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About Yale Alumni Magazine | View Entire Issue (May 9, 1900)
Vou IX. No. 32. ‘NEW HAVEN, CONN., WEDNESDAY, MAY 9, 1900. Copyright, 1900, by Yale Alumni Weekly. Price 10 Cents. Teel. Ferrey. YALE, UNIVERSITY “rRACK.- TEAM. DuVal. Thomas. Stillman. Barnard. Ellsworth. Richards. Havemeyer. Robinson (Tr’ner). Burns. L. Thomas. Makepeace. G. Smith. Edwards. Mead. Boardman. Gleason. Hord. Dupee. Johnson (capt.). Weston. Smith. Cheney. Beck, Speer. Poynter. Blount. Photo. by Pach. Hargrave. Waldron. Pendleton. Fincke. NOTABLE DEBATING YEAR. A Sketch of what Has Been Done— Some Needs. The debate with Princeton this week practically closes, for the year, the work in debating throughout the University. The year has been a notable one in the development of this branch of college work. When it opened there was ap- parently the same lack of interest and the same discouraging. outlook; as it closes, debating has gained for itself a higher position among undergraduates and stands on a better footing than it has for many years. = The great improvement.that has come has been especially noticeable in the vari- ous departments and class organizations where the fundamental and important work is done. Attendance has in- creased, a more representative class of men have become active in the work, and a higher standard of work has been maintained in the regular debates. The best example of this new develop- ment is furnished by the Yale Union, the principal college organization. In this society the weekly attendance has risen from a mere handful to an average between seventy-five and one hundred. In previous years it has been a rare thing to see representative college men active in its work; during the past year the Union has received the support of a large number of men prominent in the’ social, athletic and literary life of the University. The work of the members — has been of a very high standard, and as a result the weekly debates have had a lively and increasing interest. What has been true of the Union has been true of the other debating so- cieties, The class organizations, “The Wigwam” and “The Wranglers,” which were established two years ago, have this year, through the revival in debating interest, become surely estab- lished in the college. The new ‘value which they have come to have, is notice- able in the increased competition for membership in them, and in a certain prestige which membership gives men in the eyes of the classes. In addition to the active work going on in the organizations themselves, there has been inaugurated through the Yale Debating Association a very successful series of interclub and interdepartment debates. These debates, coming about once a month, have been public and have gone beyond anticipation in the interest they have awakened and in the support they have received throughout the Uni- versity. A healthy rivalry has grown up between the societies and it has proved a valuable stimulus to better work. The men selected to represent their organi- zation in these debates have been chosen either by actual competition or on a basis of the work done at the regular weekly debates, and this too has.had its influ- ence in building up the work. INTERCLASS DEBATING. Among these public debates, the most successful was the one held between the Sophomore and Freshman classes. The same process was used in selecting the teams as is employed in choosing inter- collegiate teams. The debaters were coached by men of ability in the Senior Class. The debate itself was of a high standard and largely attended. One of the best features was the great enthu- siasm shown by the two classes, which were largely represented. Other debates: have been held between the Law School and the Academic Department, the Shef- field Union and the different class or- ganizations. The best debaters in the University have appeared on the teams and prominent men have been secured to preside over and judge these contests. The debates have this year been one of the best features in the undergraduate work and the charge of the system for next year has been put in able hands. Naturaily in looking for the results of the revival in interest and work one would turn to the intercollegiate debates, and here, although in the actual outcome the year has not been especially success- ful, there has been a very marked im- provement in the general work for these contests. Over two hundred men in the University have .-appeared in the competitive debates, and it has been the testimony of the judges that the general standard of work has never been as high as this year. There has been espe- cial competition among underclass men for places on the second teams, and this in addition to strengthening the Uni- versity Team has developed a large amount of new material which may be used. next year. A TRANSITION PERIOD FOR YALE. In intercollegiate debating Yale has been going through a transition period. The election of President Hadley last year took from debating its principal coach and adviser. It was then thought best after thorough discussion to do away with Faculty coaching altogether and the officers of the Association be- gan to look around to see into whose hands the work of coaching could be put. After a thorough canvass of the field, Mr. N. A. Smyth, 1900 L.S., and Yale ’97, who had successfully repre- sented Yale in intercollegiate debates, was appointed head coach for the teams of the year. He selected as his assist- ants C. G. Clarke, ’95; C. W. Wells, ’96, and C. P. Kitchel, ’97. These men have ably done the work assigned to them. They introduced an entirely new system of coaching and all the men who have had the benefit of this coaching are strong in opinion that it is the best that could be used. Men ate now thrown more on their own responsibility and this has made Yale debaters more at home and more resourceful in debate than in previous years. For the past five or six years all the attention at Yale has been given to pure argument and logic in debating, and as a result Yale debaters whenever they appear have a resourcefulness and an argumentative ability which is rarely excelled. The experience of the year, however, has taught more clearly than ever before that if Yale is to be success- ful there must be combined with argu- mentative power a grace and form in platform speaking which Yale has rarely possessed. Men must be trained in this as well as in the other line, and platform presence must be taken into account in selecting men in the trial debates. There has been a new tendency to do this this year, but it has not yet advanced far enough. The work that has been done in building up pure debating strength has been decidedly the fundamental work, but if Yale teams are to be vic- torious, and represent the University in the best way, a great deal of attention must be paid to the development of a higher standard of platform speaking than teams have had in recent debates. The advance debating has made this year, the new place it has come to oc- cupy in college interests, promise much for the future of this important work. — OBSTACLES IN THE WAY. There are, however, one or two great obstacles in the way of the advance of debating to the place it should occupy. The greatest of these is the lack of proper rooms in which the societies can hold their regular meetings. The ideal, of course, would be a building for debating organizations such as is found at Oxford. This may come in years. It certainly is not expected now. There is, however, a strong feeling that a suita- ble room should be provided somewhere in the new buildings the University 1s about to erect. Such a room might be put in charge of the Debating Assocta- tion and a schedule could be arranged whereby all the debating organizations could have the use of it for their meet- ings. So strong is the need felt that it is extremely probable that if a room were provided, the various societies would | combine and furnish it in a way well suited for parliamentary meetings. Another obstacle has been the lack of
