It was a Tuesday night in October, and a group of students had previously decided to meet up at sophomore Danielle Bracy’s house. The snacks were healthy, the talk and commentary was hilarious but deep, and the TV was buzzing with the main attraction of the night.

No, not Supernatural, Glee, Doctor Who, Grey’s Anatomy, or even Better Call Saul.

It’s the first Presidential Democratic debate! The Speech and Debate Team was having a blast as Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Martin O’Mally, Jim Webb, and Lincoln Chafee were debating over political topics with Anderson Cooper as moderator. “It was just something fun that we could do together because we all understood what was going on,” said Bracy.

For Speech and Debate, keeping up with current events nationally and internationally is very crucial to the team. Especially for the debaters, because it gives them more wisdom on what an organized debate looks like. The team watching the Presidential Democratic Debate is a perfect example to them of how a debate should look. It also helps the team figure out who has a better chance of being elected into the primaries.

“[Clinton] disregarded a lot of questions,” said Bracy. “[Sanders] did not [do] his best, but he was good; I think he was strong. One of the most memorable moments of the debate was looking at the polls and seeing that he had a 75 percent approval rate.”

It’s undecided if there will be a follow up for the next Presidential Democratic Debate on Dec. 19,  but even then there is some key importance underneath the Speech and Debate team gathering for the event. Apart from political sharpness and team bonding, it also builds leadership skills and provides political awareness within the peer community.