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Business Technology/news/Fall Ethics Competition

Fall Ethics Competition

FALL ETHICS COMPETITION

One of the best-kept secrets at Northeastern State University is the Ethics team. The Ethics Team consists of teams of three to five students who prepare and discuss real-life ethical cases against other teams and universities across the country. Ethics Bowl members are from all majors, ages and backgrounds across NSU. Students who are looking to improve their research and presentation skills, apply to graduate school, prepare for job interviews, or want to have fun while representing NSU are welcome to participate.

This past fall, Northeastern State University was well represented at the state and regional Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, placing 5th at the state competition and performing well at the regional competition held in Indianapolis. The state competition was hosted at the Broken Arrow campus of NSU and brought teams together to explore a variety of ethical topics from the past and present while earning course credit.

There were four undergraduate students supported by two faculty members who met once a week throughout the Fall semester, in order to prepare for the competition. The format of the competition features each team researching topics provided by the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) Board. After learning the ins and outs of each case, the students needed to find responses for each case that could be backed up by ethical theories. This would be used when going up against another team in the competition as they have to respond to a given ethical prompt for each round. The match ups, while having similar elements to debating, differ in that you are not trying to directly compete in an affirmative and negative side, but instead have to come to a conclusion that both teams see as the correct response to the prompt with an ethical backing.

One of the faculty supporting the team, Brian Vickers highlighted that this was where the Ethics Bowl is unique as it builds the skill of, “not instantly judging a situation and instead evaluating it from the eyes of all stakeholders involved and to come together to find a common thread of right and wrong to work through, in order to collectively win.” Mr. Vickers was able to provide a unique perspective as a former participant virtually in the 2020 competition and has been involved with the NSU team as a faculty advisor.

Also coaching the team was, Dr. Tena Wooldridge. Dr. Wooldridge has been coaching the team for three years. “I love how the Ethics Bowl brings students together from different backgrounds and provides the opportunity to develop their persuasive skills- something that serves everyone well regardless of their ultimate career path. We have students who are outgoing, shy, funny, serious, male and female from all academic areas and end the semester as a sort of family with life-long friendships.”

There are many skills to gain from competing in the Ethics Bowl, from personal to professional that will benefit students in the workplace. Critical thinking and interpersonal skills are tested from the dynamic nature of the competition and needing to present your responses alongside your team. This year's participants came from various backgrounds in terms of age, major and cultures. Mackenzie Moore, a Senior graduating this Spring with a degree in homeland security, said, “I gained a lot from being on NSU’s Ethics Bowl team” with her expressing how she enjoyed being exposed to intercultural perspectives and increasing her preparedness for the workplace with this real experiential learning opportunity outside of the classroom. Mackenzie is applying to complete her graduate studies in order to pursue a career in emergency management.

With the conclusion of this year's Ethics Bowl, preparation for the next competition will begin in the fall 2023 semester. Open to all undergraduate NSU students, the Ethics Bowl is a great opportunity to build persuasive, communication and research skills while working in a team. Guided by experienced faculty, students will be able to earn up to 3 credits for participating and get the opportunity to compete for a chance to represent NSU at the National Competition, which has been accomplished once since NSU began participating in the Ethics Bowl in 2019.

Ethics Team Photo