Marymount University\u0092s Ethics Bowl team planned on just having fun and making the most out of its limited practice at a recent competition in Roanoke. \u0093Then we won our first few debates and things started to get serious!\u0094 said Amanda Bourne, a senior from Owings, Maryland.<\/p>\n
Marymount ended up finishing with a 3-1 record in the 2016 Wells Fargo Ethics Bowl, losing only to defending champion and this year\u0092s runner-up, Washington and Lee University. The event was held Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 on the campus of Hollins University. The program of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges featured 16 teams that deliberated cases related to Ethics and Civic Responsibility.<\/p>\n
The Marymount team was comprised of Bourne; Collin Chartier, a junior from Fairfax; Lorine Margeson, a junior from Burke; and Caroline Benz, a junior from Italy.<\/p>\n
At the beginning of each match, teams were given cases involving ethical or civic dilemmas.<\/p>\n
\u0093They didn\u0092t have much time to prepare, maybe five minutes, which makes it a lot of fun,\u0094 said Dr. Matthew Shadle, the Marymount associate professor of religion and theology who coached the team.<\/p>\n
The point, he said, was to come up with solutions.<\/p>\n
For example, one of the cases involved a neighborhood in which children had narrowly escaped being struck by vehicles on several occasions. Residents asked the city to create a crosswalk but were denied. Should they do it themselves?<\/p>\n
\u0093In the real world, there will be complex problems with competing demands, and they\u0092ll be asked to come up with solutions that involve all stakeholders,\u0094 Shadle said. \u0093One thing that really impressed me about our team is that that they were able to put together really nuanced, balanced solutions.\u0094<\/p>\n
Bourne said the experience has made her more comfortable discussing complex issues both in and outside the classroom. And while winning matches was fun, she added that the camaraderie and teamwork were the most important parts of the competition.<\/p>\n
\u0093I think the team\u0092s biggest takeaway was that we were able to successfully draw on our diverse life experiences to become a better team with every round,\u0094 said Bourne, an English major with a minor in theology and religious studies.<\/p>\n
Chartier, who is studying health science in the pre-physical therapy program, didn\u0092t know what to expect going into the weekend.<\/p>\n
\u0093I got to be a better speaker, met new people and gained a new perspective,\u0094 Chartier said. \u0093It was a fun weekend full of networking with more than 150 students from other schools.\u0094<\/p>\n
In the physical therapy field, it will be important to relate to different types of people, Chartier said.<\/p>\n
\u0093We made a great team, and we have three members coming back next year,\u0094 he added.<\/p>\n