The Shoreham-Wading River High School will have a new debate team in the 2017-18 school year thanks to the efforts of two sophomores — Emma Kirkpatrick and Declan Beran.

Both Emma and Delan said the recent presidential election inspired the idea for a debate club. The students are also interested in studying political science in college and felt a debate team would be a great stepping-stone.

To form the team, the students were required to gather signatures from fellow students and make a formal request to the board of education to gain approval.

During its inaugural year, the students said, the team will work to refine their debate skills with a goal to compete against neighboring schools in the 2018-19 school year.