Seniors assemble in smaller focus groups and engage in discussions on ethics.
A swarm of students in blazers, slacks and dress shoes funneled into McLean High School’s auditorium on Nov. 18 as the senior class congregated for the annual Ethics Day.
At 8:30, seniors listened to a presentation hosted by two former Ethics professors from Georgetown Law. Seniors listened raptly, gasping at the examples from real life and applauding the speakers. Many students analyzed and reflected on a skit exploring racial discrimination performed by some of the school’s most dedicated thespians.
Between the speeches and the subsequent bus ride to Marymount University, seniors waited in the masses for undoubtedly (and a bit ashamedly) one of the most enticing benefits of the day: a free IHOP breakfast. Although several complaints questioned the need to dedicate an entire school day to the topic of ethics, no outcries were heard over the free French toast and hash browns available on the buffet line.
Once at Marymount University, the seniors engaged in further discussion on ethics, analyzing more hypothetical scenarios and witnessing a mock trial. One of the most debated hypothetical situations involved a coveted Chipotle burrito: the ethical considerations of receiving a free burrito from a friend who was an employee at Chipotle, secretly providing a free burritos every visit to the restaurant…and then getting caught. Beyond a round of nervous laughter, responses ranged from certain daring students that would “make a run for it,” to those that would lie and say they merely forgot to pay; with only a few indicating they would admit to their wrongdoings.
The mock trial resulted in less laughter and more heated debates. Students listened to a trial involving drunk driving, in which the friend of the perpetrator was killed on impact in the car accident. Students in small focus groups acted as a jury to determine punishment for the perpetrator. While the answer seemed clear to many (a majority decided the subject guilty), others analyzed different aspects of the case and declared the student not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
Ethics Day forced McLean’s seniors to not only reflect on how they would react in difficult situations, but to also analyze multiple perspectives on any given scenario. Although Ethics Day divided students in more ways than one, the entire class came together in celebration of a few hours off school grounds---and of course, free IHOP.