On March 26, Union University’s debate team arrived back in Jackson after competing at the International Public Debate Association’s (IPDA) national tournament that was held at Boise State University in Idaho.
This year, the debate team won its ninth Founders Award (fourth consecutive) which is based on the total number of points that each team accumulates at every tournament they attend that season. The points come from four different experience-based divisions.
Union had the most points throughout the season in the Novice Division—Novice Division Champion went to Nick Truitt, a sophomore business administration major, and Junior Varsity Division Champion went to Seth Blair, a sophomore communication studies major — and Professional Division.
At nationals itself, among many others, the team won the Founders Award, the Scholastic Award—highest point total in Novice, Junior Varsity and Varsity divisions combined—and the Protagoras Award—highest point total across all four divisions and Team International Public Debate Association.
Truitt was the Novice Division Champion, and Blair won Junior Varsity Speaking Champion. Maisyn Price, a double major in creative writing and teaching English as a second language, won second place in the Junior Varsity Division.
“It’s a lot of work. It’s practice round after practice round, getting those in beforehand,” Price said. “It’s just a lot of mental preparation because doing it itself is very mentally taxing and emotionally taxing so just being prepared for the best or the worst.”
Earlier in the semester, IPDA hosted a separate national tournament for their team debate event. Among many other awards, Ben Murray, a senior sociology and biology double major, won first place for Team IPDA Speaker.
Overall, the debate team has won 235 different awards this season.
“This has given us a really unique opportunity to have some very Gospel-centered conversations and to demonstrate Christ’s love in really unique ways that we haven’t previously been able to. More than the wins, more than the losses, more than what’s happening in debate rounds, it’s what’s happening in between debate rounds is what makes all of that really meaningful and important,” Rebekah Whitaker, Assistant Professor of Communication Arts and Director for Debate, said.
