Fairport High School - Hourglass Yearbook (Fairport, NY)

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Ol li l THE HOUR GLASS i ll lO ness, because they are usually so interested in putting over their argument that they are unaware of class presence. Other classes offer chances for a form of debating where a difference of opinion may arise. These opportunities are com- paratively few, but are enough to attract our attention if we are alert. Every child wants, at some time or other, to do something of which his parent does not approve. Unconsciously he will state fact after fact why he should do this thing, and his parent will do his best to explain why the child should not. Usually the parent is correct, but if the child can state his argument forcibly enough, he should get his way. It is often necessary to obtain some privileges from a teacher which he does not wish to grant. If the pupil can put over a strong enough argument in his favor, he may obtain what he wishes from said teacher. This is usually termed an argument, but it is really a form of debating. In the world in general there is much debating. For instance, the lawyer is one of the clearest examples. He goes before the jury and if he can stress his point just a little stronger than his opponent, he will win the case. The bargain hunters are de- baters though perhaps they do not realize it. Also the salesman, the clerk, the doctor, and many, many others use a form of de- bating every day, though they are often entirely unconscious of the fact. Besides being a help for the English work, debating is very advantageous to us. It teaches us to see someone else's opinion. All of us are inclined to be narrow minded on certain subjects. But if another person's opinion is stated and backed up by good reasons, we are very liable to change our minds. Often, too, one remembers a subject which has been debated upon: In classes, and in everyday life, if something is discussed in detail and then a conclusion is drawn, we are apt to remember that conclusion. I really think that debating could be used much more than it is now. Though I may be entirely wrong, I think that all English courses could be more interesting if they had more debates. Then too, there are a good many womens' clubs today. Some have a definite purpose. Others just drift along with some small excuse for existing, or else they play cards. How much more they could learn, if at every meeting they held a lively debate on some current topic. Therefore, it seems to me that debating is a very interesting Page .Seventeen

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0 THE HOUR GLASS l Il l0 Modulation of raising and lowering of the voice is another big item. If we were to use the same tone throughout a conversation, we would cease to be of any interest. Most of us would never hear what the other person was saying. Iast, and yet exceedingly important, are your positions and your gestures. You should try to stand where everyone can see you without difficulty. Certain motions are present in a good speech. Why not make use of your seemingly awkward dangling hands by using a few clever gestures to illustrate your ideas? Still another phase of good oratory is emphasis. By em- phasis is meant a forceful expression used to add stress to an important point. This is mainly accomplished through the mod- ulations and inflections of the voice. ln order to hold the at- tention of his audience, a speaker must have a certain forceful- ness, gained through these inflections and modulations. If he talks on without putting any force behind his words, the audience will very shortly lose interest in what he has to say. But the speaker who can stand before an audience without fear of self- consciousness or inferiority, who has good expression and em- phasis, and who assumes the correct posture and gestures, are few. Speaking to a group of people who aren't interested in listening to you unless you can command their attention is not an easy thing to do. ln fact, it is most difficult. Yet, all through life it is necessary to do these things. Wliy' not prepare yourself? The old saying, Practice makes perfect is indeed trite but it can be aptly applied to spoken English. Only by conscientious practice can worthwhile oral delivery be reached. Rule after rule can be given, but in order to achieve results they must be put into '11SQ. It is really surprising to note how many mistakes an ordinary person makes in conversation. Perhaps if he were writing his speech, the mistakes would be eliminated, but as long as it is true that people speak more than they write, is it not more necessary to learn to converse well? This is why oral English should be taken up more in the schools of today. A most important factor of expression is debating. Debating is discussing a subject by presenting arguments for and against it. Its purpose is to convince. There are many places where debating is used. Sometimes we are unaware that we are using it, and sometimes we make a definite purpose of it. First, to my mind, as a place for the most debating in high school is the English class. This is a very good way to teach the pupils to overcome their self-conscious- Page -.Sixteen

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0l ll l THE HOUR GLASS l ll l0 as well as an instructive subject that could be utilized far more than it is, to the enjoyment and profit of every one concerned. There is no one who can deny that a person's character is usually determined by the way he expresses himself. Refined, well-educated people speak in a refined manner. Common, vul- gar persons use the lower class vernacular . He commands every- one 's admiration who has a large vocabulary, and who can ex- press himself adequately and withouthesitation. English feeds the intellect, stimulates the imagination, strengthens the memory, and imparts a feeling of self-confidence in expression. -M ary Schoolmaster and Leah Pritchard Choosing a High School Course and a Life Vocation What course shall 1 take up in high school? Is there any- one of us who has not been either confronted by this problem personally or approached by some younger person who is un- decided about choosing his school course? To be able to answer this problem with any skill, whatsoever, a careful study of the question must be made. Basically, to choose a high school course is to choose a life career. Since this is the age of specializing, it does not, abso- lutely does not, pay to omit any portion of schooling which per- tains or may be brought to pertain to your career. For the person who has specialized there is no such thing as an over- crowded vocation. Of those persons, who have taken up a skilled trade or profession, figures prepared by H. C. Bentley in Career Planning show that one-half range from failures to medium successes, thirty percent meet with medium to ex- cellent success, nineteen percent froin excellent to exceptional success and only one percent have distinctive success. There- fore we can see that even in a profession we must comb-ine a won- derful amount of perseverance and hard work with the best education attainable. For those persons who do not follow a profession, no remarks may be made except that the greater share go to make up the multitude of the common laborers who suffer with adverse conditions and never attain success. If you have ever had reason to go through the H Help W'anted columns in the daily papers you have probably wondered about such statements as may be inexperienced but must have high Page Eighteen