The Youngstown State University Ethics Bowl team tied with Macalester College in the semifinal round of the 2025 APPE Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl National Competition and finished fourth following a tiebreaker in the semifinal round.

The Youngstown State team, comprised of Brandon Tabak, a junior in philosophy and political science; Jordan Pintar, a senior in philosophy; Sofia Myers, a junior in political science and communications; and Peyton Hodge, a junior in political science and anthropology, competed against 35 other teams.

Team members credited their participation in the Ethics Bowl with developing skills applicable to their academic studies and career aspirations.

“It really helps you think back to those subjects [from our classes] ...off-the-cuff thinking is crucial when you’re competing,” Tabak said.

Coached by Alan Tomhave, associate dean and professor of philosophy, and Mark Vopat, professor of humanities and social sciences, the team prepared by studying 17 cases in one month.

Hodge noted the team's smaller size compared to other participating schools. “It was really cool to meet the other schools...a lot of teams had six people, but we’re a four-person team,” Hodge explained. “Obviously, some of us know more about some topics more than others, but we all contribute in our own unique ways.”

Team members emphasized the importance of their coaches and practice judges. Pintar stated that “Coaches Tomhave and Vopat do a great job of picking the people they want to judge for each case...we need the cases to pertain to the judges’ interests or fields so that we can receive the best possible feedback.”

Myers commented on the team’s reputation at the national level. “We get to take pride in our academics...the consistency of support from faculty and our own drive to uphold that YSU standard are what allows us to compete at this level,” Myers explained.