Hello to all reading this! I’m Arij Ahmed, and I’d like to start off with a thank you just for clicking on this link. You taking the time out of your day to learn more about the Harper Speech and Debate team means a lot to us. Since September, the team has been workshopping and polishing multiple speech events that we perform at tournaments around Illinois. This year, our team has been presented with the wonderful opportunity of showcasing our communication skills at the Phi Rho Pi Nationals Tournament in San Diego, California. With some financial assistance, we will be able to cover food, travel, and other expenses for our last tournament. Any contributions towards this event will help immensely. 

During my freshman year of high school, I had joined the speech team and stuck with it for the 4 years I was there. When I got to Harper College and found out that they had a speech team, I jumped on it immediately. Speech helped me mature into a better person and gave me a platform to share my voice, yet also share the voices of those who have been silenced. When people think of speech, they think of going up to a group of people and saying something for 10 minutes, and while that may be true, it’s so much more than that. It’s about making friends with other college teams and growing into a better version of myself. It’s about passion and love. I think of this team as a family. I’ve shared laughs with them as well as tears. They’re my biggest supporters, and they’re the reason why I am who I am.

I can’t contain my excitement for our final tournament together. Thank you to everyone who has ever been there for me in any way. You’re the root of my happiness. My support system. Thank you.