A UNC Charlotte team recently finished second in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics Bowl Tournament and will advance to the National Ethics Bowl Tournament.
The Ethics Bowl is a student competition in which participants must work toward identifying and advocating the best ethical resolution to real-life dilemmas in a timed panel discussion.
“Ethics Bowl participation is an excellent training ground for students who go on to law school, graduate school in any discipline, as well as various professions that require articulate and cogent communicators,” said Beth Mason, a philosophy instructor and coach and faculty sponsor for the two teams that entered the regional contest.
The Philosophy Department and Center for Applied and Professional Ethics have cosponsored UNC Charlotte teams since 2008; this year’s “Team A” will be the first to advance beyond a regional tournament.
Students who comprised Team A were Carston Allen, a junior from Ocean Isle Beach; Jerry Butler, a senior from Cornelius; Derek Creason, a senior from Kernersville, Michael Haag, a senior from Charlotte; Ashley Williams, a senior from Fayetteville; and Lloyd Wymore, a senior from Fort Myers, Fla. They all are philosophy majors with Wymore and Williams being team members for two and three years, respectively.
The Association of Professional and Practical Ethics (APPE) conducts regional and national Ethics Bowls. The National Ethics Bowl will be held in February 2015 at the APE conference in Costa Mesa, Calif.
In 2013, Mason developed an applied ethics course to serve as a training ground for potential student team members; it is cross-listed with the Communication Studies Department.
Photo: This year’s regional Ethics Bowl competitors (front row, l to r) Jerry Butler, Jessica Forsythe, Lloyd Wymore and Ashley Williams and (back row, l to r) Derek Creason, Carston Allen, Jonathan Smith, Sawyer Reid and Michael Haag.