Kent State High School - Statesman Yearbook (Kent, OH)

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THE STATESMAN Debate After years of hopeful waiting and of taking it on the chin , State High schools debaters finally were rewarded for their un- ceasing efforts by winning the State Debate title in the Ohio Dis- trict National Forensic Tournament. Although it was generally known that this years team was better than those of preceeding years, few, including the debaters themselves, thought that they had what it took to gain a State title. In winning the championship the State orators accomplished a feat which no other Ohio school has done in the history of Ohio NFL debating, that of suffering but one defeat in the meet. In the opening round of the tournament the affirmative team composed of Roger Cunningham and Kearfott Miller put the school with its back to the wall by dropping a close decision to Port Clinton. However, Betty McKibben and Gordon Hostettler started the State winning streak by turning in a negative victory over Ashland. From then on State was undefeated through to the finals when the affirmative team defeated Youngstown Chaney to cop the first place. Besides Ashland, the negative team grabbed deci- sions over Wadsworth, Struthers, Chaney, and John Adams of Cleveland for five straight wins. After losing their first encountf er, the affirmative team defeated East Palestine, Wooster, Can ton McKinley, and Chaney for four consecutive victories. By winning this tournament State qualified for the 'National Tournament which was held in Oklahoma City. For the first time in the history of the school a full team in all phases of speech was sent into the tournament. All of these, with the exception of Gordon Hostettler, were eliminated in the PAGE 56

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AN ORGANIZATIONS 1

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THE STATESMAN third round. Gordon was put out in the semi-finals of extempo- raneous speaking. In their Ohio Debate League season the State teams turned in five wins in six contests to tie with Ravenna for the North- eastern Ohio championship. The negative team was defeated, however, in the run-off before a crowd of ZOO persons in the Auditorium. But the highly touted Ravens failed to advance far enough in the NFL Tournament to engage the sweeping State team. With three teams on each side of the question ready to debate at all times many practice and extra decision debates were ar' ranged. The Debate club as a whole engaged in approximately 85 contests. Of these, thirty-six were judged and the club gained twenty-seven decisions for a .750 average, an average 'which few schools in the State could achieve. ' Officers for this year were Gordon Hostettler, president, Betty McKibben, vice-president, and Kearfoot Miller, secretary-treasure. Members of the club were: Roger Cunningham, Bob Dumm, Bill Wilson, Martha Rufener, Vernon Beal, Howard Pike, Courtland Shellhorn, Jeanne Claypoole, Bob Cook, Bertha Kernen, Lester Foust, Paul Alden, Betty Miller, Charles Woodhouse, and Mary Louise Hoffman. Having proved that they were the best team in the state of Ohio, our debaters went to Oklahoma City aud proved that they were the best team to ever come out of Ohio. Going through six of ten rounds of competition, State gained tenth place, the first time an Ohio team ever gained national ranking in debate. Three State orators took part in the tournament. Betty McKibben and Gordon Hostettler composed the negative team, while Gordon doubled up with Kearfott Miller to form the affirm- ative team. The negative dropped botli its debates, losing to Mulvane, Kansas and Muskgogee, Oklahoma, to give State its elimination. Kearfott and Gordon, however, won three straight, defeating Hot Springs, Arkansas, Kansas City, Kansas, and Carrollton, Missouri. Carrollton went to the finals and besides State, only the national champions, Du Quoin, Illinois, were able to defeat the debaters from the show-me state. The negative drew a bye to get through the fourth round. t This was undoubtedly the best season that an Ohio team ever enjoyed. PAGE 57