YSU Ethics Bowl Team Places First at Competition

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – The Youngstown State University Ethics Bowl team secured first place at the 2024 Central States Regional Ethics Bowl, held at Marion University in Indianapolis, Ind. 

The victory marks the team’s seventh regional title in its 10-year history of competing in the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl.

The YSU students faced teams from 24 other institutions, including the University of Cincinnati, The Ohio State University, the University of Chicago and DePauw University.

“We are extremely proud of our team’s performance,” said Alan Tomhave, associate dean and philosophy professor. “This victory is a testament to the students’ hard work and preparation and the support they received from our dedicated faculty.”

The team will now shift its focus to preparation for the 2024 National Ethics Bowl on Feb. 22-23 in Norfolk, Va. The competition will be hosted by the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics.

The YSU Ethics Bowl team consists of two competition teams. Team 1, the Ethics Bowl champion, includes Jordan Pintar, philosophy; Sofia Myers, communication and political science; Peyton Hodge, philosophy and anthropology; Brandon Tabak, philosophy and political science; and Chloe Panei, philosophy and political science. Panei helped with preparation but did not travel to the competition.

Team 2 includes Noel Shackelford, education; Chase Dedomenic, philosophy and political science; Nikechi Onunwor, finance; Michael Sattler, nursing; Connor Hilton, finance; Hunter Barnett, philosophy and history; and Jack Kovacs, philosophy.

YSU’s Ethics Bowl team is coached by Tomhave; Mark Vopat, distinguished professor of philosophy and director of the Dr. James Dale Ethics Center; and James Dale, philosophy program coordinator and pre-law adviser.

“We are deeply grateful to all of the faculty, staff and community volunteers who contributed their time and expertise to help prepare our students for this event,” Vopat said. “This win is a collective achievement that reflects the strength of our university community.”

Ethics Bowl is a collaborative experience for undergraduate students that provides educational experience in practical and professional ethics. Teams spend hours analyzing and preparing for regional and national competitions to see who has thought most deeply and presented their arguments most clearly on cases based on the most pressing issues. Students develop ethical understanding of complex, ambiguous and difficult to resolve issues, as well as key virtues associated with democratic deliberation.

Pictured at top: Sofia Myers, Jordan Pintar, Peyton Hodge and Brandon Tabak.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.