Latin Club Brings Home the Gold

Certamen, a Latin competition team composed of students from The Kirtland Society, exceeded expectations at The Granite State Tournament on Dec. 7, 2013, placing first in all rounds. The tournament was held at Dover High School in Dover, New Hampshire and featured the best high school Latin teams from the state.The competition consisted of three levels—novice, intermediate and advanced. Each level consisted of 21 questions.“Certamen is a quiz bowl game about all things: Classical, regularly covering Latin grammar and vocabulary, Greek mythology, etymology and Roman history,” co-head of the club Oishi Banerjee ‘14 said.“There were also miscellaneous questions relating to Latin,” Intermediate team member Cesar Zamudio ‘16 said. “For example, how the Miley Cyrus song ‘Wrecking Ball’ translated into Latin.”To prepare effectively for Certamen, students must learn events, dates and vocabulary that are often left out by the Latin courses taught at the Academy. Thus, the Kirtland Society calls for considerable motivation, with a desire to learn as much as possible about the language and everything related to it.Classical languages instructor Megan Campbell described Exeter’s training for the competition.“The students did most of the prep on their own. I believe each student chose an area of expertise and then did independent research on that topic,” she said.In the months prior to the tournament, members of The Kirtland Society met every Friday night to practice Certamen rounds. In addition, the club held a separate meeting on Sundays to prep the team who would represent the Academy at the meet.Banerjee credited her team’s success with an increase in new members, as well as significant time-commitment.“Kirtland Society is lucky to have an abundance of new talent in all levels this year, in addition to several dedicated players who’ve played Certamen with us before,” she said.Banerjee also noted Exonians’ innate talent for the Latin event as well as their hard work and dedication.“Playing Certamen requires raw Latin prowess—something of an Exeter specialty—as well as extensive knowledge of Classical culture and a precise sense of timing.” she said.Sally Morris, classics department head, commended the students’ success. She identified the opportunity for students to improve their knowledge for classes.“We are pleased with the fact that our Latin students are learning so much at each level, novice to experienced,” Morris said.Morris also praised Certamen’s collaboration.“Another impressive factor is the teamwork involved by choosing a team with diverse strengths for each level, whether in history, myth, grammar, or etymology,” she said.Although The Granite State Tournament was the first of the year, the club intends to not only host their own competition but also to participate in others such as the Boston Latin School’s February tournament and the Harvard Certamen in the spring.“PEA is planning to hold another statewide Certamen in the spring, with teams coming from middle schools, high schools and even colleges throughout the state,” Banerjee said.“Both tournaments are structured differently from Granite State, with three play-off rounds leading to semifinal and final rounds,” she added.For many members, despite Granite State Certamen’s relatively relaxed atmosphere, Exonians appreciated the opportunity to practice quick thinking skills.“My favorite part about the competition was when my team got to walk up and hold the first place trophy,” Zamudio said. “It was a great accomplishment for me and it felt good to know we won first place in all three levels.”Bolstered by an overwhelming win, students from Exeter look to the coming year as a chance to both improve as Latin students and continue their winning streak.Banerjee agreed. “Going by the auspices of Granite State, this is going to be a great year for Exeter’s Certamen players.”