In the Caf.

Negro Debaters

"Salient" sat down at the table where Messrs. Byas and [unclear: Gilton] with Professor Alexander, their manager, were being waited upon adroitly by Jack Aimers.

"Salient wants some dope. Professor." said Mr. Aimers, forsaking his waiting.

"Dope?" said Professor Alexander (who looks like a mixture between Professor Miles and Oliver Hardy). "Well. I've got a couple of dopes here." he laughed.

The "couple of dopes." apparently used to such "wisecracks." lay low and said nothing.

We thought the Powers That Be were a little rash in inviting the Le Moyne debaters to the Caf. to tea. I mean to say "well, the Caf.. you know: But Mrs. Gibson had excelled herself and the meal was excellent—the official table even had a menu! And Mr. Byas enjoyed the silver beet very much, making exhaustive enquiries concerning the method of its cooking, and finally discovering that it had been "boiled." and not "broiled." Apparently there is a [unclear: subtle] difference.

Treated to one of Professor Alexander's genuine American cigarettes. "Salient" listened to the delightful small talk, which resembled closely a chat between the Two Black Crow and an Interlocutor. The word "Yankee" was mentioned, and immediately an exhaustive discussion took place on its etymology and application. "In the South" said Mr. Byas to be called a Yankee is a great [unclear: insult]—as a matter of fact, most Southerners don't know what a 'Yankee' is. Up till quite recently the majority of Southerners didn't even know that 'damn Yankee' wasn't just one word. Of course, in the North, they just love the term."

From a discussion on "damn Yankee" the conversation dwelt for a while on "damn" and similar words. The debaters were rather amazed when they reached New Zealand and found that certain words which they used in ordinary conversation, not in any derogatory sense nay, even as terms of endearment were held by New Zealanders to be most opprobrious epithets! They had to make intense research into the matter before appearing in polite society.

A thing we noticed about the Professor. He didn't look like a Professor at all, and be certainly didn't act like one. There was no aloofness, no high-and-mightiness about him he was just one of the boys on terms of perfect familiarity with them.

All students are urged to attend the debate to be held in the Town Hall on July 20th and see the debaters in action. If the Town Hall isn't full. It'll be a [unclear: mighty discouragin'] thing.

Gosh! I'm going all American!

—R.L.M.

•

When W. R. [unclear: "Bill" Cunliffe] leaves for Auckland shortly, the Football Club will lose a solid, hard-working forward who has played many good games for the Senior and Senior B fifteens.