IU qualified for the national championship with a fourth-place showing at the Central States Regional Ethics Bowl, which took place Nov. 21, at Marian University in Indianapolis, according to a Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions press release.
IU sent two teams to the regional Ethics Bowl, and from there the top five universities advanced to the national championship. Both teams competed in a series of three matches against other universities.
IU’s teams finished with records of 3–0 and 2–1; the undefeated IU team ranked fourth in total points. Team members are Ali Henke and Nikhil Nandu, the team captains, along with freshmen Seth Carter, Reyan Coskun, Hannah Eli, Jessica Gingles, Daniel Hao, Alex Johnson and Roger Morris, according to the release.
“I’m incredibly proud of this team,” said Coach Joe Bartzel, associate instructor and Ph.D. student in religious studies, in the release. ”Competition at Central States is notoriously tough every year, so for a team of so many newcomers to put on as strong a showing as they did is a testament to the talent we have on this team.”
The students showed a lot of poise at regionals, and their hard work and positive attitude will carry them a long way at nationals, too, Bartzel said in the release.
Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl is an academic competition in which students offer moral assessments of some of the most complex ethical issues facing society. Unlike debate competitions, Ethics Bowl is a team-based event that emphasizes civil discourse and consensus building, according to the release.
Teams research and develop positions on cases in medicine, technology, professional ethics, interpersonal relationships and public policy. Teams are judged on their ability to offer clear and concise arguments that identify the central ethical dimensions of the cases under discussion highlight to alternative perspectives.
IU’s Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team is sponsored by the Poynter Center for the Study of Ethics and American Institutions, a research center of the Media School.
The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl competition is organized by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics in conjunction with its annual meeting, according to the release.
Alyson Malinger
