HPU’s speech and debate team, Student Speaker Bureau (SSB), won second place in the overall sweepstakes at last weekend’s Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association Fall Championship tournament held at San Jacinto College in Houston, Texas.
Competing against 21 Division I, II and III universities from Texas and Louisiana, HPU also finished second in parliamentary debate sweepstakes.
In parliamentary debate, HPU posted three of the top four teams, winning co-champions and third and fourth places.
Freshman Ben Chambers debated with a partner from San Jacinto College, earning co-champions of the debate tournament.
“The experience was exhilarating. I developed more confidence in my debating skills and in my teammates,” said Chambers, freshman Academy, political science and business major from Derby, Kansas.
The team of Jake Aschmutat, sophomore Academy and political science major from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Adam Hardy, junior Academy, political science and biblical languages major from Corpus Christi, placed third. Also, taking fourth place was the team of Ben Palmer, freshman Academy major from Van, Texas, and Kelley Miller, freshman Academy, political science and business major from Paradise, Texas.
“It’s outstanding to have three teams in the semifinals round. It’s also impressive that two of those teams were comprised of freshmen,” said Dr. Julie Welker, professor of communication and SSB coach.
In addition, Tim Hardy, freshman Academy and history major from Corpus Christi, and Jessica Ramirez, freshman Academy and political science major from Bangs, Texas, were named the Top Novice Parliamentary Debate Team.
HPU had five of the top 12 debate speakers.
In the Individual Events portion of the tournament, HPU had good results as well. Jake Aschmutat won fifth place in Impromptu Speaking, fifth place in Program Oral Interpretation. He also took seventh place in Duo Interpretation with partner Carlee Ammons, sophomore communication studies major from Katy, Texas.
“It was a fantastic feeling to be in finals and compete against huge schools like UT, Texas A&M and Texas State,” said Ashmutat. “I’m so proud to represent HPU in this form of academia.”
Other students placing in individual events were Ammons who won first place in Persuasive Speaking, novice division, Tim Hardy who placed fourth in Informative Speaking, novice division, and Palmer who placed fourth in Extemporaneous Speaking, novice division.
“We have a very capable group of students this year who are putting 110% into competing,” said Welker. “The placing at this tournament is the highest overall for us in the Texas circuit, which is one of the most difficult in the nation.”
Student Speaker Bureau is coached by Welker; Kim Bryant, associate professor of communication; volunteer assistant debate coach Elisha Nix, Brown County assistant attorney, and student coach Robert Davis.
The team’s next tournament is in Lawton, OK, at Cameron University.
Photo contributed by Dr. Julie Welker. The Howard Payne University Student Speaker Bureau members include (left to right) Jake Aschmutat, Carlee Ammons, Tim Hardy, Jessica Ramirez, Ben Palmer, Kelley Miller, Ben Chambers, Kristen Simons and Adam Hardy.
