Photo, from left: Luke Miller, Tehira Nash, Dr. Hope Williams, Brandy Godwin, and Dr. Lucy Schultz.
RALEIGH, N.C. — February 20, 2018 — Competing among 24 independent colleges and universities in the recent 2018 NCICU Ethics Bowl, Barton College was one of four teams to reach the semi-final round in the highly anticipated annual event held at the State Legislative Complex in Raleigh. With the topic “Ethics and the Future of Community,” more than 120 students navigated their debate with articulation and poise throughout the competition.
With each team participating in four rounds, the four teams with the most wins (Barton College, Chowan University, Gardner-Webb University, and Salem College) met in two semifinal rounds. The semifinal round topic focused on cyber communities and how to exercise personal responsibility to ensure ethical standards and practices in social media.
“I am extremely proud of our Barton Ethics Bowl Team,” shared Dr. Lucy Schultz, assistant professor of philosophy and advisor for the Barton Ethics Bowl Team. “The success of our team is especially inspiring because Barton competed with only three participants: Brandy Godwin, Luke Miller, and Tehira Nash. Illness prevented Darius Cumbo, our fourth member, from traveling with the team. So with just three, the team incorporated Darius’ research and preparations, and was able to win all four rounds prior to the semifinals.”
Only two other teams at the competition went 4-0 alongside Barton, including Salem and Gardener-Webb. Chowan made it to the semifinals with high scores from a 3-1 record. Advancing to the final round were Chowan and Salem. The topic for the final round centered on the ethics of deporting undocumented immigrants. In the end, Salem College won the competition.
In three of the four years that Barton has competed in the NCICU Ethics Bowl (beginning in 2015), the College has been one of the top four final teams. Barton came in second during its first year behind Wake Forest University, and they won the NCICU Ethics Bowl its second year of competition.
“The Ethics Bowl has a positive and significant impact on the individual student participants,” said NCICU President Hope Williams. “It is a challenging competition and a rewarding experience that many students have indicated is a highlight of their college careers.”
At a banquet honoring the participants Friday evening, five individuals presented their diverse interpretation of community. The speakers included Dan Gerlach of the Golden LEAF Foundation; Leslie Garvin from N.C. Campus Compact; Roman Bouchev, formerly an international student, and now a U.S. citizen; Lauren Raiford, a high school student; and David Heinen with N.C. Center for Nonprofits.
The Ethics Bowl is made possible because of the support of 29 sponsors, led by Duke Energy and Wells Fargo, and the participation of more than 70 volunteer judges and moderators who are leaders in business, government, and non-profit organizations.
North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities is the statewide office of North Carolina’s 36 independent colleges and universities. NCICU represents independent higher education in the areas of state and federal public policy and on education issues with the other sectors of education in the state. It also raises funds for student scholarships and enrichment experiences, provides research and information to and about independent colleges and universities, conducts staff development opportunities and coordinates collaborative programs. For more information about NCICU, visit www.ncicu.org.
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