Ethics of Drone Strikes Makes Winning Essay

The Richard T. Schellhase Essay Prize in Ethics, launched by the U-Imagine Center for Integrative and Entrepreneurial  Studies, invited students to submit an essay on a topic  of ethical or moral importance. Winners of the competition were announced during the Celebration of Student Achievement (CoSA) April 23.

The competition honors Richard Schellhase ’45, beloved coach and mentor. It is supported by trustee Will Abele ’61 and overseen by Kelly Sorensen, professor of Philosophy and Religious Studies and Class of 1954 Chair of Ethics.

First prize of $3,000 went to Ethan Wright for his essay, “Of Drones and Justice: A Just War Theory Analysis of the United States’ Drone Campaigns.”

Second prize of $2,000 went to Alex Lowe for his topic, “Killing Kindly: Applying Jens Timmermann’s Kantian Ethics of Animal Welfare to the Modern System of Livestock Farming.”

Third prize of $1,000 went to Rachel Bonner for her essay, “Ethics in Exhibitions: Considering Indigenous Art.”

 Honorable mentions went to Rachel Philip, “No Vacancy: The Ethics of Homelessness and American Morale;” Peter Eisenhauer, “Ethical Concerns of the Surveillance State;” Collin Takita, “Adaptive Directivity: An Educator’s Approach to a Raw English Language Learner;” and Arthur Robinson, “Faces.”

The Rev. Richard Schellhase  ’45, has had a long and distinguished career in philanthropy and in the clergy, and served as assistant professor of Religion at Ursinus from 1956 to 1964. He is the most recent holder of The Davis Chair of Judeo-Christian Values, established by Nancy Davis in honor of her late husband, Thomas, Class of 1952, a former trustee.