Hosting Young Philosophy Enthusiasts
March 20, 2025
HYPE
EQ: How does having empathy affect our interactions with the world around us?
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Sub Essential Questions
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What makes an empathetic person?
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Is empathy an active choice?
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What makes an empathetic person?
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Does our education and our experiences influence one’s ability to empathize with each other?
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Do our biases get in the way of us exploring perspectives that contradict our own?
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What is the impact of making an assumption?
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How has the advancement of technology changed the way humans interact?
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Is empathy something that is universal?
HYPE Conference at the University of New Hampshire: A Student-Run Event Exploring Empathy and Its Impact on the World Around Us
Durham, NH – [March 20, 2025] – Ethics Forum, a dedicated group of students from Souhegan High School, is proud to present the HYPE Conference of 2025 at the University of New Hampshire. The event, which will take place on March 20th, is designed to bring together young philosophy enthusiasts to engage in thought-provoking discussions on empathy and its role in shaping our interactions with the world.
HYPE stands for Hosting Young Philosophy Enthusiasts, and this year’s conference revolves around the essential question: “How does having empathy affect our interactions with the world around us?” The event will feature a series of discussions run by student facilitators allowing participants to explore the complexities of empathy in various contexts, from personal relationships to societal issues. This year, we will have guest speaker Shannon Chandley join us. A NH Senator from 2004-2024, on and off, and an avid member of the New Hampshire community.
This student-run initiative is the culmination of months of planning, preparation, and collaboration by the Ethics Forum at Souhegan High School. The conference will also feature a teacher workshop, which is run by students from the ethics forum, who will be sharing what we do at our school with others.
The HYPE Conference is open to high school students with a passion for philosophy and the impact of empathy on our society. Those interested in attending are encouraged to join us next year, as an attendee or a facilitator.
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​About Ethics Forum at Souhegan High School:
The Ethics Forum is a student-run organization at Souhegan High School dedicated to fostering open and thoughtful discussions on ethical issues in today's world. Throughout the school year, we host conferences to help our understanding of the world around us. Through conferences, and other events, the group encourages students to think critically, engage with diverse perspectives, and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Our HYPE 2025 Emcees
Emma is a senior at Souhegan High School. She has been involved in the Ethics Forum for the past two years. She plays soccer, is the current moderator of the Community Council, is the secretary for NHS, contributes to the environmental club, is involved with the theater club, and works with two other honor societies (Spanish and Thespian). She will study business management after high school. HYPE is important to her because she values building community, and the way to do that is through the dialogue that’s unique to HYPE.
Abby is currently a senior attending Souhegan High School and this is her third year participating in the HYPE conference. Abby enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, meeting new people, as well as listening to and playing music. She is the President of her school's chapter in the National Honor Society and Vice President of the Spanish National Honor Society. She dedicates her time outside of school to teaching Korean to students through The National Association for Korean Schools. Abby intends to study psychology after she graduates and is excited to see how students from diverse backgrounds will engage in meaningful dialogue regarding empathy. She hopes that through HYPE, students will learn that their voices carry power and can make positive impacts on our society.
Jared is a senior at Souhegan High School. He enjoys art, music, and being around friends. He is a member of the Ethics Forum at Souhegan. His other involvements are with the Souhegan Community Council as a grade representative, the Student Activities Committee as its current president, the National Honor Society as a member, and, this past election cycle, he served as an intern on the senate campaign of Shannon Chandley, who will be at this year’s HYPE conference as a guest speaker. Jared is pursuing a higher education in political science. He hopes that HYPE can enable students to take advantage of the ability to have authentic discourse and valuable, in-depth discussion.
Tess is currently a senior at Souhegan High School and has been participating in HYPE since her Sophomore year. She is passionate about leadership, whether on the basketball or tennis court, or in her role as an active member of Ethics Forum. Tess has a love for traveling because it allows her to experience new perspectives and interact with people from various backgrounds fueling her desire to unite individuals. What makes HYPE important to Tess are the connections that are formed with people who begin as strangers. HYPE provides a unique platform that helps people find their voice. She encourages everyone to push themselves during this experience and advocate as students, thinkers, and future leaders.
Shannon Chandley
Our HYPE 2025 Guest Speaker!
Shannon Chandley served three terms in the New Hampshire House of Representatives and two terms in the New Hampshire State Senate. In the Senate, she represented the towns of Merrimack, Amherst, Milford, and Wilton. In addition to her work on the Judiciary and Commerce committees, Shannon had a sharp focus on the local issues affecting communities in the district, including efforts to improve and make safe RT 101 and to address the PFAS contamination crisis. Throughout her time in public service, Shannon has been a steadfast champion for reproductive freedom, public education, and building a thriving, main street economy for communities all over New Hampshire.
Thank you to our sponsors
About The Event
The HYPE Conference started as a Senior Project back in 2009 that was hosted in a hallway at Souhegan High School with only a handful of students. From that hallway, we have grown to host 1,200 students and faculty, who are interested in student voice and leadership, at the University of New Hampshire Durham. HYPE is an opportunity for high school students to have meaningful philosophical discussions centered on ethics and civil discourse. HYPE takes philosophy from the classroom and puts it directly in students’ hands. Each year, participants travel to UNH for a day of intense discussion and philosophical debate centered on a guiding question. This year's Essential Question is "How does having empathy affect our interactions with the world around us?” HYPE is unique because the conference is not only an incredible experience for the students who attend but also a huge step for high school students who choose to facilitate. Hype as a conference is entirely student-run and designed, aside from support from our academic and faculty advisers. These students have put in countless hours to produce content comparable to the professional world outside of secondary education. This is a leadership experience unlike any other, and alumni take this experience and apply it to wherever their endeavors take them. The HYPE program hosts 30+ different schools from across the North East region. Ethics Forum also receives aid organizing the event from several student leaders in surrounding towns as well as a plethora of amazing sponsors and local organizations