Montreat College, as well as 15 other colleges will participate in NCICU’s 12th annual Ethics Bowl, at the North Carolina Legislative Complex in Raleigh on February 10 and 11. Students from each college and university campus will debate a variety of challenging and timely topics. These topics, under the theme of Ethics in Contemporary Society, include Artificial Intelligence, Mental Health, and Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) in the Art World.
Ethics Bowl teams consist of four to six student members, a campus coordinator to prepare participants, along with three judges and one mediator for each match. Over the course of two days, students compete in four rounds then go to semifinals and finals. Each round consists of complex ethical dilemmas in a case study format. The team that presents the most logical and convincing argument will be declared the winner of the round.
Representing Montreat college, Dr. Mark Wells will serve as campus coordinator. Wells has been on faculty at Montreat College since 2006, where he currently serves as professor of philosophy and ethics, member of the cybersecurity strategy team, coach of the Montreat College Ethics Bowl team, and chair of the faculty executive committee. Montreat student participants include sophomore Daniel Bussey, senior Caprice Coffey, junior Samantha Franze, freshman Grant Larsen, and senior Christian Young.
According to NCICU President Hope Williams, the Ethics Bowl is not only a great academic challenge, but also a rewarding experience for the students as they learn to ethically respond to complex situations. This event provides an opportunity for students to engage in meaningful conversations with business and community leaders, furthering their understanding of ethical issues.
Following the ethics bowl, a banquet for participants, judges and moderators will be held at the North Carolina Museum of History featuring keynote speaker Leslie Garvin. Garvin serves as the Executive Director of NC Campus Engagement, a former White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellow, and an AmeriCorps alum and works currently as a fellow with the University of California Center for Free Speech and Civic Engagement. Garvin serves on the Board of Directors of the National Issues Forum and co-chairs the State Summits & Networks Subcommittee of the Students Learn Students Vote Coalition.
The NCICU Ethics Bowl is made possible by the generous sponsorships of our partners, allowing students to attend free of charge to both themselves and their institutions. Sponsoring Montreat this year is Coca-Cola Consolidated.