Harper Ethics Bowl team earns berth to national championship

Harper College's Ethics Bowl team placed second at the Upper Midwest Regional Championship, qualifying for the 19th Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl Competition in Costa Mesa, Calif., in February.

Harper hosted the regional competition on Nov. 15, where teams debated such questions as, "Does a neighbor have the right to steal a pet that appears to be abused?" The six-member team beat out more than 20 other teams from notable four-year colleges and universities such as the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

"This is a very talented and dedicated team," said Associate Professor John Garcia, who coaches Harper's team with Assistant Professor Brett Fulkerson-Smith. "It's hard to appreciate how difficult it is for two-year schools to succeed. We don't have the same students for four years who can meet in the dorms for hours on end."

The team is comprised of Lauren Bell of Mount Prospect, Ali Longbottom of Barrington, Robert Moskwa of Arlington Heights, Justin Provo of Hoffman Estates, Ahyanee Stubberfield of Palatine and Eri Svenson of Schaumburg.