The Kids Are All Right – Through Dialogue, a NY-Based Organization Bridges Racial, Cultural, and Generational Divides to Secure America’s Future

They had never heard of Socrates, let alone Aristotle or Plato. And yet the kids at Poughkeepsie Public High School were eager to learn about a Greek Philosopher who lived almost 2500 years ago and established the art of asking difficult questions. The point of these workshops was to give participating students at competing schools across the Tri-State area a brush up on Logic and Ethics before the Westchester Regional Ethics Bowl, but digressions like these were common. Kids, from every walk of life, were full of curiosity.

“Socrates pursued the truth at the expense of everything else. He would discuss the hardest subjects with the youth in Athens, like we are doing here today, with you,” we told them, “but not everyone liked Socrates’ love for discourse. Powerful people put him on trial. They gave him a choice: either stop what you are doing or be executed. Socrates chose to die.” 

“Why would he do that?” they asked in disbelief.

“Because to abandon discourse would be contrary to everything that he had taught and everything that he believed. It would mean abandoning his students. It would mean abandoning the truth. And Socrates saw that these things were more important than his life.”

One student softly exclaimed, “Wow!” The rest were silent, filled with awe. They had never imagined a person like Socrates, and yet he was instantly a hero to them – someone who lived and died for his friends and the truth.

There is a common misconception about youth in America today. Though most agree that the American education system is severely lacking, some go further and suggest that, as a result, our youth are beyond our help. While it is true that our schools, on every level, have scaled back their expectations for students, cut courses and programs once thought essential to education (logic, rhetoric, Latin, and the like), and have remodeled their curriculum to cater to tests like the SAT and GRE, rather than according to the individual needs of their students, what is most important still remains. At every level, students are hungry to learn, to think and discuss.

The Marshall Institute for Ethical Thought and Action, likewise, finds inspiration in Socrates. We believe that through dialogue, we can unite young Americans of every background and belief in a common love for discourse and for one another. All of the Institute’s activities are centered around the Ethics Bowl, a competitive event that welcomes young Americans to engage in open dialogue to answer some of life’s and society’s most pressing ethical concerns. Participating students are asked to evaluate what they believe, why they believe it, and further consider how to live those beliefs in practice.

This past weekend, the Institute held its 6th annual Westchester Regional High School Ethics Bowl in tandem with Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Even with the complications caused by the COVID crisis, it was the biggest event of its kind yet. The Bowl welcomed nine schools, sixteen teams, and more than seventy high school students. The students that participated were as diverse as the schools that attended. From John S. Burke Catholic to North Rockland Public High School to the Armenian Siamanto Academy of New York City, all put aside their differences to engage in spirited debate. Hackley School, a private college preparatory school took first place this year.

Though there are many Ethics Bowls held across the country, hosted by other schools and organizations, the Institute’s approach is unique. It supplements the main event by offering internships, workshops, and courses to continue to nurture the dialogue and friendships begun at its main event. The Institute also strategically selects from an international network of connections to participate as judges at the Bowl. These include college upperclassmen, alumni, educators, and professionals in every kind of field. Every judge offers a wealth of experience and insight that these students might otherwise never encounter. Younger judges are especially key, because they more easily connect with their younger peers and quickly become role models. Since large events have all been moved online, access to volunteers is greater than ever. This year, judges called in from every time zone imaginable: Armenia, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, the Philippines, Guatemala, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, to name a few.

The Bowl event is easy to replicate to reach and engage students of every age and background. Previous events have always been trans-generational and trans-national. Now the Institute is planning to cultivate greater inclusivity. In the following Spring, the Institute will hold its first local Junior High Ethics Bowl. In the following Fall, with the help of its international connections, it will organize its first International Bowl.

We at the Marshall Institute believe in our promising young Americans. By fostering dialogue and friendship, we hope to inspire them to work together to ensure a brighter future for our country.