Year 10 philosophers Anjali Popuri and Ila Bains placed second and third, respectively, in this year’s philosophy competitions.
Anjali was awarded second place in the Individual Philosopher category at the Sydney Philosothon, and Ila placed third in the NSW Philosophy in Schools Essay Competition.
Sydney Philosothon
The Sydney Philosothon is an annual inter-school event running since 2009. It provides a collaborative opportunity for students who are well-versed in engaging in philosophical discussions known as Communities of Inquiry.
This year, Meriden entered a team of seven students, consisting of Sydney Nguyen, Sophie Yi and Maggie Zhang (Year 11), Juliette Owen, Anjali Popuri and Keira Taganesia (Year 10), and Ashley Shu (Year 9).
Students participated in three Community of Inquiry discussions, exploring whether it is ethical to breach someone’s privacy for the sake of safety and security, whether you have the right to believe whatever you want, and the nature of reality in the online world versus the real world.
These discussions were student led; participants sought to agree and disagree with each other respectfully, justify their opinions, build on each other’s arguments and demonstrate intellectual humility. This included the ability to admit that they had changed their mind over the course of the discussion.
At the end of the evening, Anjali Popuri was awarded second place in the Individual Philosopher category, competing in a field of around 60 students.
Congratulations to all team members who engaged so thoughtfully and respectfully in all their conversations.
NSW Philosophy in Schools Essay Competition
Congratulations to Ila Bains (Year 10), who placed third in the NSW Philosophy in Schools Essay Competition. Ila’s achievement marks the sixth year in a row that Meriden students have placed in the top three of this rigorous competition.
Organised in collaboration with the Royal Society of NSW Southern Highlands, the state-wide competition challenges students in Years 10 to 12 to tackle complex philosophical questions.
This year, students were asked to consider whether the use of AI is ethical when used by students to complete homework and assignments. Students had to argue their point of view, while also interrogating their assumptions and then discussing the implications of their conclusion.
“The Philosophy Essay Competition gives opportunities for students to consider a philosophical question or issue in greater depth, and to conduct their own independent reading and research into this area,” said Ms Priscilla Curran, Meriden’s Dean of Lateral Learning.
“The Essay Competition gives a voice to those students who are not always confident to speak readily or respond quickly in a Community of Inquiry, but this competition gives them time to reflect and think deeply and compose a response that is relevant to them and their lives.”
