Convention Shows Latin Not Dead
Latin students of all ages and backgrounds race during the “Olympics.”
March 5, 2018
On March 2, MSMS Latin students brought their “dead language” back to life at Latin Convention.
The annual Latin Convention allows students to compete in academic tests, art and costume competitions, skits, Certamen or Quiz Bowl, and the Olympic Games. Gene Kloss placed third in the costume competition. MSMS earned first place in Tee-Shirt design and third place in the Vidoe. Junior Edith Marie Green placed first in poster maps test. Junior Landon Alexander placed third in the Olympic Games Friscus for Men AKA discus. Kailah Ware received first place in Friscus for women. Christiana Comino tied for third place in Myth Upper. Elle Smith was voted into the Consul.
During the Latin Convention introduction, each school was asked to sing a chant. According to junior Elle Smith, “Some people had good chants and some failed miserably.” After the chants had ended, the consuls, who back in Roman times served on the Senate, were called upon to give a speech. Elle Smith represented MSMS this year as consul.
Following the speeches, the mass of students flooded outside where the Olympic Games began. The Olympic Games arranged at the convention were gladiator fights, footraces, discus and chariot races. Due to safety requirements and the hosts not wanting to give teens weapons, gladiator fights were fought with pool noodles and balloons. The goal of the students was to pop the balloon with a pool noodle.
Foot races held at Convention were very competitive. Junior Taylor Shambles ran for MSMS in the race. In the heat of competition, he fell because “someone stepped on my foot and I did a large roll because I’m a long boy.” According to Smith, he was not the only one to fall victim to gravity; another competitor “fell and started doing push-ups.”
The hype of the games died down as the testing followed. The academic side of the competition called for tests in various topics: life and customs, mottos and phrases, and grammar and reading.The tests consisted of 50 multiple choice questions. After a student turns in a test they run to the next room to start another, this cycle repeats until the time is up.
“Latin Convention is one of my favorite events of the year. Meeting new people and speaking this dead language is the perfect way to spend a day a year,” senior Lydia Holley said.
