UWinnipeg’s Ethics Bowl team has returned from Golden, Colorado where they participated in the Rocky Mountain Regional Ethics Bowl, one of ten such regional competitions leading to the national Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Championship. The UWinnipeg team competed against peers from a number of Tier 1 and Tier 2 universities from Western and Mid-Western USA, and debated on a wide range of topics. Although it was a tough competition, team UWinnipeg tied for an impressive third place.
This demanding competition requires teams to develop a broad-based understanding of the issues from a variety of perspectives and determine their own position on potential propositions arising from the cases.
“Our students not only performed well but also demonstrated superb team discipline, cohesion and cheerfulness, which won the hearts of many,” expressed Dr. Masud Khawaja, the team’s coach and faculty member in the Department of Business and Administration. “Our students were strategic in their argumentation, articulate and gracious with their opponents. Their debating style was more persuasive than adversarial, and this did not go unnoticed as it was acknowledged by judges and coaches at the event.”
Khawaja, retired Professor John Melnyk, (Business and Administration) and Dr. Adam Scarfe (Philosophy) helped prepare the interdisciplinary team of five students: Barbara Bucheli (International Development Studies), Anna Currie (Philosophy), Caroline Tess (Criminal Justice), Jordan Min (Biology) and Bryan Roseborough (Business and Administration).
The students also had the support of more than twelve other experts in various fields from within and beyond the university community, who contributed time and expertise to the team’s preparation by mentoring them on specific issues. Former team members of previous Ethics Bowls also made time to share what they learned from their experiences.
“Professor Melnyk, Dr. Scarfe and I are all proud of our team’s remarkable performance in the competition and as outstanding ambassadors of our institution,” said Khawaja. “The University of Winnipeg was able to leave a lasting impression in the competition and earn the respect of the debating community.”
This initiative began with John Melnyk and the Faculty of Business and Economics in 2012. Since then the UWinnipeg team has participated in the past three regional Ethics Bowls. The Ethics Bowl Debate Competition is part of the Business Competition (BUS-4111)* course and funding for the trip was paid for by the Faculty of Business and Economics. Those interested in the Fall 2016 Business Competition course for the Ethics Bowl International Debate competition should contact Dr. Masud Khawaja at m.khawaja@uwinnipeg.ca or Dr. Adam Scarfe at a.scarfe@uwinnipeg.ca for further information.
The Debaters
“I joined the University of Winnipeg’s Ethics Bowl Debate Team in hopes of strengthening my ability to deliver an argument that is both articulate and well researched as well as provide acknowledgement, thoughtful consideration and respect to differing ethical viewpoints. Although preparation for this competition is very challenging both personally and as a team (due to the fast-paced and interdependent nature of this competition) I suspect that I will also grow substantially in my ability to work as a team member, and in my knowledge of how best to support one’s team, a skill that is also in high demand and indispensable.” Barbara Bucheli (International Development, Team Leader).
“The most valuable part of the experience has been honing my debating and public speaking skills and being forced to think about and discuss controversial and difficult scenarios,” said Anna Currie, (Philosophy and Films and Theatre).
“A trip to Golden, Colorado to partake in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Regional Competition was truly a rewarding experience. We competed against many American teams on topics that I thought were very relevant today. For example, we had an opportunity to discuss and debate a case called ‘Anti-Vax Tax’ which asked the question: ‘Is it ethical to tax those who refuse to be vaccinated.’ As a science student and a proponent for taxation, it was a learning experience to hear the reasons against vaccination and other creative solutions to the question at hand. This debate competition not only helped me grow as a scholar by challenging me to consider different perspectives but, as the team manager, also taught me other valuable life skills. Thank you University of Winnipeg for this great experience!”, said Jordan Min (Biology, Team Manager).
“I joined the University of Winnipeg Ethics Bowl team to build on my public speaking and critical thinking skills in a positive academic environment. The Ethics Bowl appealed to me as a way to challenge my academic understanding of important issues around the world and work in a collegial manner with fellow students to help understand these issues in the context of philosophical perspectives.” Caroline Tess (Criminal Justice).
The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (IEB) is a North American debate competition organized by Association for Practical and Professional Ethics (APPE) where universities from Canada and the U.S. participate in debate competitions on topics ranging from business to legal to bioethics. For the past three years, The University of Winnipeg has participated in this highly regarded event. This year’s team was selected from students of various disciplines, from Biology to Business to Films to Criminal Justice to International Development, to emphasize the interdisciplinary nature of this competition.
All photos courtesy of UWinnipeg
*BUS-4111 (Business Competition) course: Students participating in the Ethics Bowl Debate Competition can earn 3 academic credits by enrolling in course. The course is offered in the Fall semester. Admission to the course is by a competitive selection procedure. As part of the course the students prepare for the Ethics bowl competition and then perform at the event.
