248 Since its founding, Harding University always had a debate team. Professor of communication Pat Garner became a staple of the team. Other than a few years off while he worked toward his master’s degree, Garner was part of the debate team since 1967. Garner joined the debate his freshman year as a student and coached from 1977 until 2021. “It’s always been a focal point of my interests because I competed in it,” Garner said. “I’ve always believed it is a skill.” The standard format of intercollegiate debate changed over the years, but the core lessons remained the same. Harding’s debate team followed the International Public Debate Association (IPDA) format, meaning that there was one debator per team. The IPDA format focused primarily on developing persuasion skills with little preparation. “It is the best tool for public speaking and creative thinking,” Garner said. Garner led the Harding team to debate against schools from across the country, including Harvard, Baylor and Oklahoma Christian. This extracurricular activity gave Harding students the opportunity to put research into practice outside of the classroom. “Debate has always been forward thinking in terms of issues, controversies, and those always generalize to the rest of my teaching,” Garner said. Associate professor of history and political science Jared Dockery was the new debate coach who stepped in for Garner. Dockery debated for Garner when he was a student at Harding. In addition, Dockery’s father debated with Garner during their time at Harding together. “I debated for Pat back in the 90s when I was a student,” Dockery said. “Having him as a mentor and just the context of debate itself was good for me.” Senior Brandon Davis joined the debate team his freshman year. “Although most people who join do it in preparation for a law degree, I just enjoy the atmosphere,” Davis said. The debate team was made of nine members with diverse majors. Davis studied international business, with teammates who studied political science and business. “We’re growing and have several new members to the debate team this year,” Davis said. Written by: Anna Yingling DEBATES WITH DR. GARNER After serving as debate coach for 44 years, Dr. Pat Garner retires and Dr. Jared Dockery becomes the new coach. Pat Garner
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