Show WI t DEBATING r I 1 t Jf- Jf j t j s Editor Chronicle Chronicle- J Dear Sir Sir I In a r recent cent issue of the Chronicle I noticed a short article artile suggesting suggesting suggest suggest- 1 ing inn the organization of a Triangular Debating League with League with Utah at atone atone on one corner corne and two of the four large Colorado Institutions at the J others Doubts were expressed in that article to to the success of s such ch oJ League League because because of the distance from Salt Lake Lak City to these other in in- in I Feeling especially interested in University debating and ana seeing no force in said doubt I submit the following to your consideration con con- the the same you can use as you see fit College Debating has and always will be more or less attractive both from fromi a civic and a student standpoint For the contestant there contestant there 13 is a training which can be obtained in no other way The preparing for one debate a student receives more actual training training training-in in the realms of hard study and investigation than investigation than in a full year s course in the average subject For once once once-he he is compelled t to go down to the Fhe very sources sources for for his material material gathering gathering together in a conglomerate mass rt information from a hundred authors Then comes the assorting and analyzing analyzing analyzing an an- 1 of material pruning material pruning out all but that which bears closely upon t the subject What remains is a great many individual facts fact which facts which to together together together to- to gether cover as far as possible the entire field of the subject Knowing then the breadth of the question the contestant begins his work upon the fi skeleton or outline of his argument All of this is done preparatory to j the trial contests If he is successful and makes the talk he soon I this point through point through the many conferences with professors and prominent prominent prominent nent citizens the trial debates and lastly the night of the contest For two months he has worried and worked over the question question boiling boiling paragraphs into sentences and se sentences into into words He has but a afew afew few minutes so that each moment is IS ultra precious and he lie must guard I j word word lest lest it disclose weakness in which it a his argument against which his opponents can direct their keen sharp rebuttals He must say enough to cin clinch h a point an and yet yet has to be careful lest he lie dwell to too long 1 upon a self evident proposition These and a thousand other difficulties difficulties ties face him in the course of those few minutes and it is the mastering of these self-same self difficulties that comprise the untold value of debating k Among the Eastern universities debate is very prominent Penns Penn's double victory in the triangle last year was her great victory There r is considerable difference in the style and methods between the Eastern I and Western Universities with the choice being a matter of personal r I preference The rhe debaters here are cool quiet and easy in their speech speech- being well collected and careful before the judges as a well-trained well lawyer before the court There is no spirit no spread no no v r flight of high toned oratory but a simple heart to heart talk talk between between the speaker and the audience The judges too are very strict and their decision rests entirely upon whether or not the affirmative proved their Y i case No matter how poorly the negative n might ight do if the affirmative j has failed to what they set out to the decision E prove prove the prove goes goe against them J. J Debating at the University of Utah las always occupied a prominent prominent J nent place among the student activities and thanks to Air Mr Roylance r 4 Mr 1 Reynolds Miss 1 Babcock and the many others who have so generously generously generously gener gener- i given their time and attention to developing good teams Utah has been very successful in her inter-collegiate inter contests With the gi giving ving of the challenge class debates made possible through the 0 generosity and spirit of pf Mr Cummings and the 96 College Class it i iwas tc was hoped that a new impetus would be given debating and from all f appearances those hopes are being realized What is now needed is a i definite debating league in which Utah can contest for the Rocky fi L Mountain 1 States Championship 1 The oldest and most successful debating league in the United j iv States is the Triangular League comprised of Pennsylvania Cornell Z and Columbia The idea is very simple and its success has proved its t f j e efficacy cac There is in the first place a definite governing body which consists consist MAX i of a representative from each University One of these is selected secretary of the League and thru him all correspondence between the t tF F different institutions passes About the middle of November these F representatives meet meet each each having with him two questions a first an and J second choice which his university thinks proper for debate This k however could be done just as well b by mail The The questions are turned over to the secretary who opens them and announces to the representatives r. r I tives whether h ther there are a any duplications It It al almost ost invariably happens y that this is IS the case and if two of the universities have submitted ted the I same question it becomes the subject for debate the preference ot of course being given to the first choice choice in in case there be duplications in both first and second l. l Should it happen that no duplication occurs r then the make of t the three first choices and representatives a copy e re report report report re- re f. f port them to their respective institutions Within a week each in institution institution in- in r i if foi forwards wards to the secretary of the league their first second and third choices of the three questions and he after determining the quest question question ques ques- t tion ion receiving the greatest number of votes vote notifies the various debate r y councils The wording of the question is then settled by mail I f The question having been agreed upon each university begins its z rr t trials for the teal teams ls There beil being g three universities universities each each debates b both both th r sides of the question the same night and night and therefore has both a negative t 1 and affirmative team It is the e established rule that the affirm affirmative tive team s. s debates at home while the negative Z always goes away For instance instance- h last year Pennsylvania's affirmative team debated Columbia's Columbia s negative team at Philadelphia while her negative team journeyed to Ithaca to toa a debate Cornell's affirmative team and Cornell's negative team went to v N New cw York to meet Columbia's affirmative team icam All of the debates take i f place the same night r rf 1 I. I I 1 i r ri i i Why can not a similar league be formed between Utah University j of Colorado and Colorado College Each university could bear the expense ex ex- Ii I q pense of her own o teams teams as is done here or h has s been our custom at Utah or let each university bear the expense of its home debate Salt Lake 1 City Cily will support one debate a year in good style and there is no nOr reason r why the same cannot be done elsewhere Such a league would be a a most potent factor in creating public interest in the outcome and it would be a great step in in placing debating upon th the sa same high and dignified dignified dig dig- plane that exists in these larger eastern universities f i DANIEL ALEXANDER 06 ARTS i J tJ r 1 t i J T v r y wp r j r. r 13 I f J t j 1 i H t There was S a Q guy named eser- eser j er 7 4 L M J H He wrote te books book r A Ai e ero ro galore ore S' S s t. t i o On his old Gallic war J f i l' l And left them for us J t TV U i s I Th Ifie e 0 old Jd e j ge ser per J 2 Xv c t 0 l j. j |