Alma College - Scotsman Yearbook (Alma, MI)

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Q ,X if Q5 i K N 1 .x 1, I I x.: :I r , 4-lx 1 f I ,Q II I I I I I I I I I LESLIE Or.n'r Rum EDMONDS ORATORY In the lield of oratory Alma was represented by two Freshmen. In the local contests held in the chapel in january, first place in the wornen's contest was won by'Miss Ruth Edmonds for her oration, The Price of Prejudice . lVIiss Ed- monds made a plea for broadmindedness as a cure for the present race problem. Miss Esther Oldt was a very close second in the women's contest. Mr. Leslie Oldt was awarded hrst place in the men's contest for his oration The Power of a Free Press . Mr. Oldt departed from the usual oratorical lines and presented the more intimate problem of the daily newspaper and its influence. Mr. 'Wilmer Patton won second place. March the sixth, the orators competed with representatives of other colleges of the state in the annual contest of the Michigan Oratorical League at Kala- mazoo. Mrj Oldt was given fourth place in the rnen's contest and Nliss Edmonds was given sixth in the wornen's, First place in the, men's contest was given to Albion College, while honors in the women's contest went to Hope College. The places won by the Alma orators were the usual places taken by represent- ativcs from this college. Alma has yet to see an orator compete in the Iirst or second year of college and continue the rest of his or her college career. It cannot be expected that Freshmen or inexperienced speakers can place very high against the highly trained orators of the M. O. L. Honors will come only after several years of constant work. It is to be hoped that Miss Edmonds and Mr. Oldt will continue to take active interest in oratory at Alma. Then We may confidently expect higher honors for our school. ' I Sixty three if PPQELXLMA cottsciz e Zif-

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PAUL GESNEIK Cecil, NIACDONALD THE WEEKLY ALMANIAN Under the editorship of Doc. Paul D. Gesner the Almanian has almost com- pleted a very successful season. Doc has tried to remember that the Almanian is the outlet for college opinion and has conducted the paper accordingly. In a very fair-minded way he has freely published faculty as well as student opinion and has only refused to put in print matter which he believed injurious to the feelings and sense of justice of either party. In addition to regular issues he has published several specials , e. g., a farm edition, a basketball edition, a week of prayer edition, and a co-ed edition. Other special editions are in prospect. Doc. possesses the important requirement of being able to Work harmoniously with his staff. Wliile he does a large share of the work, he always accepts readily suggestions from his subordinates. . No small share of the Almanian's success is due to Cecil MacDonald, the business manager. This has been one of the hardest years in the history of the college to coax ads out of the financially straitened Alma business men, but Cec has, by his oratorical powers or by other means, parted enough of them from their money to keep the Almanian's head above Water. ' -XVILMER PATTON. ,Lfxs fx-N ALMA cottsct as A Sixzy-za o

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vi r 4 l f fXw DEBATE Alma was represented in debate this year by inexperienced teams. Of last year's debaters four were lost by graduation and a fifth member failed to return to school. This left us with Harris as the only man with any previous training in college debating. A group of about fifteen tried for places on the teams in the fall. The teams chosen were: Aflirmative, Cecil MacDonald, Captain, Clifford Fildey, Sinclair Tebo, and Carroll Clark, Alternate. The Negative team was made up of Ronald Harris, Captaing Leslie Turner, Carl Wfood, and Elno McGlone, Alternate. - The question debated was: Resolved, that Congress should be empowered to override, by a two-thirds vote, decisions of the Supreme Court declaring acts of Congress unconstitutionalf, The teams, coached by lVlr. Sharrar, drilled on the question, emphasizing the present position of the Constitution concerning progressive legislation and the governmental consequences of the adoption of the proposed plan. , February the thirteenth, the Aflirmative team debated Michigan State Normal on the home platform, losing by a two to one decision. The Negative team jour- neyed to Albion where it lost by the same decision. The twenty-seventh. of Feb- ruary the Negative team lost to Hope on the Alma platform, again by a two to one vote, while the Affirmative team lost at Olivet by a unanimous decision. Wihile this record cannot be called satisfactory, it must be remembered that all of the teams encountered were composed mostly of experienced debaters and it is little to be wondered that an edge was to be shown in their favor. In the number of points earned Alma equaled three other colleges in the Nlichigan De- bate League. Two letter men and an alternate will be lost this year by graduation. This leaves four experienced debaters and an alternate around which next year's de- bating work will center. 'With coaching equal to that which the teams had this year from Nlr. Sharrar, Alma's record next year should place her among the leaders of the League. , ALMA COl,LEG1?e been to W Sixty-four