Georgia Military College (GMC) hosted an on-campus Ethics Bowl competition last month and two teams advanced to the Ethics Bowl competition Nov. 26 at Snow College in Ephiram, Utah.
Vice President of Junior College Academics Dr. Christopher Babb stated that Georgia Military College has been participating in the Ethics Bowl since 2009. It was also the first college to host the national competition for two-year colleges in 2010.
“The Ethics Bowl differs from a traditional debate format, with participants focusing less on winning a straight-forward argument and more on analyzing ethical dilemmas and defending their perspectives based on in-depth research,” Babb said. “Rather than focusing on the right or wrong answer, students must learn to formulate a well-reason argument, open discussion, and present their research in a knowledgeable presentation. The goal is to build the best case, not argue or debate.”
Last month, the GMC competition had six teams from GMC’s Junior College Corps of Cadets compete in a round-robin format, with the top two teams advancing to a final round to compete for the GMC Ethics Bowl trophy. Both finalists were then qualified to compete in this year’s 2-year national competition in Utah.
“Each team is assigned a case and is given an allotted time to research and build their presentation. They then present their case to the opposing team and the judges. The judges and the other team can ask questions and they have a few minutes to respond. Then, the other team will present their case and each team has an equal amount of time to rebut each other,” explained Babb.
At the national competition, GMC competed against teams from Harper College (Ill.), Bakersfield College (Calif.), Triton College (Ill.), Santa Fe College (Fla.), New Mexico Military Institute (N.M.), Marion Military Institute (Ala.), and Snow College (Utah).
GMC’s Team A was made up of Cole Walenciak, Madison Chew, Emily Childs, Addison Eldridge, Jared Chapman, and Justin Cheatham-Merritt. Team B included Samuel Gillespie, Olivia Laszcz, Hudson McElreath, Luke McAbee, Matthew Gamez, and James Humphreys.
Team A finished in a four-way tie for second place and Team B placed ninth overall.
“It was challenging, and our students were determined and careful when presenting their cases,” said Babb. “It was an incredibly tight competition with multiple ties between rounds one and two. It turned out to be a great event.”
The Ethics Bowl teaches students about civil discussion, diplomacy, research, critical-thinking, and how to analyze ethical dilemmas. Babb also highlighted that the competition teaches cadets about emotional control and increases their confidence.
“There are many benefits to being a part of the Ethics Bowl and competing. Most importantly it teaches them about civility, respect, and how to hold a productive conversation even when the other party is disagreeing with you,” said Babb. “These are essential skills that the cadets need.”
GMC’s goal is to provide students with opportunities for growth as future leaders of America. According to Babb, the Ethics Bowl perfectly aligns with these goals and ensures students “think critically, communicate effectively, and approach problems with both logic and empathy.”