The Speech and Debate team hosted their annual Senior Toast, an event dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the team’s graduating seniors, on Thursday, April 16th, from 3:45–5:30 in the media center. 

“I don’t know how long I’ve honestly been doing senior toast,” communications dean and Speech and Debate coach Angela Anyzeski said. “Definitely more than 20 years now, but we started having an end-of-the-year celebration for seniors that would be in school. Just to make sure everybody and the team could attend.”

The event featured light refreshments and a senior skit put together by the team’s underclassmen. The skit allows a student to imitate a senior’s mannerisms, usually by referencing a memorable moment or a funny catchphrase. This year’s theme was “Debate Me Maybe,” based on a dating show theme. The performers explained why or why not one should date the senior team member they were playing.

“The underclassmen write, choreograph, plan, perform, and practice (everything) that ultimately become our senior skit,” Anyzeski said. “It’s been going on a while, but it was one of the things that one of the classes decided to do, and it just stuck.”

As the event continued to evolve, smaller traditions began to define its identity, such as gift bags which contained small presents such as pajama pants, their debate certificate, and their graduation cord. The name “Senior Toast” itself comes from one of the event’s earlier traditions.

“So initially, what we would do is we would actually take pieces of toast and their freshman pictures from the yearbook,” Anyzeski said. “We would copy them, and we would affix them to the toast, and that would be their place settings for the celebration.”

Over time, the tradition became a way to ensure that every senior felt recognized and appreciated, reinforcing the event’s overall purpose.

“We wanted to make sure everybody was included and do something to not only recognize them as graduating and as varsity members of the Speech and Debate team, but also to let them know how much we’ve appreciated them and celebrate them on that day,” Anyzeski said.