By Barb Lockard
Melody Veltri wasn’t sure what kind of response she’d get when she approached Ada High School students about competing in an Ethics Bowl.  Veltri, an English instructor at the school, assumed some interest among high achieving students.

“The students on the Ethics Bowl teams are academically strong, but I didn’t make that a requirement,” said Veltri.  

With 10 students expressing an interest, she has formed two teams of five who meet weekly to read cases. 

The Bowl is a national contest and the regional event will be held at the University of Findlay on Saturday, Jan. 11.  All teams must read 15 cases prior to the competition and will be given four of those cases on the day of the event.  

Veltri first learned about Ethics Bowl at the Ohio Council of Teachers of English Language Arts (OCTELA) Conference last year.  Ada High School administration put its stamp of approval on giving it a try this year. She feels lucky to have students who are interested.  

She explained that Ethics Bowl was designed to promote civil discourse and is not the same as debate. As an example, Team A presents its stance on a case, and then Team B comments on their presentation; asking questions and making suggestions.  Occasionally, both teams will agree on an issue which isn’t the case in a debate.

According to the National High School Ethics Bowl (NHSEB) website, the Bowl consists of competitive yet collaborative events in which students discuss real-life ethical issues. 

Data gathered by the organization shows that Ethics Bowl teaches and promotes ethical awareness, critical thinking, civil discourse, civic engagement and appreciation for multiple points of view.  

What kinds of issues will the teams discuss in 2019-20?  The list of cases is diverse and case titles include:
• Plantation Wedding
• Forced Chemotherapy
• Teacher Strikes
• Belief vs. Action
• Is it OK to Punch a Nazi?

A complete list of the cases, including questions is available at https://nhseb.unc.edu/files/2019/09/Regional-Case-Set-2019-2020.pdf

With many students involved in Fall sports, weekly practices have had to suffice, but Veltri sees a heavier schedule approaching.  

“I think we will need to buckle down in December and start to meet after school to do extra research and to strategize,” she added.