W&L Ethics Bowl Team Competes at National Competition The team competed at the APPE National Championship for the first time in school history.

By Lily Caldwell
March 25, 2026

The Washington and Lee University Ethics Bowl team recently competed at the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Championship March 7-8 in St. Louis. This was W&L’s first time in school history competing at the national championship.

The W&L team, consisting of Roman Schlichter ’26, Amanda Tan ’26, Joshua Davidson ’28, Katia Apedoh ’28 and Korbin Williams ’29, concluded the weekend with a 2-2 record. The team won rounds against the University of Missouri and Northwestern University, while dropping two close competitions, including a narrow setback against defending champions, Macalester College.

“The team and coaches are extremely proud of our showing and the fact that we were one of only 36 teams in the country to make it to the national competition,” said Paul Gregory, professor of philosophy and team co-coach along with Angela Sun, assistant professor of philosophy.

The two-day national competition, held at the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch, featured 36 teams. The teams competed using prepared cases drawn from real-life examples in education, business and politics. The participating teams were judged not by their answers to specific questions, but by their ability to identify and analyze the ethical dimensions of each case in a clear, focused and thoughtful manner and with an appreciation for varied perspectives. More than 200 teams from 170-plus schools competed in the regional competitions to earn their spot in the national competition.

“I felt as though we learned so much in terms of competition style that other teams brought, judging criteria and the rhythm and pace of the national competition,” said Tan, a cognitive and behavioral science and business administration double major from Richmond, Virginia. “It was so much fun getting to work together with the team, and I was proud of how much we all stepped up to collaborate and coordinate together. Since joining the team my sophomore year, being a part of this group has been one of the most formative, meaningful and enjoyable experiences throughout my college career.”

The APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl is an undergraduate ethical reasoning and argumentation competition. The competition is a collaborative and educational experience in practical and professional ethics. Teams analyze and present arguments centered on today’s most pressing issues and then go head-to-head in front of a panel of judges, offering their perspectives on the multiple ethical dimensions of the case.

If you know a W&L student who has done great, accolade-worthy things, tell us about them! Nominate them for an accolade.