By KENZIE MUENZER, Gazebo Staff Writer

Picture this. You are on a bus with 13 other people. You look outside to see the sunlight shining through the trees and onto the lake.

When the bus stops, you wait for your cue to emerge from the bus, into the world of the Georgia Junior Classical League.

Then, you see bursts of color everywhere, crowds of people are pushing through you.

Everyone is shouting.

This my first memory of the GJCL’s State Latin Convention.

The month before this wonderful experience was completely dedicated to my project, a model of The Labrynth, and the slight anxiety of this big competition.

I was worried about letting my club down. I worried I wouldn’t fit in. I still went, though, and I am extremely thankful I did.

The first day was spent taking two tests, competing in open certamen (an all-Latin quiz bowl competition), and being scared out of my mind. All of these schools we were competing against had so much knowledge on this event. Many had been coming to this event for years. This was our first time.

That frightened me a bit. It made us all scared, but we quickly shook it off when we did our first cheer together.

The second day I spent most of my time getting to know other people in the club. I had to attend a few events here and there, take a test, go to the talent show and Bazaar. I also had the opportunity to cheer on our school in the chariot race. It was a very cool experience, overall.

The last day was dedicated to the awards ceremony. Natalie Cundiff and I, won third place, along with a student from another school, in open certamen.

This moment for me was riveting. I had been hesitant to come to this event because I doubted myself.  And, in that moment, I was reassured. I hadn’t let the club down. It wasn’t first place. But even third place was an honor to me. I know Mr. Brian Wells, Latin teacher, was proud of all of us.

These three days filled with Latin-themed events was one of the greatest experiences I have ever participated in. It is where I made some new friends I firmly believe are going to stick with me for the rest of my high school career. It is where I learned new things about this language I love so much.

This event is where I realized it isn’t about how smart you are but instead how many memories you make with your friends. Not all people can say that at age 14. And not all people are going to take that lesson out of this event.

I would highly suggest everyone in Latin attend next year, because it isn’t just about Latin. It’s about having a good time and making unforgettable memories. I can’t wait until LatinCon next year.