Alma College - Scotsman Yearbook (Alma, MI)

Page 70 text:

SPEECH DEPARTMENT Back Row: left to right: James Brinkerhoft, Victor Ayoub, Bruce Lindley, David Kinney, Kenneth Plaxton and Robert Lint. Third Row: Jack Gilchrist, Wilbur McCrum, Walter Boylan, Charles Parrott, Robert Bowman, and Kean Angelus. Second Row: Betty McClelland, Mary Catherine Bell, Dona Peterson, Emma Richter, and Catherine Wilkie. Bottom Row: Bruce Mellinger, Elizabeth Aron, Phyllis Yunker, Coach Smith, Helen Lindsay, Rama Kirkwood, and William Galinet. The Alma College debate squad completed the season with a total of 82 wins out of 132 intercollegiate debates in which they participated. At Bloomington, Illinois, Alma started the season off right by winning 22 out of 46 debates. At the Michigan State Men's Debate Contest, Alma took first place in the tournament division by winning 8 out of 12 debates. Not to be oudone, the women debaters also took first place in the tournament division of the Women's State Con- test, winning 7 out of 8 debates. In spite of the fine record which they had achieved, it was at Manchester, Indiana, that the Alma debaters reached the climax of the season. In the A division of that tournament, against some of the best debating competition in the country, Kenneth Plaxton and Bruce Mellinger won 6 straight debates, while Bruce Lindley and Dave Kinney won 5 out of 6 debates. In the B division of the same tournament, Alma debaters won 24 victories against 6 losses, making the total for the whole tournament 41 victories with only 13 defeats. '78 1

Page 69 text:

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The speech season started off this year with the extemporary speaking contest. Out of 17 contestants, Mary Catherine Bell and Ken Plaxton were chosen champions in the women's and men's divisions. A month later, Alma was host to the Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League's Extemporary Speaking Contest. ln this contest, Ken Plaxton placed second. Prior to the opening of the debate season, a discussion tournament was held at Michigan State College upon the debate topic, Resolved, that the .Federal Govern- ment Should Regulate by Law all the Labor Unions in the United States. The Alma debate teams made up a strong squad this year, with no one outstanding team, but rather a whole squad of good debaters. After an average start at the debate tournament in Bloomington, Illinois, the teams gathered momentum at the Michigan Intercollegiate Speech League's State Contests and climaxed the season with a high percentage of victories at the Manchester tournament. The different debate teams and student speakers representing the college travelled over 2400 miles during the season. This included demonstration debates before various club and organizations. In Alma's oratory contest, Bruce Lindley, student debate manager, and Emma Richter were iudged the winners. In the state contest, Bruce Lindley placed third in the men's division. Alma will lose many of its valuable speakers and debaters this year, some by gradu- ation, others to the war. One of the hardest men to lose, however, will be Bruce Mellinger. In past years he has been named winner of both the oratorical and extemp contests, but his finest record has been made in debate. In each of the four years in which he has debated for Alma, he has competed in the A division of the Huntington-Manchester debate tournament, meeting some of the best debate compe- tition of the country, and has compiled the amazing record of 20 victories out of 24 debates. To merely speak of Alma's speech record would l be incomplete without mention of Alma's coach, l Professor Carney Smith, leader of the speech activ- l ities. lt is through his work and interest and under g l his guidance that such a record has been made l possible. BRUCE MELLINGER 79