HPU speech and debate team takes tournament sweepstakes Special to the Bulletin Howard Payne University’s Student Speaker Bureau speech and debate team recently secured debate sweepstakes for the second time in a row and won second place overall sweepstakes at the Texas Intercollegiate Forensics Association (TIFA) Spring Championship tournament. HPU competed against 15 colleges and universities from Texas. Dr. Julie Welker, professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication, coaches the team. “Being back-to-back debate sweeps champs and winning second place overall sweeps after last semester’s success is amazing,” Welker said. “I’m so proud of the hours of work these students put into our speech and debate program.”