Calvin students prepare to make their Ethics Bowl debut
Calvin University School of Business has launched its first Ethics Bowl team, giving students the opportunity to work through difficult ethical questions outside the classroom. The team will compete next month in Indianapolis against students from more than 20 schools, presenting its analysis of 15 cases to judges and opposing teams.
Unlike a traditional debate, Ethics Bowl asks students to engage competing perspectives with both rigor and civility. Team members must prepare 15 cases for the competition by examining the facts, identifying the values in tension, and developing responses they can defend under questioning. They also listen carefully and respond thoughtfully when judges or members of another team challenge their positions.
Professor and Ethics Bowl adviser Mark Taylor brings firsthand experience to his role as the team’s coach. As an undergraduate, he competed on a national championship team that outperformed teams from Ivy League schools. He remembers the experience as intellectually demanding, deeply rewarding, and a source of lasting friendships.
Taylor is excited to create that kind of opportunity for Calvin students. Coaching the team gives him the chance to work closely with a small group, spend meaningful time discussing complex questions, and help students sharpen skills that will matter well beyond the competition.
“Ethical questions come up in every profession,” said Taylor. “Being part of an Ethics Bowl team gives students a concrete way to show employers and graduate schools that they’ve spent time thinking seriously about difficult issues. It also builds skills in communication, collaboration, and careful analysis, including the ability to engage disagreement without reducing it to a simple win-or-lose exchange.”
The top four finishers from the competition in Indianapolis will advance to the national competition, giving Calvin’s first-year team a clear goal for its inaugural season.
