Ashbury College - Ashburian Yearbook (Ottawa, Ontario Canada)

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22 THE ASHBURIAN ment more intense, no contest keener than that encountered on the debating floor. It is truly wit matched with wit, and a better mental exercise could not be devised. Our first verbal contest this year was against St. lVIary's in Brockville. There, represented by Chamard and Gale, we upheld the positive of the motion 4'That Integration Should Be Pushed Through Immediatelyw valiantly but vainly. Once again, St. Mary's lived up to its fine reputation for hospitality, and we want to express our thanks to them for making the trip to St. lVIary's one of the year's most pleasant. In the second bout with this school, held here at Ashbury, we were again verbally vanquished. This time, replacing our first string pros with recruits Brodhead and Fisher, we contested the negative of the issue That the U.S. Is Justified in Going to War Over Quemoy and Matsu . This year, as an enthusiastically received innovation, Ashbury sent a team to compete in the International Speech Festival held at St. Michaelis College of the University of Toronto on February 20 - 21. Each of the four members of the competing teams was required to make one speech: an extemporaneous, an original, an interpretive, or a humourous speech. Upon the conclusion of these, the four mem- bers formed two teams of two men apiece, one team upholding the positive, the other team the negative of the motion. Representing Ashbury, Gordon Gale made the extemporaneous, John Chamard the interpretive, John Gamble the original and Tim Brodhead the humourous speech. Debating on the motion That Compulsory Union Membership is Undemocraticv, Gale and Gamble joined to support the aliirmative, while Brodhead and Chamard teamed up to uphold the negative of the issue. Each team debated three times against outside schools, the negative team winning two of their debates, the aflirmative winning one. Of the individual speakers, Gale alone shone, winning the Runner Up in the Extemporaneous division. The final result was that Ashbury placed third of the eight Canadian Schools competing, and eighth of the combined total of sixteen schools. The trips both down to Toronto and back, and the stay in Toronto itself, despite many frenzied moments, were highly enjoyable, and this excursion will be remembered for a very long time by those who were privileged to take part. Our last and perhaps best debate this year was at the University of Ottawa. There representatives from eighteen schools of the Ottawa region gathered to debate the motion That Canada is Culturally Dependant Upon the United States . Each competing school was required to produce two teams, one upholding the afiirmative, the other

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THE ASHBURIAN and a fine orchestra which played con- tinuously as we toured the most interest- ing Parts of the Island. Now and then, too, we were re- 5 leased for a free night on the mainland. These we usually spent very enjoyably listening to steel or Calypso bands at the Island's hot-spots! 77 Towards the end of our stay in Bermuda, we were treated to a deep-sea fishing expedition by Mr. Moore. NYe spent an exciting day at sea several .9-' ,.Q.- ' Q miles off the island. Our endeavours M 'rf were rewarded bv a handsome catch of ' ra... A . ,st -',. ' ilk- -...flu six large fish of various species. On Easter Sunday we attended services at the Cathedral in Hamil- ton, and were later introduced to the Bishop of Bermuda. Almost before we realized it, our holidays had evaporated, and we were winging our way back to Ottawa, penniless, sunburnt, and happy. Many thanks are due to Mr. Jobling, Nlr. Anderson and the faultless Bermuda weather for making this year's Easter vacation a truly memo- rable one. DEBATING Until this year, there has been little interest in debating at the School and, as a result, little activity has taken place beyond the annual tri-school debate which Ashbury has won with monotonous regularity. Unfortunately, debating, instead of being regarded as the contest of wits that it is, has been looked upon by many as merely much ado about nothing and its clique of devotees has been forced to pursue its way in the face of misunderstanding and indifference. This, however, was the year of the great Revival! No longer were debaters regarded as eccentrics. They walked, talked, and even behaved like the others who roam Ashbury's precincts, in short, they were acceptable. This, coupled with the fact that several trips were taken, aroused interest again. Perhaps, on second thoughts, saying that in- terest was aroused is being too optimistic. I base my hopes solely on the fact that the whole Senior School managed to produce an unprec- edented number of confident, if not competent, debaters: five! Surely in such a school of intellectual giants as this, the structure of that superlative art, debating, cannot be allowed to remain on its present shaky foundations, for there is no combat more stimulating. no excite-

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T H Z: .4 S ll If L' R I .-I .Y 2, the negative of the motion. Ashbury was represented by Brodhead ll and Chamard, upholding the negative, and Gale and Fisher supporting the afhrinative. YVhile the affirmative side managed to win only one of their two debates, the negative side was undefeated and so was placed in the final against a team from St. Patrick's College. This debate, a battle of wits from start to finish, was declared excellent by the judges and though the decision was extremely close, the victory was awarded to the St. Patrick's team. Nevertheless, Parker pen-and- pencil sets were awarded to the four finishing contestants, Casey and team-mate of St. Patrick's and Brodhead and Chamard of Ashbury. Furthermore, top award of a S100 scholarship went to the Best Speaker, John Chamard. Though it may be seen that this year has been a fruitful one for Debating at the School, we were extremely disappointed when L.C.C. withdrew from the annual Tri-School Debate which was to have been held at Bishop's this year, and it is our sincere hope that this annual function will be resumed again next year. With the aroused interest in debating at the School, it is our wish that, next year, more debates may be arranged with outside schools. At this point it seems only fitting to pay tribute to Mr. Spencer. our long-suffering coach, who guided and governed us so well. YR.: DFBATE Fisumx, Bizoourixo ll. Ciuxruum. Clue