University of Oregon monthly., November 01, 1908, Image 37

U niversity
of
O regon M o n thly
39
There is another matter that should, be given due consideration.
What we refer to is the publication of a comic paper, a paper de­
voted entirely to wit and humor, such as nearly all well-known uni­
versities support. Harvard has her Lampoon, Princeton has her
*¡¡Eiger, Cornell her Widow and Stanford her Chaparral; all are pa­
pers known throughout the country for the rare quality of their hu­
mour. Are we so .overburdened with work or-so seriously devoted
to .some form of athletics, that there is not enough wit remaining
in us, to'keep such a paper alive? , Probably not. We have support­
ed other things in a manner that has excited the envy of sofiie of
our sister institutions, and the publication of such a paper, if at­
tempted, would in all probability be accorded like support.
Debate
Two years ago the University of Oregon could proudly
boasf pf, the record of fiér men in forensics- In,, that year
her debaters won every contest in which they- participated and
throughout the state the news was spread that Oregon stqdents were
champLopS /with brain as well as with brawn. Last year, however,
due to many circumstances which we shall not mention, here, Ore--
gon did not win a single debate. Perhaps, since Oregon never offers
an excuse for defeat, the lesa-^aid about this the better; but never­
theless, the record of this year’s teams must and shall be different
from that of last year.
Defeat and failure never did deter Oregon in anything. In
fact it is a tradition of which our alumni and friends often boast,
that Oregon men always fight harder and work with mpre vim
and energy, when they expect defeat than when victory is antici­
pated. An Oregon team in football, baseball, track or debate, has
never, been known to “quit.” All over the Northwest the term “last
ditch fighfers” is continually applied to the,students who are rep­
resenting our University in any, department?,t'
This year and every year, .Oregon has stood well in athletics.
But this year we must .also stand well in foyensies, ,W e must win
back all the laurels we haw, lost and establish standards in this de­
partment which can be pointed tto with as much pride as the record
of our debating team of 1907.
Four men of experience in debate remain in -college. About
twenty men are signed up for the preliminary tryout which will be
beld on Saturday, December 12. From this’ number six champion