University of Miami - Ibis Yearbook (Coral Gables, FL)

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Natimtal Srluilastir JIrrsia Afififlriatum rm ALL-AMERICAN YEARBOOK CRITICAI. SERVICE ®ic !5bls « mojmliwT iti mini. i .iu,.r.V„ 911 amrncan potior bating IK |L Wi mMalk Njr»».i Ynik-L Crir +I Srrritl •! «A» NuInmJ Si AoAtWu Pun li nw' »i 1 iL I'mWriiiy vf Al AfUffwal Juutmilnm. tfiii hnl J y • I9S9 V-' - .? j- The Ibis ■ From the pages of literature, from word of mouth have come tragic stories of “black sheep.” Black sheep have ranged throughout the animal kingdom and are very prevalent in mankind. At the University there is a black sheep. One so black that it presents a more than usual depressing picture amid so much color and scenic beauty as there is in Mi-ami. This poor, unwanted bird is one of the official publications of the University- The his. Shunned and scorned by all—until about the 15th of May when it is demanded by everyone—the Ibis has a hard struggle. No one has a kind word for it. Faculty and students avoid any connection with it. The Ibis is just a necessary evil; something to struggle for itself; something the Univerity seems to feel it must have but with the least possible trouble. This must lx? true if one can judge from circumstantial evidence. Never has there been anything to equal the working facilities given the Ibis by the University. One of the better rooms on the second floor of the Main Building, from which there is a splendid view of one angle of the triangle facing on the patio, is for the exclusive use of the staff. This room was very simply but adequately furnished. One battered desk, gotten from the Hurricane in a trade; four chairs, one with no back and another with only three out of four legs: a long table: one wastebasket ; and a filing cabinet. By the way, the cabinet is a very tricky contraption. It is made out of cardboard with some brown-painted tin on the front. There were quite a few puzzling hours of work involved in putting this thing together. The cardboard had to be folded into shape and held that way by metal plugs and adhesive tape. In addition to this office furniture two typewriters were in use—one in the Hurricane office and one in the Ibis. The University couldn't supply the machines so the Ibis rented them. The Ibis couldn't even get ribbons for the typewriters from the University. This problem was solved by taking the ribbon from the machine in the Hurricane office; some slight confusion resulted from the arrangement. Then, another feature of the office was the lighting system. The staff never knew when the light would lx gone entirely. Many times ambitious people tried to work in the office only to find that the University had sent someone to lift the light fixture; but they were kind enough to leave the wires in their place. The Business staff was very pleased to find that a bulletin board had been put on the wall outside the office door for its use; however one could always go to the board and find a note from “The Black Hand” right in the middle of the list of business firms who use the invaluable Ibis for advertising. “The Black Hand” was peculiar. He turned up in the telephone, typewriters, desk, and wastebasket. There is strong evidence pointing to the identity of “ The Black Hand” but the Ibis docs not care to expose the individual. If not scared away, he'll turn up next year to gleefully haunt another staff. The question of money for publishing was an involved set-up. The Student Senate actually came through with a fine appropriation. So no kick is coming about that, but the interest shown by students in solicilating advertisements was a remarkable thing to behold. Ira Bullock, business manager, had one of the most capable, hard-working group of students ever seen. The staff wasn’t large and unwieldy at all since there was just one member— Bullock. After issuing form books to a fine bunch of confident salesmen. Bullock sat back and waited. After waiting unusually long even for a thing of this kind, he decided to call in the hounds and get a £ 24

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Futile Forensics ■ A flexible membership system and an extensive schedule of debates made the competitive spirit of the varsity deleters stronger than usual this year. Guided by debate coach Dr. Charles Doren Tharp, the inter-school and practice debates were hard-fought battles. According to the new system members were eligible to try out for the varsity and freshman debate teams throughout the year. At any time members of either team could be challenged for their right to remain on that team by an applicant for the position. The contest for the place then would ! e held at the next practice debate and the winner would take the contested place in the team leaving the loser the chance to challenge again. The varsity debate team remained almost intact throughout the year. The memliers of the first squad (of whom four were selected to go on the barn-storming tour) were Irving Lebowitz, junior; Hen Axelroad, Jr., sophomore: Claud Corrigan, sophomore; Lloyd Whyte, junior; Jerome Weinkle, senior, Law School; and Lawrence Ropes, senior. On the affirmative team were Axelroad and Corrigan, while Lebowitz and Rojh s took the negative. at the majority of the home debates. Contracting for debates with other schools using this same subject, planning the trip, and acting as chairman of all home debates was Jack Madigan, varsity debate manager. First debate of the year was with an affirmative team from the University of Richmond, in which Irving Lebowitz. and Laurence Ropes. Miami’s speakers for the negative, were defeated. The contest was held in this year's debate headquarters, the assembly room of the administration building, February 29. Miami's negative team took on and defeated St. Petersburg Junior College Friday. March 15. Debaters for this contest were Jerome Weinkle and Lawrence Ropes, the latter a substitute for Irving Lebowitz. The next week. March 18, two non-decisions were debated with Rollins College. Hen Axelroad, Claud Corrigan. Jerome Weinkle. and Lawrence Ropes were the speakers for Miami. Axelroad and Corrigan were again the sjieakers for Miami at the debate lto| c , OirrlK»». Ubowlti, Wrinkle, m»l xrlro il »lun l Ml thr debater ' en garde poxltlun. with the University of Pennsylvania. Miami won this debate. Another decision debate which went against the varsity was the one held on March 29 against a girl’s team from the University of Vermont. Irving Lebowitz, who took Claud Corrigan's place on the affirmative team, and Hen Axelroad were adjudged the losers. Vermont was the last home debate before the barnstorming tour which is a feature of varsity debating every year. The schedule included colleges in the southern states, with four in Florida, two in Alabama, and three in Georgia. The first debate of the trip was with Rollins College which was held April 15. The debaters then went to Gainesville, to battle the University of Florida. Next stop on the schedule was Atlanta, where for the only time during the trip, the debaters met two schools in one day. During the afternoon of April 18, they went to Athens, where their foe was the University of Georgia. That evening they spent in Atlanta debating a team from Kmory University. April 19 the Squad met Hirmingham-Southern University, in Hirmingham, and from there trekked on to Tuscaloosa where they battled the University of Alabama. April 20. They spent a day in travel and met Florida State College for Women at Tallahassee, April 22. The remaining two debates of the trip were with Florida-Southern College, Lakeland, and St. Petersburg Junior College. St. Petersburg. 25

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report. He issued the call but no one came. In fact, for several weeks he couldn't catch those people long enough to get his bocks back. After snagging a few books he got on the trail himself and was on it by himself the rest of the time. Now for the degree of perfection that is seldom reached on a staff from which there is no reward other than a very heartfelt appreciation for any small item of work done. This perfection was achieved by the editorial staff. The staff was divided into departments, and each one functioned with a rapidity and precision of a highly geared machine. This is how it worked. Xo one did a single thing until two weeks after it should have been. Then, a diligent student would literally bleed from some source—faculty, students, etc., the desired information. write it out madly, and turn in a delightful piece of work, oddly remindful of the days when jig-saw puzzles were in style. All joking aside, every item in the yearbook was produced in just that way. The staff would refuse to do a thing on time, the faculty and students would renege on talking for publication, and the whole thing ended up by being slammed together. Xaturallv, there was a remarkable attendance at staff meetings throughout the year. Two weekly meetings were held during the second semester until the book was on the press. When the editor finally quit going to meetings—he had to. no one else went—all pretense was over and everybody was happy. One meeting ten people attended but after Above: llopkiii and Hlnghlom debate seriously whether or not to eorrret a Rlnrlnx error In Ibis copy. Below: .1 Inrun-section of the stair works out a make-up detail. that the editor had a strange interlude with himself, since there was no one else around, twice weekly. The Ibis would like to express its appreciation to the Hurricane and its staff. From the first issue of that organ of the student body, the Ibis received some excellent publicity. If there is anything to the idea that keeping something in the public eye will attract attention, then the Ibis should be in the eye of every University student. What an inspiration those Hurricane staff mem-bers were! In the first place. Ibis staff members 25