The Ethics Bowl team recently competed in the Chicago High School Regionals, where the team placed second overall and first in average number of points scored.
In an Ethics Bowl match, two teams are assigned a case from a set of 16 moral dilemmas they were given at the beginning of the year, along with a couple of questions. One team presents, after which the other group offers commentary followed by a rebuttal from the first team and a Q&A with the judges. Then, the teams switch roles.
“Ethics Bowl is very similar to debate, but they encourage you to be more flexible with your viewpoints,” Sygne Stole, a junior and president of the Ethics Bowl club, said. “They encourage you to see every moral dilemma as more than two sides, so in that way, it’s very different.”
In the first half of the year, the club has discussions on how to best argue each ethical situation. As the competition date approaches, the members practice debate skills and public speaking.
“I am very pleased with how our team performed,” Sygne said. “I think they performed remarkably, and I’m really proud as well of how we have grown throughout the year.”
Saint Ignatius, Oak Park River Forest, Metea Valley, Stevenson and North Side are among the other high schools that attended the regional competition.
“Ethics Bowl tends to be a very tight-knit community of a few schools,” Sygne said.
In addition, the Ethics Bowl club is still open to new members.
“I’m interested in finding more students who have this interest in philosophy,” Sygne said.
