Two Samford University students recently had a winning record in the varsity division of a debate tournament Feb. 1-3 at the University of Georgia in Athens.

Maggie Thomas, a freshman communication studies major from Ballwin, Mo. and Josh Morrison-Alvarez, a freshman philosophy major from Warner Robins, Ga. competed in the tournament. Thomas and Morrison-Alvarez defeated opponents from Emory, Georgia Tech and Central Florida universities. The duo lost in a split decision to Liberty University, the top ranked team in the nation.

"For a senior team to do this well would be quite an accomplishment," said director of debate Ryan Galloway, "and for a pair of freshmen to do this is incredible."

Freshmen Natalie Bennie and Erin Carley also competed in the debate, defeating New York University and Georgia Tech.

Bo Morris is a senior journalism and mass communication major and a news and feature writer in the Office of Marketing and Communication.

Samford Debate

 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks with the second highest score in the nation for its 98% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.