North Carolina Wesleyan University’s Ethics Bowl team earned second place out of 17 participating institutions at the 15th Annual NCICU Ethics Bowl, marking the strongest finish in the University’s history.

The competition was held at the North Carolina State Legislative Complex and brought together undergraduate teams from North Carolina’s independent colleges and universities to engage in thoughtful, moderated discussions on complex ethical issues.

“We are deeply proud of this team,” said Dr. Joe Lane, Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at North Carolina Wesleyan University. “They demonstrated great devotion, teamwork, and understanding throughout the competition.”

NCWU advanced through the regular rounds with an undefeated 4–0 record, securing wins against Catawba College, Salem College, Barton College, and Mars Hill University. The team then earned a victory over Wingate University in the semifinal round before falling to Johnson C. Smith University in the final round to claim second place overall. The final decision was closely contested.

“This was the most fun team I’ve ever been on,” said Niana Gunter, senior and team member. “I learned a lot about formulating an argument in conjunction with other people.”

Senior team member Shafiq Jair Nuijts reflected on the experience, adding, “Going into this bowl, I was nervous considering the tremendous amount of work my teammates and I put into this. Seeing the results of our efforts pay off in this manner was an unforgettable experience.”

This year’s finish represents a milestone for NCWU, surpassing the team’s previous best performance of third place at the 2020 Ethics Bowl.

The award was presented by Dr. A. Hope Williams, President of the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (NCICU).

Competition Highlights

Throughout the day, NCWU students addressed a range of contemporary ethical topics, including corporate responsibility, international relations in global sporting events, the ethics of weapons of mass destruction, public education reform, civil-military leadership, and funding public schools during financial crises.

Team Members

Pictured (left to right; students in bold):

• Deon Bailey, Sophomore
• Dr. Jarrod Kelly
• Jolyna Sundbom, Junior
• Dr. Shane Thompson
• Dr. A. Hope Williams, President, NCICU
• Shafiq Nuijts, Senior
• Niana Gunter, Senior
• Dr. Jason Buel
• Maxima Iglesias, Senior

Not pictured: Dunya Salem, Senior, who is a member of the team but was unable to attend the competition.

Participating Institutions

The 2026 Ethics Bowl included teams from:
Barton College, Campbell University, Catawba College, Gardner-Webb University, High Point University, Johnson C. Smith University, Livingstone College, Mars Hill University, Methodist University, Montreat College, Pfeiffer University, Queens University, Salem College, University of Mount Olive, William Peace University, Wingate University, and North Carolina Wesleyan University.

The NCICU Ethics Bowl promotes civil discourse, ethical reasoning, and collaborative problem-solving—skills central to North Carolina Wesleyan University’s commitment to academic excellence and student development.