Two years ago some students got together and decided that they wanted to start a debate club. 

Originally, it was just to get together and debate topics, but it was only a couple of years before they became a competitive debate team that made it into the semi-finals at a recent ethics bowl held and sponsored by Wofford College. 

It was founded by philosophy professor and current organizer Stephen Michealmen,and a few other professors from Wofford. 

“It was our first ethics bowl,” said English teacher Holly Holifield, the debate team adviser. “I’m very impressed with the way we performed.”

Chapman was the only team to win all three preliminary rounds and made it into the semi-finals but was beaten by Spartanburg High School, the team that went on to win the event.  

Unfortunately, this year’s ethics bowl had to be held virtually, but that didn’t break the spirit of the team.

“It was pretty intimidating for my first year, but after the first round all of us felt really good and that we could win,” freshman Madeline Williams, said. 

The members of the team have been working diligently since the beginning of the school year to prepare for the ethics bowl.

At the beginning of the school year, the ethics bowl committee publishes 15 cases, proposed by students and members of the ethics bowl committee, that will be debated at the event. 

 “We usually meet three times throughout the week, and we just talk about cases, how we feel about them and what we think the best answer is,” said Williams. 

Currently, there are five people on the debate team: one senior, one junior and three freshmen.

“With the direction we’re going right now, I hope that maybe we’ll have more students who are interested in joining,” Hollifield said.