I’m coaching a new high school team this season (while putting the final touches on Ethics Bowl to the Rescue! Saving Democracy by Transforming Debate – due out VERY soon), and in looking for an example of an Ethics Bowl to share with them, came across this excellent overview video by Dr. Sean Riley, Long Island HSEB championship-winning coach, Baylor philosophy Ph.D., and Chief Strategy Officer of Stony Brook School. He covers differences between Ethics Bowl and traditional debate, how to frame and work through cases (decide if it’s more policy or interpersonal, identify stakeholders, adopt an empathetic mindset), and even works through an example: ‘Til Death Do My Part, from the 2023-2024 regional case set. It’s really good – good enough for me to immediately share with my team. So, coaches, as you’re recruiting and welcoming new team members, consider doing the same. It would of course work equally well for Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl and Ethics Olympiad teams.
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