Speech team sponsor Jacleen Joiner works on her computer at her desk. As the speech team’s season came to a close with the end-of-the-year party, Joiner said she took time to reflect on the improvements of the speech team members throughout the year. She said seeing them build up their confidence over the course of the season is her favorite part of being the team’s sponsor.

With this year’s season coming to an end, Mackenzie Misterka, speech team member and sophomore, said she is now looking forward to next year and is excited to meet new speech team members. She said even those who do not want to compete can find a place on the team next season.

“Current team members have heard lots of interested students and we’re excited to share our experiences with more speakers next season,” she said. “We’re also encouraging new members to join even if they don’t want to compete because we have a great team even for people who just want to learn interpretive or public address speaking skills without going to tournaments.”

The speech team’s season officially ended with their end-of-the-year party on March 24, according to speech team sponsor Jacleen Joiner. This party doubled as the final meeting for team members. Misterka said the speech team members took that time to reflect on the year and discuss possible changes they could implement into next year’s season.

Misterka said, “[The party] was very relaxed. We spent some time catching up with each other and brainstorming how we want to approach next season.”

  When looking back on the year, Misterka said the best memories were of bonding between team members.

“Bonding with each other is a fundamental part of what makes the season enjoyable. Because of the friendships made, it means so much more to watch teammates—new and old—grow and improve,” she said. “It’s actually quite motivating to have that intricate support system.”