With new additions to the team and hours of countless practice, the EHS Ethics Bowl team is looking forward to a successful season.
According to English teacher and Ethics Bowl coach Kirk Schlueter, the team now consists of 25 members, which is a great sign for the club.
“I’m always excited to bring in new people and this is by far the largest team we’ve ever had,” Mr. Schlueter said. “This is great not only for this year, but for years to come.”
Ethics Bowl is essentially competitive philosophy, according to senior Caroline James. Instead of arguing a specific point, such as in debate, members have to consider the morality of real-life dilemmas. The competition focuses on not who has the best opinion, but on who better understands the issues of the problem.
Ethics Bowl presents competitors with various scenarios. It’s up to the members to explore the ethics and morals behind them.
“The idea is to bring people together to have a conversation about real life, the limits people might face and what the implications of those are,” Mr. Schlueter said. “For instance, if an elderly person has Alzheimer’s, is it ethical for their partner to start dating someone else while they’re still alive? These are the types of questions we are typically asked.”
With such large numbers, the club will also no longer be able to bring all its members to the regional competition.
Mr. Schlueter said this is a bittersweet experience for him. Despite wanting everyone to participate and compete at every competition, he’s happy to know that team members are enjoying the club and bringing their friends with them.
Every practice leading up to this point has prepared both new and old members of the team for their first competition of the season, which will be held Jan. 25.
According to sophomore Josh Koester, despite not feeling fully prepared, he is confident the practices beforehand will ensure his readiness for the competition.
“Being a sophomore, I’m honestly really nervous,” he said. “But my team has even more practice outside of school planned, so we’ll absolutely be ready in time.”
Mr. Schlueter believes the team has put in the work and effort for a great competition.
“I personally feel really well about the competition on Saturday and I honestly think we’re the most ready that we’ve ever been,” he said. “I am excited and proud of how the kids have responded and the work they’ve been putting into the practices, as well as outside the practices. I have lots of confidence in the team and I believe our competition will reflect that.”
As a returning member, senior Veda Kommineni thinks the team will perform better than in years past.
“I think the team looks super strong,” she said. “We looked strong last year as well, but this year, we have new members and a lot more experience under our belts.”
Similarly to Kommineni, James believes the addition of new members will benefit the success of the team.
“The new members have greatly assisted our contemplation of the cases and their thoughts have helped us map out our positions,” James said. “There are definitely some very bright minds in the group.”
Despite doing exceptionally well last season, the team members hope to advance even further with their new members.
According to Mr. Schlueter, last year was the best that any EHS team had ever done. After winning regionals at SIUE, the team progressed to the divisional playoff in Chicago and barely lost, missing their chance at nationals.
It wasn’t a sense of lost hope for the team, but instead inspiration.
“It is absolutely my goal for EHS to advance to nationals at Chapel Hill this year,” Koester said. “We were so close last year and I think we’re overall better as a team this year.”
James agreed that the team is more than ready to compete.
“This year has been a lot more competition-focused than previous years, but we’re in it to win it,” she said. “We’re focused, we’re motivated and we’re ready.”
The team is not only looking for a win on Saturday, but also for a second chance at nationals.
“Last year, my team made it the furthest that we ever have and it was a super fun experience,” Kommineni said. “I feel even better about the strength of the team, and I can’t wait to see how this season goes.”