Catawba College

SALISBURY — A team of six Catawba College students joined more than 120 others from 24 of North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities to debate ethics and the future of community.

The Catawba students were participants in the annual Ethics Bowl sponsored by North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities at the State Legislative Complex in Raleigh.

“The Ethics Bowl has a positive and significant impact on the individual student participants,” said association President Hope Williams. “It is a challenging competition and a rewarding experience that many students have indicated is a highlight of their college careers.”

Each team participated in four rounds. The four teams with the most “wins” — Barton College, Chowan University, Gardner-Webb University and Salem College — met in two semifinal rounds.

The semifinal round topic focused on cyber communities and how to exercise personal responsibility to ensure ethical standards and practices in social media.

Advancing to the final round were Chowan University and Salem College. The topic for the final round was the ethics of deporting undocumented immigrants. In the end, Salem College won the competition.

At a banquet honoring the participants Friday evening, five speakers presented their diverse interpretation of “community.” They were Dan Gerlach of the Golden LEAF Foundation; Leslie Garvin from N.C. Campus Compact; Roman Bouchev, formerly an international student and now a U.S. citizen; Lauren Raiford, a high school student; and David Heinen with N.C. Center for Nonprofits.

The Ethics Bowl is made possible by the support of 29 sponsors, led by Duke Energy and Wells Fargo, and the participation of more than 70 volunteer judges and moderators who are leaders in business, government and nonprofit organizations.

The N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities is the statewide office of 36 independent colleges and universities. It represents schools in the areas of state and federal public policy and on education issues with the other sectors of education in the state.

It also raises money for student scholarships and enrichment experiences, provides research and information to and about independent colleges, and coordinates collaborative programs. For more information, visit www.ncicu.org.