Four Marymount students traveled to Richmond, Va. for the 2026 Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges (VFIC) Applied Ethics Bowl on February 13, debating topics based on the theme, “Ethics and Business.”
Established in 1997, the Applied Ethics Bowl seeks to bring together students from across the Commonwealth to strengthen their public speaking skills, foster interdisciplinary collaboration and create a space where students can learn to apply ethical principles in everyday scenarios.
Marymount’s team consisted of senior Favour Uchehara, junior Mark Rodoff, sophomore Guy Chimjiw, freshman Zora Bell and faculty mentor Dr. Brian Hollar, an Associate Professor in Marymount’s College of Business, Innovation, Leadership and Technology (BILT). Together, the four students participated in head-to-head debates, winning two of their four cases.
“The VFIC Ethics Bowl is a wonderful opportunity for students to engage in deep teamwork, learn principles of ethical thinking, develop skills for civil debate, interact with other private colleges in Virginia and have fun along the way,” Dr. Hollar said. “I am deeply proud of our students and how well they represented Marymount University in Richmond.
As a first-time participant, Chimjiw said he was nervous when Dr. Hollar initially approached him after a microeconomics class about joining the Ethics Bowl team.
“My first instinct was to say no, because talking in front of people and debating isn’t really my thing. I usually try to compromise and avoid conflict,” Chimjiw said. “But as an international student from Thailand, I have been trying to have as many new experiences as possible. So I decided to go for it, and I’m glad I did.”
Team members met every week for several months leading up to the event as they went through pre-selected cases, swapped potential arguments and prepared for possible counterarguments.
As the only returning member of the Ethics Bowl team, business major Uchehara found herself named the unofficial team captain. She called this year’s competition “extremely fulfilling,” pointing to the positive team dynamic as a major factor that contributed to their success.
“Most of us didn’t know each other before this, but we ended up having really great chemistry. We spent a lot of time building friendships and getting to know one another, and that really strengthened our ability to work together under pressure.”
Along the Ethics and Business theme, the team’s debates focused on applying ethics to different aspects of business. One case was about a pharmacy closing in a low-income neighborhood, whether it should remain open and how that decision would affect the community. Another case focused on workplace conflict between research teams and how to handle internal disputes.
“We can prepare for the cases ahead of time, but you never know what counterarguments your opponents will field or what questions the judges will ask. So we had to be really quick and think on our feet,” Uchehara explained. “One of the things that helped most was the way Dr. Hollar would give us feedback during our training sessions. He never told us exactly what to do, but would suggest ideas and encourage us to think critically and decide for ourselves. That approach helped us grow and strengthened our reasoning.”
Although the team didn’t make it to the final round, Chimjiw says he walked away with something more valuable than a trophy—a newfound confidence in himself and his abilities.
“I always thought I was a quiet person, but I realized many of us have things to say—we just might be too scared to say them. This experience helped me test how much more I could express my ideas and really helped me grow as a person. I hope I get the chance to compete again next year!”
Uchehara encouraged Marymount students to take every opportunity to enhance their critical thinking and leadership skills.
“Employers look for well-rounded individuals. Academics are important, but extracurriculars like the Ethics Bowl build applied thinking skills that you’ll use in the real world. It also exposes you to new ideas, laws and ethical questions you might not otherwise encounter.”
