With tears pricking her eyes and fond memories of her three years in the club consuming her mind, senior and Ethics Bowl President Elise Griffin accepted the shiny glass trophy that crowned her team winners. 

“I was so proud of my little family,” Griffin said. “I was so overwhelmed by happiness.” 

Two teams represented EHS at the tournament: the A team, which was comprised of more experienced members, and the B team, which included newer and first-time members. The A team won second place, and the B team won third place.

The competition, which was held on Jan. 25 at SIUE, required teams of five (and two subs) to debate hypothetical moral situations using ethical theories and other evidence to support their positions. Collinsville High School, Edwardsville High School, Marion High School and Triad High School competed, and MHS earned first place. 

Although the A and B teams compete separately, they practice together. Every November, they receive a packet with 15 possible cases, and they research them extensively until the January competition. The teams engage in competition-esque debates of the topics when the competition nears, first-year Ethics Bowl member and senior River Johnson said. 

“The practice rounds were helpful, but I feel like a lot of people really came out during the actual competition,” Johnson said. “It was crazy to me how a lot of us were super quiet…and there’s a lot of people that I didn’t expect to be able to talk and articulate like that.” 

English teacher and Ethics Bowl sponsor Cara Lane stressed the importance of academic clubs like hers. 

“My students are not only working together as a team; they are engaged in thinking critically, in coming up with counterarguments, in evaluating circumstances that are purposely difficult…” Ms. Lane said. “It’s one thing to be able to identify something and say, ‘I would never do that.’ It’s another to say why.”

The club especially fosters critical thinking skills, according to junior and first-year member Myles Jefferson. 

“Overall, it’s improved the way I can look at a situation and develop opinions and different ethical standpoints,” Jefferson said. 

Although Johnson said that he values the experiences Ethics Bowl has afforded him, he has one regret. 

“I hate myself for not doing it sooner.”