Evening star., 1928-03-27
GIRL ORATOR WINS
IN MARYLAND TEST
Mary Hardy Takes Initial
Contest on Birthday-RoCk-
vile Speeches Tonight.

NiSS Mary Eugenia Hardy. speaking
Ear the Tskoma Silver Spring High
School, was adludsed winner III the
initial eroup meeting 81 the Marylal d
district in The stars area Of the Fifth
National Oratorical Contest, held last
night IN the auditorium OF the HyattS-
vile High School.
Delivering her Grafton on The De
velopment Of the Constitution with a
calm deliberateneSs which contraSted
effectively With the rapid speech Of her
four opponents, Miss HARDY became the
frat Official contender for the Maryland
district championship b. winning the
VntA az the fury Of Ave Judges, And
ShA ala Il all on heI biz thday, too. fer
ynsteTiay was her fifteenth birthday
ean'cerSsry Consequently the award
az sac which she won with her victory
constituted a sort Of present for her
The second group meeting Of the
Maryland district in the contest viii be
held at o'clock tonight in the Rock
VIE High School, when six more school
winners will compete for the second
plsee in the Maryland finals contestant
field.
Speaks 20 Limit,
In her victorious speech last night
Miss Hardy. who by the way, is the
-.
used all but 10 seconds Of the officially
allowed 10 minutes for the delivery of a
contending grafton. TimekeeperS ana
others of the audience who were inter
eSted in that element Of the Takoma-
Silver Spring entry'S bid for victory
watched their timepieceS with anxious
intensity as nine minutes sped by.
Then. when only 10 seconds remained.
Miss Hardy as though entirely obliviouS
to times fight. brought her speech TO a
graceful yet firm close,
Hers was an Grafton bearing the evil
dence of careful study and original
thinking. There seemed in ii little of
the textbook memorizing, but. on the
contrary, a thorough appreciation Of
the trend in national life today She
appealed for continued respect for the
traditions that have grown up with
American history, for reverence for the
Nations patriots and she condemned
the 'no6erns' who would tear down
the traditions and pTeCepts without ap-
pyeciaring them. Mary's gestures, while
not many. entered her speech 10 enforce
ideas which she was expressing, and
while they are not yet the gestures of
district champion or national cham
plon. Miss Hardy in all probability will
be a sturdy contender for the higher
is called upon for further battle
Although victory went TO the Takoma-
Silver Spring contestant. there we're
other oTatlons on the program which
gave the judges food for serious con-
Sideration in selecting a winner Miss
F. Iris Thompson who came 10 this
locality all the way from Texas to enter
the Maryland Park High School. which
she represented in the meet last night.
won second place with her Grafton on
THE Constitution-Its Present Mean
ing" Miss Thompson was the first
orator 10 speak. and while her bid was
not rated highest by the jury. her
speech. particularly IN its content, was
admirable.
Other Contestants Close.
Then there was Miss Margaret o.
Oloenburg, the Hyattsville entrant. who
came In third with her speech on The
Development Of the Constitution "
Urged on by the vibrant cheers Of her
fellow students, Miss OldenbuTg made a
gallant effort 70 capture the honors to-
ward which Miss Hardy, the third
speaker, had made sucn sturdy progress.
Other speakers on the program were
Clark Adams Of the FairIand High
School, slight chap. whose rapid-ire
voice rang out in high pitch from the
moment he began hts Grafton until he
hsc concluded 1t. If he had relaxed
his voice at times or varied its express
sion-but the judges placed him third,
and there are other years for him 10
compete again William John Thomas,
spokesman for the Sherwood High
School OF Sandy Spring completes the
field Of last nights starters Somehow.
young Thomas spoke for only three and
q half minutes. bat that was his STRAIT