Campbell University’s Ethics Bowl team at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics Bowl at Clemson University on Nov. 15, 2014. The team competed in the 2015 NCICU Ethics Bowl Feb. 6-7.
RALEIGH — While other college students were catching up on sleep and enjoying a relaxing Saturday morning, four Campbell students were wide awake and alert, busily poring over their notes and shaking off any last minute nerves, as they prepared to debate some of North Carolina’s brightest young minds. These four, a part of the 2015 North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Ethics Bowl, carry on a Campbell tradition with their presence. Twenty college teams from around the state gathered in the Norman Adrian Wiggins School of Law in downtown Raleigh on Feb. 6-7 to debate ethical dilemmas in education for four one-hour rounds.
Leading the Campbell team were Drs. Adam English and Ken Vandergriff, both professors in Campbell’s religion department. The four students comprising the Campbell group, who also competed in two other events in 2014, are Austin Holland (junior, religion major); Brandie Owen (junior, religion major); Megan Taylor (junior, clinical research major), and Christopher West (sophomore, economics major). The excitement was especially high for these four, as they are in the first group to have completed English’s ethics course, a class designed to accompany the ethics team and prepare them for these events.
Each year, student teams from independent colleges across North Carolina send their finest debaters and rhetoricians to the Ethics Bowl, where they discuss ethical issues in today’s world. These cases ranged from the ethics involved in the heavy load placed on student athletes to issues such as the consequences of plagiarism for a student who speaks English as a second language. Each team participated in four one-hour debates, and the discussion was fast and furious, points of contention and disputes flying from group to group.
Though most of the strategy involved debating techniques and the use of rhetoric, there is also a psychological aspect to the event. Matching uniforms were a sign of preparation and unity, which Campbell’s team took to heart.
The Campbell team cut an imposing figure as they entered the classrooms and took their seats across from their opposing team, for each was clad in a matching black suit and orange Campbell tie. This was a new strategy for Campbell, designed to help the team feel more confident, and come across as composed to their opposing team. It certainly worked, all of the students said. Almost all of the Ethics Bowl’s 20 teams were wearing matching outfits of some kind, designed to build team camaraderie.
Evident especially to any onlooker was the friendliness between teams as the day’s competition continued. Although designed as a competition, the teams were more than friendly with one another, trading jokes after rounds and exchanging contact information. The Ethics Bowl turned into a social event after a few rounds, especially as the teams became used to the style of debating. Campbell’s team, several of the judges noted, warmed up as each round continued, becoming more relaxed and comfortable. They were not afraid to make conversation with the judges and introduce themselves and their interests, ranging from pharmacy to religion.
The team coordinators of each group, originally outwardly full of anticipation, also relaxed as the rounds continued, and all were quick to congratulate their students, no matter a win or loss. Handshakes were exchanged with the opposing team, along with slaps on the backs and, “Good round, good job, nice work,” were heard.
The Ethics Bowl is designed to provide a place for students to explore debating and gain more experience with their arguments and rhetoric, as well as to make friends and connections with other young adults with similar interests.
“We came into this with the mindset that we’re going to do our best, but we’re also going to have fun with it. It’s a friendly competition,” Campbell team member Megan Taylor said.
Campbell’s team also brought in experiences from their own personal life to back up some of their arguments, and the other teams did likewise, speaking of their encounters in college. This added an additional level of personality to what had the potential to be six hours of dull monologues. Each teammate’s personality shone through, as did those of the opposing teams, adding a bit of color.
“It’s always easy to see things you should have done differently, but that would be minor points. In the midst of the debate, you think, we should have emphasized that principle, or focused more on that. But I don’t think I would have changed anything,” Vandergriff said of Campbell’s performance.
As a spectator, the Ethics Bowl is fun to watch, like a sporting event for intellect. It’s fast paced and interesting, and it’s always fascinating to see what arguments the students come up with, both in the surprise rounds and the cases that they have had a chance to prepare for beforehand.
“We’ll be back next year,” said English, definitively. “It’s great that they get this experience.” — By Rachel Davis
Campbell students return to annual NCICU Ethics Bowl