Townsend Harris High School - Crimson Gold Yearbook (Flushing, NY)

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NINETEEN-THIRTEEN-FOURTEHN 43 is largely due to his past efforts that the Harris maintains her present prominent position. Much credit is due Mr. Schulz for rehearsing and coaching the debating teams, and deep gratitude for extricating the society froin many of the ditliculties which at lirst confronted her. The club deeply appreciates his past work, and hopes he will continue in his capacity of advisor. HARRIS DEBATING SOClETY But not only did the Harris win school-wide popularity, it also progressed rapidly in membership. Under the direction of Mr. Schulz at first, and then through the efforts of the members alone, a thorough system was inaugurated, whereby the greatest possible beneht was derived from the practice of writing and of oratory. The members would write stories, poems, essays, speeches, etc., and deliver them before the society, after which a critic, an expert member elected by the students, would criticize them. But what they derived most ben- etit from was practice of debate, for which the Club was most noted. Almost every week they held discussions upon some current topic of national, civil, economic, or sociological importance. Thus they learned not only the art and science of debate, but also how to get at the root of important public questions and intelligently discuss them. At the close of each semester, they held a moot-court for the benefit of the institution in general, in which an opportunity was

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42 V THE HARRIS ANNUM, e'r i 1'b S T , f - - . . ,, r- ' - 'fl3, f f T T 1 ' ,.4, S, .. . 5 . .' 555 - . , ' 1 5 ' A I . - '21,-2 :i . H ' ' 1 jv-x Q 'I .. fx -,y ' l f , ,. a , f ,:- : . A',- c li- V A,-q , ' A. ' , 5 , up be ' ji 5 -,J , S H N the term of january l9l2 when the present Epi er X U, ,W just one literary society the Webb The NVebb was '1 9., c,! club of long standing and high repute, but it was composed -gag: wg? . , g Q La X7 I W Class was in Lower C, there was in Townsend Harris Hall ii ' ' ' KS 37 I .S 4 .. S , . I c L i'-rlllf 'VP N . . 1 solely of upper class fellows, who would countenance no lower-class 'fpresumptionfl There is no doubting' the fact that the lVebb Literary Society was an excellent club, but the trouble lay in its exclusivcness. llflany of the students earnestly desired to join it but were not permitted to do so. A few of these, however, were too ambitious and too active to receive such a rebuff and not resent it. They immediately set to work to form a rival society, which they named The Harris Debating Society. These few students had no idea to what extent their little project was destined to make our school sit up and take notice, for, although their club at first grew slowly, it attracted the attention and interest of all as a new feature of Townsend Harris organizations. But, at about the same time, another club, The Groesbeck Debating Society, sprang up, and entered what had already become a keen corn- petition for literary supremacy. The XfVebb was compelled to awaken from her long slumber and open her doors to the School, forgetting her former exclusiveness. Witliin a year, however, despite her efforts to kindle anew the smoldering fires of life within her, the VVebb was no more. The Harris had met and overcome her on her own ground- debate, And then the Groesbeck clamored for recognition, and loudly challenged the Harris. The following semester, she, likewise, was defeated and she, too, succumbed. Now the Harris Debating Society was supreme in her chosen field. Sometime previous to its successes the club had asked Mr. Schulz, of the English Department, to act as Supervisor and Honorary Mem- ber of the Organization. This position he willingly accepted, and it

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451 THE HARRIS ANNUAL offered to study and carry out to the minutest detail the rules and regulations of the civil court, and to show the students of Townsend Harris Hall the achievements of the Harris Debating Society. Now, having defeated the debating teams of both the Wfebb and the Groesbeck, the members of the Harris naturally turned to clubs in other schools as possible rivals. To this end, they asked Professor Sim's permission to represent Townsend Harris in interscholastic de- bates. Professor Sim referred them to the Athletic Association, which organization refused the request, saying that any society might engage in such debates, but not in the name of the School. However, the Harris found it impossible to arrange a debate with any other school, being met with one excuse after the other, from every institution it challenged. The Harris Debating Society has reached the climax of its exist- ence. Its membership totals seventy, the greatest number in the history of any of the school's organizations, save, of course, the Athletic Association. The present officers are: Pres., VVilfred T. Cohen Vice-President, Lionel Auster. Secretary, NVilliam Jaffe. Treasurer, Goldfarb. Critic, lsidore M. Cohen. These will remain in otiice until the end of the term. The club receives and welcomes visitors every Friday afternoon: