“sine attriu poliri non potest gemma, nec homo compleri sine tribulationibus”

From Helen Lan. . .

“I didn’t really know where to start. I looked everywhere on Google. Caesarquotes.com, top 100 Cicero sayings, and finally… on some obscure Reddit post:

"A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a human perfected without trials." The quote was credited to Seneca the Younger, a brilliant Stoic philosopher of Ancient Rome.

After some more careful research, though, I found out that it was actually a Chinese proverb, not from Seneca. But, after we considered our options at the officer meeting at Nationals, we decided that this would be our theme. Mr. V translated the proverb into Latin, and so, here it is (point to poster): “sine attritu poliri non potest gemma, nec homo compleri sine tribulationibus.”

Oh man. Oh baby.  This banner is the greatest thing I have ever seen. The plan was to have the best banner the Latin club has ever produced, but making it forced us through a lot of trials…intense sketches, endless chicken nuggets, and Shani’s painting arm requiring months of therapy.… but isn’t that how gems are produced? 

The banner depicts the man, the myth, the legend himself: Hercules. He endured 12 labors designed for him to fail: defeat the hydra (that serpent-like water monster with nine heads), wrangle a boar, and carry the weight of the world literally on his shoulders. Then, when he surpassed these limits, he was granted immortality. Although Hercules was a great and distinguished warrior, he was not the only one who surpassed his own limits. No, no, no. Through hard work and dedication, at Latin Nationals this past summer, we took home sixty-eight top-placing ribbons!

I have to admit, though, as great as this banner looks, the meaning of this theme did not occur to me until very recently. What the heck is it even talking about? A person perfected by trials? For me, being a gemma was doing my homework on time, getting good grades, or practicing the flute. But I realized that it was so much more than that. Sure, the quote does say that a human has to go through trials to be bettered. But it also, indirectly, it also says something about the trials themselves.

Dude, life sucks sometimes. It dropkicks you, whirls you around, 360 no scopes you. 

Unexpected trials are thrown at you all the time. I remember when nats came along. I wasn’t exactly feeling my best. I was “senior consul” but I didn’t feel like it. I was category leader, and I felt like I didn’t deserve it. I was supposed to be all these great leaders, but I didn’t feel that I was anywhere close to being the role model I wanted to be. Instead of fighting a boar, I was having a mental battle with myself. 

But endless talks with Emma Buhrman, class of 2021, made me realize that... Ykw? It’s okay not to be perfect. It’s okay not to be a gemma yet. And in fact, there are TWO sides to this quote. Reaching new heights for yourself makes you a better person. True. But sometimes, trials are much more subtle. You don’t have to beat any Olympic world record to be a gemma.

Everyone becomes a gem in their own way. I know that sounds like just some poster hung up in a cafeteria with a bunch of Latin kids, but it's true. Yes, this quote talks about trials and how they make you better, but it's also a reminder that you should trust the process. 

Everyone faces challenges in their life.You might be facing a challenge right now! Although it’s going to be tough to reach new heights, set new records, or even just be okay with life, in the end, it makes us all better people for it. This year is about continuing that mindset. Bringing new things, new changes to the table. But also! Being okay with the not okay. Stepping outside of the comfort zone-- maybe even taking a light jog far from it. So, no matter how big or small, our trials are what make us-- us! As individuals, you have to face your own challenges, your own hydras, and finally, at last, you will become a gemma. sine attritu poliri non potest gemma, nec homo compleri sine tribulationibus. A gem cannot be polished without friction, nor a human perfected without trials.