Sweet Briar’s debate team took third place in the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges’ seventh annual Ethics Bowl at Lynchburg College on Feb. 12 and 13. This year’s theme was “Ethics and Sports.

Teams from 13 of the VFIC’s 15 member schools analyzed sports-oriented, ethical case dilemmas and presented their recommendations for the best ethical solutions.

Irene Maslanik ’07, Michelle Sanchez ’08, Sara Ostrow ’06, Anne Lojek ’09, Kassie Caola ’07 and Cassidy Trom ’09 represented Sweet Briar in the event, coached by SBC Chaplain Guy Brewer and assistant professor of economics Gene Gotwalt.

Sweet Briar beat Hollins University in the semi-final round to square off against two-time defending champion Washington and Lee University. “We were one judge away from making the finals,” Gotwalt said. “We lost in a split decision, two judges to one.”

Randolph-Macon College fielded the winning three-student team, beating the group from Washington and Lee University in a close final debate. Nearly 50 business and community leaders from across Virginia critiqued team arguments on cases focusing on sports-related ethical dilemmas.

It was Gotwalt’s second year co-coaching the Ethics Bowl, and he plans to take on full coaching responsibilities for the team next year.

“I think [the Ethics Bowl] is great,” Gotwalt said, noting that people encounter issues of right and wrong every day. “Ethical reasoning still does matter in a civilized country. Getting young people to think about these things is a good thing, rather than them just acting out of self interest.”

The eighth annual VFIC Ethics Bowl will be held on the campus of Randolph-Macon College in Ashland on Feb. 11 and 12, 2007.

Sweet Briar is a member of the Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, which is a nonprofit, fundraising and programmatic partnership of colleges and supporting corporations, foundations and individuals.

For more information, please visit www.vfic.org.