The M . A . C . RECORD . The M . A . C . RECORD WILLIAM

T h e annual oration contest between the nine colleges of the state took place at Kalamazoo on Friday, March 5th. In this contest the Agricultural College was represented by Miss Shirley: May Gardner and C. ] . Oviatt. The ladies' contest was held in the afternoon, and was won by the representative of Hillsdale College with an oration entitled '-'The Octopus of Greed." Tha t judges may differ is indicated by the fact that the representatives of bur faculty, who were present, placed this oration next to the last, our own contestant being disregarded bv them in making u p their conclusion. T h e women's contest was so great a success that its continuation becomes assured by this year's event. Miss Gardner 's oration was spoken of as "brilliant" by one of the Kalamazoo papers. She certainlv was a worth v representative of our college. Considering the fact that six weeks before the contest she had . not thought of the title of her ora tion, not knowing that 'she was to contest, her performance was little short of wonderful. The men's contest in the evening' was magnificent. T h e audience numbered 2,000. T h e display of college spirit in veils, songs, cheers, and unanimous support was almost unequalled. Without doubt the orations were the best ever given at a Michigan contest. This contest was won by Albion, which college won both men's and women's contests last vear. Their orator was easily one of the three or four who stood at the top, and whether he was to win or some other of this number was largely a matter of the type of mind dominant in the judges. The audience agreed heartily with the decision. In this instance our faculty representatives had reached a conclusion in harmonv with the judges. Mr. Oviatt was a representative of whom this college should be proud. At the conclusion of his oration Professor Woolbert, who trained the Albion winner, passed the judgment "That sounded like a real message, not like a mere biography." That was the conclusion of the audience. No orator held the audience be t t e r , ^perhaps no other commanded such rapt attention. His subject was " A Champion of the American Idea," and his theme the work of Eeecher in England during the civil war. He spoke like a mature speaker ; but the few months our system enabled him to put on his oration could not give to it the depth of thought that two years, had given to the Albion orator's discussion of " T h e Upward Trend ." The luncheon given to 600 visitors by Kalamazoo faculty and students was one of the pleasant features of the day. T h e general attitude of the visitors was that Kalamazoo had nobly entertained the contest. Our college will have to do a good job next year to surpass them. T h e exact rank of our contestants has not been officially received. WILLIAM JAMES BEAL, P H . D., D. SC.