national ethics bowl 2007

We just got pictures from Jim's ethics bowl trip!
Here he is with his team... and the trophy!


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Thursday, February 23rd was the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Championships held this year in Cincinatti. Last fall were the regional matches. Those schools that placed either first or second qualified for the national competition. Clemson's team, consisted of four other members, me, an alternate, and our illustrious coach Dr. Starkey. Thirty-two Universities from all over America were represented. Basically, the competition consisted of taking specific instances from which a question would be derived, and one team giving a ten minute answer to the question based on philosophical systems of ethics, e.g. utilitarianism, deontology, etc. In the end, Clemson placed 3rd, behind Westminster College - 2nd, and University of Miami - 1st. We got back Friday evening. Overall, it was a bit stressful and quite draining, but very fun and rewarding.


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PRESS RELEASE
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CLEMSON ETHICS BOWL TEAM TAKES THIRD
IN NATIONAL COMPETITION

CLEMSON - Clemson University's ethics bowl team captured third place behind champions University of Miami and runner-up Westminster College in the 13th annual National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl.

The competition pitted 32 teams from across the country that had earned their way to nationals by outperforming more than 100 other colleges in regional competitions.

Clemson's team has built a strong reputation in recent years by regularly defeating teams from more established programs, said Charles Starkey, team coach and assistant professor of philosophy. Competitors have referred to the team as a debating "powerhouse."

"I've been very impressed with our team," said Starkey. "The preparation is challenging. In the first weeks of the semester, we put in as much time as we would on a semester-long course. But, the payoff in terms of presenting a polished, articulate case is great."

For the national competition, each team receives 15 case studies in advance. Each case study involves an ethical dilemma on which the team must develop a position. The team members apply relevant ethical theories and do research to incorporate legal principles, scientific facts and sociological observations that pertain to the case.

In each round of competition, two teams face off. The judges evaluate each team's performance for clarity, its focus on ethically relevant factors, the strength and cogency of the arguments and deliberative thoughtfulness.

"The teamwork and cooperation among the team members was excellent," Starkey said. "Indeed, one of my favorite aspects of coaching the team is the preparation: working closely with each of the students to help them do their best. We spend hours debating the various cases, and as the debate goes on, the ideas flow, thoughts are refined and the arguments improve. Students come to appreciate and understand the subtleties of cases and, at the same time, they learn the strengths and weaknesses of the various ethical theories they bring to bear in grappling with the issues. It is like an intensive seminar in applied ethics."

Clemson took second place last November at the Southeast Regional Ethics Bowl in St. Petersburg, Fla., the largest of the regional bowls, by defeating the defending national champs from the United States Military Academy, West Point.

The National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl takes place in tandem with the annual meeting of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE). Students debate current public policy issues such as cell phone tracking, computer privacy, using brain scans as lie detectors, recruitment of nurses from developing countries, and the marketing of junk foods to children.

Clemson's team includes Ben Denison, a freshman philosophy major from Mechanicsburg, Pa.; Ruben Kemmerlin, a freshman engineering major from Charleston; Alyssa Mander, a junior English major from Winter Springs, Fla.; James Moore, a sophomore philosophy major from Chelan, Wash.; Danielle Tardiff, a senior psychology major from Long Branch, N.J.; and alternate Daniela Scoggins, a junior philosophy major from Pensacola, Fla.

Starkey is also a fellow of the Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson. In his work with the team, he was assisted by Institute director Dan Wueste, Rutland Fellows Steve Satris and Kelly Smith, and Taffi Schurz of Clemson's communications studies department. The team was sponsored by the Rutland Institute and the department of philosophy and religion.

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