Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-04
STUDENT ORATORS
PREPARE FOR TEST
Hundreds in Stars Area En-.
gagged in Work Preliminary
to National Contest.

competition III the SIKH National Ora
tortcal Contest in The Stars area rap
Idly is being whipped into concrete
form with most of the participants en-
gagged in preparatory study of the various
aspects Of the Constitution or in the
writing OF first draft of their contest
speeches.
Twenty-one subjects have been Of
fered by the national officials of the
contest this year. Each offers ample
opportunity for the expression of origi-
nal thought in the 10-minute orations
with which the Student-speechmaker
will bid for national honors. Only the
unspectacular sort of intense prepara-
ton which now is under way in the So
secondary schools Of the District of CO.
lumbia, Maryland and Virginia which
so far have been enrolled in the contest.
can produce acceptable brief addresses
on these subjects.
Variety of Subjects Offered.
Among the topics which will be dis
cuSSed in the various stages of the con-
test this year are The Value of Politi-
cal Parties in the Functioning of the
Constitution. The Influence of the Veto
Power of the President" Advantages
of Rigid Over a Flexible Constitution
for the American People" 1.-THE Treaty
making Power" THE Influence of the
Doctrine of Implied Powers as Enumer-
ated in the McCulloch VS.. Maryland De-
cision" and 1.-THE Expansion of the Con-
stitution in the Regulation of Business"
Other proffered subjects include The
Constitution in the Daily Life of the
Individual" Personalities in the Con-
stitutienal Convention - The Constitu-
ton a Guarantee of the Liberty of the
Individual" The Citizen-His Privi-
legeS and His Duties Under the Constitu-
tion," The Expansion of Federal Power
Since the Civil War;" Our influence
Upon Other FederaliSrns," The Federal
Appointive Power" THE influence of
the President Upon Legislation" Lin
coin and the Constitution" Cleveland
and the Constitution" Roosevelt and
the Constitution. Wilson and the Con-
stitution." Influence of the Civil War
Upon the Constitution" and Amend
mentS to the Constitution"
Not the least active in their prepare
ton for the coming clashes of the con-
test are students in Washington's public
high schools. Fifty volunteer contest
ants already are active at Central High
School and some of these began their
general research work at the close of the
school year last June; Centrai'S flnalistS
in last years conteSt-one of whom won
the championship of this area and the
Summer tour of Europe-have been
graduated, but several of the current
contestants are veterans of last years
eliminations Miss Hester McNelly is
chairman of the schools faculty contest
committee again this year. The Central
students manuscripts are to be COM
pleted by March IL and two of that
schools elimination meets will. be held
S,,- k.o<l %lam han ~ hn 70 tor
holidays. y CentraYs champion will be
chosen about week or two before The
Star area finals, April IS.
Many Active at Business High.
Two classes in American history ct
Business High School are having writ
ten contest work assigned to them as
regular classwork this semester, SO that,
with the volunteers. entrants from that
school will be more than 100. The
manuscripts in this assignment are to
be completed by March |, after which
eliIninations will be staged in groups for
the purpose of reducing the contestant
field TO the best oratorical material the
school has. Miss Cora McCarty of the
history department Is chairman of the
faculty contest committee at Business
Fourteen students so far are enrolled
at Western High School, where the CON-
test work is under the faculty COM
niittee direction of Miss Rose Stutz.
The participants at Western are holding
preparatory debates and discussions on
the relative merits of the Constitution
and other forms of government in their
Constitution Club meetings.
Miss Kate Bucknam of the history
department is faculty committee chair
man at Eastern High School this year
It was Under her direction that Eastern
has produced two Star final champions
and other finalists who ranked high in
the local area final scale. Among East
erns contestants this year is young
Charles Hart. son Of the principal of
that school, The son has accompanied
his father to the national finals and
international finals since his elementary
school days, and he is highly enthusiast
tic about giving Eastern its third area
champion this year.
: Mckinley High School has no less
than $50 students entered in the con-
test This number includes two his
tory classes and number of public
speaking students at the school, all
of whom are doing their work under
Miss Eda B. Frost, public speaking
instructor, and again chairman of the
faculty committee. Techs contestant
field includes Victor Jaffe who last
year won the championship at that
school.
Armstrong High Enrolis 200.
With the assignment of contest sub
ject study ana speech preparation as
class work to the history, civics and
economics classes taught by Charles
M. Thomas, Armstrong High School
has enrolled 200 students in the contest
this year Even before the class assign
ment was made the first of this month,
however, Armstrong; students were ac-
tive in their preparation for the con-
test. Mr.. Thomas is chairman of the
faculty committee.
Forty students at Dunbar High are
enrolled to date in their school under
the faculty leadership of j. N. Hill.
These participants are meeting regu-
larly with their faculty committee for
advice and criticism.
The Cardozo High School, Wash
ington's newest senior high school, is
going into the contest whole-hearted-
ly Mrs. M. H. Skinner, teacher of
English and chairman of the faculty
contest committee, Is making contest
subjects regular class assignments so
that $50 students actually are engaged
in the preparatory work,