Radnor High School Ethics Bowl Team Makes Community Proud at National Championship

They sat huddled over notes, a freshman and two seniors on one side of the aisle, a senior and two juniors on the other. Only a few days remained before the national championship and their arguments needed refining. The current dilemma had just been posited – an issue most high school students don’t consider during the course of a typical school day: What are the ethical implications of open markets for organs? 

While just a practice, the students discussed the issue as if judges scribbled on score cards behind them. Their coach, Radnor High School English teacher Carl Rosin, followed the dialogue intently, interjecting to underscore a particularly strong argument or direct the discussion down a more salient avenue. The students expressed their positions passionately, intelligently, calmly. In other words, they behaved ethically. 

What else would one expect from Philadelphia Area High School Ethics Bowl champions?

On April 19 and 20, seniors Chris Blazey, Chris Merken and Griffin Unger, juniors Nick Brady and Louis Esser and freshman Katherine Hung took their regional accolades and ethical prowess on the road for the first-ever National High School Ethics Bowl at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. They were one of 16 teams to compete in the inaugural competition and the only club representing Pennsylvania. Their opponents came from as far away as California, Utah and Florida.

Unlike most contests, Ethics Bowls do not require teams to take pro/con positions. Opposing team members can, in fact, agree with each other - an attribute that makes the events unique. While they remain competitive, they are also collaborative, and have an end goal of encouraging students to analyze and discuss a series of real-life and wide-ranging ethical dilemmas civilly and informatively. 

“Ethics Bowl challenged me to think ethically, philosophically, and to really look deep inside myself to find the true answer,” Merken said. “I've learned to not just take statements and positions at face value. I also learned the true meaning of collaboration and respect.”

In addition to the "Open Markets for Organs" dilemma, the ethical cases up for review at the national competition included “Stand Your Ground Laws,” Unmanned Drone Attacks” and “The DREAM Act.” The judges awarded points for how well teams expressed their positions. While the students studied the cases beforehand, they did not know which cases they would be assigned until the event.

Radnor’s team ended up placing 8th in nationals, going 2-2 in the opening rounds. Rosin reported in an email that the team faced a very difficult draw, as they were pitted against the eventual third-, fifth-, and sixth-place finishers. Still, Rosin couldn’t have been prouder.

“The students represented our school and township impressively, not only with their excellent arguments but also with the highest standards of sportsmanship and collaboration,” Rosin wrote. “They earned many kudos from the judges and their opponents.”

“Participating in the Ethics Bowl, both at the regional and the national competitions, was a phenomenal experience,” Merken said. “I loved Ethics Bowl and I hope the team grows next year.”