STUDENTS IN DEBATE

Dominion, Volume 14, Issue 280, 20 August 1921, Page 3

STUDENTS IN DEBATE

THE PLUNKET MEDAL CONTEST. The fifteenth annual Plunket medal competition of the Victoria College Debating Society was held in the Town Hall last night. His Excellency the Governor-General and Lady Jellicoo were, present, and there was u large attendance of students and their friends. The judges were Mr. Justice Chapman and Messrs. G. Mitchell. M.P., and T. K. Cresswell. Af.A. The chair was taken by Mr. ’S. E. Wiren. chairman of the society. This contest was formed by the late Lord Plunket when he was Governor of New Zealand. The competitors are allowed to speak for not more than twelve minutes regarding any notable man or woman in history. •< There were six competitors last night—A. M. Cousins (Sir George Grey), H. J. Lewis (Napoleon Bonaparte), A. S. Tonkin (Rienzi), W. A. Sheat (Mazzini), J. AV. G. Davidson (William Aforris).. The five specchra all gave evidence of careful preparation and of serious study of the art of oratory. The speakers showed that the college debates Imd given them confidence in their capacity to address an audience from a platform and references to notes were infrequent. The standard of oratorical achievement was not very high; it might have been higher if the competitors had not cramped themselves within the limits of memorised periods. The judges had no hesitation in awarding Jthe medal to Air. Tonkin. They placed Air. Sheat second and. Air. Cousins third. In announcing this decision; .Judge Chapman said that the winner had gained points by keeping a good level of speech throughout his address. The judges wished to say that all the competitors had talked too fast. This was a fault that had been mentioned on other occasions. It appeared that they had prepared essays which would take fully twelve minutes to deliver, and had been compelled to hasten in order to avoid exceeding the time-limit. They would have done better if they had said less and allowed themselves more freedom. Lord Jellicoe presented the Plunket medal to the winner. He congratulated Mr. Tonkin on his success. He did not claim, he said, to be a judge of oratory —a subject that, was not taught in the Navy. But his judgment had coincided with that of the judges. He had been called upon during the last year to make very many speeches, and he had become convinced that sound rules were to "speak slowly, speak up, and shut up before people get tired." Tho proceedings terminated with the college song and the National Anthem.