University of Richmond team wins first place at VFIC Applied Ethics Bowl
Student Experience
Should artificial intelligence guide sentencing in the judicial system or be used to make medical diagnoses?
These were among the questions that student teams pondered at the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges Applied Ethics Bowl, held on campus on Feb. 7. The UR team’s five seniors — Brett Barnes, Ashton Bear, Tommy Bennett, Jonathan Garner, and Caleb Silvergleid — placed first at the competition out of 16 teams. The team received the Batten Trophy, named in honor of Jane and Frank Batten, the event’s original funders.
“The Applied Ethics Bowl demonstrates the unique education that students receive at VFIC schools where small classes taught by dedicated faculty hone their skills in critical thinking and civil discourse and help them develop an ethical framework from which to make decisions,” said Locke Ogens, VFIC president. “These students graduate well prepared to be leaders.”
During four rounds of head-to-head competition, the teams presented their analyses, positions, and recommendations to a panel of judges comprised of business and community leaders from across the state. The teams considered case studies on “Ethics and Artificial Intelligence.”
The Spiders won three out of four rounds. The top two teams, UR and Washington and Lee University, advanced to a fifth and final round, which the Spiders won.
“Some of my teammates were shocked we won,” said Silvergleid, a philosophy and history major from Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. “We had become such a monster of a team over the last few rounds, I was excited but not surprised.”
Faculty advisor Brannon McDaniel, a philosophy professor, said teamwork was key to the team’s success. “They have to be fast on their feet, talk comfortably, come up with reasons that justify conclusions, and then convey it in a way that is jargon-free,” he said.
McDaniel has served as a faculty advisor for the ethics bowl since 2011. He said this was the first year the students were allowed to see the case studies before the competition began, though they were not allowed to use notes. They were not permitted to see the case study before the final match.
The teams had just one to two minutes to prepare for each step: an opening, a question for the other team, a response to a question from the other team, and a closing argument.
In his second year on the team, Barnes described the questions as well-formulated. “I especially appreciated the focus on the potential downsides of AI, something that I feel is not discussed enough in most spaces,” said the computer science and mathematics major from St. Charles, Illinois.
“My AI research experience at the University of Richmond prepared me to have a deep and thorough understanding of the current state of the industry, which provided me with critical context for many of the topics presented,” Barnes said.
UR served as the inaugural host for the event in 2000, and Spider teams have previously won in 2007 and 2022. Dara Gocheski, chief of staff to President Kevin F. Hallock, and event manager Jonathan Williams served as UR's primary liaison to VFIC and worked closely with them and campus partners to organize the event.
A networking luncheon brought participants together with corporate leaders from various fields, including VFIC board members. About 175 people attended the final round and reception.
“The students were poised, listened carefully, synthesized information, and grappled with timely and complex issues,” Gocheski said. “I kept hearing from audience members throughout the day how reassuring it was to see graduating seniors have these skills.”