The Student Speaker Bureau, HPU’s speech and debate team, won second place overall at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association Spring Championship tournament held recently at San Antonio College in San Antonio.
Senior Adam Hardy of Corpus Christi was named to the Texas All-State Forensics Squad, a prestigious group of students who are nominated by coaches and meet stringent criteria including win/loss records in speech and debate, GPA, community service and leadership.
“Adam has been a tremendous leader for SSB over the last four years,” said Dr. Julie Welker, SSB coach and professor of communication. “His leadership has helped to grow our team as he has taken an active role in coaching the freshmen and sophomores.”
HPU had two debate teams advance to quarterfinals in parliamentary debate. Hardy and Jake Aschmutat of Corpus Christi, as well as Ben Palmer of Van and Timothy Hardy, also of Corpus Christi, advanced to the elite group of eight teams.
Aschmutat was chosen as third place parliamentary debate speaker and Palmer, Timothy Hardy and Adam Hardy took fifth, sixth and seventh places respectively. HPU had four of the top 10 speakers.
In individual events, Adam Hardy and Aschmutat’s duo interpretation placed third and Hardy advanced to finals in extemporaneous speaking, placing sixth.
Also competing were team members Katie Rose Bonner of Lytle; Marcos Corley of Corpus Christi; Cayden McDonald of Whitehouse; Katie Mullaney of Shrewsbury, Mass; Adrianna Perez of Sachse; and Jessica Ramirez of Bangs.
The team is also coached by Kim Bryant, associate professor of communication. Additionally, Brown County assistant county attorney Elisha Nix serves as a volunteer coach.
“Our team did exceptionally well,” Welker said. “It’s hard to compete against DI and DII schools like Texas State University and The University of Texas at Austin who travel essentially every weekend to tournaments. For HPU to place second overall in speech and debate events (cumulatively) shows that our students are truly outstanding.”
HPU will travel next to Carson Newman College in Jefferson City, Tenn., in March to compete in the National Christian College Forensics Association national championship tournament.
Pictured above: SSB members at the San Antonio tournament included (from left) Timothy Hardy, Dr. Julie Welker, Ben Palmer, Jessica Ramirez, Jake Aschmutat, Katie Mullaney, Marcos Corley, Adrianna Perez, Cayden McDonald, Katie Rose Bonner, Adam Hardy and Kim Bryant. Photo contributed.
