New-York tribune., 1900-05-12
EDUCATIONAL AFFAIRS.
NEWS OF THE COLLEGES AND UNIvER
sITIES-NOTES OF INTEREST
A REVIEW OF INTERCOLLEGIATE DEBAT-
ING-oUEsTIONS AND JUDGES AND THE
WORK OF PREPARATION.

The Yale-Princeton debate of last Tuesday closed
.he sixth wear of debating between Yale, Harvard
and Princeton. These three colleges are united In
the intercollegiate Debating Association. which
was formed in 1924. upon Princeton's initiative.
Since that time Harvard has six times from
Princeton and six of nine debates from Yale.
Yale Is second. having three out of six de-
bates with Princeton. There has been notable
increase in the last few years In the interest in
intercollegiate debating throughout all the colleges
so that now not only do these three colleges have
their annual debates but also Cornell meets Column
bia Michigan opposes Pennsylvania. Williams de-
bates with Wesleyan and the great State universi-
ties OF the West. almost without exception, are
Joined in debating leagues.
The questions for these debates generally
concerning National politics. They have included
such subjects as the annexation of Cuba. the in
come tax the power Of the Speaker OF the House
Of scntatves. the retirement OF legal tender
notes responsible cabinet government. iUnigra-
tion restrictions and general foreign policy. Six
weeks before the contest the challenging college
selects the question and submits IL to the opposing
college which decidea within two weeks which side
II viii defend. AS nearly every question proposes
change in the established order Of things or recog-
1ized policy the team that supports the aflirma-
five Is handicapped by assuming the burden of
proof for all the debate judges as We'll as the
audiences are conservative. By way OF com
ponsatior the affirmative is allowed both the open
ing and the closing speeches of the debate
|t''''N'NN
2 list of twenty men not graduates of either col
lege is sent from which the challenged college
selects nine in orGer Of preference. and the hrst
three who accept the invitation act as judges The
list is usually made up OF college presidents. pro-
fessors prominent lawyers ard statesmen Some
,fe before The contest each of the judges receives
a printed letter of instruction. stating that the
award is not TO he made upon the intrinsic merits
Of the question but upon the argumentativc ability
and form of the debateTs as speakers. some OF
is other provisions follows:
IN determining argumentative ability the Judges Judges
should take into consideration thorough Knowease
the subject. logical sequence skill IN se!eGtiHS az
and presenting evidence ana power IN IA
considering Ine form OF the speakers as rd isl
guished from their arguments they shouia ie.tliu
bearing, quality OF voice correct Of
clear enunciat;on ease ana appr1pi pro hcSe ~
eSIHGdS; eesTery. anu D'' ''''7-' ~ 49,
The three Judges are seated in different parts Of
the auditorium and upon retiring TO the committee
room after the debate they cast Il written b'lol
before consultation in order 10 obtain a worklrs
basis from which the final decision may he reached
Many of these details have been adopted from the
methods In vogue in the Western universities
where until recently oratons rather than debates
formed the intellectual contests. In the west
therefore they naturally place more stress upon
form than upon argument This same tendency Is
growing in the East especially since the lnterco-
esiate Debating association, at its last conference
In 1922 formulated definite instructions to the
judges in which form of the debaters as speak
ers was gigen as much weight In deciding the
award as their argumentatiVe ability .
The number of who enter the pfeIlInllal!
trial contests in the larger colleges varies from
FORTY TO sixty About one week after the question
number OF competitors reduced one-half At Prince
ton if a man has defended the negative size OF
The question the first trial he defends the arlifn
ative In the second, and vice versa In the hndl
trials three men selected as the team Win
from one 10 three alternates. Practice deDates hIe
held twice a week between the alternateS ana the
team and are criticised by the coaches: who are
either graduate students or members OF the rae
ultv Princeton usually relies upon member OF
the English department. as does Aale 10 some ek-
tent though Yale partly. and Harvard exclusively
depend on their graduates in their law scnools
The first speeches Of twelve minutes in length are
generally written out beforehand and memorized,
but the rebuttal speeches Of five minutes are en-
tirely extemporaneous. and so constitute the pest
criterion of the ability Of the debaters. There is
strong tendency do away with set speeches en-
tirely so that team may meet the other Oh
fits own ground and oppose argument to argument.
a few professors and others disapproVe OF tnese
infercollegiate contests because each debate re-
oIires at least six weeks hard work, during which
doned But this time is by means wasted, for
IN. contestants receive excellent practical train
ing especiay almost ever 1nterc coiieglate Ge-
batter becomes either minister or lawyer 1 ne
debater must have cool head and "A keen mlnd
carefully 10 select and arrange his materials anu
4, Droba bly, only chance that he VIII nave In
an his college course of working out any question
hify as representative of his college, and knows
that he must procure supporting reasons Tor ms
IDEAS And. finally. after having worked six weeks
unon seventeen minute speech. he learns the
value Of thinking long and laboriousy before speak
ing writing.