St Johns College - Ozanam Yearbook (Toledo, OH)

Page 17 text:

.Public Speaking for the College Man By EUGENE J. Cmzsrmv, M. A. In these days when it seems to many their solemn duty to give forth to an unsuspecting public their views on what is wrong with colleges and their students, any statement or utterance savoring of a criticism of college life, curriculum or students is almost an unwelcome one-and, we might with caution add, rightly so. Despite this reaction of the popular fancy, it seems not out of place to suppose that an overburdened public mind will recog- nize the value that is contained in ob- servation which is directed not at tearing down and overthrowing but rather at building up and preserving. To talk or speak one to another is so natural for us that we scarcely ever give it a thought. But if we reflect we will find that this process of commun- ication is one, without which, our civ- ilization in its present state could scarce endureg and if we continue our reflection it does not require a stretch of imagination to realize that were we deprived of the means of one individ- ual addressing his ideas to a group of his fellows, this world of ours would be in a sorry plight. That public speaking is necessary and important is a proposition that almost needs no proof 3 for with the demands for speakers from the bar, bench, platform and pulpit undimin- ished, the need for trained and intel- lectual public speakers is ever on the increase. At no time in the world's history is the truth voiced in Plato's Phaedrus more evident, where Socra- tes is represented as remarking: . . . At the same time I boldly assert that mere knowledge of the truth will not give you the art of persuasion. That the college graduate be a trained pub- lic speaker is something that may be practically assumed. Earl Curzon, former Viceroy of India, told the stu- dents of Cambridge in 1918, that never was eloquence more potent than nowg never was it more useful, or I may add, more admired as an accomplishment. And how reasonable it is that the college graduate be adept in the sci- ence of public speaking! Suppose his intention is to become a physician. It is safe to assume that during his career he is going to do more than practice medicine. As a college trained and professional man he is destined to be called upon for leader- ship in his particular community, and for leadership public speaking is in- dispensable. And within his own pro- fessional circle, he will be at a decided disadvantage and laboring under a dif- ficult handicap if he is unable to ade- quately express his ideas, discoveries and observations to his colleagues. Equally true is this for the business man, the attorney, the educator and the sociologist. True it may be said that this is the day of the office law- yer, but are the modern lawyer's ac- tivities coniined by merely legal bounds? And no matter how concise- ly he can put in writing the true Christian views on marriage and the ethical doctrines of justice and char- ity, how can the sociologist actually convince the public, unless he is cap- able of mounting the platform and there in clear and intelligent terms expound the truth? It is well to ex- Enrron's Non: Mr. Chesney received his A. B. Degree from Sr. jobn'a College in 1923.

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O'll'l'O F. WENZLER W'ill long be remembered in the annals of the Class of '25 as its most painstaking mem- ber. Vklhere others stop, Otto continuesg where others write paragraphs, he writes pages. After laying aside his cap and gown, Otto will study archi- tecture at Michigan University, adopting the motto Bigger and Better Buildings. XVC hope, as his facility in drawing increases, he will some day be able to draw a big salary-the hardest design of all. l-l. JOHN SCT-lMl'l' 'l-las for many years been closely connected with the pub- lishing of the Gleaner and the Ozanam. X-Ve feel that John's classical training will not induce him to follow the art of printing as an avocation, for rumors are afloat that hc aspires to corporation finance: but even in the realm of large capital, his practical knowledge of printing will be one of his most valuable assets.

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10 THE amine a statement of the late Senator Hoar, long a leader in the United States Senate, who declared in his old age: The longer I live, the more I have come to value the gift of elo- quence. . . . Every American youth, if he desires for any purpose to get influence over his country-men in an honorable way, will seek to become a good public speaker. Perhaps one of the outstanding groups of college men apparently lacking a complete training in public speaking may be said to be those grad- uating from purely scientific courses. The dean of a certain college of civil engineering has stated that if gradu- ates in engineering could have thor- ough training in speaking, and some training in law, they could take their places as presidents of all the corpora- tions in the land. So keenly are the alumni of scientific colleges realizing this fact that they are noticeably ac- tive in establishing prizes and medals in speaking at their respective insti- tutions, and are even assisting to en- dow chairs in this particular branch. It is noticeable that in a certain col- lege the only students required to take a course in public speaking are those in architecture. The reason for this apparently far-fetched regulation is that the faculty concerned has been impressed with the failures of certain men in this profession to secure ac- ceptance for excellent plans when pre- senting them before boards and com- mittees. It almost goes without saying that in the structure of our present day civilization certain elements of adver- tising enter into all our activities. Whether we preach, teach, solicit, or sell-in a word if we at all seek to exert any influence over others we OZANAM must advertise new ideas. President Lowell of Harvard expressed this opinion when he wrote in an article, For any one who desires to advocate a new idea, the difficulty is not so much to convince as to get a hearing, not so much to be judged fairly as' to be judged at all. Each day seems to demonstrate more clearly the truth that no mere haphazard system of elocution or bom- bastic oratory will suilice or suit the needs of the times. For all who would succeed must of necessity have a sci- entific training in the art of speaking. Today the college man even studies athletics, and rightly so. From this view-point it seems most reasonable that he be given the opportunity to develop his powers of eloquence. A college course, by its very nature, sup- poses a training that is essentially complete and it is for this reason, if for none other, that the public is to- day demanding that the products of colleges be able to express clearly and intelligently their views from the platform. To the college man this training ought to mean much, and in fact ought to be a point of special interest in his course. The late Andrew D. White of Cornell declared: Let every stu- dent worthy of the name-whether fraternity man or not-make the most of his university opportunities for de- bate and public speech. Such chances and training he will not easily find again. . To the credit of our institutions let it be said that they are doing very creditable work along these lines, and it is to be hoped that each scholastic year will mark an even keener interest in public speaking both on the part of colleges and also of their students.