On Monday 25 May, Pinehurst students competed in the Senior School Ethics Olympiad, joining schools from across New Zealand in a day of thoughtful, rigorous ethical discussion.
The Ethics Olympiad is not like a traditional debate. Rather than arguing to win, teams work through real-world ethical cases, presenting their reasoning, answering questions from judges, and engaging respectfully with other teams’ perspectives. It’s a competition that rewards careful thinking and the ability to hold a position while remaining genuinely open to other viewpoints.
Pinehurst entered two teams on the day and both made their mark. Pinehurst Blue, led by Percy Kuang (Year 13) and joined by Aayoung Joung, Annie He, Erica Xu and Saffie Wang (all Year 12), earned a Silver Medal — securing an invitation to the International Final on 23 July. Pinehurst Pink, led by Eva Liu (Year 11) and joined by Jessica Hu, Isaac Sun and Tiger Niu (Year 11) and Sophie Sun (Year 12), was recognised as the most improved team on the day and also received an Honourable Mention from the judges — a strong acknowledgement of the growth and maturity they showed throughout the competition.
A huge congratulations to all students who represented Pinehurst. Taking on complex ethical questions under competition conditions takes real courage, and every member of both teams showed up with thoughtfulness and integrity.
We look forward to following Pinehurst Blue at the International Final in July.
