Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-10-30
Hope to Take Debating
Team on Cross Country
Trip to Pacific Coast

Debating activities will begin at
Colby college very early this week,
when the first year class in argu-
mont and debating. numbered over
fifty students, will be required to
present public debates in the college
chapel. while similar class among
the women of the college will be re
CURED to present public debates at
a little later date. In addition, a gen
eral invitation to all students in the
college will be given to try out for
the intercollegiate debating teams.
and from present indications more
than twenty five men will respond
to the first call. All told, more than
$50 students will, within a matter of
weeks now, be preparing briefs and
delivering debates.
The chapter of Pi Kappa Delta,
the national honorary forensic soci-
ETY. of which Colby is the only east
ern representative, is the one organi-
Zation whose chief work is that of
fostering all the public speaking in
tercsts of the institution. A meeting
of the members of this organization
will first be called at which the pro-
gram for the year will be carefully
considered. then will come the first
meeting of the Colby Debating So
ciety at which the officers will be
elected and the general program APP
proved and inferred upon.
This year regularly scheduled in
ter class debates will be held, one
between the sophOmores and juniors
and one between the juniors and the
seniors. This year too, for the first
time, the women of the college will
undertake intercollegiate debating
Tn speaking Of intercollegiate de-
batting for the year, Professor Her
bert c. Libby, head of the department
of Public Speaking said:
"Since our cross country debate
trip of last year, when Colby's team
travelled more than 5000 miles and
defeated six out of eight colleges de-
bated. l have received a great many
letters asking for return debates as
well as many letters from colleges
as far west as California, inviting
Colby to Joint debate. Ripon college
the members of whose team were SO
favorably impressed with the fine
spirit of our Colby men when they
visited us last year. has written us
most appreciative letter, stating
that team representing Ripon is
coming into New England and would
like to debate Colby. Undoubtedly
our pleasant relations with the Uni
vcrsty of Maine and with New
Hampshire State college will be kept
Up.
II can not yet state whether there
will be an extensive cross country
trip this year or not. I hope that il
may be possible as we have some
first class material here in college.
but the money necessary to finance
such a trip is the real problem. The
time is coming When Colby should
follow the practice of the western
colleges. having each student pay a
blanket tax, this tax to go to sup
port the various important student
organizations. With increr sing en-
phasis being given the country over
tc debating, il seems a little out of
joint with conditions as they should
be that the athletic interests of the
college should receive so large a tax
upon each student and the forensic
interest nothing. With the gift of
the new Stadium which brings an in
creased revenue to the Athletic AS
ISOLATION. or should bring an increas-
ed revenue, it would seem as though
a part Of the old tax might now be
diverted to the debating society. 1t
it is possible thing I want to sec
Colby team go through to the Pa
cific coast, and to this end / am
working. This means that we would
debate q number Of the larger col
leges enroute."