Editor-in-Chief
The CSU Bakersfield ethics bowl team achieved something unprecedented in the school’s history when it won the California Regionals Ethics Bowl.
The team has now set its sights on the National Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl for this Saturday in Reston, Va.
Pedro Naveiras, who is one of the four members of the ethics bowl team, said it was really quiet and surreal when they won because they were waiting for the judges to reveal the scores, but they got excited once they realized they won.
“It was very surreal and calm,” Naveiras said. “We didn’t really have that ‘ah’ moment until afterwards.”
The team consists of senior philosophy major Erin Barker, senior physics and math major Josh Lofy, senior philosophy major Travis Rosenlieb and Naveiras. The coach to the team is Debra Jackson, who is a philosophy and religious studies associate professor.
There were 20 different teams from CSUs, UCs and other colleges from California and Arizona in the California Regionals Ethics Bowl, including: UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, Cal Poly Pomona and San Jose State.
CSUB beat UC Santa Cruz who in 2012 tied for first with Chico State, beat UCSB and beat San Jose State who won in 2013.
It was the first time that CSUB had even gone to this competition.
“I think it is really impressive,” said Jackson. “It is a real testament to both the quality of the students here at CSUB and the quality of the education at CSUB.”
This was also the first time Jackson had been the coach for the ethics bowl team.
During the fall term, CSUB had 12 weeks to prepare for 13 different cases but this time they had six weeks to prepare for 15 different cases.
Barker said she is nervous for the Nationals.
“I’m really anxious about what is going to happen,” Barker said. “I think we are going to have fun doing some team-building before hand and after, but for the actual event, it’s nerve-wracking.”
Naveiras and Barker both added that they are expecting to do well.
Jackson added that there are 10 different regions from United States and Canada that will send teams to the Nationals.
“Having won really built their confidence in their ability to understand and argue these cases,” she said. “We learned a lot in the Regional competition in what we did well and what we needed to work on.”
CSUB will have a send-off for the ethics bowl team on Thursday.
Barker said she is excited for the send-off.
“I’m looking so forward to that,” she said. “I think I’m more excited for that because it’s more laid back and not as much pressure to perform. We are just going to be hanging out with people that we love and that love us.”
