Debaters win competition, gain valuable experiences

The UMHB ethics team earned first place, winning $1,000 at the third annual Ethics Match recently. Eighteen schools took part in the competition sponsored by the Texas Independent College Foundation in Fort Worth.

Assistant Professor of business and ethics team coach Harry Sweet said he was pleased because students gained valuable experience.

“If they don’t win that’s fine,” Sweet said. “It’s not about winning. It’s about learning.”

He said having the experience and “getting your hands dirty” was “much more valuable than a textbook.”

Students chosen for the teams have usually been in Sweet’s ethics class and Associate Professor of business and team coach Marty McMahone’s Christian Principles and Business Leadership class.

Team members this year were Lauren Graber, Danny Jeanes, Elaine Lipscomb and Ray Wilson.

Sweet said, “Our team this year, at no time did you hear emotion or righteous indignation over the cases that they were to discuss.”

He said students used a reasonable approach and logic in their arguments. During the competition, two teams of four students are given an ethical situation. They then have two minutes to discuss the problem and five minutes to present their solution.

The first team gives their opinion, and the second team responds. They switch roles, and another ethical dilemma is read.

Usually, the second team agrees with the first adding a few minor adjustments. But the UMHB team took a chance during the finals by disagreeing with the University of the Incarnate Word on globalization.

They knew the benefits could be great.

Senior BCIS major Ray Wilson said, “This was the only opportunity to disagree.” He said it is not the popular political idea, “but we agree with it.”

Sweet said the real victory is in the experience. “The main thing that we hope to accomplish is that students become associated with business leaders and learn from them the reality of business.”

Judges for the competition are CEOs, business executives and once the vice president of the Texas Rangers.

Wilson said, “I knew it would be an awesome opportunity to meet some really experienced business leaders from our area, and also, it’s a unique experience.”

The team was well rested for the competition because of the accommodations they enjoyed at the Worthington Hotel compliments of TICF.

Wilson said “just being part of a team was pretty cool.”

Although the competition is fun to participate in, the overall plan is to help students use their experience and what they’ve learned in class and the competitions on a normal basis.

McMahone said, “The main purpose is to get people thinking and talking about ethics outside of the classroom.”