Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-02-13
GROOM STUDENTS
FOR 0RAT0RY PRIZE
Districts Schools Training
Candidates in Hope of
Capturing Honor.

With the prizes more attractive than
ever in the National oratorical con
test and with school rivalry for first
honors keener than ever before in the
annual competition. the high schools
of Washington are settling down in
earnest to the task OF producing a
winner for the District and the Ma
ton. The European tour on which
the seven national finalists will be
taken, sailing July 2 on the Leviathan,
will be longer than that of last year
and will include many unusual at
fractions
The great latitude permitted this
year in the choice Of subjects and
themes fits in SO perfectly with the
programs and aims of the public speak
ing, history and English departments
of the schools, that. according to mem
bers of the various faculty committees
on the contest, even more students OF
special talent and promise are includ-
ing work on the contest in their regu-
lar work than in preceding contests.
Change Contest Rules.
With this variation in the con-
tests rules" reports Miss Sue H. Gar
dener. head of Western Highs public
speaking department. many of my
pupils, whose programs would be
otherwise too fun to Permit extra
work on project of this sort. are now
able to give ii the necessary time and
thought along with their regular
work.
The faculty committee, headed by
Miss Rose Stutz, will be: Miss Isabel
Pickett, Miss Clara Stutz, Miss Sue
II. Gardener. Miss Elizabeth BesseZ
and Miss Alice Wood.
Central teachers are looking for
ward with especial interest to the de-
velopment of the themes this year,
advises Miss Hester f. McNelly, chair
man of that high schools oratorical
much variety in the subjects dis
cussed and thoughts brought out In
the papers, which will be handed to
the committee on March IA.
A group of 90 pupils in Central be-
gan their work for the 1921 contest
during, the Summer session OF 1875
and to that original group other con-
testants have been added. The library
there, as we'll as the Public Library
and it's branches. has been for SIX
months supplying the demands OF
Centralites-hungry both for knoWi-
edge concerning their governmental
institutions and for tour through
Europe Miss McNelly's committee is
composed of the following history and
English teachers: Miss Charlotte X.
Harrington. Mrs. Lola NJ. Hutchins,
Mrs. +. G.. koiouharoff, Miss Dorothea
F. Sherman and Edmund Moves.
Business Students Busy.
Business High School students,
under the leadership of Miss Cora Nc
Carty, chairman: Quincy Adams and
Miss Esther Galbraith of the contest
committee, are also half buried in
books on the Constitution and the
founders of the Government. The
business law class students there are
particularly enthusiastic contestants.
Eastern High Schools entrants have
been working on their orations for
more than two months under Miss
Kate D. Bucknam. chairman; Miss
Bertha D. Gardner, head of the Eng
lish department, and Isaac B. Simon,
physical training teacher
Mrs. E1da. B. Frost, oratorical con-
test chairman at Mckinley Manual
Training High School. and head of the
public speaking department there, an
ticipates larger number and higher
type of contestants this year than
ever before. ass
Contest Highly Praised.
The oratorical contest, together
with our open forum class meetings,
which 1ncluGe fmprOmptu electtoH
speeches form as practical an activity
as a school can enjoy" says Frank c.
Daniel. principal of Mckinley. II al
ways have maintained and still main
tain that the oratorical contest, aside
from its great effect upon the commu-
nifty, is one of the most common sense
and helpful events; from the stand
point of the individual contest, that
know Of"
Miss b. r. Moryck. English teacher
and oratorical contest chairman at
Armstrong High School, reports that
already her committee of five teach
ers have begun work on the elimina-
ton of contestants. Miss Moryck's
committee follows: j. Hunter. G.
Thomas, Miss G.. West, Mrs. NJ. Rubel
and DR.. H. Bailey.
Dunbar High Schools oratorical
contest committee, headed by DIR. Eva
Dykes, is holding meetings with con-
testants at which suggestions and
criticisms are given by the faculty
members, who are Sadie Daniel, Neval
Thomas, William Brewer, Mary H.
Skinner, Juanita Howard and Cyrus
Shipper.
sas~ mann ,I---