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THE II E S V E R I A N.
1
improve the debates. They will always do their very
best to defeat their gentleman opponent. Then too,
the boys will not enjoy having the girls tear their
argument all to pieces. Therefore, every one will do
better work. The Hesperian believes that there
arc girls in college that will make the best debators
on the other side, work hard to even hold their own.
Such students should not be excluded from the
society.
As much time should be given to the preparation
of a debate, as to the preparation of an oration for
an oratorical contest. In fact th debate should be
considered a contest. If the club is conducted prop
erly there is no reason why it will not be very bene
ficial to all those that participate in it. Let every
member of the club do their part faithfully, and it
will be conducted properly. It is for the members
to decide whether it is successful 01 not.
The managers of the national competitive drill
which is to be held in Omaha the third week in June,
are evidently afraid of the university's prize com
pany. They refused to let company "E" enter, on
the ground that it is a picked company. They had
no objection, however, to our entering one of the
regular companies. Consequently, we have decided
to send company "A", Of course the university
had rather send company "E." Since thai cannot
be done, we must make company "A" as efficient as
possible. Every cadet in the company should be
present at every drill. The whole company must
enter the work "fbr all there is in it," or there is no
use trying at all. Remember that the company
which wins will not have a "walk-a-way. Each
man in the company should be thoroughly familiar
with every movement in the "school of the com
pany''. The momemt a command is given, every
private in the ranks, if called upon, should be able
to explain it fully. If the company will only take
hold of the work in the right spirit, we may rest
assured that even company "A" will do credit to
itself and to the university as well.
The athletic contest to be held at Cushman Park,
May 7, promises to be the most interesting one held
for years. We have more and a better quality of
athletes than ever before. Many of them have been
in systematic training for a year. There is more
preparation being made fortius contest than was ever
made for any previous state contest. Not a few are
practicing after the sun goes down and expect to
take their opponents by surprise. In times past the
greater part of the preparation for like contests was
made the day before. The coming contest will be
one of endurance as well as skill. There are medals
tud gloiy ahead ihis year and eveiy athlete will do
his very best to win. Now, U is the duty of every
student to attend this contest and help keep the uni
versity at the head of Nebraska colleges in athletics.
The park is in good condition and every one will
have a pleasant time. Our success at the slate con
test depends upon the number and enthusiasm of
those who attend the local field day. Let in all lay
aside our other duties of that day and lurn out
en masse for our athletes.
A Communication.
As lo the article of T. V. A. Williams concerning the
local oratorical association, the first part of the article is
indiputablc "Rush," pure ami simple. Concerning the bal
ance, his conclusions arc in no way warranted by his
premises.
Mr. Williams hopes "for the sake of .he university" that
no one "will insinuate that our orators deserved dcleat." I
hope foi the sake of truth and common decency that, if our
orators cam no better place than the lowest round ol the lad
der, we shall be free to acknowledge that fact. Assuming
that Mr, Williams' figures as to the percentage of students
in the different colleges of the state who belong to heir
local oratorical associations arc true, it does not follow that
our literary students are less enthusiastic in such matters
than the literary students of those other colleges, nor
that more would join our local organization if we withdrew
Irom the state association and joined the northern league.
In fact there are strong reasons (or believing that the per
centage would be lessened. Oratorical associations, like col
lege papers, must depend largely on enthusiasm and "scraps"
to secure members If we withdraw from the state associa
tion, join the northern league, and take our turn in having
the league contest at Lincoln, il would hardly be held heie
more than once during the time any one would be a student
in the university; there would be but little incentive on that
score to join and many would not join who, as it is, do join.
The expense ol a trip to another state simply to witness a ,
contest is more than the most of us can bear. And there are
but few who have both the ability and inclination to pay
u oney to become a member ol an organization, the chief
feature ol which will be the opportunity to contribute money
to pay the expenses ol some delegate who shall have all the
fun. All this will tend to lessen enthusiasm and conse
quently membership. To balance all which, there i: but one
thing, namely, the high-sounding name of "The Northern
Oratorical League." It is plain then that our local oratorical
association, instead of being benefited, would be crippled, if
not altogether destroyed, by such a change as Mr. Williams
proposes.
Mr. Williams has overlooked the difference in character
of the several colleges in the s ate association. Only about
31 per cent, of the students in the state university last ye&r
were in the classical and literary courses; the balance were
special students or in the industrial college courses. These
colleges are well equipped with laboratories and other
facilities for study; the students in those courses are special
izing to a great extent and are justly quite indifferent whether
an oratorical association is maintained or not. The condi
tions are quite different in the other colleges belonging to
the association. Their laboratories are comparatively very
poor. A literary course is all they have; their business in
each case is to make preachers. Therefore it cannot be
properly expected that we should have as great percentage
of our whole student body in vhe local oratorical association
