For the 16th time in the last 21 years, a DePauw University Ethics Bowl team has qualified for the national competition. The team won the bid based on its outstanding performance at the Central States Regional Ethics Bowl at Marian University on Nov. 16, where students presented in-depth arguments in response to complex ethical questions.

“Most of the competition questions were unexpected and we had to adapt our presentations to fully address the ethical questions posed,” says team member Calvin Mensel ’27. “It was fun to see the team’s skills shine when it came to adaptation and thinking.”

Jeff Dunn, Phyllis W. Nicholas director of the Prindle Institute for Ethics and associate professor of philosophy, views this accomplishment as a strengthening of DePauw’s reputation as a hub of ethics bowl activity as well as a testament to the leadership of long-time member of the team. Marcia McKelligan, coach and senior philosophy professor. “Much of the team’s success can be attributed to the excellent work of Professor McKelligan who has built a tradition where students are enthusiastic and interested in thinking deeply about ethics. Marcia has high standards for the team and students respond positively to them.

Mensel agrees. “Professor McKelligan’s coaching has led DePauw to national championships consistently over the decades because of the depth of thinking she promotes for each case we approach. Although some competition rules have changed over the years, we still tend to favor presentation styles that allow for very direct and nuanced arguments.

McKelligan coached DePauw Ethics bowl teams for 25 years, a tenure that included multiple regional championships as well as a national championship in 2013. Three of his former team members even created bowl teams. ethics in the universities where they teach. . After all these years, she continues to be impressed by the talent and dedication of the students who participate.

“DePauw students are very bright and tend to be competitive and motivated – in a good way! McKelligan said. “Our winning tradition inspires and motivates them. They want to do their best and they want to do well for DePauw. They work hard and hold their teammates accountable. This is the key to our success, in my opinion.

In the months leading up to the regional competition, students spent six to eight hours each week meeting as a group to identify and research salient moral issues they would need to master, drafting and rewriting the plans of their presentations and to engage. in simulated competitions to hone their skills – in addition to all the work and collaboration that took place outside of group meeting times.

They will now continue this preparation with even greater intensity as they prepare for the APPE National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Competition in Norfolk, Virginia, February 22-23. By the end of the month, the team will receive a whole new batch of files to prepare, and team members will waste no time getting to work.

“The students are extremely excited to compete at nationals,” McKelligan said. “The level of competition is higher and students will need a stronger grasp of moral theory. Plus, there were only nine cases at regionals and now we’ll have 17, so there’s a lot more work to do.

This year’s team is ready to take on the challenge and add its own stamp to DePauw’s rich legacy of ethical bowl success. “I’m very, very proud of my ethical bowlers,” says McKelligan. “I am very grateful to them for their hard work and for making this wonderful experience possible.”

To learn more about teaching ethics at DePauw University, visit the Prindle Institute for Ethics.