Robinson’s very own Latin Club won first place overall at the regional level of Latin Forum for the ninth consecutive time on Saturday, Feb. 5.

Considering Robinson’s history of winning at these competitions one would expect a cake-walk to victory, but this year it was not foreseen. This made their surprising victory all the more exciting for everyone involved.

Latin Club member Isabel Alonso (’24) said, “It was very exciting for Robinson as a whole, and unexpected considering how little people we had.”

Latin Forum is a competition of many elements. First and foremost, there is an academic element, essentially just a scantron test. These vary amongst a wide arrange of topics such as Latin, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, etc. President of Latin Club, Casey Kemp (’23) took two tests and did exceedingly well. 

“I won first in Advanced Mythology and first in Advanced Greek Literature,” Kemp said. 

Additionally, there is a creative element that is really about anything relating to classical civilization. Similar to the academic portion, the creative part is not just about Latin (while that is still a major part of it), but it is also about the civilizations (mainly classical civilizations) where Latin had a major effect on or was a major part of. 

An example of this can be seen in Latin Club member Madeline Berg’s project for which she received second place in the Non-Graphic 2D art category for sophomores to seniors.

“My project was a mosaic of a quote from a Roman poem by Pliny the Elder. ‘In vino veritas’ [which means] in wine, there is truth. This saying has been said for centuries, but the first time it appeared in Roman texts was in Pliny’s poem,” Berg said. 

While many people did well throughout the competition and many RHS students captured the top prizes for their respective categories, it did not come easily. Only through hard work and preparation did the accolades follow. 

“It takes a lot of preparation [to win]…the kids have to want it for themselves,” said Latin and History Teacher, James Buchanan. 

Many members of the Latin Club have taken Latin for years and have a deep interest in the language and cultures that were influenced by it. Most have an intrinsic motivation to keep reaching for the next level of achievement in Latin Forum. 

“I’ve been doing Latin since seventh grade and I really like it, of course, it’s been difficult but I wouldn’t change anything. Latin is very difficult but it is also very rewarding…” Berg said.