Ethics Bowl team wins 2025 national championship

Macalester’s Ethics Bowl team defeated Stanford University to win the 2025 National Ethics Bowl Championship in the APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl (APPE IEB) on February 23 in Norfolk, Virginia. 

It is the team’s second national title in three years. Sihaam Barre ’28, Madeleine Heafey ’28, Colette Lawler ’27, Vin Leang ’27, Rūta Rupeikyte ’27, and Eva Sturm ’26 make up the team, which is led by Coach Casey Moerer ‘23. 

“Macalester’s victory is a testament to the passion and dedication of these students. Not only did they work countless hours researching and deliberating on these cases, but they came to every practice and every round of the tournament truly loving this activity. It’s an honor for Macalester to win a National Championship, and an honor to have so much fun doing it,” said Moerer.  

The Macalester team competed against 35 other teams over two days, ultimately defeating Stanford by one point in the final round. 

For the final match, students were asked to discuss questions about space weaponry and term limits for federal judges, including “If you were tasked with outlining the United States’ policy with respect to the use of space weaponry, what would that policy look like?” and “If you were tasked with producing a policy regarding the term lengths for federal judges (up to and including lifetime appointments), what would that policy look like?” 

Teams are judged by their ability to identify and analyze the ethical dimensions of each case in a clear, focused, and thoughtful manner, with an appreciation for varied perspectives. 

“Although the students are dealing with controversial questions and often opposing viewpoints, they listen and empathize. They discuss and reason with each other,” said Kristen Fuhs Wells, executive director at the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics. “They present positions based on just and ethical considerations. I can’t help but imagine the types of solutions we could come up with if we all practiced the same approach to talking with people about our disagreements.”

Watch the recording of the final match here.