By Kelley Bozeman

During the convention, students will participate in spirit contests, classically - oriented academic testing, artistic media exercises, athletic activities and rhetorical contests in both Latin and English. Also included in the six-day conference are teaching seminars, workshops and a talent show.

July 18, 2002 (Lexington, Ky.) -- Speaking Latin, wearing togas and competing in classical battles of wit and strength, approximately 1,600 classics students from around the United States and Canada will meet on the University of Kentucky campus July 30-Aug. 4 for the 48th annual National Junior Classical League Convention.

Formed in 1936, NJCL is the largest student classical organization in the world with more than 50,000 student members.

Its purpose is to develop an appreciative interest in the language, literature and culture of ancient Greece and Rome. This year's theme is "Magnos hominess virtute metimur, non fortuna," (We measure great men by their virtue, not their fortune) by Cornelius Nepos.

During the convention, students will participate in spirit contests, classically - oriented academic testing, artistic media exercises, athletic activities and rhetorical contests in both Latin and English. Also included in the six-day conference are teaching seminars, workshops and a talent show.

On Saturday, August 3, the students, dressed in togas, will parade around the university's campus for the "Day in Old Rome." After the processional, students will participate in a true Roman banquet and sample Kentucky culture and cuisine.
For more information or to see a complete listing of events, visit www.njcl.org.