Held on Thursday, January 19th, from 6 – 10 p.m., members of the Speech and Debate team, as well as other students or faculty, were encouraged to join in and help raise money for the team. Around 50 tickets were sold for $25 each.

Within the last year, the number of students that are now a part of Taft’s Speech and Debate team have nearly quadrupled in size, leading to the team needing more funds to be able to send kids to tournaments. With the help of Speech and Debate leadership, they were able to organize the fundraiser, an evening of competitive laser tag and sweet treats from Cold Stone Creamery.

Meeting Monday-Fridays from 7:30 a.m. to 8:20 a.m., Taft’s Speech and Debate Team is ​​among the most vibrant, expressive, and competitive clubs on campus. Beyond a club, the group also competes as a competitive team. Providing a space for students to express themselves, whether it may be in the argumentative form, Debate, or the more theatrical presentations with ranges of emotions, Speech, students are sure to find a spot among the team. Since transitioning from online to in-person activities, tournaments have also made a return.

Most open tournaments are required for members, and an entry fee for each tournament must be paid, which is what the funds generated will be used for. The faculty members supervising the club are Mr. Laskin and Ms. Mazmanian in upper M.While creating an inviting environment, the team competes a couple of times every semester and is regularly rewarded for their outstanding achievements, bringing back trophies for Taft. This has granted them a title as one of Taft’s more prestigious extracurriculars.