April 23, 2017. How could we have known exactly what having the GJCL President as a member of our delegation would mean for us besides a vague notion of hosting Fall Forum? Behind the scenes, NGJCL President, kool Kevin, worked tirelessly with Daddy Pres to plan out the logistics of Fall Forum — with notable help from VP Daniel. From June until October, Daddy Pres assumed his responsibilities as the GJCL President and worked sleepless nights to bring upon the GJCL an unforgettable day filled with opportunities to foster new friendships and deepen existing ones. Such as work busies bees in a new summer, the NGJCL worked fervently to bring an experience we could be proud of. Surely, other states would look to Georgia and think, "O fortunati!" More than nine hundred people showed up to the North Gwinnett campus to enjoy this celebration of the classics. Smiling faces were seen all around and the interactions between schools were like nothing ever witnessed before. As Thomasville and Blue Ridge Pathfinders mingled with all the school in between, many lost their sense of time as they enjoyed invigorating gladiator duels, fascinating workshops, and riveting academic tests. Visitors to the Suwanee culture were welcomed by a staple lunch, Chick-fil-A. Marvelous to say, the frantic pacing of teens with walkie-talkies worked to facilitate an unprecedented number of people into the cafeteria. It was a breathtaking sight to see NGJCL volunteers work beyond their designations to bring the most enjoyable Fall Forum to the GJCL. While making bracelets for children in hospitals, many engagers in the classics made small talk as pleasant vibes filled the atmosphere. The GJCL officers were spread across the
campus as Kevin Fan dominated the ultimate frisbee field, Lucas Kuan jammed out to groovy tunes, Michael Banks conversed with delegates from every school, as Anika Park led a highly insightful workshop, Lucy Ku captured the fun in photos, Michelle Cho guided the service project, Mina Yu invested herself into the host/hostess contest, and Seong Ryoo captured the hearts of many whilst competing in certamen. To the toils of the GJCL officers the success of Fall Forum can be attributed to. The hope of Fall Forum was to provide an experience worth remembering and to form friendships worth keeping. In those regards, no other event hosted by any other organization could possibly have presented the same experience as the Georgia Junior Classical League's Fall Forum. Through abounding workshops and exhilarating ludique olympika and tense certamen rounds and various other activities, JCLers from all across the expansive state of Georgia — all sixty thousand square miles of land — came to one high school to partake in a celebration of a language outsiders commonly refer to as a dead language. In his treatise, De Amicitia, Cicero urges to put friendship before all human values. Though long and difficult to put on a t-shirt, Cicero captured the essence of the JCL 1980 years before its conception through this quote, and never was it more apparent than at GJCL's 2017 Fall Forum.
As the rollercoaster that is Fall Forum prepares to drop, the North Gwinnett delegation shows its omnipresent spirit as its cheers thunder throughout the auditorium during the first General Assembly.
Devoted SCLers — alumni of the scholarly, award winning North Gwinnett High School — sit on the bleachers as they prepare to make new incredible memories on the stunning campus they once inhabited.
A Memorable Fall Forum for North Gwinnett
Daniel Lee
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