Five students from Campbell University participated in a regional ethics debate competition this past weekend hosted by the Clemson University, SC. The Mid-Atlantic Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl is an annual event, coordinated by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.
Campbell’s Ethics Bowl Team was represented by Joanna D’Ancona, a senior Communication Studies Pre-Law major, James Demmel, a senior Religion major, Clayton Harrington, a senior History / Religion major, Diamond Leggett, a senior Biology Pre-Professional major, and Marisa Linton, a senior Communication Studies major . Dr. Adam English and Dr. Ken Vandergriff, both from the Department of Religion and Philosophy, served as team coaches.
At the beginning of the semester, teams received and prepared 15 cases dealing with thorny moral dilemmas that range from medical controversies to social policy and interpersonal relationships. Earlier this year, Campbell hosted Montreat College for a full Saturday of mock-debates as part of their preparation for the Mid-Atlantic competition.
“At the Mid-Atlantic this past weekend, we debated against University of Maryland, Clemson, and Duke,” Dr. English reported. “The judges were very impressed with the quality of our arguments and gave us high marks.” Students had to articulate moral theory, answer questions from judges and opposing teams clearly, and think through tough issues quickly.
The Campbell team has one more competition left on their schedule for February 2014. The North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities, or NCICU, will sponsor an Ethics Bowl competition for the 36 non-profit, private schools in the state of North Carolina. This year, as last year, the Campbell University School of Law will host the event.
“Students interested in participating on the team next year should talk to myself or Dr. Vandergriff,” Dr. English said. “We are always looking for new talent and fresh ideas.”
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