By: Silas Epstein ‘23, Feature Editor

Photo Courtesy of the Polymnian

Like many NA students, I had no idea that Ethics Club even existed before I joined it. I decided to check it out after a friend recommended it, and, immediately, I was hooked. It is a club where students gather weekly to discuss contemporary issues through classic ethical frameworks such as utilitarianism or deontology. Members meet throughout the fall to discuss specific cases in preparation for the Ethics Bowl in February. During the competition, Newark Academy argues against local schools, such as Kent Place and Dwight Englewood. Unlike most argument-based competitions, Ethics Bowl promotes the idea that there are no right or wrong answers to reality’s tough questions. This type of thinking is refreshing in an age of hot takes and 280 character provocations. A founding principle of the club is respectful disagreement, a skill that requires some practice to develop, but is extremely useful to master. Club president Kyra Gallagher ‘23 worked with faculty advisor Ms. Prince to bring this challenge to the Newark Academy community in Gallagher’s freshman year after participating in mock Ethics Bowls in middle school. She said that the initial experience sparked her interest in ethics, and bringing it to NA, where she engages in weekly “thought-provoking discussions” has deepened her passion.

Because Ethics Bowl takes case studies from real-world events, it can be a useful tool for gaining new perspectives on the world around us. Gallagher says that last year’s COVID-19 cases “allowed [her] to see different points of view on issues like vaccination priority and showed [her] how a seemingly complex issue can boil down to a matter of basic human rights.” Very rarely, if ever, do we think about the base philosophies which shape our world views in our daily lives. Think of a strong opinion you hold about a particular issue. What ethical framework do you use to come to that conclusion? This thought exercise is, in a nutshell, the essence of Ethics Bowl. It requires students to both form opinions on current events and interrogate the methodology used to reach those opinions. In the words of Gallagher, “you have to find ways to support your own argument and rebut against others.”

Despite the competitive nature of the club, the conversations are always civil and collaborative. Even when arguing, students often preface their statements with warnings that they are trying to figure out their position, or that they are playing devil’s advocate. Unlike the adult politicians discussing the hot-button issues used for cases, there are no screaming matches during club meetings. Because the judges look for what Gallagher calls “systematic arguments,” students become better arguers as they “look at all possible angles on a case so [their approach] can’t be broken down.”

As the competition date draws closer, Ethics Club will research data points and ethical ideologies and hold mock debates on the case studies because all of the information must be memorized before the competition. The club has improved significantly since its inception in 2019: they did not win any cases during the 2021 virtual Ethics Bowl, but only lost to the eventual 1st and 2nd place teams in last year’s Bowl. The club hopes to make it into the playoffs this year, so wish a member good luck. And if critical, nuanced arguments sound interesting to you, consider dropping by a meeting any Tuesday!