HPU’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team recently competed at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) Fall Championship tournament, held at Del Mar College in Corpus Christi. Braxton Clark, junior social science global studies major from Southlake, was named top debate speaker at the tournament.

Clark and team member Ashley Moon, senior communication major from Waxahachie, won third place in parliamentary debate at the tournament. Additionally, HPU won 5th place overall sweepstakes in the tournament, competing against 23 schools from Texas and Louisiana.

Dr. Julie Welker, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication, directs the team.

“I am so proud of how well our team competed at this tournament,” she said. “TIFA is always very competitive, so for our team to receive the top speaker award and the fifth place sweepstakes is quite an accomplishment.”

Also competing at the tournament were Morgan Ashmore, junior communication major from Weatherford; Andrea Balderas, sophomore biology major from Lytle; Christopher Freeland, freshman chemistry and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major from Brownwood; Reagan Grisham, sophomore theatre major from Arlington; and Luis Ortiz, junior English and Guy D. Newman Honors Academy major from Brownsville.

Pictured above: HPU Student Speaker Bureau member Braxton Clark was named the top debate speaker at a recent tournament.