Ethics Debate Team Wins First Place

West Point’s Ethics Debate Team won first place at the Northeast Regional Competition. The team, consisting of five debaters, Cadets Sandoval ’17, Hernandez ’17, Laval-Leyva ’17, Kehn ’18, and Frederickson ’20, recovered from a loss in the first round and went on to win five matches in a row, including an upset win in the final against reigning champions, Tufts University. Under the direction of CDT Sandoval, the team distinguished itself with its civility, incisive argumentation, and constructive commentary. Utilizing skills that West Point cultivates better than any other institution, the debaters responded to last minute shakeups to the team structure with coolness, quick thinking, and cooperative spirit. While all the members of the team made special contributions, CDT Frederickson deserves special mention. He was participating in his first debate and had not been expecting to compete until a few days prior to the competition. As luck would have it, the cases CDT Frederickson was responsible for were called in the second round (after the initial loss) and in the final round. In each case, CDT Frederickson handled the situation with grace, deftly articulating the team’s position and showing deep understanding of the issues. As a result of this win, the Ethics Debate Team will compete in the National Competition in Dallas, Texas in early 2017. This is another example of the department’s commitment to developing cadet’s ethical reasoning, civic responsibility, and effective communication.