Brackenridge High School - La Retama Yearbook (San Antonio, TX)

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Salam- cf aaalau . ,,, ,m The objectives of the Speech Department are to enable the student to discharge his civic duties in life with efficiency, economy, and comfort, to encourage leadershipg and to foster an appreciation of and a taste for all the platform arts. ln Speech l and ll the student is expected to acquire foundational techniques in diction, voice, interpretation, bodily control, command of language, and rudiments of parliamentary pro- cedure. The beginners' courses also serve as a testing period during which talents in radio, debate, dra- matics and extempore speech are discovered. Each of the six courses in Speech offers college credit and a student may also major in speech. Motivating excellence in platform speaking is the Texas lnterscholastic League Contest in which B. H. S. has always participated. Declamation and extempore speaking are directed by Mrs. B. L. D. Roselle. Last year Logan Smiley won the city championship in declamation, while Betty Lou lohn and Wilton Biegert excelled in extempore. Wilton finally placed fourth in the state contest at Austin. Doris Zirkel came out as city champion in the Pan-American Oration Contest. This year, Bette Ruth Williams and Logan Smiley were winners in the Pan- American Oration Contest, each receiv- ing awards of five dollars. Represent- ing the school in declamation were Elmo Ferguson, W h o recited "Our Shield of Freedom" by H. H. Schlacht, and Virginia Fullerton, Whose selection was "What ls America?" by Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur. Virginia won the City Championship, while Elmo placed second. Extempore representatives for this year were Bette Ruth Williams and Dallas Thacker, who placed second in the city. lnnovations introduced into Speech I and ll this year were the San lac Swing on the eve of the spring holiday and the presentation by Mrs. Roselle of intra-mural trophies of silver B's for the best declaimers in Speech l and the best interpreters of dramatic reading in Speech ll. These new features bid fair to become traditions and have al- ready stimulated tremendous interest in platform speech. Dallas Thacker and Bette Ruth Williams, ex- tempore speakers, Elmo Ferguson and Virginia Fullerton, declaimers. Bette Ruth Williams and Logan Smiley, City Champions in Pan-American Oration Contest. Page 114

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7fze ' ' 'Wefialaecf " .f ,- -...X.-, Debate-the "offgivence" of hot air-the essence of personality-the ruination of all peace and har- mony in Brackenridge. Thus fulfilling the definition of debate, the over-enthusiastic radicals of the debate class began another successful C?l year of philosophical cogitations Cwise thinking'?D. Seriously speaking, however, the debaters worked hard under their very able coach, Miss Betty Ieanne Dobbins, and learned that all their work was not in vain. The debate teams participated in some eight intra-state tournaments during the fall and spring seasons. These were the Austin lnstitute, Taylor, Austin, Baylor University, Yoakum, Houston, Alamo Heights, and San Marcos tournaments. Carolyn Strum, Mary Faith Taylor, Volney Ellis, and lsrael Babinowitz debated in all the finals in these tournaments. Eight teams entered the Yoakum tournament, of which five got in the finals. Five teams entered the Alamo Heights tournament, of which two were in the finals. The girls' "A" team, Carolyn Strum and Mary Faith Taylor, were victorious in the Alamo Heights tourna- ment, which rewarded them with a cup. The San Marcos tournament was the last one attended. Sixteen debaters entered and received exceptionally good ratings. Those who participated with a superior rating were lsrael Babinowitz and Mary Faith Taylor. Those who rated excellent were Volney Ellis, Carolyn Strurn, Logan Smiley, Fay Crawford, Carroll Hawkins, and Donald Berkebile. The debaters cover- ed nearly 2,000 miles, with the boys' and girls' "A" teams Winning over 80 '70 of their debates. Congratulations are in order to those debaters who did so well during their first year of debate. The class is proud to announce that such students as Annabelle Sullivan, Colleen Benson, Imogene Tampke, Max Brunneman, Ed- ward Foy, Delores Halsell, H. P. Butler, , Bobby Snipes, Bob Stapleton, and Alton Grimm make up the group. The class regretted to lose Mary lane Elley, Billy Gerhardt, and Dell Davis at mid-term. The debaters are a self-reliant group who earn the money they spend on debate trips. Through the very success- ful annual "Dancing Meter Prom," the students raised approximately Sl00.00 which has paid their expenses on trips. lf you are eager to reach new heights join the most individual group in Brackenridge-the debaters. -Volney Ellis and Mary Faith Taylor. This was an easy pose, debaters are always full of hot air. They almost float.-"Thats pretty good chicken, eh Volney?-Caroline and Mary Faith after winning the champion- ship at the Alamo Heights Tournament. Notice that "Championship grin." - Tournament bound. Was it Austin, Taylor, Yoakurn, or another of the eight? - Logan-our con- tortionistl - Debate Squad. lst Row: Ellis, Rabinowitz, Strum, Taylor, Qrnd.o.r.fi, Halsell. 2nd Row: Hawkins, Butler, Benson, Sullivan, Davis, Gerhardt. 3rd Row: Smiley, Grimm, Foy, Brunnemann, Tampke, Stapleton, Berkebile. Page 115