Dr. Web Drake, department chair of communication arts, closed out his time as the head of Union’s debate team with yet another national title this past week in Shreveport, Louisiana.
There was a representative of Union in the finals of four of the five divisions, securing enough overall points for the victory. This included team captain Josh Swafford, a senior political science major, who was determined to pull out the title, especially after falling just a few points short of the regular season championship.
“Personally this is my favorite nationals I’ve attended,” Swafford said. “I saw several members achieve personal goals that they had not been able to accomplish during the regular season, and I saw our team rally in the face of adversity to take home the national championship. As the captain, it was everything I could’ve asked for and more.”
Swafford was also determined to win for Drake with this being his last season with the team.
“It was especially great to send Dr. Drake off with such a big win,” said Swafford. “He has had such an amazing legacy at Union and in building the debate team into what it is today.”
Drake was not only influential in their lives as a debate coach, but as a man of Christ as well, according to Swafford. The awards ceremony ran high with emotions from both the students and Drake himself, and Swafford stated that the memories made will never be forgotten.
Drake feels that this is the largest amount of progress he has seen one of his teams make in a single season.
“We had 19 people for whom this was their first year of debate, more than any team I’ve ever had,” said Drake. “That is a whole lot of energy and enthusiasm, but it is also a whole lot of inexperience. But they worked so hard. And by nationals, they were debaters. They earned that title.”
Drake will leave the program with great pride in what it has accomplished. The efforts made by both the students and the support of administration and faculty is not lost on him.
“It’s been a communal effort, and I am just glad that I’ve been allowed to come along for the ride,” said Drake. “I’m glad my final team will be one that is hard to leave.”