Latin and Mythology students represent LSMSA at Louisiana Junior League Convention, win accolades

Students sent in pictures, writing, and videos of Classics-themed Creative and Graphic Art projects they had completed throughout the year. They shared videos of themselves competing in Olympika (athletic) events and chanting and singing to show their JCL spirit. And they demonstrated their academic acumen through a battery of online tests and live virtual Certamen matches (Classics Quiz Bowl).

Students earned numerous individual awards - a full list of their accolades is detailed below. Katie Jones ('21) and Aubrey Prewitt ('21) tied for first place overall in the Convention Sweepstakes. Grace Lemoine ('21) placed first overall in Creative Arts; Alex Kurtz ('22) placed first overall in Graphic Arts; and Aubrey Prewitt also placed first overall in Academics.

LSMSA's two Certamen teams each won for their respective levels, and as a school, LSMSA placed second overall in the Convention Sweepstakes.

The school revived its JCL chapter in the Fall of 2018 when Dr. Morris Tichenor was hired as a Latin teacher.

“I had never heard of it until the job interview,” Tichenor shared. “The students were keen to see it return. LSMSA had a long and storied tradition of competing in the JCL Convention back when Dr. Hall was the Latin teacher.”

Tichenor’s first JCL competition was two years ago. “It was absolutely wild,” he said. “I was just blown away by the sheer amount of content packed into the weekend-long nerd-fest. All these students from around the state were there, dressed in togas, marching around, cheering and chanting at the top of their lungs. There's a great deal of camaraderie between all the schools, even in competition, because they're all together reveling in their niche love of Scientia Obscura.”   

The virtual format was definitely different this year. Convention organizers put on most of the traditional events and incorporated video and other online submissions.

The state convention was cancelled just days prior to the 2020 event due to the outbreak of COVID-19. LSMSA students, especially the seniors were disappointed, but their preparations made the job a lot easier for 2021. A chariot and catapult were already mostly assembled, ready for decoration and adjustments.
“Most club meetings in the fall, back when classes were 100 percent virtual, revolved around electing officers and spitballing ideas for convention, Tichenor explained. “But really they were an opportunity for friends to see each other and chat, for stories to be shared of the last great convention of 2019. In the spring, we ramped up our convention preps. Blue Cohort members took the lead to get us started on our Chariot decoration and t-shirt design. Gold Cohort members pulled together at the last minute to complete the school’s convention banner, reassemble the chariot, and edit their Roll Call video. I'm super proud of what they were able to accomplish this year, and I'm really looking forward to next year's event.”

Chapter Awards:

Overall Sweepstakes - 2nd place

Banner - 1st place (Design: Katie Jones)

Certamen, Level 1- 1st place (Team: Grace Lemoine, Aubrey Prewitt, Garrett Parker, Grayce Rhodes)

Certamen, Level 2 - 1st place (Team: Katie Jones, Leighanna Kain, Shelbi Rosenberg, Kelsey Young)

Chariot - 2nd place (Design: Aubrey Prewitt; Costume: Gage Pinckley )

Local Publication - 2nd place (Editor: Griffin McFarland ('22))

Roll Call - 4th place (Video by Tyler French ('21), Gage Pinckley, Garret Parker, and Eva McDonald)

Spirit Competition, Day 1 - 2nd place (Cheer Captain: Aubrey Prewitt)

Spirit Competition, Day 2 - 2nd place (Cheer Captain: Aubrey Prewitt)

T-Shirt - 2nd place (Design: Andrew Gatti ('22))


Individual Awards (for student's respective grade or Latin-level):

Katie Jones ('21): Academic Decathlon - 4th place; Ancient Geography - 1st; Classical Arts and Architecture - 3rd place; Classical Literature - 1st place; Classical Mythology - 1st place; Greek Pentathlon - 2nd place; Latin Grammar - 4th place; Latin Mottos and Abbreviations - 1st place; Latin Reading Comprehension - 4th place; Roman History - 2nd place; Roman Life and Customs - 4th place; Vocabulary - 3rd place; Graphic Arts Portfolio - 2nd place; Certamen, Level 2 - 1st place (Team);  Overall Graphic Arts Sweepstakes - 2nd place; Overall Academic Sweepstakes - 2nd place; Overall Convention Sweepstakes - 1st place

Leighanna Kain ('23): Classical Mythology - 2nd place; Latin Derivatives - 2nd place; Latin Grammar - 3rd place; Latin Mottos and Abbreviations - 2nd place; Roman History - 1st place; Roman Life and Customs - 2nd place; Certamen, Level 2 - 1st place (Team);  Overall Academic Sweepstakes - 9th place; Overall Convention Sweepstakes - 10th place

Alex Kurtz ('22): Graphic Arts Portfolio - 1st place; Overall Graphic Arts Sweepstakes - 1st place

Isabella Le ('22): Latin Grammar - 2nd place; Latin Mottos and Abbreviations - 1st place; Latin Reading Comprehension - 1st place; Girls' Marathon - 3rd place; Overall Olympika Sweepstakes - 4th place

Grace Lemoine ('21): Modern Myth - 1st place; Classical Art and Architecture - 3rd place; Classical Mythology - 2nd place; Certamen, Level 1 - 1st place (Team);  Overall Creative Arts Sweepstakes - 1st place


Eva McDonald ('21): Modern Myth - 3rd place; Ancient Geography - 3rd place; Classical Art and Architecture - 2nd place; Classical Literature - 3rd place; Classical Mythology - 1st place; Greek Pentathlon - 2nd place; Latin Mottos and Abbreviations - 1st place; Latin Reading Comprehension - 4th place; Roman History - 2nd place; Roman Life and Customs - 4th place; Overall Creative Arts Sweepstakes - 3rd place; Overall Academic Sweepstakes - 6th place; Overall Convention Sweepstakes - 4th place

Garrett Parker ('22): Classical Literature - 1st place; Classical Mythology - 1st place; Roman Life and Customs - 1st place; Certamen, Level 1 - 1st place (Team)

Gage Pinckley ('21): Ancient Geography - 1st place; Classical Art and Architecture - 4th place; Classical Mythology - 2nd place; Greek Pentathlon - 1st place; Latin Derivatives - 2nd place; Latin Grammar - 4th place

Aubrey Prewitt ('21): Academic Decathlon - 3rd place; Ancient Geography - 1st place; Classical Art and Architecture - 1st place; Classical Literature - 2nd place; Classical Mythology - 4th place; Greek Pentathlon - 1st place; Latin Derivatives - 2nd place; Latin Grammar - 5th place; Latin Mottos and Abbreviations - 2nd place; Latin Reading Comprehension - 3rd place; Roman History - 1st place; Roman Life and Customs - 1st place; Certamen, Level 1 - 1st place (Team); Overall Academic Sweepstakes - 1st place; Overall Convention Sweepstakes - 1st place

Grayce Rhodes ('22) -  Certamen, Level 1 - 1st place (Team)

Shelbi Rosenberg ('22) - Certamen, Level 2 - 1st place (Team)

Kelsey Young ('23) - Certamen, Level 2 - 1st place (Team)   

The National Junior Classical League is an organization for middle and high school students in classical courses. NJCL proudly holds the honor of being one of the largest academic youth organizations in the world. There are over 35,000 members in approximately 1,000 chapters, located in almost every state and in several foreign countries. Established in 1936, the organization seeks to promote the study of Latin and Greek, to benefit students and teachers alike, and to impart an understanding of the debt of our own culture to that of classical antiquity.

“I like that it offers our students the chance to bond with one another through competition,” said Tichenor. “There are also so many opportunities for individual recognition at the state and national competitions. The Latin courses at LSMSA are focused primarily on grammar and translation, while the cultural aspects of Greco-Roman antiquity are more the focus of our Classical Scholars electives. JCL rewards students for not only exploring the full range of our course offerings but also seeking out even more knowledge on their own.”