CHARLOTTE, N.C. / October 9, 2026 - Last year, the Johnson C. Smith University debate team smashed through the glass ceiling, snagging the North Carolina Independent Colleges & Universities (NCICU) Ethics Bowl Trophy. It was a moment for the record books.
The JCSU debate team has competed in the Ethics Bowl in Raleigh for a decade and a half. In the early days, under the direction of JCSU Rhetoric & Communications Associate Professor Dr. Laurie Porter, the team established itself as competitive, well-researched and unified. They had more velocity than the little engine that could, with gumption right off the bat.
“Every year, we faced the toughest opponents, ones winning the tournament each year,” Porter revealed. Still, the team went to battle with hope and preparation as fuel.
“The 22 universities have luck of the draw around their opponents in the four-hour-long debates in Raleigh before the finals on Saturday,” Porter explained. “Even with our reputation and praised performance, we did not reach the finals or win the tournament until last year.”
Under the guidance of Porter and JCSU Professor of Religion, Dr. Kendal Mobley, hope turned to achievement, and celebration ensued. History was made.
“I contacted former team members, alumni from past years to share the news and they went crazy. Winning the tournament is a big deal and provides a legacy that we all can be proud of,” Porter said.
The team that snagged the prestigious title included Marvin Brown ’26, captain Holiness Mhlanga, Alastair Park, Christian Smith and Jaslynn Vorachith. The students and coaches celebrated the moment with shock and elation.
On the heels of the win, Mobley shared his pride and optimism in the moment.
“I am incredibly proud of the team and Holiness as our team captain. Marvin Brown is the only senior who is going to be graduating. Everyone else will return to the team. We should have a good chance to defend our title,” Mobley explained.
That challenge begins with understanding a competition that differs from traditional debate. Each September, NCICU Ethics Bowl organizers send teams 10 cases to prepare. Each case is a page-long discussion of an ethical conflict that has been in the news, often involving a question being contested in the courts or state legislatures. The cases may reference major figures or important books related to the question.
“They send 10 cases, but there are only six rounds in the tournament. We have no idea which cases they will choose for the tournament, and there is always one surprise case that we’ve never seen before,” Mobley revealed. “Furthermore, even though they send the cases, we don’t know what question they will ask about each case at the tournament. All the cases relate to an overall theme, so we try to anticipate the sort of questions they might ask so that we can be ready for anything.”
At the tournament, the team faces a new opponent in each round. The case is revealed at the beginning of the round, and an ethical question is posed. Each team develops its response without being assigned an ethical, political or social position.
“So, as you can see, it’s not really a debate. The winner of the round is the team that presents the strongest argument and communicates its position most effectively to the judges who score both teams on the same criteria. Often, the teams do take different positions on the question, but there have been many times when both teams argued the same point,” Mobley shared.
The four teams with the most wins advance to the semifinals, and the two semifinal winners compete in the finals.
As the 2026–2027 NCICU Ethics Bowl approaches, the JCSU team is in the trenches, working toward another stellar performance. Porter sees the championship as fuel for the path ahead.
“Returning as championship winners simply allows this year’s team to confidently enter the space in a mindset of upholding a legacy created for them. It allows them to take that torch and run with it,” Porter said.
Porter and Mobley acknowledge the complexity of the research and preparation. The cases are dense, drawn from real-world topics emerging from public policy forums or the courts, grouped around a central theme and written by a lawyer. Team members research all sides of each case and practice weekly from October to February. Together with their coaches, they must unify around a position and defend what they think is right.
“We always try to balance facts with the impact our decision will have on our families and community. That approach is what often makes us unique and successful in the debate,” Porter shared.
The Ethics Bowl arrives as the pinnacle moment, where reputations live or die. For JCSU, returning to defend the trophy is uncharted territory. Cheers to another year of dedication and preparation. As the coaches reveal, the prize is in the process.
