Ethics Bowl Team Finishes in the Top Eight

The national Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl was held on February 22 in Costa Mesa. The Cal Poly team went undefeated in the preliminary rounds of the national Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl, first defeating Wasatch Regional champion Westminster College by a slender two point margin. They then dispatched squads from Ripon College and the University of Alabama-Birmingham by 10 and 8 points respectively. In the preliminary rounds, the team presented on cases regarding the dispersal of artifacts from underwater shipwrecks, the Allied use of area bombing in World War 2, and the potential development of artificial superintelligence. They showed their usual unflappability, teamwork, and logical orderliness throughout.

The team was one of only four to go undefeated in preliminary rounds. This set up a quarterfinal match against Whitworth University. The Cal Poly team gave an excellent presentation on the regulation of “prescriptive planting” technologies. However, their opponents were a touch more polished and had a very strong grasp of the relevant research, giving Whitworth a 13 point victory. (Taylor University were later crowned national champions.)

Despite being eliminated in the quarterfinal round, the team takes great satisfaction in their performance (as do I). To be among the top eight institutions in a competition that attracts 225 schools per year is a momentous accomplishment in itself. I hope that you will join me in congratulating this year’s team members: Lea Aguilera, Briana Capshaw, Mathew McGuthry, Grace Nguyen, and Shandyn Pierce.