The National High School Ethics Bowl organization was brought to Millbrook at the start of the 2016-17 school year by Class of 2017 graduate Jessica Whipple, with the help of Mrs. Balazs. Jessica left her legacy in the hands of the current co-Presidents Mikayla Davis and Robbie Cicciari. Ethics Bowl is a very thought provoking club that is both competitive and collaborative, and strengthens participants speech and debate skills.

 Annually around the start of fall, the NHSEB releases a set of cases on various ethical dilemmas with 2-3 thought provoking questions attached. Cases from previous years include banning religious garb, smoking age, driverless cars, armed police, appearances in the workplace, and more. The club meets bi-weekly to discuss the moral implications the cases pose, decide the stance they will take on it, and hold practice trials to perfect their argument. The team practices in preparation for the sixth National High School Ethics Bowl competition in which teams from across the country gather at UNC Chapel Hill in April and face off in a series of rounds.

 In the rounds both teams are presented with a random case from the set which they studied carefully. A coin is flipped to determine which team will present first. After both teams give their stance they must respond to comments and questions asked by the opposing team and the judges. At the conclusion of the round, each judge scores the teams on presentation, commentary, and both responses. They combine all of the scores, plus an overall score which they determined, and award the team with the highest score a point for that round. The questions asked by one team to the other are meant to expose weaknesses and inconsistencies in their argument.

 Junior member Savie Warren commented, “The part I love most about Ethics Bowl is that we go in depth on relevant issues from a moral standpoint and we decide what is the most ethical option.”  If you enjoy deep thinking, discussing, or debating, Ethics Bowl would be a good fit for you! For more information contact an officer or Mrs. Balzs in room 1407.