Clemson Ethics Bowl debate team is second in nation; continues winning tradition

Published: March 13, 2012

Ethics Bowl team members in Cincinnati are (front row, from left) Kyle Sporrer , Yancey Appling and Eric Reeves; (second row, from left) Charles Starkey, coach, Courtney Dixon and Anna Little. image by: Clemson University

CLEMSON — Clemson University’s Ethics Bowl team placed second in the national Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl competition.

Clemson’s team continued its winning tradition at the March 1 competition in Cincinnati by defeating opposing teams round after round to advance to the final round. The score for the championship round was unprecedented, with opponent Whitworth University winning by a single point. 

“This group is one of the strongest and most cohesive I’ve worked with,” said coach Charles Starkey, associate professor of philosophy and religion. “Their teamwork at the competition was outstanding, and their hard work in preparing for the competition paid off.

“Their composure and ability to get at the heart of the ethical issues was second to none,” he added.

The Tigers defeated past champion Indiana, as well as perennial debate powerhouse DePauw University, in the quarterfinals and semifinals. 

The team members are:

• Courtney Dixon, a senior from Leesville double majoring in philosophy and political science;
• Yancey Appling, a junior from Six Mile majoring in microbiology;
• Kyle Sporrer, a senior philosophy major from Easley;
• Eric Reeves, a senior in political science from Columbia; and
• Anna Little, a senior from Anderson majoring in mechanical engineering.

The team is coached by Starkey and Kelly Smith, an associate professor of philosophy and religion, with Dan Wueste, director of the Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson; Steven Satris, the C. Calhoun Lemon Fellow of the Rutland Institute for Ethics; and Teddi Fishman, director of the International Institute for Academic Integrity at Clemson.

Team assistants included: Matt Burrows, sophomore in physics from Gaffney; Peter Catalano, philosophy senior from Central; Luke Hibdon; Alex Knowles, philosophy senior from Irmo; Juliana Sobczyk, microbiology senior from Clemson; Kris Taylor, senior in history from Clemson; and Spencer Taylor, biological science major from Greenville.

The Clemson team qualified for the national competition by winning the competitive mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics Bowl for the fourth consecutive time last November. Clemson Ethics Bowl teams won the national title in 2008 and took second place in 2009.

The team is sponsored by the Rutland Institute for Ethics and the philosophy and religion department and receives support from the Humanities Advancement Board.

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