STAGE FRIGHT

Coming at any other time the trials for the Lee Wade and Boylston prizes could be justly dismissed as an inescapable heritage from the period when oratory and elocution flowered on every schoolhouse platform. But at present, when the days of the Senior are made black by the thought of orals, the competition does not seem quite absurd in view of the fact that it undoubtedly develops self-confidence. It is decidedly upsetting to the Senior who has received no training in oral argument and discussion to be called before what in effect is a bench of judges and be expected to plead the cause of himself versus the graduation requirements of the College.

The problem of the stage frightened examinee is perhaps caused as much by an absence of discussional training as by a lack of adequate preparation--and it is certainly minimized by the tact of the examiners. Yet burdened by concentration and distribution few can take time to devote an entire course to what should be acquired incidentally. And fewer-still will venture to compete for prizes in elocution.

The real field for practice in discussion seems to be section meetings; yet actually the procedure in the latter is little different from that of lectures. A natural reticence to display what might prove ignorance doubtless accounts for the lack of spirited debate; the habit of non-participation is easily acquired and becomes "proper".

A remedy for tedious section meetings is not easily to be found; the efforts of even competent instructors are nullified by a lack of cooperation on the part of the class. But one very obvious improvement suggests itself. Section meetings are not now looked upon as opportunities for intelligent discussion, but rather as occasions for the writing of weekly or fortnightly examinations. As long as a course is conducted under this plan there is little chance that the theoretical purpose of the section meeting will be fulfilled. Since there seems to be no entirely defensible ground for frequent quizzes in sections, the logical step would be to eliminate them and allow the meeting to achieve its true purpose--intelligent oral discussion.