UF to Host its First Regional High School Ethics Bowl
Should money be given to panhandlers? Should universities receive funding from donors with questionable earning practices?
Conundrums such as these commonly require judgment and decisiveness from all of us at different points in our lives, but for competing high school teams at The University of Findlay in February, their responses to similar ethical questions will be stringently judged at UF’s first annual Ethics Bowl, which is being organized by Matthew Stolick, professor of philosophy and chair of the Religious Studies and Philosophy Department.
The Feb. 6 regional event at Winebrenner Theological Seminary will be free and open to the public. It will begin at 9:30 a.m. with introductions, and then move into 45-minute competitions in classrooms. There will be a break for participants to have lunch, followed by the championship match from 1:30-2:15 p.m. Awards will be handed out after the final match.
The winning team will advance to a larger regional competition for a chance to compete as one of 22 teams in the 4th Annual National High School Ethics Bowl slated for April 15 and 16 at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill.
Each team, comprised of between 3-7 members, will formulate responses, in the form of presentations, to questions posed by moderators. Judges will determine whether each team systematically addressed the question; if it identified and thoroughly discussed the central moral dimensions of the case; and if it indicated both awareness and thoughtful consideration of different viewpoints, including stances that run counter to the team’s sentiments.
Teams will respond to judges’ questions and to opposing team commentary. Arguments will be proven invalid if they are not formulated, composed and delivered with respect to each subject and opposing viewpoints, Stolick said.
Teams from four high schools have committed to competing at UF, including Findlay High School, Riverdale High School, Coldwater High School and St. Ursula Academy from Cincinnati. Additional high schools are encouraged to form teams and participate, and if interested, should contact Stolick at stolick@findlay.edu and at (419) 434-6998.
More Ethics Bowl information, including multimedia instructional materials for training, can be found at http://nhseb.unc.edu/