UF Seeking Teams to Participate in Regional High School Ethics Bowl

Given the recent U.S. presidential election’s spotlight on candidates’ behavior and actions, the University of Findlay’s upcoming regional High School Ethics Bowl will serve as a timely and relevant continuation of moral conversations.
Teams are being sought to participate in UF’s second ethics bowl, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 28, 2017 at Winebrenner Theological Seminary. The all-day public event, which will begin at 9:30 a.m., is the only regional competition that will be held in Ohio. Thirty two other regional competitions will take place nationwide. They will include students at public and private institutions, and those who are homeschooled. A total of 22 teams will advance to the finals to be held at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill from April 7-9. The winner of UF’s competition will participate in a virtual playoff against the winner of the Virginia ethics bowl.
During the 2015-2016 season, about 2,680 students participated.
Teams will be judged on their responses to ethical conundrums that often challenge many of us in our daily lives. Subjects can range from politics to business matters to popular culture. Previous topics have included such concepts as Photoshopping in advertising, breastfeeding in public, ecotourism, and dating a friend’s ex. Each fall, the National High School Ethics Bowl (NHSEB) releases a set of cases covering a broad range of issues that serve as the focus for the year.
Teams meet regularly, with a coach, to research the cases, discuss the issues they raise and identify clearly how they think those issues should be addressed. Students are rewarded for depth of thought, ability to think carefully and analytically about complex issues, and the respect they show to the diverse perspectives of their peers. As a result, the NHSEB cultivates the virtues central to democratic citizenship, and prepares students to navigate challenging moral issues in a systematic and open-minded way.
Matthew Stolick, professor of philosophy and chair of the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department, is organizing UF’s event. High schools interested in registering a team should contact Stolick at stolick@findlay.edu or at 419-434-6998.
More National High School Ethics Bowl information, including multimedia instructional materials for training, can be found at http://nhseb.unc.edu/