Activities - NJCL Convention - 2002 - Daily Highlights - Saturday, August 3

"My Old Kentucky Rome" served as the theme for this last full day of NJCL Convention. The day started off with attendees realizing the fruits of their labors as awards for the academic testing, creative and graphic arts contests, and the Olympika were presented at the Singletary Center. After the awards assembly, many sponsors and students took the opportunity to travel to the Gaines Center to view the graphic arts and scrapbook entries. This year the projects were spread over three buildings in the Gaines Center complex. Each building is essentially a converted residence, so with various projects spread in the living rooms, dining rooms, and kitchen, the viewing was a rather unique experience.

Finals for both Open and Competitive Certamen followed. The Novice Division finals had Florida as the overall victor, while Ohio teams won both the Lower and Upper Division finals.

A excruciatingly hot afternoon had many seeing cooler venues for Seminar Session IV; however, many delegates did attend the JCL Spirit Fest at the Shively Track. This spirit-inspired contest pitted representative of states against each other in various feats. The heat eventually won out though as some of the activities were cut short. There was no shortage of spirit, however, as the delegates began their Roman procession in a circuitous route from the dormitory complex to the lawn of the library where the Roman banquet and related activities like Rent-a-Roman and gladiatoral games were held.

As the Day in Rome drew to a close, there were only a few things left on each delegate's to-do list. A final general assembly saw the recognition of the Ludi winners as well as those delegates who accumulated the highest sweepstakes point totals in each of the four contest areas, the highest number of total sweepstakes points, and the delegate with the highest number of points in at least three of the contest categories - an award named for Lillie B. Hamilton, a long-time Georgia sponsor. The table below highlights these supreme achievers.

• Academics: Brendan Linn, FL
• Creative Arts: Yiting Jin, MA
• Graphic Arts: Thomas Agran, OH
• Olympika: Kathleen Lau, TX
• Overall Sweepstakes (top 10 pictured below): Brendan Linn, FL & Tracy Moore, OH
• Lille B. Hamilton Award: Tracy Moore, OH

The name of Brendan Linn came up once again as the winner of the grueling Academic Decathlon and its associated $500 prize.

Following the recognition of these outstanding students, the attention of the assembly turned toward the future with the installation of the new NJCL officers and the reports of outgoing officers. Michelle Wu as the incoming NJCL President set the stage for her presidency by addressing the assembly and also announced the theme for the upcoming 50th NJCL Convention. With the passing of the torch from this year's host state of Kentucky to next year's host, Texas, the assembly was adjourned.

That left only the farewell dance, or the alternative Coffee House activity - well that's in addition to packing for the trip home that is!

Convention Ear, Saturday, August 3, 2002 (requires Adobe Acrobat)