At the end of last semester, flyers were posted around Clemons declaring, “ignore misleading rhetoric,” in reference to arguments made by the honor system’s critics. Last week’s article “Honor case highlights procedure” has given honor a platform to issue its own misleading rhetoric. Honor Chair Jessica Huang is quoted as saying, “I highly doubt that University of Virginia students are going to let facial expressions determine what they think about a case.”
Huang has assumed the students are personally invested in the outcome of the case and therefore attentive to only the facts presented. Jurors fell asleep, so it was clear at least some members of the jury were apathetic about the case. When people do not know what to think about a situation, they look to those around them for clues on how to interpret what is going on. An onlooker’s unprofessional facial expressions could provide that cue to direct a person’s opinion of a situation.
Not only do we expect the jurors to objectively analyze the case by ignoring incompetent observers and rambunctious counsels, we expect the Honor Committee to view themselves objectively. No group can honestly do that. The checks and balances of any organization should not rest in that same organization. The idea is preposterous when it comes to government. Why should honor be excluded from those same principles?
I think it is time for the University community to stop allowing transgressions to occur in our honor system. I understand that people react strongly to the thought of changing honor, but the University student population needs to thoroughly analyze the structure of the Honor Committee.
Mark Manning
CLAS II
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