Monmouth College - Ravelings Yearbook (Monmouth, IL)

Page 63 text:

left the chairman ' s lips. He made the mistake of announcing the award of first place before he did the second, and it was with difficulty this was made known Fortunately a convenient side door lent aid to the impatient exit of the happy students, eager to get hands on the triumphant orator. They soon found him at the Union, and seating him on strong shoulders, they filed back past the Auditorium, which wa; emptying itself of its large audience. How strong and clear came the old College yell from many throats. Many felt it their duty to keep the town awake for the rest of the night, if not by vocal noise, at least by all manner of wind and stringed instruments But tired nature would assert herself, and besides we realized that we had a day ' s work before us in the Athletic Contests of the to-morrow. It seemed policy to go to bed. Enthusiasm did not end with the night however. Througho t the next day, as we scored this and that point fn athletics and made a successful issue for 2nd place, as we proudly marched to the depot, made our noisy leave-taking, obtained the privileges of a car by ourselves where we spent the time telling the best jokes on one another, and everybody grew jubilant as we made our triumphal passage from the Monmouth depot to the College where our girls had prepared an elegant reception. It was one increasing tide of enthusiasm and let us hope that it was an enthusiasm which had in it a strong undercurrent of genuine loyalty — loyalty to our Faculty our Piesident and to our Inst ' tution, loyalty to the best interests of Monmouth College. i . 4

Page 62 text:

man who has something to say and knows how to say it. Mr. Wishart was as the sturdy oak of the forest, or the majestic mountain peak, towering above its surroundings. His applause was ' prolonged and loud. The judges, as well as audience, voted him the first prize of $75. Mr. Wishart will creditably represent the state in oratory at Indianapolis ne, t May. ' ' The third speaker was W. W. Whitmore, of Wesleyan University His oration was entitled, American Arena. He seemed rather timid and embarrassed. Lack of good strong voice and energy in delivery was a great drawback to the general effect of Mr. Whitmore ' s production. The piece was written more in essa than oratorical style. ' 1 he theme was perhaps not so interesting as some others, though it was the vital question of to-day. His delivery was somewhat marred by a relapse of memory. This was perhaps due to stage fright. His introduction was one of the best. The judges awarded him sixth place. G. F. Ekins, of Knox, was the fourth orator of the evening. His subject, A Plea for Organized Charities, ' was a worthy one. His sentiment was one to which none took exception. The speaker seemed to have honest convictions in all he said. His style of delivery was at first too dramatic for an orator. He seemed to sacrifice force for artistic delivery. Reserve force is a good thing, but reserve it all and you loose convincing power. Mr. Ekins was perhaps the most graceful man of the evening. His manner of leaving the stage was especially easy. By some of the audience his rank was nearer first, but the judges fixed it at fourth. The Illinois orator, J. A. Barber, was next, and delivered his oration entitled: The Master Spirit ofthe French Revolution. This master spirit was Gen. Mirabeau. Mr. Barber treated his subject in a very natural, forcible style. His delivery was very impassioned, the gestures being too quick and nervous. His earnestness if tempered with a little graceful- ness, would make him an impressive speaker. A treacherous memory gave Mr. Barber a lower rank than perhaps he would otherwise have obtained. He ranked high on piece but low on delivery, receiving fifth place in final rank. The last speaker, J. A. Benson, of Blackburn University, had for his subject, ' Cheap Citizenship. ' Mr. Benson has a large, mellow voice. His bearing was dignified and easy. He weighed every word, giving each its proper emphasis and inflection. Perhaps he carried deliberation to a fault, thus weakening his delivery somewhat. His oration wis well received by the audience, many ranking him second. This is Mr. Benson ' s second effort on Inter-Collegiate contest. He received third place both times. ' The judges on thought and composition were Dr. W. F. Black, Judge Collins and T. D. Coglin, all of Chicago. Those on delivery were Hon. Geo. P. Merrick, Chicago; Dr. Geo. Zellar, Peoria, and Hon. Chas. Valraith, Chicago. The com- bined markings of these six judges awarded the first prize at $75 to Charles F. Wishart. of Monmouth College, and the sec- ond prize of $50 to A. P. Bourns, of Lake Forest University. While the audience was awaiting the decision of the judges, it seemed to be the prevailing opinion that first place lay with Mr. Wishart. As for the Monmouth delegation, they were sure of it as was evidenced by their bright faces. There seemed to be an unwarrantable delay in figuring up the grades. As time wore on some of us began to work up a little temper lest an adverse decision be drawn up as a result of incompetent judging. Finally it came and with it an indes- cribable whirl of enthusiasm which endangered the roof. With difficulty did we keep our seats until the jame of Wishart

Page 64 text:

VidtoFy at IntEF-BtatE. V OISE ' ? Well, yes, there was a little more racket than is usual in the streets o£ Monmouth, at i o ' clock in the morning. I F Those of the citizens who had forgotten that a Monmouth man was away that night trying his skill in oratory, wondered what had struck the town. But those who were posted on college doings, simply rubbed their eyes and muttered, Well, those college students have broken loose again; reckon Wishart has won Inter-State! ' Yes, Wishart did win! No wonder his fellow students were jubilant No wonder that the telegram from Indianapolis caused exuberant hilarity. No wonder if the boys forgot to sleep that night in their efforts to inform the good people of Monmouth that our College has the best orator in ten states. The honor won by Mr. Wishart is as great as a college student can attain The Inter-State Association comprises the ten states — Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska Kansas and Colorado Each of these states sends the orator whD raik? first in the State contest. So these ten men represent about seventy of the best colleges in these states. By the following clipping from an Ohio college paper, it is seen that Mr. Wishart won not only the approval of the judges but also of the audience. ' That the Illinois man deserved the position given him is generally conceded. Mr. Wishart was a favorite with the audience from the very moment he stepped upon the stage, and the loud applause following the de- livery of his oration was an evidence that the hearts of all his hearers had been deeply stirred. He appeared to be a natural orator. His earnest manner, easy gestures, and clear enunciation, combined to make his delivery at once inspiring and mag- netic In working up the several climaxes of his production, which gave it its decidedly oratorical character, he showed admirable judgment. His peroration was a strong plea for good citizenship Monmouth College has been greatly honored by her orator, and the hearty reception which he received on his arrival home showed that his effort was appreciated by all. The college trustees, faculty, students and citizens joined in doing him honor,