2026 National College Ethics Bowl semi-finalists!
2026 National College Ethics Bowl
Rage Against the Machine: Hayne Newman-Robinson, Sabina Tillinger, Sebastian Patenaude, and Martha Matsui (pictured from left to right)
On June 6, University of Guelph’s Rage Against the Experience Machine flew to Halifax to participate in the second annual National College Ethics Bowl hosted at Dalhousie University. They competed against six other teams from across Canada and made it to the semi-finals! Congratulations! They did a fantastic job across their matches spread over two whole days, and their final match was a very close one – the three judges ended up with a split decision. And most importantly, our team had “a blast!”
Our team discussed respectfully tough ethical issues ranging from parenting and healthcare to controversial questions and AI companions with competing teams and judges. Unlike debates, the Ethics Bowl encourages collaborative discussions. As Hayne Newman-Robinson attests,
"It can be constructive in a way that debate generally isn't. It's a joy to be surprised by the novel positions that can arise as both teams adapt to one another's presentations, commentary, and responses. The emphasis on exploring tough moral quandaries rather than simply opposing another team's argument is more philosophically satisfying, and to some extent makes it easier to be friendly with the people you meet outside of matches, some of whom I've kept in touch with."
Similarly, Martha Matsui says,
"Ethics Bowl is an approachable way to develop your knowledge of ethics and gain some public speaking experience. When I first joined, it had been four years since I took an ethics course, and my teammates were very understanding and helpful when I was missing certain basic concepts. It’s also a less intimidating way to try public speaking because you never have to present or respond to anything on your own. The format is less combative than debate, in that the two teams work together to find points of agreement. Some of our best matches felt more like conversations between ourselves, the other team, and the judges."
Congratulations again to "Rage Against the Experience Machine" team on an excellent run! The Department is proud of you and glad you had a fun, rewarding experience!