Third times the charm, this was my third time at convention and I think it was my best one yet. So much happened this year. It is my junior year and I decided to run for the VJCL office of editor. I always love being at convention but getting to talk to everyone and campaign was an experience I will never forget.
Pre convention: everyone was working really hard on their projects and the club officers were working on our spirit and social media, making posters and signs for spirit and coming up with new Ideas for our Instagram and tik tok. I was relying on emails from former parliamentarians Josh and Arleigh to give me insight of what to expect while running for office.
We left Edison at 6 am in the morning, most people slept on the way there because of how early it was. We arrived at the convention center around 8: 30 and unpacked.
We went to teach the cheers to our delegation and once we were done with that we all marched into the Assembly room for spirit. Instead of the pom poms and lights from last year, we had sprout hair clips to go with the theme concordia parvae res crescunt or in harmony small things grow. After our time to cheer we sat down to watch the salvete assembly.
After a short break everyone filed back into the assembly room for the first test session, I left shortly after the 15 minute mark to go prepare for NOM COM. While I was going over my speech I met a freshman from my school who had just arrived and didn't know where to go so I helped them settle in. At one thirty I made my way over to the NOM COM room to meet with Arleigh and go over my speech one last time before NOM COM began.
The speeches were given in reverse gavel order and because I was running for Editor I was in the first group to go. After getting nominated by my voting delegates I walked across the stage and performed my speech. I stumbled a little bit but overall I think I had a good speech, then I sat back down and watched the others get nominated and give their speeches.
Later that night it was time for the Toga banquet, everyone from Edison gathered together to help each other put on our bedsheet togas and take a picture together.
Unfortunately I could not sit with my friends from Edison because I was standing with my posterboard at the meet the candidates table in the middle of the banquet room. Many people came up to me to ask about my platform or my qualifications and getting to talk to them all one on one or in small groups and explain why I would make a good editor was my favorite part of any of the conventions I have been to.
I stopped campaigning for the day after meeting the candidates and went to the dance with my friends. Dancing with them was a great way to decompress after campaigning all day. I had signed up for Impromptu art at that time so I made my way over to that event. I sat at a table with people I didn't know from a different school and one of the candidates for parliamentarian, by the end of the event we were all laughing.
It was almost midnight and it was time for fellowship/midnight pizza party. After fellowship we were all really tired but my roommate and I managed to talk for over an hour about our days before going to sleep
The next day my roommate and I got ready and went to the lobby of the hotel to get coffee and cocoa . While we were in line for our drinks I saw the same people from impromptu art in the line ahead of us.
Right after getting my coffee I walked to the convention center and went on to the stage with the person who would introduce me and we waited for Arleigh to call us up to give our speeches. I think that my speech at the midvete assembly was better than my speech at NOM COM. I enjoy listening to the other candidates' speeches.
This fall Edison’s theater company did Chicago the musical and our closing night was the day before convention and about thirty percent of the cast and crew was going to convention and one of the people who played trumpet in the pit were going as well. Using this knowledge it was only logical that we do the opening number of Chicago for that’s entertainment. The cast taught the dance to the people in crew and we rehearsed before lunch. The audition went well and later that day we got the email that we were in. We got second place and are using the prize money to help fund events for our Latin club.
At the Valete assembly the awards were handed out and the winners of the election were announced. When my name was called I walked up onto the stage and sat in the designated editor chair. The amount of relief and excitement I felt when I sat in that chair on stage was unmatchable to any experience I have ever felt. After the assembly was concluded the new officers and the old officers met behind the stage. Charles told me that he thinks I will do great and handed me a box full of old auditions of the Forum when it was still on paper. All the officers both old and new, took a picture together.
On the ride back home I took a long nap after talking and campaigning for 36 hours. I know I say this every year but this was the best convention yet. Every year gets better and better. I can't wait to see what will happen next year.
