As the Ides of March approaches, Sage’s oldest, yet often forgotten, club the Junior Classical League (JCL) Club prepares once more for not only the historic day of Julius Caesar’s assassination, but also the upcoming Carcer competition and state convention.

This year, the Sage Hill School JCL chapter is hosting Carcer that will involve Latin students from different schools from around the southern half of California. “Carcer is a regional competition where different Latin-leveled students compete in Latin and classical knowledge,” the clubs Consul, or president, junior Jackie Nam explained. “It’s the semi-finals for the statewide competition [CJCL State Convention].” Carcer is being held on Feb. 21, and Jackie encourages all students, not just Latin students, to come by and help run the show.

A month later, the California Junior Classical League (CJCL) State Convention is being held at Miramonte High School in Orinda, CA from March 27-28. The club and other participants of the convention will be taking a plane up to the Bay Area where they will stay for four days. “We’re leaving Thursday, March 26, by plane and staying until Sunday. We’re renting out buses for the trip, as well, and we’re planning on exploring the city when we’re not at convention,” said Proconsul, or vice president, junior Sarah Yang. “It’s going to be really fun spending time with my all of my friends up there and I think the bonding will be great.”

The club has estimated the total price for the trip to be roughly $600 and has also put aside some of its own money to offer reduced pricing to students receiving financial aid. “Personally, [I am] as excited as I’ve ever been. Not just because I believe in the JCL experience, but I really appreciate the quality of students and officers we currently have in JCL. For Sage students now, this would be the convention to go to,” said sponsor and Latin teacher Lance Novotny.

The CJCL State Convention, an event that Sage hosted only two years ago, involves students from all over the state of California and welcomes non-Latin students, as well. The event involves sports competitions ranging from swimming to soccer to dodgeball, academic competitions like certamen and Latin oratory, and art activities like impromptu art and sculpture making. Applications to go to the state convention are due on Jan. 28 and can be picked up in Novotny’s room H109.

“JCL is a place where people who share the love of Latin come together and collaborate as a whole to build a strong foundation as a club, but also to prepare for competitions and conventions. It’s a club where everyone is accepted and included in its community, and people learn how to help one another through the strong forces of Latin,” said the club’s historian Josh Lee, a sophomore. “You don’t have to be a Latin student to participate in JCL or in the state convention because there are a variety of different ways you can contribute to the many non-Latin related competitions. Oh, and like us on Facebook!”