Meeting on Friday A Days during lunch, Philosophy Club fosters an atmosphere with thought-provoking discussions on spiritual concepts and modern issues. Having been members for 1,095 days (and counting), Gabby Ziegler and “Subordinate PowerPoint Clicker” Angeline Krupa are the presidents of Philosophy Club for the 2019-2020 school year. Because I wanted to explore the complexity of their minds in greater depth, I decided to create a blend of vague and hypothetical questions with the help of Mr. Percy’s Honors Stats class for them to answer. Occasionally, they convinced one of their peers to respond as well, which I also wanted to include.

*It should be noted that their answers sometimes contain unusual capitalization; they alerted me that this is often essential for conveying their intended message most precisely.

What is the purpose?

Gabby: Come and find out.

Angeline: No purpose, next question.

What are your opinions on Nihilism? 

Gabby: I think it’s great. I’m happy it exists. I feel as though it is a great contrast to contemporary beliefs.

Angeline: I think that… it is… a way to think.

Would you rather be respected or liked?

Gabby: I feel like I’m already past this point. I have a mutual respect with most people which works well.

Angeline: Um. Respected. Many people don’t like me, but they Will respect me.

Does the perfect government exist?

Gabby: Yes.

Angeline: That’s going to get me in trouble if I say so. No comment.

Do you guys have snacks?

Both: See the first question.

Do you think food is a human construct? Do we actually need it?

Gabby: Food was made addictive to keep us in line. Who knows the freedoms we could have if we didn’t consume it. Think about Siddhartha Gautama. Same deal. Yes. 

Angeline: It is a societal construct. Breakfast, lunch, AND dinner. They are made up; we don’t need them.

Should you put off what you can do tomorrow or do it today? -Jack Dillard

Gabby: Great question, Jack Dillard. Thank you.

Angeline: Just don’t do it.

Mr. Percy: I don’t like [procrastination]. I try not to do it. But it Does happen. If I cannot do it I would rather not do it.

How about this weather we’ve been having? -Zoey Bennett

Gabby: Well, from a philosophical standpoint, weather is a fleeting emotion that crosses the face of the planet, so I don’t think one can actually hold any particular opinions about it.

Angeline: Climate change…

Zoey Bennett: It is a blemish on the face of mother nature.

Jacob Schar: It’s great. Today is great outside actually.

Are you a cat person or a dog person? -Zach Buesing

Angeline: I’m a raccoon person. I’m an idiot, so I call them dogs or cats depending on how I feel.

Gabby: Both are Awesome in their own way. I like both.

How is “whew” cold and “ha” hot? -Eli LeRoy

Gabby: This one really took a lot of thinking. Personally, I believe that the “whew” action is cold because it is done when you blow out air, like when you are working out and your body is making efforts to cool down. “Ha” sounds like hot. Next question.

Angeline: This is a question for Ms. Desbrow.

Is something ever altruistic? -Eli LeRoy 

Gabby: In our current reality of external validation from others and various online media, I think most actions aren’t altruistic. Although that may sound pessimistic, I think it is the truth, especially with all those Youtubers that will donate money and food to homeless people on camera to gain a following and reputation. The action, however great as it may seem, is selfish due to their primary motivations.

Angeline: I agree with Gabby.

Why is the color red? -Jake Thayer

Gabby: Very thought provoking. The color red is necessary to provide contrast to the other colors. It is balance. It is motion. It is action. Speaking in statistical, even religious terms, it is a part of the Holy Trinity of color, or one-third of all colors. I like it.

Angeline: The color red exists to mean anger. It also exists to color the flower petals and my face after I exercise. It exists for the purpose of existence.

Can you be decent in an indecent time? -Godwins Tuyishime

Gabby: For sure. Other peoples’ actions do not have to determine your own! The concept of decency itself is subjective anyway, so what might be decent to one person is completely indecent to another. It really depends on individuals’ morals and their environment.

Angeline: I am never decent, so I am incapable of answering this.

Why is the map the way it is? Why is it drawn that way if we are on a sphere? -Former Magnet Student Qian Gallo Chang

Gabby: If we take it back to the basics (i.e. Minecraft), every map is a square. Modern maps marvel at this. Great flat Earth argument, Qian!

Angeline: It is easier to make a flat paper map instead of a spherical one.

Thank you for your time and patience, Gabby and Angeline.

Both: Don’t thank us; thank Mr. Percy’s 3A Honors Stats class.

If you want to explore questions similar to these and listen to the unique perspectives your peers bring to the table, Philosophy Club may be the perfect place for you. New members are always welcome!