Parkhurst to Introduce Intramural Debating Contests Here Next Year

Plans are under way to organize inter-House debating groups next year, Charles E. Parkhurst, Instructor in Public Speaking, revealed last night.

The purpose of the groups will be "to provide an outlet for all those who would like to do competitive speech work and are not on the Debate Council," Parkhurst said. He also hopes to organize general discussions and forums to consider problems of current interest, with the possibility of getting outside speakers to participate. Members of the Debate Council will not be allowed to enter the inter-House competition.

Parkhurst has spent time at Yale studying the methods by which the intramural speech program is conducted there. Besides having active debating groups, Yale also holds intramural oratory contests.

The Inter-House program is being planned partly on the basis of the popularity of the Yard Intramural Championship debate tournament, Parkhurst said. Over 40 teams from most of the entries of the freshman dorms entered in the round-robin tournament.

Increased interest in speech work has also come from the successful year the Debate Council has had.

Thus far Dudley is the only House to have officially begun arrangements for debating activities next year.