Viroqua High School - Pipe of Peace Yearbook (Viroqua, WI)

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Extemporaneous Speaking There were only three participants in the Local Extemporaneous Speaking Contest, held April 22. These were chosen from a number of contestants in the preliminary elimination contest held during the first part of March. Preparation for the contest has been made differently this year than before. The contestants, in the elimination contest, were given familiar subjects to speak on and a short time to prepare them. Then, those who were chosen in this try-out were each day assigned certain topics to read from specified magazines and to report .on. Then at the final con- test, instead of being given certain material to read and prepare for deliv- ery, they must draw upon their knowledge gained from reading the topics in the magazines which are specified for use in the contest. Cyrus Tollefson spoke on the subject How to War on Crime? E1- don Hendrickson on uParliamentary Breakdown in Eorope, and Sylvia Brudos on How to War on Crime? The contestants were given an hour's time to prepare for delivering their speeches. Because of the coincidence of Itwo Choices being the same, the contestants were not allowed to hear the ot ers tal . First place was awarded to Eldon Hendrickson, and second place to Cyrus Tollefson, both of the Senior Class. These are the two who will rep; resent us in the contest at Tomah, to be held May 7. Extemporaneous Reading The local extemporaneous reading contest this year was exception- ally good. The four girls who tried out had worked hard and long to give all that they had. The competition was keen and all the girls ranked high with the judges. The contest was held in the Senior High auditorium, April 23, at seven-thirty o,clock. Before the contest, Helen Davis played the two piano solos that won first place the following day at the music contest at La Crosse. The girls were given their choice of five selections one hour before they were to read. Each girl was given a room, and prepared, by herself, the selection that she had chosen. It happened that all the girls chose selections from the same book, The House of the Seven Gables. Three chose the same cutting, but the fourth chose one from a different part of the book. The girls read in the following order: Emma Williams, Nona Bar- ker, Helen Baldwin, Helen Davis. The three who came to Judge thls con- test were from La Crosse, all three being teachers in the La Crosse High School. They were: Mr. Scott, Mr. Stone, and Mr. Thomas. First place was awarded to Helen Davis, the second to Nona Barker. They will represent Viroqua at the district contestiwhlch 1s to be held at Tomah, Saturday, May 8, the day set aside for all 1nter-school contests. T65-

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Dec lamatory The Declamatory Contest was held the same night that the Reading Contest was held, Friday, April 23. There were seven contestants, including two from the Junior High who had been chosen in the preliminary try-outs some time before. The first speaker, Emma Williams, gave the selection, In the Palace of the King? Her portrayal of the cowardly king and the haughty Spanish maiden were splendidly done. Sarah Minshallis itJoint Owners In Spain was a humorous selection as nearly really life-like as it could be made. The two selections given by the J unior High Contestants, HThe Man of Sorrows, by Clarice Solverson, and All That Glittersli by Margaret Minshall, showed the talent that will soon be forthcoming from the Viroqua High School. Pearl Olsonis delivery of ttThe Court Sceneii from tiThe Merchant of Ven- ice was such as only those with great dramatic power could do. itThe Bath Hour, by Helen Baldwin was given extremely well, and enthusiastically received. Anna Rose Gross, on her delivery of The Two Homecomings? showed talent and a great capacity for dramatics. First place was award- ed toHelen Baldwin, second to Anna Rose Gross and third to Pearl Olson. Let us congratulate the two people who are going to represent our High School at Tomah on May 7 and wish them the best of luck. Oratory The local oratory contest, which took place April 22, was an unus- ually brilliant display of Forensic talent. The orations which were pre- sented were very nice pieces of work. Maynard Opsahl, in his delivery of the famous oration by Wendell Phillips, itTouissant L,Overture,,l showed that even if he is small, he has ability. Sheldon Gardnerls delivery of iiLee, The American, was very commendable, a worthy tribute to that great leader. Marion Smith upheld the honor of the girls by her delivery of liBuilders of Empires? The delivery of ttAbraham Lincoln by David Ful- ton, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Waterway by Fortney Larson, and ltThe Duty of a Citizenli by George Eckhardt were fine examples of the talent Which, as yet, lies dormant in our J unior High School. Eldon Hendricksonls delivery of uThe Constitutionli was indeed worthy of the noble subject of hls oration. Harold Buchanan, in portraying itWhat War Isf' presented the true facts of war so forcefully that, if the world could have heard him, war would cease. Every delivery, not only in this contest, but in all the others, is am- ple proof of the ability and skill of our coach, Miss Conrad, who has spent much of her time to help Viroqua make a showing in the coming contests. First place was awarded to Eldon Hendrickson, and second place to Harold Buchanan ,and they are the ones who will go to Tomah May 8 to win, or do their best to win, honors for the Viroqua High School. The Viroqua High School extends to the contestants the support they need, and to Miss Conrad the commendation she deserves.

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The J unior Prom, put on by the Class of 1926, was the first one to be held in the new gymnasium, and it was a huge success. Due to the fact that it was the first prom in the new gymnasium, the decoration committee, of which Helen Davis was chairman, had entirely new problems with which to deal. Nevertheless, they overcame these difficulties successfully. The room was decorated in all the pastel shades, for the scheme of the prom was an old-fashioned garden. In the center was a ttwishing well where, if you wished, you could obtain punch. Sydney Wheelock was in charge of the Prom, and much credit is due him and his assistants for its success. Emma Williams, chairman of the program committee, and Beuford Wintz, whose duty it was to obtain the music, were very successful in ar- ranging an interesting program. It consisted of a whistling solo by J anet Smith, vocal solos by Emma Williams and Sarah Minshall, a spring dance by a group of Sophomore girls, and a Spanish Dialogue by two J unior High girls. Music for dancing was rendered by the Badger Serenaders and eV- eryone appreciated their efforts to make the occasion a success. Later in the evening, refreshments were served in a tea room on the second floor, where the same plan in decorating was carried out. This delicious luncheon was planned by Minna Gutch and her assistants. Soph- omore girls acted as waitresses and were highly congratulated on their ability. Certainly the Prom was a great success and a Prom which it will be hard to surpass in the future. n5 Ga.