THE DEBATING ORGANIZATION

Debating at Harvard has undergone such rapid changes during the past three years that few of the features which existed in the old system are still extant. At the beginning of this period there was no University Debating Club--but there were two rival organizations, the Harvard Union and the Forum, which elected their members from all the different classes. But interest in these clubs began to flag, and as the result of causes which had been at work for several years, the two were combined in the spring of 1898, into a University Debating Club. Debates were carried on as before, but the new club lacked the character of a governing board, which it has since attained.

Meanwhile the tendency to form class clubs had been growing. As early as 1894, the class of '98 had formed the first Freshman Debating Club, and in the next two years the only two Freshman debates with Yale were held. The practice was then discontinued by the Faculty, on the ground that the men had not had their training in College, and were therefore not representative. The first Sophomore club was formed in 1897-98 by members of 1900, and last year the same class started the first Junior Wranglers, which was soon followed by the Senior Cabinet.

This rapid growth of class debating caused a falling off of interest in the University Club, and rendered its existence unneccessary, so at the beginning of the present year the club was changed to a purely executive body, intended to supervise class and intercollegiate debates, and to provide coaches and judges. Its membership is limited to ex-'Varsity debaters, alternates and presidents of the class clubs. Last year there were thirty-nine members, but at present the membership is only sixteen men.

The original Senior Cabinet limited its membership to about thirty-five men and planned to confine its work to extemporaneous speaking. The Junior Wranglers numbered fifty-five, the Sophomores forty-seven, and the Freshmen fifty-eight men. This year the membership of the Senior Wranglers is unrestricted and numbers forty-seven, the Junior Wranglers number forty one, and the Sophomore and Freshman Debating Clubs, fifty-eight, and one hundred and thirty-one respectively.

This marked increase in interest and the present flourishing conditions of debating are due in part to the introduction of the "camp system", which had previously worked successfully at Yale, and partly to the number of new prizes and rewards. The new system is used at present by all but the Freshmen, and they are soon to adopt it.

This year the new custom was introduced, of arranging for each class a debate with some outside organization, in addition to the regular club debates. During the first week after the mid-years, a meeting will be held at which the Senior and Freshman teams who won the debates last fall will be presented with cups by the University Debating Club. At the same meeting gold medals will also be given to the winners of the recent Princeton debate. To the three sets of winners in the spring debates small cups appropriately designed will be given.

The class organizations have proved themselves so necessary to the debating interests of the College that quarters at the University Club will probably be provided for their use, to consist of a library for reference, a room for executive meetings, and a larger room for debates.

The subject for this year's Sophomore-Freshman interclass debate will be submitted by the Freshmen on February 28. The debate will take place on March 21, and the Senior and Junior Wranglers will debate on March 23. The debate for the class championship, which will probably also be the competition for the Pasteur Medal, will take place on May 4. The subject will be announced by April 5 and the men chosen by April 12.