The
Whittier Miscellany January 2018 • WILMINGTON FRIENDS SCHOOL’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER • WILMINGTON, DELAWARE
Ethics Debate Team Discusses the hard questions Ellie Bradley ’19 News Writer
tough cases up until the day of the competition. The team started when she went to a conference held by a professor at Penn, and learned that other educators were trying to spread these types of ethical debates from the college level down to high schools. Inspired, she started the club with a small group of students and their first competition was held at Morristown Friends
Ellen Johnson
classes that have very limited numbers compared to the whole student body. Upon being asked why she enjoys ethics debates, Johnson’s face lit up into a huge smile. It was clear how The Ethics Debate Team became a new club at passionate she was about these ideas and this club. “I Wilmington Friends five years ago, and since then, just really like the idea that you’re in a conversation, has not received its fair share of attention in the school not an argument”, she said, as well as noting that “it’s community. The club not just someone’s participates in yearly opinion…. the comcompetitions against lopetitions are a concal schools in an all-day tinuous dialogue, and event. This year’s comnot an aggressive one”. petition took place on In fact, students gain November 18th at Villapoints from demonnova University. Students strating good listenchallenge each other ing. The way that by bringing forth their a winner is chosen ideas for what is morally through conversaand logically correct in tion without aggresa given situation. These sion is very different could be anything, from from competitions whether students should like Mock Trial, or have their acceptance to even a classical style Harvard revoked because debate. The “peaceof offensive online comful” means of this ments, to whether drivcompetition reflect erless cars should protect Wilmington Friends the person within them School’s Quaker valor the person they’re hitues, among them ting in the case of an acthe themes of peace, cident. Most of the descommunity, and ignated cases are based equality. Ms. Johnin reality, though this is son also mentioned not a requirement. The how through the fifteen scenarios, which Ethics Debate Team, are all the same and given students “learn how to every group, are conto grow a conversaEthics Debate Team gathers for a picture in front of Villanova University, the location of the competition. sidered and processed tion”. This is no doubt before the competition School. Today, the club has eleven people, which John- an important skill, and one that can be seen in many in club meetings. On the day of the competition, par- son affirmed was a good number. However, she men- classrooms around school on any given day. The club ticipants come prepared to discuss six of these fifteen tioned that the club has not gained much attention is constantly honing these skills and expanding stupossible topics. and lacks support. While organizing auditions is out dents’ thought processes when it comes to difficult Ellen Johnson has worked with the Ethics Debate of the question, as it might intimidate some students situations. In future years, hopefully the club will congroup since its start, and her love for the subject was too much, Johnson wishes that there were a class to tinue to grow and to fuel new members’ excitement very apparent in conversation with her. Also teaching teach potential club members about philosophy. Of for ethical questions and debating. Make sure to cona MSON course that relates to ethics, she is the perfect course there are classes offered, like Theory of Knowl- gratulate this year’s team on their hard work and acteacher to guide students and help them work through edge and her own MSON course, but these are both complishments!