State-wide GroupMe

Our esteemed president wants to have communication with all MDJCL members! Join this GroupMe

Click to Join

Lesson Resource

Our VP Johanna Pitts has created a resource to share! I quote: "I wrote the lessons/activities with younger students in mind, and thought it might be nice to share it with anyone who might be interested in volunteering with elementary school students as part of a Classics Club/JCL chapter!"

Google Slides Link

Registration!

Teachers--the registration link for the next school year is available. Please register soon!

2026-27 Year Registration

Event Schedule

  1. October 24th: Certamen and Costume Contest at the University of Maryland, College Park
  2. November 21st: Scavenger Hunt at the Walters Art Museum
  3. December 12th: Saturnalia Certamen at Calvert School
  4. January 30st: Certamen at Gilman School
  5. February 27th: Open Certamen at McLean School in Potomac
  6. April 24th-25th: State Convention at the Key School

(last updated 8/15/26)

Student Board

Johanna Pitts

President

Salvete! I’m Johanna, a senior at Bryn Mawr, and I am really looking forward to serving the MDJCL this year as your president! When I’m not at school, I’m probably riding horses, writing poems, or amassing wax to make fun seals and candles. This year, my main goal is to increase the visibility of the JCL. By reaching out to new schools and inviting inactive chapters to return, petitioning for an officially recognized Maryland Classics Week, and sharing updates and news in the MDJCL GroupMe (which you should totally join!), I hope to strengthen every voice in this community and make it a place where everyone feels welcome and heard. Thank you for giving me a chance as your president, and let’s have a great year together!

Vivien Wang

Vice President

Salvete, amici! My name is Vivien Wang and I’m currently a Senior at the Bryn Mawr School, entering Latin VI and Greek II. I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to be your Vice-President! As VP, I’m dedicated to making sure we’re all excited for Nationals, as well as expanding our service and membership initiatives.My favorite Latin quote is “hodie tibi, cras mihi”, today for you, tomorrow for me. Beyond classics, I am also heavily interested in linguistics (ask me about my fish conlang!) and creative writing. Otherwise, you might find me playing video games, drawing, or practicing guitar.

Esme Ivory

Parliamentarian

Salvete! I’m Esmé and I’am so excited to be your parlimentarian. I am a rising senior at St. Timothy’s school taking International Baccalaureate Latin Higher Level 2 and this coming school year will be my 6th in the MDJCL! In my free time I love watching movies, reading, and hanging out with my friends! I hope to make elections more inclusive to make sure everyone feels heard!

Ivy Carver

Archivist

Salvete omnes! My name’s Ivy Carver, and it’s my honor to once again be your Archivist for 2026-2027! This year I hope to keep close ties with local chapters and hopefully start a “Club of the Month” contest like other state JCLs, where local clubs can earn spirit points for updating the state board about their activities! I’m also working on a “How to Histo” guide for MDJCL members, to inform people about the perks/duties of my office! Some of my hobbies include piano and writing, and if you see me at an event, I’m always down to talk about music or movies! Looking forward to seeing you around!

Morgan Kelly

Editor

SSalvete omnes! My name is Morgan Kelly, and I am so excited to be your 2026-2027 MDJCL Editor! I am a rising senior at Easton High School, and I have just recently completed AP Latin. Aside from classics-related shenanigans, I love creative writing, music, theatre, and fashion. During my term in office, my primary goal is to keep making the Torch the best it can be. I aim to continue encouraging Torch submissions with spirit incentives, along with the introduction of new features such as photo and creative arts related contests to be included in the newsletter (which can also contribute to spirit earnings!) I am so grateful for this opportunity, and can’t wait for our year together. Cura ut valeas!

Spirit!

What is spirit?

Spirit in the MDJCL is a contest that takes place over the course of the year. At (and outside of!) events, chapters will compete against each other to earn spirit points. At the end of the MDJCL year, final spirit standings will be announced at the State Convention. Until then, you can find chapter standings right here on the MDJCL website!

Current Standings!
How can I earn spirit points for my chapter?

There are three main ways to earn spirit points:
    First, there will be times when chapters are asked to write and perform cheers or introductory skits (known as roll calls!). In those instances, chapters will be judged in categories such as unity, effort/volume, cheer quality, and interpretation of a given theme. If you need any inspiration or an idea of what this looks like, check out some of the photos and videos of the MDJCL at previous National (NJCL) Conventions.
    Second, at events, there may be opportunities to bring in donations, to participate/compete in icebreaker contests, or something else of the sort. In these cases, points will be awarded at the discretion of the MDJCL board to chapters who contribute to projects or win certain competitions.
    Finally, you will also earn points for participation in the MDJCL outside of events. For example, attending virtual events, submitting to the Torch, or sending submissions to contests such as the Instagram Contest. If your submission wins a contest, your chapter will receive additional points as well.

How is spirit judged?

Although these exact examples and points earned are potentially subject to change, the following information should give you a sense of what can earn your chapter spirit points! The chants rubric will hopefully also give you a sense as to what judges are looking for in a spirit cheer.

Some examples of miscellaneous ways to earn spirit points for your chapter:

  • Attendance at virtual events (5 points)
  • Submissions to the torch (5 points)
  • Submissions to IG contests (5 points)
  • Winning an IG contest (10 points)
  • If applicable, bringing donations for a drive (5 points)
  • If applicable, winning an icebreaker activity/small contest at events (5 points)
  • 5 points won for their chapter (regardless of how many people in each group are from the same chapter)

How is spirit judged? cont.
Any further questions?
Check the MDJCL Torch and the website for spirit updates, and feel free to contact your VP Johanna at pittsj@brynmawrschool.org with any questions. We hope that spirit will be a fun part of your MDJCL experience, and that you will look forward to engaging with the MDJCL this year!

Photos

Our social media has photos from now spanning back years and years, so check there for more!

NJCL Convention 2025

Info

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UMD Certamen



Event #2

Coing soon!

March at McLean


Contact Us

We would love to help you with any MDJCL-related things! First you will see the five student officers of the MDJCL board followed by the three adult co-chairs.

President

For membership or general questions/ideas: Jack Perry

Vice President

For spirit or service questions/ideas: Johnanna Pitts

Parliamentarian

For election/constitution matters: Esme Ivory

Archivist

For social media or photography: Ivy Carver

Editor

For contributions or questions about the Torch newsletters: Morgan Kelly

State coChair: Events

Gabrielle Bruestle

State coChair: Communication/Treasury

Inna Kunz

State coChair: NJCL and SCL

Matthew Moore