“Fun, challenging and social,” are the three words to describe Latin Club used by Frank Gumerlock, Latin teacher and moderator of Holy Family Latin Club.
   Latin Club has an eventful spring filled with basketball games, bake sales and a convention. All of these are to promote and develop the talents of Latin students and Latin Club members.
   The Latin Club bake sales are a huge part of raising money for the club. The goal is $1,000 for a charter bus to the Junior Classical League Convention in Estes Park on Apr. 8. There will be six bake sales total, once a week until the convention.
Latin Club has also been invited to the Regis Rangers basketball game on Jan. 29.
   “Regis invited numerous clubs to the game mainly to get students onto their campus and allow those who were thinking about attending the school to get a feel for it,” said Gumerlock.
   According to the Latin Club Presidents seniors Dorian Illing and Jenna Carlson, it will be a good chance for the club to do something outside of the school as a group.
   The Latin Club members are going to the Arvada Center on Feb. 5, to see the play, Man for All Seasons. The play is based off of the life of St. Thomas More and the battle between church and state during the reign of King Henry VIII.
   Even with all of these events going on, the Latin Club’s largest event of the year is the Junior Classical League Convention at the YMCA in Estes Park.
   “[The convention] is a fun academic experience,” said Carlson.
   The convention includes Latin clubs and students from all over Colorado and Wyoming. The goal of the convention is to gather the Latin students of the state into one place for mingling and healthy competition.
   It involves a series of events which include swimming, running, academic tests, arts and handicrafts, performing arts, catapult competitions, talent shows and certamen, a quiz bowl about Latin. 
   Gumerlock, English teacher Ron Collins and about five parents usally chaperone.
   Loacoon’s Javelin, Neptune Returns, Nessus’ Shirt, Deucalion’s Throw are all events incorporating Latin culture.
   Last year Holy Family won second in the lower level certamen event, losing to Lone Pine High School. This year the students are hoping to take home first place.
   Latin Club members stay for two days at the convention, showing off their hard work and skills which are practiced and created for up to a month before the event.
   “The atmosphere of the National Latin Convention is, well, very relaxed and very fun. It is something out of the normal routine of the monotonous school days,” said Illing.
   The convention is the final big event for the Latin Club, only to be followed by the Latin Awards dinner on Apr. 20.
   For Illing, Latin Club has been a large part of his high school career. “My experience in Latin Club has somewhat been self-finding. I have gained more leadership and presentation skills. It has made my high school experience more full,” said Illing.
   For Carlson it has been a chance to get to know her fellow students as well as appreciate the culture better.
   “[Latin Club] has allowed me to understand the language better and provided a good academic experience in another language and share that experience with other students,” said Carlson.