Ethics Debate Team Takes 2nd Place at Northeast Regional

West Point’s reigning national champion Ethics Debate Team finished second place at the Northeast Regional Ethics Bowl Competition. The team, consisting of five debaters, Carolyn Kehn '18, Jessica Boerner '18, Reed Johnson '19, Brett Yelverton '18, and Noe Gallegos '20, went 4-1-1 on the day, beating teams from James Madison University, University of Baltimore County Maryland, Rochester University, Sacred Heart University, and Franklin Pierce College, before losing in the final round to Tufts University. West Point also fielded a team composed entirely of plebes and yearlings who had never competed in Ethics Debate before. This team, consisting of Viviana Gonzalez '20, Jake Hohmann '20, Sophia Maliscke '21, AnnMarie Moolenaar '21, and Elijah Brown '21, went 2-1 on the day and nearly qualified for the quarterfinals. The performance of both teams was especially remarkable because only two members of the teams had ever competed in Ethics Debate before and one of the team’s experienced debaters was unable to travel to the competition at the last minute. In his place, Sophia Maliscke '21 competed with only a few hours to prepare. Despite these disadvantages, the team excelled, winning a spot at the National Competition in Chicago in March in the hope of defending their title. This is another example of the department’s commitment to developing cadet’s ethical reasoning, civic responsibility, and effective communication.