DECEMBER 16, 1960
Maine Meets Proviso in January Televised Debate
Maine West debaters will take the negative stand against Proviso West on this question, Saturday, January 28, as WBBM Public Affairs department and Northwestern university's school of speech cooperate to present the first televised high school debate tournament ever presented in this area.
A series of 31 weekly broadcasts of half hour programs have been planned including 32 schools from a four-state area. Considerable time and effort have been put into the production of this show because of the difficulty in adapting a normal debate to the limited time allotment on TV.
The recently revised schedule calls for a 11:30 a.m. broadcast on December 17; 3:30 p.m., December 24; 12:30 p.m., December 31; 12:30 p.m., January 7; and 3:30 p.m., January 14.
Varsity debaters are Carol Barrett '63, Jim Moyer '62, Craig Seitz '62, Celeste Stachnik '61, and Joy Staller '62. The beginners' squad includes Davis Hall '64, Judy Nixon '64, and Bonnie Odden '64.
Also asked to appear on the program is the editor of The Westerner, Andy Adolfson '61. He will present some pictures and history of the school.
Maine's debaters must acclimate themselves to the unfamiliar circumstances of the TV studio, More than normal expressiveness is necessary to convey a thought effectively over a TV screen, All minor mannerisms, such as twitches and scratching, must be eliminated since the camera seems to emphasize any such habits. A slow delivery is also a necessity to produce a desirable effect.
In presenting this series, WBBM hopes to prove the capabilities of the high school student in debate. The station also wants to encourage more young people to become interested in the events of today.