"WE HAD an honor system at my high school, but then everyone kept cheating and it went away." These are the words I heard from a group of incoming first years as I was introducing the University's honor system to them earlier this summer. At first, I was concerned that these future students could be so casually dismissive about something so important to me, so central to student life here and so commonly regarded as the most significant remembrance of our alumni.
But should I be concerned? Rather, perhaps I should rejoice -- after all, what better gift could I offer this new first year than to welcome him to our community of trust.
We have an honor system here. And, unlike this student's unfortunate high school experience, our tradition is not one of dishonesty, but one of high integrity. This is the legacy we inherit, but also the responsibility we accept.
Yes, it is true that the community of trust is an ideal, not the precise reality of every situation. Yes, it is also true that the honor system -- charged with maintaining the community of trust -- is not perfect. It is a human system, with flaws reflective of those creators. But, if given the choice between living in a society where our peers held themselves to high standards of honor and one where it is commonplace to dismiss integrity, the decision is easy.
Being from Atlanta, I have many friends who attend other universities and colleges around the country. It does not take much time talking to these friends to learn how unique U.Va. is -- and to realize how easily we take these privileges for granted.
I remember quite distinctly during my first year, the entire University was made aware of an act of stealing. As The Cavalier Daily reported, some party had stolen three rocking chairs that were left outside of Lawn rooms. In the reporting, the owners of the chairs did something that any cynic (or even realist) would laugh at: They appealed to the thieves' sense of honor.
Most of the chairs were returned the next night.
It was not fear of expulsion that motivated the chairs' return, nor was it any reward or benefit. Rather, the students returned the chairs because on some level they knew they had violated the community. This sort of example proves that honor is alive and well at the University.
Trust at the University is offered as the standard, rather than a good to be earned. Take-home, closed-book examinations are practically an oxymoron at most comparable schools; at U.Va. they are commonplace. Feeling safe about the belongings in your room, immediately upon entering school, is not the standard dormitory etiquette. And -- as evidenced by countless scandals in corporations, the church and the media -- the expectation of living honorably today is not as intuitive as we might hope.
Ironically, despite the tremendous public outcry to these American scandals, there are some who argue that honor is dead. They argue that our system is unrealistically idealistic, draconian and child's play. The reality is, however, there is more need for honor now than ever.
As I noted earlier, although our honor system is imperfect -- both in its optimism and operation -- there is nothing outdated about the notion that students should be allowed, by their own choosing, to maintain a community composed only of students who live according to principles that do not tolerate lying, cheating or stealing.
There is an even more insidious threat to this community, however, than violations of or disagreement with the code. That threat is apathy. Do you value the benefits you gain from living in such a community? Do you grasp at opportunities to preserve this community free of lying, cheating and stealing?
Imagine a situation where you catch a classmate cheating on a test, a hallmate stealing money or a friend lying to a dean. What do you do? Do you look the other way, do you confront the student or do you initiate an honor offense? The decision is yours to make.
You could turn your head without consequence
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