 The Baltimore City College debate team has a long and storied tradition that dates back over 150 years . The speech and debate teams are formally referred to as the Bancroft and Carrollton @-@ Wight Literary Societies . The school 's first formal debate team within a literary society was established in 1876 as the " Bancroft Literary Association " . In 1878 , a second competing society , the " Carrollton Literary Society " , was formed , named for Maryland 's famous longest @-@ living signer of the Declaration of Independence , the only Roman Catholic member , Charles Carroll of Carrollton , ( 1737 @-@ 1832 ) . That society was later renamed the " Carrollton @-@ Wight Literary Society " , in honor of the program 's first advisor , Charles Wight , a celebrated faculty member during the 1870s . 
