98 STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



sisted origiually of A. L, Peterson, H, E. Hemans, and S. M. Powell ; but 

 the sickness of Mr. Hemans necessitated that his place be taken by Mr. L. 

 F. Keely, the alternate. The alternate of the negative team was H. H. 

 Every. It is a high honor to the men named above to have represented 

 their alma mater in debate. It has been my experience, not only in 

 Michigan Agricultural College, but in the two other institutions in which 

 I have taught, that students who represent their college in debate will 

 later be found to be among the most able and most influential of its 

 graduates. Many a student has said that in preparing for an intercol- 

 legiate debate he has received training in investigation, in analysis, and 

 in rigorous thinking which has meant more to him than any regular 

 course which he has taken during his college career. He receives, like- 

 wise, the discipline which comes from actual oral presentation of his 

 argument before judges and in the presence of wary and skillful oppo- 

 nents. Such discipline is frequently found to be invaluable as preparation 

 for life. 



The George E. Lawson Essay Contest was won by Mr. Fred Henshaw. 

 Mr. Henshaw's essay was entitled Jazz and Bolshevism. It discussed 

 in an informal manner the spirit which underlies "bolshevism" in 

 politics "jazz" in music, "free verse" in poetry, "cubism" in art, and 

 other manifestations of license and revolt. This year the maximum 

 length allowed for essays Avas raised to twenty-five hundred words, since 

 it was felt that the limitation heretofore in effect had sometimes hamp- 

 ered the contestants and led to over-condensation, with a resulting stiff- 

 ness of style. 



The Euuomian-Holcad prize of |25.00, offered annually for the best 

 stoiy or poem of the year, was won by Priscilla Proseus. Her manu- 

 script was a story entitled The Tale of Elizaheth Ann. The second prize 

 was won by Margaret Himmelein. Her manuscript was a story en- 

 titled A Man of Title. The third prize was awarded to R. S. Clark for 

 a poem. The Rime of the Rustic Plowman. Mr. Clark has the distinction 

 of having won first place in this contest in two former years. 



Two other extra-curriculum activities supervised by members of the 

 department w^ere the commencement pageant and the commencement 

 ])lay. This year's pageant was attended by so many hundreds of people 

 and was so well reported in the press that without doubt all members of 

 the Board are somewhat familiar with it. Credit for the planning of 

 this pageant and for the general supennsion of it in all its various 

 features should be given to Mrs. Eoseboom. Much credit is also due to 

 those members of various departments of the college who were in charge 

 of the different phases of the pageant, and to the several hundred stu- 

 dents who took part and to whose loyal cooperation and support the 

 ultimate success of the project was due. 



The performance of the commencement play was unfortunately cut 

 short immediately after the first scene by rain. The play selected was 

 The Comedy of Errors, and the place the usual one — the Forest of Ardeii. 

 The audience was the largest which has ever assembled to see one of 

 our commencement plays. The opening scene was acted with a spirit 

 which showed that under the direction of Professor King the Dramatic 

 Club was prepared to give a really notable performance of the comedy. 



To all members of the department I wish to express my sincerest ap- 

 preciation of the interest which they have shown in the students under 



