state convention dance had the whole room having a great time. 12. An Olympika theme called for sweat bands, medals, and lots of cheering. 13. The board members prepare for the 2nd General Assembly of state convention.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 20
meet...
MICHAEL
kearney NJCL 1st VP
I serve as the NJCL First Vice President. I am a 2016 graduate of Marquette University High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Previously I served as President and Treasurer of the WJCL, where my primary goal was to increase the number of active chapters and boost middle school involvement. I am a four-time State Certamen champion and have captained the Wisconsin team at Nationals each of the past four years. I have benefitted greatly from the dedication of the Latin teachers at Marquette High, the WJCL state chairs, and many others across the state and country. Looking back my favorite memory of the WJCL is when I got “WJCL” shaved into my head before I was elected president: I still think that should be a tradition for the incoming president, but I’m sure Ansley thinks otherwise.
Y[OUR] STORY • PAGE 21
Top left: Michael Kearney embraces a fellow delegate at the 2015 National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Top right: In prepartion for the 2016 State Convention, board memebers arrive a day early to get things ready. The board traveled to the state capitol together. Bottom left: Michael Kearney is elected 1st VP at the 2015 National Convention, a very proud moment for Wisconsin. Bottom right: Michael Kearney sorts the individual medals on the last day of the 2016 State Convention.