Alameda High School - Acorn Yearbook (Alameda, CA)

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be la iad DEBATING NOTES At the opening of the new term vigorous efforts were begun, as a final attempt, to revive debating, once for all, and to reorganize the Lyceum. But all to no avail. With its usual indifference of late, to all forensic achievement, the school failed to give its needed support. Mem- bers refused to take active responsibility, intrants who are depended upon to make the team withdraw from the tryouts, and whenever debating was mentioned, it provoked a thoughtless laugh among the students. Meanwhile a League debate had been scheduled between Alameda and Oakland High Schools for March 17th. A committee from the Lyceum had chosen a question and submitted it to Oakland. Oakland had already picked its team. We were careful to conceal the fact that we had no team, and that those upon whom we de- pended had been forced (so they thought) to withdraw, until the final time of reckoning February 16th when the choice of sides should have been returned to us, and active work on the debate conmmenced. At the present time, within a few days of the final date, no suffi- cient material has as yet presented itself available to uphold the honor of the school in the Debating League and to make up a respectable team. Such is the codition of affairs at the present writ- ing, even the most earnest efforts must prove fruitless. The follow- ing details will suffice to show to what extent our prospects have failed to materialize. The first meeting of the Lyceum was held January roth, when the officers for the present term were installed. President, Irene Welp ; Vice-President, David Clark; Secretary, Mabel Usinger, Treasurer, Don Bailey. Seventeen members were present who showed consider- able interest, unanimously voted that the Lyceum remain an active member of the League, and instructed their delegate to the Board of Managers, Miss Usinger, to arrange for a League Debate with Oakland High. The debate was arranged for March 17 and a special meeting of the Lyceum was held at once to arrange for tryouts. At that time the following were favorably disposed to enter: - Miss Welp, Mr. Claxton, Miss Collins, Miss Genevieve Johnson, Mr. Simonson, Mr. Lawrence, Mr. Parkinson and Mr. Culbert. A committee composed of Mr. Bartlett, Miss Welp, and Miss Usinger submitted the follow- ing question to the Oakland team, with the understanding that the same question would be debated in our tryouts: “Resolved, that the Interstate Commerce Commission be given final power, upon each special case arising to fix a maximum railroad rate.”

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THE ACORN PI DELTA KOPPA The class of December, 1909 organized at a highly enthusiastic meeting, held January 25, 1906. The election for the various officers resulted as follows: Pres., George Montgomery; Vice-Pres., Miss E. Wittman; Sec’t’y, “Percivale” Seagrave; Treas., Miss M. Vaughn. With such officers the class is assured of an enjoyable and suc- cessful term. DELTA SIGMA THETA Since the begining of the term Eta of Pi Delta Koppa Fraternity has pledge Jack Miller and Spencer Brush. The Delta chapter of Delta Sigma Theta looks forward to a very prosperous year. An initiation will be held in the near future, at which Ida Spence, Grace Renner, Norma Whitney, and Marion Troy will become members. ALPHI PI Alpha Pi was instituted among the boys of the upper classes in the school on November 8, 1905. The chief design of the new honor society is to raise the general tone of scholarship among the higher classmen. To this end, at least a second section in each subject, is maintained by its members, and will be the primary requirement for admission. There are ten charter members, with Dr. Thompson, who is an honary member. The constitution of the new society is almost directly copied from that of the Chi Rho Omega fraternity of Kenyon Academy, at Gambier, Ohio. A chapter was founded some years ago in one of the Second- ary Schools of San Francisco, and it is through this medium that the Alameda society has been founded. While the Alpha Pi is largely based on Chi Rho Omega, it is not, at the present time, officially connected with it. Alpha Pi opens in the Alameda High School with a most en- couraging outlook. ; oi

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THE ACORN It is not pleasant to dilate upon succeeding events—how our best material was unfortunately forced to withdraw because of sick- ness, studies, etc., how others backed out because of indifference, leaving us in a particularly awkward and critical position; either to make up a team before Oakland returns her choice of sides on Feb- ruary 16, or to default the debate, withdraw from the League, and thereby publish broadcast the humiliating fact that debating is dead in the Alameda High, and that it was impossible to procure even three students to uphold her former foresic prestige. We submit the problem to the school and the lower classmen to solve, hoping perchance they may relieve the Lyceum from its present difficulty. ge ag