We are extremely proud of our students this year!  After winning two regional competitions, we are heading to Nationals at University of North Carolina on April 20th!  There were 480 teams to start nationwide and now we are down to the top 24 at UNC. 

The Fairfield Prep Philosophy Club and Ethics Bowl team aligns with the school’s Theology Curriculum of teaching moral values and ethical systems.  Prep’s Theology department seeks to teach students a variety of theories on how human beings make decisions and instill in our young men the heart of the Ignatian Vision through Catholic Social Teaching.  To that end, the Ethics Bowl team has taken the next step to apply learned knowledge to contemporary issues of great ethical import.  In competition, matches are judged based on both the validity and sound nature of our team’s argument, as well as their ability to respond to hypothetical questions about their position. Unique from a traditional debate, Ethics Bowl competitions invite students to think deeply about the right thing to do in each given situation and to collaborate with other teams in order to arrive at the best possible outcome.  Fairfield Prep’s Ethics Bowl team is an inspiring example of a motivated group of gentlemen who desire to learn and grow in their exploration of the problems that will face their generation and beyond, and to do so in a reflective and thoughtful manner consistent with our Jesuit character.

The National Ethics Bowl, sponsored by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supports more than 30 regional competitions nationwide in order to narrow the field for their national competition each April. Students research and refine their arguments on moral issues that impact our society such as driverless cars and gender roles in the workplace. Matches are judged based on both the validity and sound nature of a team’s argument, as well as their ability to respond to hypothetical questions about their position. Unique from a traditional debate, ethics competitions invite young men and women to think deeply about what is the right thing to do in each given situation as opposed to simply adopting a pro or con stance.

Fairfield Prep’s team was led by Ian Greenwalt ’18 and Will Richards ’19, with strong contributions by Michael Hoben ’18, Owen Gannon ’19, Finn Mangan ’19, and Eric Ochsner ’19. Team Scribe Lucas Hoin ’19 kept detailed notes on each match in order to help the team refine their arguments in each round. His contribution is all the more important now as the team looks toward traveling to North Carolina to compete on the national stage April 20-22, 2018.