Evening star., 1927-04-14
Boy Certain to Win.

having either a boy-maj jority in its
finals, May 4, or, depending upon the
results Of the contests to be staged
this afternoon and at Eastern High
School tonight, an equaliZed bOy-and-
girl group of contestants for the Eu-
ropean trip and the additional $500.
A girl, Bessie Cush of Notre Dame
Academy, won the private and paro-
ch.al school district finals at st. Paul's
Academy yesterday afternoon, and
the women" received another ally
this morning when Ethefwyn Hine
won the Central High School finals.
Lucius Robinson Of the Dunbar High
School gave the boys another entry
in The Star finals when he defeated
four orators in his school finals, held
this morning.
At Eastern Tonight.
With four boys and three girls COM
peting tonight at Eastern High School,
the institution which has produced
winners in previous oratorical con-
tests the boys have the best chances
to take lead.
Boys are favored-in numbers, at
least-at Armstrong High School also,
where another final contest is being
staged this afternoon.
II
tonight will be enlivened by a con-
cert by the Powell Junior High School
Orchestra, band of youngsters from
| 10 to Is years of age, who will be
directed in the absence of George K.
| Hurt, their Instructor, by little Meyer
Rather, student musician. Cheers and
school yells by the supporters Of the
speakers from the several quarters
Of contesting Maryland will lend at
mosphere, too, to contest that
promises to have unusually keen com.
| petition.
Has Rich Voice.
Ethelwyn Hine, the Central High
School champion. who won with her
Grafton on "Hamilton's Contribution
to the Constitution" at the school
finals this morning, was the third con-
testant to take the platform. Like
so many, of the girl winners, Miss
Hine possesses a rich voice of excel
| lent carrying quality. She was COM
plete master of herself as she stood
before some 5000 fellow students and
few intermingled parents to eXpound
| her belief in the Constitution.
| Marjorie Shaw was awarded second
| place by the jury, composed of Judge
| Mary O'Toole Of the Municipal Court,
Rabbi Abram Simon of the ighth
| Street Temple and George Jones. head
of the advisory department OF the
| Washington public schools. Miss
| Shaw will be alternate for Miss Hine
| in The Star finals. should the winner
of first place be unable to deliver her
| speech at that time.
| Miss Hine is the daughter of Ed
ward S. Hine, 1864 Harvard street,
and she is ambitious to convert her
! Aa1
However, Ethelwyn realizes the ply
sical drain such labors exact of the
missionary, and should her health
| prove incapable of standing that
work she will devote her efforts to
writing, she said this morning.
For College Course.
Like other District winners, Miss
Hine won 500 by her victory, and she
said she will use that fund either
toward her college education-which,
by the way, she intends to pursue at
the American University-or in the
| purchase of books, for, as she said to-
day, Of reading and education they
are both the same, aren't they?"
The Central High School Orchestra,
under the direction of II. =. Hoover,
faculty director, contributed lively
tunes to the program which accom-
panied the oratorical contest this
morning Alvin w. Miller, principal,
was chairman, and in his opening
remarks, he characterized the assem-
bly, as "a momentous occasion for
Central" Following the contest and
the announcement of the winners, Mr..
Miller said, in his office. that although
nothing definite is under way at this
time for such a program, it is not
unlikely that in the future, the writ
ing of oratorical speeches will be
made a part of the regular school
curriculum.
Crowd Backs Champion.
Bessie Cush, the champion of the
private and parochial school district,
has fought and won through the Varl-
Gus elimination and semi-final contests
with a marvellous support of her fel-
low acadenicians. Through the last
contest at Notre Dame, when the
banner bearer for that school was
still undetermined, this 17-year-old
vice president Of the senior class neld
the main support of the student body.
When she iourneyed out to the group
contest at CASTOR Hall, Georgetown
| University, scores of her loyal friends
| trooped out after her-in the rain ana
! all-and yesterday, when she met her
crucial test in the district tlnals, her
old crowd was there with its hearten-
ing applause.
Miss Cush was the third speaker on
the program of contestants, and her
Grafton on "The Constitution de-
livered with all the fire, flash and de-
termination of the lawyer she hopes
to be, defeated three speeches that
made mighty strong competition.
Janet Sheppard, the wee entrant from
Holton Arms School, and the daughter
Of Senator Morris Sheppard of Texas,
was given second place in the honors
by the jury of nine, for her address
on "Franklin and the Constitution.
The other contestants for the private
and parochial district championship
were: George L. McCallum, on The
Constitution and Its Meaning To-
day" and John Edgar Chadwick, on
The Constitution"
Real Contender for Honor.
The diminutive Janet Sheppard was
the first speaker Of the crack contest
ing field. and although her smooth
modulated voice was the first to test
the powers of an auditorium strange
to the youthful speakers, she was as
calm and self-possessed as a little
Joan of Arc. She talked for 9 and a
quarter minutes of her allotted time,
and when she had coEcluded every