Debate Team
The Union University Debate Team competes in the prestigious International Public Debate Association. Beginning a competitive schedule in 2008, the team has won 10 team season-long sweepstakes awards and 9 national championship tournaments to go along with a host of individual and regional tournament awards.
The four cornerstones of the program are the same as those of the University:
- Excellence Driven: Union's administration, from the President down, has clearly demonstrated its desire to launch a program that can succeed at the highest level.
- Christ Centered: The goal of the team will be to see every debater come to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and demonstrate His love to the collegiate debate community.
- People Focused: The team will increase their individual skills, support each other, and edify their community.
- Future Directed: Debate teaches skills that are easily transferable to a large variety of career choices including law, ministry, education, and business.
By participating in our debate team you will learn:
- How to persuade with intangibles and logical argument
- How to develop well constructed arguments in any field
- How to look at issues from a variety of angles
The Union Debate team strives to be honorable to the Savior, a source of pride to the University, and a vehicle of service and education for all involved.
Future Opportunities
Debate can open doors in your future. Many of the keys to success in graduate school, the marketplace, the business world, and public service, are the very skills you learn in debate: the ability to analyze problems, find logical alternatives, select a course of action, and persuade others of the correctness of your ideas through clear and organized communication. Plus, many graduate degree programs look extremely favorably on collegiate debate experience.
About the Directors
Seth Brake is the Director of Debate at Union University. Seth has competed and coached at all levels of competitive debate, but before becoming director, his proudest debate accomplishments came from his four years on the UU debate team from 2010-2014, where he competed in the professional division. The UU debate program shaped his life, career, and character, and he is humbled to return as coach. Seth is a visiting professor of political science at Union University and is a PhD candidate at the University of South Carolina.
Rebekah Whitaker is the Assistant Director of Debate at Union University. She earned her PhD in Communications Studies from Louisiana State University in December 2019. She completed her Masters of Arts in Applied Communication from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a BA in Speech Communication and English Literature from the University of Arkansas at Monticello.
Rebekah began competitive speech in third grade and competitive debate in high school continuing in competitive debate and forensics in college. She also participated in Arkansas Student Congress competition.
Rebekah is married to James Whitaker and has a spoiled dog named Sophie. She loves to bake, kayak, and hike. She loves calling Union University her home and finding opportunities to serve her students and the University.