Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-04-10
ORATORY CONTEST
IN HOME STRETCH
Janet Sheppard and George
L. MCCaIIum Winners in
Two Group Trials.

test Will swing into the nome stretch
In The Stars area this week, when
nine District contests will be staged
to determine the remaining contest.
ants in this newspapers finals, May 4
Virginia. the first district to choose
it's champion, is biding its time until
| the May date with John Bell, jr.
while the private and parochial schools
and the Maryland districts have just
emerged from the group phase of the
| contest. Two group competitions con
! Quoted simultaneously last night al
| the National Museum and at Corcoran
| Hall, George Washington University
| concluded the private and parochial
| group series. and the Maryland dis.
| trict ended It's group tests with the
meeting Friday night at Rockville.
| In the meantime the best orators of
| the Washington public high schools
| have been chosen through a series of
| elimination contests within the indi-
vidual buildings and these will launch
out into the public spotlight with
their finals. Tuesday and Thursday,
AS each Washington public high
school constitutes district" seven
of the scheduled district finals" will
be held those two days.
win Win Place I'm Finals.
One hundred dollars in cash, the
gift of The Star, will be the prize
awarded to each of the nine district
winners, who survive the week S
battles, and in addition to that con-
crete reward, a place in The Star
finals will be accorded each Of the
capable and fortunate young speech
makers.
The last two contenders for district
l. L -, Sktt,1 Iva
last nights battles--were Janet Shep-
pard, 16-year-old spokesman of the
Holton Arms School, and George l..
McCallum, 19-year-old orator from the
Dewitt Preparatory School, and each
of these victors defeated two opponents
in his contest.
Little Miss Sheppard's oratorical
ability comes as birthright, as she
Is the daughter of Norris Sheppard,
United States Senator from Texas,
who is himself considered an orator
with a golden tongue. Speaking on
BENJAMIN Franklin and the Consti-
tuition" Janet came within 40 seconds
of using the full ten minutes allowed
delivery time. Before the contest
meeting was called to order and in
the height of it's duration, she showed
absolutely no evidence of nervousness.
A wee little girl, Janet stood in the
center of the rather large auditorium
complete mistress of her tiny self,
strengthened, perhaps, by the line of
congressional battles from which her
father has emerged unscathed.
Defeated Two Boys.
The two boys whom she defeated
were George Kundahl. 18-year-old
senior of the Woodward School for
Boys, who spoke on THE Constitu-
tion," and who was awarded a very
close second by the jury, and Godfrey
Barber. IL years old, spokesman for
the Cathedral School for Boys, whose
subject was also THE Constitution"
Miss Sheppard's victory was the re-
suit of the composite decision of the
jury of picked members of the George
Washington University senior debat.
ing squad, and. as an innovation, an
the audience rated the contestants In
ever, had no bearing on the official
judges finding. Peculiarly enough,
the audience rated the cntestants in
the same order in which the jury had
scored them, but with a far greater
victory being given the little lady
from Texas. 1t happened that her
school chums came out in large sup
porting numbers, and-well, friends
will be friends!
Gilbert Hall. head of the public
speaking department of George Wash
ington, presided.
You see" Miss Sheppard explained,
my father succeeded his father as
a member of Congress, and / want to
succeed him. When / am graduated
from Holton Arms I will come right
here to George Washington and study
English. / want to do some writing
and more speaking and perhaps Eng
fish teaching"
Would Put Money i'm Bank.
When she was asked what she
would do with the 500 she has a
chance to win in the finals of her
district Wednesday. Janet considered
moment before she answered:
We'll, first of ALL I'd give SIS of it
to my little sister and the rest-1'd
put that in bank"
Miss Sheppard declared that she
had to exercise considerable discre-
possibility Of becoming involved polit-
ically.
This country is becoming such a
snob, you know, that one can't say
just anything without getting into
trouble" she remarked.
Verdict Is Acclaimed.
In selecting McCallum, a senior at
Dewitt, as winner of the contest in
the museum, the board of judges rem
dered a verdict that met with whole
hearted acclaim.
Speaking on THE Constitution and
It's Meaning Today" McCallurl won
well merited victory over two other
contestants. Though the winner
only was announced, second honors
in the balloting went to Charles e.
Murto, 17-year-old orator OF Gonzaga
High School, whose subject was THE
Constitution" The third young con-
testant was Miss Laura Murray of
Bridgeport, Conn, also II years old,
who represented Immaculate Semi
nary. Her subject was Jefferson and
the Constitution.
AS winner of this contest. Mccall.
lum has earned the right to partici-
pate in the private and parochial
schools district finals Wednesday
afternoon at o'clock in ST. Paul's
Academy, when the prize will be 500
and the privilege of entering The Star
area finals.
Nearly Up to Age Limit.
McCallum is q youth of 10 years,
gifted with personality and spirit.
Had he been born, in fact, on Jan
uary 81. 1903. instead of February 10,
his age would have eliminated him
from entering the oratory contest.
From the first 1t was apparent that
he had made a deep impression on
the judges for his ease and confidence
of -. al Ntxr 1;,ft