November 13, 1921

Dear Mother, Father, and Pete:

Please appreciate the respectable paper!

It gives me great pleasure to announce that the Junior debating team was victorious last night by a 2-1 decision. It was not a wonderful debate. The subject did not inspire anyone. Mr. Burges Johnson, not because he voted against us, though, gave the craziest reasons for his vote that I have ever heard. But it may interest you to know how he did it. He worked out a marking system--like a child--and graded everyone for various points. 5 was his highest mark. The two things that I excelled in will amuse you! The highest mark he gave for stage-presence was 4 1/2, and that was awarded to one soph and me. Likewise I tied a soph on 4 1/2 in power of argument. He objected to the affirmative conclusion of the debate (which was mine), as a mere sentimental appeal. He said he didn't like it, where upon Miss Reed, who was strong for us, turned around to him, and said, "That's because you lack sentiment in your makeup". He got the laugh on that. C. Mildred Thompson was there in full force, pulling as hard as she could for us. Toward the end of the discussion after the debate a bunch of our squad collected around her, and in the course of her talking she said, she hoped I wouldn't allow what Mr. Johnson said about my conclusion to influence me if I went out for intercollegiate, because she considered that the weakest part of Vassar debate in the last few years has been cut and dried "We have shown, they have not shown, therefore we consider that we have won, etc., etc." She said she was very glad I had considered it a very strong point in my favor. Another bright thing Mr. Johnson pulled off was to show how I should have elaborated on one point I made in rebuttal, instead of trusting to the intelligence of the audience to get it without indefinite explanation. I was aching to say to him, "Mr. Johnson, do you realize I was allowed five minutes for rebuttal, and that it took you two to make that one point?", but I wisely refrained. Only it annoys me when people are so dumb. He siad[sic] he wanted to be treated like a stupid child and have everything explained to him. [He acted it.]

To show that I am fair-minded, I must confess that Miss White showed no more intelligence than he did, in spite of the fact that she voted for us. Miss Reed had voluminous notes, and was most "efficient" in her criticism. Another thing that will amuse you--I heard Miss White tell someone that I was the only one in the debate who showed any trace of humor. But I felt as handicapped as though my tongue had been cut off, for the committee absolutely forbade my using sarcasm, and I just revel in it in debate. All I could do was to provoke a laugh twice, and I like to keep the audience laughing.

I counted fifteen faculty in the audience--among them friend Bess Cowley, who amused me beyond expression when I mentioned the fact that a girl derives comparatively little benefit in the way of logical thought, when she takes freshman math against her will, after several years of math in prep school. I wanted to see her reaction when I said, and her face seemed to be saying, "That poor