Eight of the 10 teams from Howard Payne University’s speech and debate team, Student Speaker Bureau, advanced to finals in an event at the National Christian College Forensics Association Invitational National Championships, held at Azusa Pacific University in Azusa, CA.
“We are very proud of our team’s performance. Competing at this tournament is very difficult,” said Dr. Julie Welker, Student Speaker Bureau coach and professor of communication.
The parliamentary debate team of Ben Palmer and Tim Hardy won second place in Novice division. Palmer, freshman Academy and political science from Van, Texas, and Hardy, freshman Academy and political science major from Corpus Christi, Texas, won eight of the nine rounds in which they competed in. Going into finals, the team was undefeated.
“The fact that Ben and Tim went undefeated in preliminaries, quarters and semi-finals is absolutely amazing,” said Welker. “They held the best overall win-loss record in the entire tournament. I am so impressed with these two freshmen and can’t wait to see how they do next year.”
Hardy also received the sixth place speaker award in debate. He advanced to semifinals in Novice impromptu speaking, and was fifth place overall in Novice program oral interpretation.
Palmer also advanced to semifinals in Novice extemporaneous speaking, and won fourth place overall in Novice impromptu speaking.
Also competing in the Novice division was sophomore Carlee Ammons, communication studies major from Katy, Texas. Ammons advanced to semifinals in impromptu speaking, and won seventh place overall in informative speaking. She was also named 14th place novice parliamentary debate speaker award.
The Novice debate team of Jessica Ramirez and Kelley Miller advanced to quarterfinals in parliamentary debate. Ramirez is an Academy, political science and Spanish major from Bangs, Texas, and Miller is an Academy, business administration and political science major from Paradise, Texas.
Miller also advanced to finals in Novice after dinner speaking and won fifth place overall.
Freshman Ben Chambers, Academy and political science major from Derby, Kansas, advanced to finals and won third place overall in extemporaneous speaking.
Sophomore Charity Chambers, Academy, communication studies and political science major from Derby, Kansas, was named 20th placed speaker in junior varsity parliamentary debate.
In the Open division, sophomore Jake Aschmutat, Academy and political science and psychology major from Corpus Christi, Texas, was a national finalist in two events. He placed fourth in Open division program oral interpretation and was a semifinalist in Open division extemporaneous speaking.
Other students competing in the tournament were Adam Hardy, junior Academy, political science and biblical languages major from Corpus Christi, Texas, and Kristen Simons, sophomore English major from Bangs, Texas. Robert Davis, senior political science major from San Antonio, served as a student coach.
The team is coached by Dr. Julie Welker, Kim Bryant, associate professor of communication, and volunteer coach Elisha Nix, assistant Brown County Attorney.
“It is so exciting seeing the students succeed,” said Bryant. “Our rewards come in witnessing their hard work pay off. I am very proud to say I am with the team from Howard Payne University.”
Welker added that the team’s success is the result of hard work and good coaching.
“We cannot do what we do without the vital help of Kim Bryant and Elisha Nix. They are key to the team’s success,” said Welker.
This year, 28 universities from across the nation participated in NCCFI. All schools are members of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities. Almost 300 students competed in the tournament. Welker was re-elected treasurer for the NCCFA organizational body for the 2011-2013 years.
“Having 8 of 10 students advance or win some type of speaker award is success by any measure. We were competing against some of the largest and most prestigious schools in Christian higher education. Our HPU students did a fabulous job!” said Welker.
Pictured above: (Front row, left-right) Charity Chambers, Jessica Ramirez, Dr. Julie Welker,
(Middle row, left-right) Elisha Nix, Kelley Miller, Kristen Simons, Carlee Ammons, Kim Bryant, (Back row, left-right) Jake Aschmutat, Tim Hardy, Ben Chambers, Ben Palmer, and Adam Hardy.
