The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-03-17

| hWhJo III pibStulHE years Ine uo'
bate was created a great deal OF local
interest and has always marked the
turning out of big crowd OF Mt. Yer.
non and Knox county people, but
never before did 1t bring so large =
crowd as that of Friday night. The
debate was scheduled TO begin at S:15
o'clock, but at 1880 o'clock the big
auditorium was packed to the aisles
with expectant people. Scores of ex
ira chairs we're placed for others who
came later but the attendance was
simply too large to accommodate.
Shortly before 1880 o'clock the dem.
onstration was started by the students
of the high school. This has always
been customary and was one of the
things that brought the big crowd
early The students, about four hun
dred in number, cheered and sang,
waved banners and pennants, and
made things lively in almost every
conceivable manner. Debating time
always awakens the school spirit as
much, perhaps, as any other event
taken part in by the school.
The auditorium and stage were ar
tistically and appropriately decorated
for the occasion. The background of
the stage was hung with pennants and
banners of Mt. Vernon and Newark
high schools with sprinkling of
GAINESVILLE pennants. The stage over
head was festooned with orange and
black over the Mt. Vernon side and
red and black over the Newark side
A pretty canopy of orange and black
had been erected over the Mt. Vernon
table and one identical to it, only of
red and black, had ben erected over
the Newark table. Cut flowers were
the only decorations used on the
tables. Mt. Vernon's six banners of
victory, won in the debates in past
years, were hung, three on each side
of the stage.
One of the most gratifying features
of the evening was the impartiality on
the part of the cheering students. OF
course, cheers for Mt. Vernon were
more frequent but they were no more
enthusiastic and hearty than the ones
given for Newark. The visiting team
was cheered time after time by the Mt.
Vernon student body and, after the
close of the debate, while the audience
was anxiously waiting the decision of
the judges, the members of the debat-
ing teams, Newark included, were
cheered individually. When the an
noucement of Mt Vernon victory
was made, the members of the New
ark team were the first to congratulate
the local debators.
Hon. L. E. Houck acted as chairman
of the debate. He took his position
upon the stage at SIS o'clock and was
followed closely by the members of
the two debating teams. Little time
on in earnest. OF course it is almost
unnecessary to say that the demon
stration on the part of the student
body when the teams came on the
stage was almost deafening.
Before and after the debate the
high school orchestra furnished ex-
cellent music, their selections inter-
spersed by yells and songs of students.
A small Newark contingent of stud
ents were present and gave several
cheers but, on account of the com,
parative small number, they gave but
a weak sound The large local stu
dent body came to their aid, however,
and cheered Justify for them.
The members Of the teams actively
engaged in the debate were Russell
Thrailkill, Dorothy Blair and Stanley
Johnson for Mt, Vernon and Paulding
Forty, Blanche M. Porter and J. Dale
McNamar for Newark. The judges
were Judge w. E. Weygandt of Woos,
ter, Ohio, Judge w. T. Devor of Ash
land, Ohio, and Professor c. J. Mar
shall of Musingum College.
After the debate was over and the
customary congratulations and re-
grets had been exchanged among the
members of the debating teams, the
debators, with the Newark team as
honored guests, were escorted to the
Presbyterian church where a banquet
was held. There were about twenty
five present at the banquet, there
being the members of both teams and
all who had taken an active part in
preparing for the debate, Superintend-
ent and Mrs. Zemer, Professor and
Mrs. c. H. Winans and the members
of the school board and their wives.
The banquet was very enjoyable
affair and served as an excellent con-
clusion for a very successful evening.
The sting of defeat was, in measure
wiped out of the minds of the visitors,
Il