University of Texas at Austin

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University of Texas Bulletin No. 2728: July 22, 1927 THE LITERARY SOCIETIES TRAIN FOR PUBLIC SPEAKING: DEBATE, ORA TORY, AND COMRADESHIP By ELL WOOD GRISCOM, JR. PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY FOUR TIMES A MONTH. AND ENTERED AS I---==---.,---------~ SECOND-CLASS MATTER l\T THE POSTOFFiCE AT AUSTIN, TEXAS, UNDER THE ACT OF AUGUST 24. 1912 "And I think most of us will agree that when we look back that the most real thing in our college life was not the lecturing and the lessons-very much of that stuff could very well have been done in the schooling state-but the arguments of the debating so-ci~ty, the discussions that broke out in the classrooms or the laboratory, the talks in one's own room about God and religion, about the state and freedom, about art, about every possible and impossible relation ship."-H. G. Wells in The Salvaging of Civilization. The active socie ies on the campus are the Athaenaeum, Hogg, Ramshorn, Rusk, Speakers, and Texonian. They have for their purpose the development of friendships and the promotion of inter-society and inter-collegiate forensics. The home of the ma-jority of the societies is in the basement of the Law Building, where each society meets regularly each week and gives an open program to the public followed by a closed business session. The man with an interest in forensic things will be heartily welcomed by the societies. The student who is in any way interested in public speaking activities should by all means join a society. In order to become a member you should come to the get-ac-quainted stag mixers, attend some of the programs, or - visit some of the societ ies on regular meeting nights. If you are invited to become a member, you will be pledged, and, after a probation period, elected to full membership. Organization The Public Speaking activities of the University are under the general charge of the Oratorical Association, the Committee on Forensics and Oratory, and the Forensic Council. The Oratorical Association consists of the literary societies and other student organi-zations that are from time to time recognized as eligible for membership in the asso-ciation by the Forensic Council. The Forensic Council consists of the Chairman of the Department of Public Speak-ing, the Coach of Debate, the President of the Students' Assembly, all the intercollegiate debaters eligible to debate and all the presidents of the societies. The Forensic Council exercises executive, legislative, and advisory powers. Intercollegiate Debate The University of Texas usually arranges an international debate with Oxford Uni-versity or Cambridge University of England or an Eastern or Western trip annually. Four intercollegiate debates are usually arranged in the Missouri Valley Debate Confer-ence with such institutions as the Universities of Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Drake. A triangular debate between the University of Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas is usually arranged in the spring of each year. Other intercollegiate debates may be arranged from time to time. The winners in the final intercollegiate debate tryouts who actually participate in intercollegiate contests are eligible to election in Delta Sigma Rho, honorary forensic fraternity and are eligible to the prizes awarded in debate, aggregating $225, offered by Hon. H. J. Lutcher Stark, of Orange, Texas. Intercollegiate Oratory The University of Texas is a member of the Missouri Valley Oratorical Association, which holds its annual contests in March of each year. The Hon. H. A. Wroe, of Austin, Texas, offers a cash prize of $100 in oratory to the winners of the University Oratorical Contest. The representative of the University who participate in the intercollegiate contest is eligible to the first prize and to election to Delta Sigma Rho, honorary forensic fraternity. Battle of Flowers Oratorical Contest.-A cash prize of $100 is usually offered by the Battle of Flowers Association of San Antonio, Texas. The winner of the local con-test is invited to speak at the annual luncheon of the Battle of Flowers Association in San Antonio, on April 21. The oration should be appropriate for such an occasion. Nationai Intercollegiate Oratorical Contest.-The University representative to this contest is selected in the spring of each year. The subjects are limited to the Consti-tution or the relation thereto of certain enumerated early American statesmen. Intersociety Debates Each of the men's literary societies participate in a series of intersociety champion-ship debates in the first semester and in a second series of intersociety championship debates the second semester. In addition to the championship debates, a series of fresh-men intersociety debates are held in the second semester. Each series consists of three rounds of debates. In each round, each society is represented by two teams, an affirma-tive and a negative composed of two speakers each. Any undergraduate who has not par-ticipated in intercollegiate debate at the University of Texas is eligible. All debaters who participate in the first series of championship debates are ineligible to participate in the second series of championship debates for that year, but may participate in intersociety debates the next year. Freshmen are eligible to championship debates. Only freshmen are eligible to freshmen debates. The constructive argument is limited to ten minutes and the rebuttal to five minutes. The intersociety debates may be held any time during the week ending on the date indicated on the forensic calendar. The president of the society whose affirmative team is debating is charged with the duty of conferring with the president of the team from the visiting society concerning the selection of judges. Each debate is to be judged by three judges. The report of the results of each debate should be recorded on the bulletin board. The first series of championship debates will be held on the same question which the Forensic Council selects for the first inter-collegiate debate tryout. The second series of championship debates will be held on the same question which the Missouri Valley Debate Association selects for intercollegiate debate. The freshmen intersociety debates will be held on the same question which the Interscholastic League has adopted for the current year. lntersociety Oratory An intersociety oratorical contest is usually held each year. An extemporaneous speaking contest is usually held each year. Freshman Declamation Two annual contests in declamation are held, one for the men and one for the women. Mrs. S. B. Roberdeau, of Austin, offers in memory of Dr. E. P. Wilmot, two prizes of $25 each, one for the first pla.ce in the men's contest, and one for the first place in the women's contest. The University Cooperative Society offers $15 worth of books to each of the winners of second place. FORENSIC CALENDAR FOR 1927-192~ September. Meeting of Forensic Council. October 15, Saturday. Submit names for intercollegiate debate tryouts. October 15, Saturday. Meeting of debaters and drawing for sides. October 8, Friday. First preliminary tryout for intercollegiate debate. October. Meeting of Forensic Council. November 5, Saturday. First round of intersociety debates. November 12, Saturday. Second round of intersociety debates. November 15, Tuesday. Cambridge-Texas intercollegiate debate. November 17, Thursday. Second preliminary for intercollegiate debate. November 19, Saturday. Third round of intersociety debates. November. Meeting of Forensic Council. December 14, Wednesday. Final intercollegiate debate tryout. 1928 January. Meeting of Forensic Council. January 14, Saturday. Select entrants for intersociety oratorical. January 17, Tuesday. Preliminaries for intersociety oratorical. January 19, TJ-.m·><day. Intersociety Oratorical Contest. ---l4bruarY---J.4-,- :- uesda-y. Meeting o.f Forensic Council. February 15, Wednesday. Final date for entering Wroee Oratorical. February 17, Friday. Preliminaries for Wroe Oratorical. February 20, Tuesday. Wroe Oratorical Contest. February 23, Thursday. Final date for entering freshman declamation. February 24, Friday. First round of Missouri Valley debates. February 28, Tuesday. Preliminary freshman declamation contest. March. Meeting of Fore!lsic Council. March 6, Tuesday. Final freshman declamation contest. March 9, Friday. Second round of Missouri Valley debates. March '10, Saturday. First round of intersociety debates. March 16, Friday. Missouri Valley Oratorical Contest. March 17, Saturday. Second round of intersociety debates. March 23, Friday. Submit names for extemporaneous speaking contest. March 24, Saturday. Third round of intersociety debates. March 27, Tuesday. Preliminary extemporaneous speaking contest. March 28, Wednesday. Final extemporaneous speaking contest. March 31, Saturday. Submit names for Battle of Flowers Oratorical. April. Meetin~ of Forensic Council. April 5, Thursday. Preliminary Battle of Flowers Oratorical. April 7, Saturday. First round of freshmen intersociety debates. April 12, Thursday. Battle of Flowers Oratorical Contest. April 14, Saturday. Second round of freshmen intersociety debates. April 21, Saturday. Third round of freshmen intersociety debates. April 27, Friday. National Oratorical Conte.st on the Constitution. May 7, Monday. Final date for handing in Bryan Essays. 

The Literary Societies Train for Public Speaking: Debate, Oratory, and Comradeship

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The Literary Societies Train for Public Speaking: Debate, Oratory, and Comradeship

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