Evening star., 1927-03-25
TWO ORATOR|CAL
CONTESTS TODAY
alexandria and Del Ray Stu
dents Compete for School
HOn0rS.

Two more school representatives in
the National Oratorical Contest com
petitions will be chosen today, when
the best orators of the Alexandria
High School and the George Mason
High School of Del Ray, Va, fight for
their respective school honors in a
lively contest in each of the schools.
While the Virginia schools and
some of the high schools of the pri-
vate and parochial district are Sc
lecting their spokesmen, the public
high schools Of the District of Colum-
bia are gradually wedding out their
orators in preparation for the final
selection. Western yesterday reduced
Its contestant field to six, and from
that small group viii be selected,
through competition April 6, its Dis
trict representative in The Star area
finals. The survivor of the six final
lists at Western will receive a cash
prize of 500 in addition to the right
TO compete in The Star finals May A..
Contest to Be Tonight.
The survivors of Westerns elimina-
tion contests are Dorothy Cook, Mar
garet Rupli, Helen Whitwell, Law
renee Ellsworth, Richard Greenwood
and Horace Torbert. jr.
The big fight at the George Mason
High School, of Del Ray, will be con-
Quoted in the school auditorium at s
O'Clock tonight. and an elaborate pro-
gram has been prepared to make the
affair a gala event. Rev. John S.
Sower, pastor of the Potomac Baptist
Church, will preside, and the burden
of selecting the schools representa-
rive in the Alexandria group finals
Monday night rests upon the follow
Gng judges: William Kleysteuber,
mayor of Potomac, Va; Walter c..
Stone. attorney in the Department of
Justice, and Rev. W. V. Miller Of Alex
Rndria.
One girl and three boys will be the
combatants. and they, with their re-
Spective orations in the order in
which they will speak, are: Clarence
Hawkins, on Jefferson and the Con-
stitution"; Margaret Shephardson, on
Americas Contribution to Constitu-
tfonal Government" Harmon Francis,
on John Marshall and the Constitu-
tion," and David Myers, on ''Virginia's
Contribution to the Constitution.
Musical Program Planned.
The musical program will include a
piano solo by Miss Mabel King of the
Mount Vernon Elementary School fac
ulty. and vocal solo by Miss Elnor
Nelchior, English instructor at the
George Mason High School. The mu-
eical numbers are to lessen the ten
sion while the ballots are being count
ed. Rev. w. r. Hardesty of the Po-
tomac Methodist Church will close the
contest meeting with a prayer of bene-
diction. Students and their parents,
and as many outsiders" as the audi
forum will accommodate, will COM
prise the audience.
The finals at the Alexandria High
School are being held during the regu-
lar school hours today, with the stu
dent body and the general public as
witnesses. The judges of that contest
are r. c. Bowton, superintendent of
the Alexander schools; Miss Harriet
teachers, and Charles Henry Smith
of the Virginia State Legislature.
Seven in Competition.
Seven contestants are being heard
IN the following order Viola Barrett.
ON THE Meaning of the Constitution
caroline Kreutner, on "The Constitu-
kion"; Ella Dodson, on 'The Consti-
tuition; Waller Smith, on "The Con-
stitution and It's Amendments; Jack
Donothan, on Americas Contribution
to Constitutional Government; Rob-
ert Woods, on James Madison and
the Constitution" and Herbert Fran
CTS, on George Washington and the
Constitution.
A musical program viii complete
the atmosphere of the contest.
The winners at today's meetings in
the two Virginia schools will compete
Monday night in the Alexandria High
School auditorium, with Jennie A.
Ward of the Lee-Jackson High School
of Alexandria, who won her school
finals last week, and John Oscar Bell
jr., of the Washington-Lee High
School, who won his school honors
"Wednesday night. The successful
contestant in the Alexandra group
meeting will be entitled to compete on
April in the Virginia district finals,
which gives to its winner a cash prize
of 500 and the right to compete in
The Star area finals May for an ad-
ditional 5000 and the two-and-a half
month tour of Europe.