Taylor’s Ethics Bowl team placed second in regionals, qualifying them for nationals on the weekend of Feb. 21-23.
This is the fourth year the team has competed in nationals, Josh Brown, Ethics Bowl co-captain, said.
Youngstown State University placed first, with Taylor following behind, out of approximately 20 teams . Brown was thrilled to beat rivals such as Oakland University and DePauw University. He said he is excited to compete against Youngstown once again at nationals.
The team prepared for “cases,” or discussion topics, before regionals. Certain cases included the ethics of AI chatbots replacing dead relatives, phone usage in schools and a unique incident regarding a man fined for rescuing a baby bison.
Brown said the topics are usually contentious and relevant to modern life.
Six members of the Ethics Bowl team will compete in nationals. The team is preparing for their cases by mock debates, researching and discussing the cases from different angles.
Brown said he appreciated how this process grew his critical thinking skills and detail orientation. He said this forced him to question commonly accepted ideas and consider whether they were logical and reliable.
“(It) forces you to look at the different dimensions of an issue,” he said. “It’s made me even better at seeing every issue from multiple angles.”
The team appoints a leader for each case who performs the brunt of the research. The leader analyzes potential angles and details behind their argument. Teammates support the leader while relying on his or her research.
Abigail Vlietstra, a sophomore on the Ethics Bowl team, said she appreciates her teammates dedication to prepare and research before competitions.
“I really love how our team can just have fun with each other,” Vlietstra said. “But also, we'll also consider very serious moral topics. We also just enjoy discussing them with each other and working together.”
Vlietstra and her teammates devoted large amounts of time toward developing cases. She said the team meets about once per week, though they meet more frequently leading up to a bowl.
For students interested in joining the Ethics Bowl, Vlietstra encouraged them to observe mock discussions they regularly hold. She said the Ethics Bowl team provides opportunities to learn quick-thinking skills and welcomes curious students.
“I definitely had a lot to learn at first,” she said. “But once you see competitions, it’s like it all kind of makes sense.”
While the Ethics Bowl team is on break, they await the delivery of their cases for nationals and said they are excited to compete.
