Published on March 25, 2015  

The Samford University debate team of Erin Carley (psychology) and Natalie Bennie (communication studies) earned honors at the Cross-Examination Debate Association (CEDA) national tournament March 19-23 at Wichita State University.

The pair defeated teams from Johnson County Community College, the University of Texas at Dallas, Rochester University, and the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Bennie was named a National Debate Scholar for her excellence in debate as well as her academics. She was also named one of the 30 debate All-Americans in the nation for her excellence in debate, service and scholarship.
 
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 6,324 students from 44 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 is widely recognized as having one of the most beautiful campuses in America, featuring rolling hills, meticulously maintained grounds and Georgian-Colonial architecture. 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.