The UALR Ethics Bowl Team recently competed in the 19th Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Championship in Costa Mesa, Calif., placing 22nd out of 144 teams in the U.S.

UALR is the only Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl team in Arkansas and has qualified for the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl three times in the last four years.

All teams complete three rounds before there are any eliminations.

At this year’s competition, held Feb. 22, the UALR Ethics Bowl Team experienced a loss to University of Richmond, a win over Oklahoma Christian University, and then a loss to Gonzaga University.

Angela Johnson, a senior and double major in philosophy and psychology, has been with the team since its inception four years ago.

“Since I have been here, I have watched the team grow from no placements within the competition to qualifiers in the national competition for three years in a row,” she said.

“It has allowed me to grow as person in terms of being an effective communicator, thinking critically about complex ethical issues, and maintaining a level of professionalism.”

In 2013, the last time the team competed in national competition, the team placed 16th overall. The team was unable to compete in the 2014 National Bowl due to a technicality about the number of teams competing in the Regional Bowl.

“It feels really exciting to know, even if we’re from a relatively small school in a small state, we can compete with the elites,” said Michael Wyatt, a senior majoring in political science with a minor in philosophy.

“Ethics Bowl is what made me able to strongly frame my own ideas to be compelling and intriguing in any context,” said Wyatt. “The people involved at the program at UALR are so phenomenal and absolutely indispensable.”

The UALR Ethics Bowl Team members spanned freshmen to seniors, and a number of different majors were represented.

Nine members attended this year’s national championship:

• Senior George Andrews of Sherwood
• Senior Kate Blackwell of Little Rock
• Senior Angela Johnson of Pine Bluff
• Senior Bianca Mayo of Pine Bluff
• Senior Michael Wyatt of Eagle River, Alaska
• Senior Spencer Briggs of Gillett
• Junior Justin Bray of White Hall
• Junior Marla Cole of Little Rock
• Freshman Ericha Clark of Marked Tree

The Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl is an academic competition that provides an educational and valuable experience in the areas of professional and practical ethics.

The competition covers cases from a varying range of contemporary ethical issues, from professional and medical ethics to social and political issues. The competition is organized by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.