Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-06
DIRECTOR STUDIES
PREPAREDSPEECHES
Extemporaneous Topics Will
Aim to Test Contestants
knowledge of Subject.

Subjects for the eXtemp0raneouS
speeches of The Star flnalists, who will
strive Thursday morning for the right
to represent this zone in the national
contest, have been prepared at national
contest headquarters in The Star Build
ing, after careful consideration of the
prepared orations.
In selecting the topics for impromptu
development, Randolph Leigh, national
director of the contest, has studied
each speech with view to hitting on
subject which will test the con-
testant,s knowledge of the content of
his speech, yet fall clearly within his
chosen theme.
OF the IL finalists, but five have
participated in preliminary contests in
which extemporaneous addresses have
been required. although permitted at
discretion of school authorities in all
district finals. AS q consequence, these
five are expected to have q slight edge
| on their opponents in this feature
Thursday.
Five Districts Effected.
The five districts requiring extempo-
raneous speeches in their eliminations
were Central, Western, Eastern, Nc
Kinley Manual Training and Business
High Schools of this city. Each of the
local high schools is separate d.
vision in The Stars area and is en-
titled to representative in the zone
finals. other districts consist of the
private and parochial schools of Wash
ington and the nearby counties Of
Maryland and Virginia.
Mr.. Leigh took pains in his selection
OF extemporaneous topics to avoid those
assigned in earlier stages of the contest
Judging of the two sections of q con-
| testants grafton will differ slightly. The
| judges will be instructed that each ora
| tor is expected to limit himself to six
minutes in his prepared speech, and
that failure to do so will mitigate against
him, although he may be rated first II
he stops on the signal and his address
warrants 1t. In the case of an extempo-
raneous speech, however the judges will
be instructed to consider the calling OF
time while the contestant is still speak
ing as an indication that he is fully &C.
| quainted with his subject matter and
consequently q point in his favor. Nc
padding" however, will be, tolerated
| and If speaker fully develops his sub
| ject in less than the four minutes al
lotted he will be given full credit.
Topics Bear ON Speech.
The extemporaneous topics assigned
to contestants in district Examinations
are examples Of the relation that the
four-minute speech will bear to the first
part of the grafton.
At Central High School, Grifith john
son, who was chosen to represent the
school, spoke for six minutes on 1.-THE
| Constitution; a Symbol of the Ameri-
can Spirit, The extemporaneous SUBJ
| ject assigned him was "The American
| Spirit in Relation to Present Day OBJ
| stacles to World Union"
Other local high school winners who
| spoke extemporaneously and the SUBJ
| jects Of their six and four minute
| speeches, respectively. are:
David Akers Hill, Mckinley Manual
Training, Who Shall Modernize Our
| Constitution" and THE Effect of the
Dissenting Opinions of Justice Oliver
| Wendell Holmes ON the Modern Inter-
| probation Of the Constitution"
Edmund Gullian, Western, "John
Marshall and Federal Supremacy" and
| "Is Marshall's Conception of Federal
Government on Trial in 1892"
Dorothy Marie Zepp, Business, 1.-THE
Liberty Offered to the Foreigner by the
Constitution of the United States" and
THE Significance of the Designation
| of America as q Great Melting Pot"
Charles w. Hart, Eastern, THE Liv-
| ing Constitution" and How Does Our
Government Today Garry Out the Ex-
press Purpose of the Constitution to
Promote the General Welfare?"