Edison High students are upholding their commitment to integrity beyond the classroom with the launch of a new Ethics Bowl team. Initiated this school year by Social Studies Supervisor Mr. Mark DiGiovacchino, the Ethics Bowl team is now advised by History teachers Dr. Gene Nasser and Mr. Howard Manson.
This club aims to foster ethical and morally sound debate. In their biweekly meetings, the members are given a case to study and evaluate, so they can later deliberate on the issue at hand and debate their reasoning.
“Students are interested in ethical theory and modern morality,” said Nasser. “To me, that is the tip-off that there is something they want and are not getting in school. In school, it’s about the right answer, but in ethics, there is no right answer.”
This approach underscores the vital role ethics plays in personal development. Oftentimes, schools teach students that there are “right” and “wrong” choices. However, the ambiguity of ethical decisions allows these members to foster a mindset that prioritizes thoughtful and composed responses. This behavior across different environments demonstrates the transformative power of moral inquiry and introspection.
“Ethics has helped me blend my home and school mannerisms by teaching me the importance of reacting with a calm response to people and situations, instead of with anger or stress,” said Ethics Bowl member Rudra Patel ‘26.
On January 25, Ethics Bowl members attended a regional qualifier conference at Middlesex College. Consisting of 7 students (5 competitors and 2 alternates), the EHS Ethics team competed against multiple teams in two rounds. However, as a rookie team, they had lost both rounds, but they plan to grow from this experience.
“Sometimes we win, sometimes we learn,” said team captain Aarya Mirajkar ‘26.
During their debate, a moderator keeps time and a panel of three judges follow the ethically defensive position of each team. Two cases are given ahead of time, but the sections chosen to debate are random. Team A receives the first case and asks general questions, while Team B has the chance to either refute or improve the moral and ethical argument the team made.
At the conference, students went over controversial topics, exploring demographic choices that challenge conventional thinking, such as the role of local and national governments in tourism, children consuming mocktails, and a vegan who purchases animal products for her pet.
This debate aims to provide the most compelling moral argument. Judges have the option to ask follow-up questions to the teams and, after conferring among themselves, pick a winner. Depending on the achievements of the students, they have the opportunity to advance to the next conference.
For the remainder of the year, the Ethics Bowl team plans to continue meeting biweekly and run mock scenarios to prepare for the upcoming competitions. In these meetings, members will become more knowledgeable in logical fallacies, the subjective and duty-bound approach to cases, and the limits of morality.
Patel personally hopes that the club will attract outspoken students who can contribute to the club without shame. As of now, the team will further stimulate discussions on issues beyond virtue.