Clemson Ethics Bowl Team Bound for National Competition

Clemson University Ethics Bowl Team

Two-time regional winner: The Clemson Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team won the fourth annual Mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics Bowl by defeating past winner University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill in the final round of the competition.  The event took place Saturday November, 20 in Richmond, Virginia.  On the way to the top Clemson defeated University of Maryland in the semifinal rounds.  Other teams at the competition included University of North Carolina-Charlotte and past national champion University of Miami. At last year’s regionals the Clemson team shared the winner’s circle with Miami after an unprecedented tie; this year Clemson bested its previous achievement as the sole winner.



Ethics Bowl Team Coach, Dr. Charles Starkey

 “With only one returning member on the team we had a challenge ahead of us” said coach Charles Starkey, associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion and fellow of the Rutland Institute for Ethics.  “The team spent long hours getting up to speed and ready for the competition, but in the end it paid-off. Their presentations were articulate and forceful, and their teamwork was great.”

“The team is thrilled to be ‘bowl-bound’” noted Starkey: in winning the event the team qualified for the national championship competition, which will take place in March 2011 in Cincinnati, Ohio.  Clemson won the national title in 2008 and placed second in 2009.

The team members are:

Yancey Appling      Sophomore     Microbiology, Six Mile, SC

Courtney Dixon      Junior              Political Science and Philosophy, Columbia, SC

Calla Jean              Senior              Political Science, Yorktown, VA

Nikki Powell          Junior               Microbiology, Aiken, SC

Spencer Taylor      Sophomore      Biological Sciences, Greenville, SC

They were assisted by students: Zachary Auter, Steven Chow, James Eisenbart, Melissa Hibdon, Soroush Moghaddassi, Rick McAlister, Kaitlyn Murray, and Nikesh Patel

And faculty: Kelly Smith, Steve Satris, and Dan Wueste

The Ethics Bowl program is supported by the Rutland Institute for Ethics, Department of Philosophy and Religion, a grant from the Humanities Advancement Board of Clemson University, and the generous support of Judy Phelan and Lewis Cromer.