Brains and ethics collide at the University of Cincinnati this weekend as the campus gears up to host the annual face-off of moral quandaries. According to a recent article, the Cincinnati Ethics Center is set to hold the fourth Greater Cincinnati Regional High School Ethics Bowl, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 24, and Sunday, Jan. 25.
The event, which will take place both in UC’s Carl H. Lindner College of Business and the UC College of Law, is no standard debate competition—it spotlights reasoned discourse and ethical analysis over the battle to win arguments, students team up to engage with real-world dilemmas through careful listening and thoughtful conversation their positions developing through respectful exchange; they’re evaluated on clarity, depth, responsiveness, and intellectual humility. "In just four years, this competition has seen incredible growth," Andrew Cullison, executive director of the Cincinnati Ethics Center, told University of Cincinnati News.
A record number of students will be participating this year, the bowl will see students from 24 schools, competing on 40 teams—an impressive second only to a regional contest in California in terms of total school participation. "This year’s expansion into two buildings reflects the incredible enthusiasm of our participants," said Christina Baulch in a statement obtained by UC News, director of K–12 educational programs, who also noted the inclusion of teams like the Boys & Girls Club of West Chester and Scarlet Oaks Career Campus. These additions underscore the evolving landscape of ethics education and its reach.
All 40 teams will compete in four preliminary rounds on Saturday, after which, the schools with the top eight scores will move forward to the knock-out stages on Sunday, ultimately leading to a championship match—the winner of which will get to progress within the National High School Ethics Bowl network, Saturday's battles will take place across two UC buildings demonstrating the competition's scalability and the varied locales for ethics in academic settings.
This notable affair is kept afloat by generous volunteers, including UC's own faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as community professionals, who take on the roles of judges and moderators. They provide the necessary structure and support for the event. In featuring all the action, a photo from a past bowl displayed students from Walnut Hills High School in mid-discussion, a fitting representation of what the bowl is all about, young minds deeply immersed in the complexities of ethics.
