The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1918-03-12
JUDGES DECISION HERE
UNANIMOUS FOR LOCALS
Team Loses By A
z To | Decision AT
GAINESVILLE
THE STANDING

Striking a decisive blow through
tangible evidence against the Deces
siiy, cXpediency and practicabllity OF
student selfgovernment in the high
schools, the negative team OF the Mt.
Vernon high school won the tenth
annual triangular debate from the
Newark high school affirmative team
by a 8 to . decision OF the judges al
the high school auditorium Frida,
evening.
However, though the Mt Vernon
dcbaters won here, the team that
went to GAINESVILLE to uphold the af.
frmative lost by the score OF 9 10 l,
the GAINESVILLE affirmative losing &c
the Newark negative by the same
score.
The usual yells and music preced
ed the annual forensic contest, the
students exciting comment from the
large crowd assembled by means OF
snappy, popular tunes with debate
song words supplanting the original
ones.
Principal William f. Rimer open.
ed the program for the evening by
reading the roll of honor OF the
high school-the names of 1l9 grad.
yates, pupils and former teachers OF
the high scnool-which was follow
ed by the unveiling of a service flag
containing 119 stars and one Red
Cross indicating one Red Cross
nurse in the service. Miss Ada Ora
ham, graduate of Mt Vernon high
school.
The ceremony was impressive ant
after Il great round of applause, VII
liam l.. Robinson, chairman for the
evening, announced the question as
follows: Resolved, That studen,
self-goyernment should become a
part Of the administrative system OF
the high school"
Miss Emily Hampshire, first speak.
er for the affirmative, was introduced
and was greeted with applause, as
We're all the other speakers.
AFFIRMATIVE PLAN
Opening her argument Miss Happ
shire outlined the Constructive argu.
ment of the affirmative as being
based upon the necessity, the exped
iency and the practicability OF the
plan of high school administration
government. Miss Hampshire failed
TO bring out the issue Of the debate
in her speech, but later it was forced
from the affirmative by the Mt. Yer.
non spcaksr and was given the ques-
tion as "Will student self.goYern.
ment. as n part of the administrative
system of the high school, be conduc
i've TO better citizenship" The is.
sue was accepted and it was then
that the big bone OF contention had
been defined and hot argument up
held and denounced student self-gov-
ernment.
Miss Hampshire contended that
this system is necessary because 1t
fits the pupils for the duties aud re-
sponsibiliies of citizenship. that II
holds each pupil responsible for his
conduct during school hours and that
the present system crushes any IN
itiative in the pupil, Is Il root OF the
old autoTacy which dominates Ger
many and therefore Is not conducive,
but rather n drawback to good citi-
2cnship.
Fred Johnson opened the argument
for the negative. meeting Miss Hamp-
shirc's contention that 1t was nccos-
sary, with an equally strong one that
it is not necessary and is also mex
pedient. Mr.. johnson contended that
such change would be revolution
AIRY rather than evolutionary and
would not be the next logical step in
the progress of education.
That the students are not mentally
developed enough to so ahead and
rule themselves efficiently, that the
present system is satisfactory with
improved methods OF teaching, that
the pupils need the wisdom and ex-
perience of the teachers as guides in
forming good habits and that the few
isolated cases of student self-govern-
ment part Of the administrative
system of the high school did not
warrant such radical change. con.
stituted Nh; Johnson's argument
GOOD VS.. BAD CITIZENS
The constructive argument for the