Ripon College Ethics Bowl team competes at regional competition

Six students from the Ripon College Ethics Bowl team competed in the Upper Midwest Regional Ethics Bowl Nov. 16 at the University of Chicago. 

The Ripon team ended the competition with one win and three losses. The first round was against the University of Chicago, which Ripon lost 0-3. Round two was against Carleton College, with Ripon losing 0-3. It was a close 1-2 split decision in round three to Macalester College. In the final round, Ripon won in a 2-1 decision against Harper College.  

Two of the six students were returning competitors. Those returning were junior Sid McNatt for her third time and sophomore Zoe Stephanie for her second time.

For two-thirds of the team being entirely new, McNatt said she thought the team did really well.

“The first couple rounds were rough as we were getting into the groove of things, but as soon as we hit our third round we finally solidified our group chemistry,” McNatt said. “This campus is full of incredible minds and being able to witness it firsthand through the competition is something that’s really special.”

McNatt said returning to the Ethics Bowl for the third time means a lot to her. She said it feels incredibly gratifying to be a part of a team that helps her grow as an effective communicator.

“The biggest takeaway from our discussions with the other teams we went up against is the integral part of practicing with one another,” McNatt said. “We went up against some of the best teams in the competition and their insight offered a lot into how we can grow as a team for next year.”

Earlier this year in March, McNatt and Stephanie went to Cincinnati, Ohio for the 28th annual National Ethics Bowl Competition. The team ranked 26th out of 36 teams from across the country.

Ripon’s first-time competitors this fall included juniors Caden Gramlich and Yoon Mo, and seniors Natalie McNeely and Preston Reese-Grimm ’25.

Junior Shaniya Harris went to observe the competition and both she and senior Jake Hargrave helped the team practice for the competition. 

The team’s adviser and coach Paul Jeffries, associate professor of philosophy and chair of the philosophy department, said the team did a great job representing the College. 

“I was very proud of the great job the team did, even though it might not show up in the win column,” Jeffries said. “Please congratulate any of the team members you may see as they represented Ripon College with distinction.”

Posted November 21, 2024 in Student.

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