CERTAMEN:
GJCL COMMITMENT
For the verb facio, give the 3rd person, plural - ”
Buzz.
“Faciant,” I answer confidently.
“I’m sorry. That’s incorrect. We wanted the passive subjunctive, not the active subjunctive,” says the moderator with a sympathetic tone. I had guessed the wrong voice – again.
That stupid 50-50, ruining my chances at winning. There goes the other team with a 50 point lead, I think in my head. Struggles like this don’t occur for me once every tournament, but rather at every practice, every minute, filled with doubts and triumphs. Every minute of every round filled intense emotions of shame, glory, misery, and immeasurable pleasure. Every question is a constant contest to find that one sweet spot to buzz on before the other teams can buzz. Every tournament is an ultimate question of which Latin nerd will prove to be the epitome of speed and knowledge.
And yet in between all this chaos, Certamen brings a sense of simple joy from holding that clumsy stick in your hand and fiercely pressing on it as if your life depended it. While Certamen certainly does embody the fierce competitiveness that the JCL embodies (if you don’t believe me, you can find pictures of Certamenators holding the buzzer so tightly that either their hands or the buzzer turns purple), the once simple review game has become an opportunity for JCLers to simply have fun with their knowledge of Rome (cause what else is better than being laughed at for asserting that predicate nouns take the “nounative” case).
Win or lose, steamroll or edge out by a bitter 5 points,
CERTAMEN REPRESENTS THE COMMITMENT OF JCLers TO A CIVILIZATION THAT FELL OVER A MILLENIA AGO
And it is this dedication that drives to haul myself out of bed into a chair with a room full of Latin geeks. Whether it’s coming up out on top of your most hated nemesis or winning a second place trophy that makes third place seem better, nothing can compare to the sheer joy of meeting up with a group of Latin students as passionate about a dead language as you are. Certamen truly would not be what it is today without the continual support of JCLers who dedicate so much of their time for these monthly meetings and competitions.
And, Georgia hosts some of the best tournaments in the nation. Each tournament is known for something unique, but regardless, none of these tournaments would be possible without the continual support of each and every one of our sponsors of the JCL. Your sense of humor in writing questions never ceases to amaze us disciples, and your seemingly omniscient nature consistently overshadows even the largest textbooks.
So, if you have never been to a Certamen tournament, I suggest that you come for one of the greatest experiences that the JCL has experienced. Whether you crush the teams with a 200 point difference or lose so badly that even Sisyphus has to pity you, come for the sheer fun of experiencing Latin, hanging out with friends, and simply relaxing. You never know what you can find at Certamen tournament. It might be your future best friend, your salty teammate, or someone who pronounces “hic, haec, hic,” “ic, aec, oc” like a dying frog.
Bryan Wu, Walton High School