While we may not notice it, our lives are made up a plethora of little decisions that eventually shape the way our day plays out. Whether it’s deciding to get to school earlier, deciding which fine arts class to take, or even choosing a parking spot, these decisions add up and determine what can be called our “Jesuit experience.” But, for all high school students, these choices become more serious and gain more weight. So, in order to prepare students for these imminent decisions, the 24/7 Service organization offers a one-day trip to an ethics symposium.
On February 6th, eight sophomores from the 24/7 Service Organization were selected to attend the Annual Ethics Symposium at the Dallas Bible Church, sponsored by the Shelton School. These students included:
Parker Allen
Matthew Brewer
Joe Carver
Evan Doran
Jesus Garcia
Steven Mancillas
Matt Musso
Bass Stewart
For Parker Allen ’17, one of the students selected to attend the trip, the event was “”a nice change of pace.” He explained that the “most powerful takeaway from the Ethics Symposium was listening to the panelists and professionals speak from these different fields because when you hear the perspective on ethics, it kind of makes you think outside of your traditional dilemmas. It makes you more forward thinking of how are you going to approach ethical dilemmas when I leave school and go into professional life.”
Similarly, Matt Musso ’17 also explained that before the event, he was “not very familiar with the idea of “ethics” and I figured that this symposium would increase my knowledge of the subject. Also, I think that the knowledge of ethics is key to any leader, so I figured attending this event would help me become a better leader.”
Moderator and Sophomore counselor Mr. David Williams believes that “Sophomore year, I think, is an excellent time when kids ask big questions… I think Jesuit’s a great place for that. I also think it’s neat that it’s not just a Jesuit thing. Other people are asking these questions too.” He went on to describe the benefits of the symposium, saying, “There are two things that happen: first, very few people talk about the moral decisions that a teenager faces, other than just preaching at them. We don’t do that there. The other thing is that they get to see how adults use ethical choices and decision making when they’re professionals. I think that’s nice for our guys to see.”
Going along with the conversation about ethical decisions and ethical dilemmas not being exclusive to Jesuit, Bass Stewart ’17 added that “I think it is important for me to go on this trip because I could learn a lot and connect with other teens from different schools [and] I’m looking forward to meeting other teens my age and discussing issues that we face in society.”
At the end of the event, each student is given a free copy of Why Good People Make Tough Choices, a book by Rushworth M. Kidder, explaining multiple concepts that involve ethics and decision-making in the real world. Williams explained, “There’s something in there that he describes as “moral or ethical fitness.” And it’s a concept that you can’t just be expected to make a very tough ethical decision one day in the future if you haven’t practiced [with] small ethical decisions beforehand. I think, to me, this is a good reminder that the things that we do on a daily basis in high school may not seem that important… Why do I need to come to guidance once a week? Why do I need to be honest about an easy quiz that I didn’t read for but still got the A? In the long run, nothing… It won’t help you cure cancer as a doctor or win a trial as a lawyer. But, what it does is it helps you practice on a daily basis how to make ethical decisions so that when the time comes, it’s easier for you to make.”
All in all, Jesuit was well represented by all eight students equally and benefitted from the experience greatly. This worthwhile experience has left its mark on eight students, but has the potential to influence countless future members of 24/7 and reisdents the Dallas Area.
