Upholding the Honor Code is the responsibility of every student.
At the end of Fall Weekend I received a call from Campus Safety alerting me, as the Housefellow, that two of my residents’ bikes had been found in a tree by the Freeman patio. After helping one of the owners retrieve them, I sent out an email to the dorm, asking if anyone knew what had happened. I received a few responses through email and in person, saying that two alumni were responsible. The bikes had been chained to the rack outside the dorm, and thus the wheels were removed before being lofted into the tree, where they received further damage.
This is just one example of the vandalism that has been present throughout campus this year. Thus far, there have been almost a dozen broken windows, along with a multitude of broken screens, light fixtures, exit signs and destroyed bulletin boards. Generally, this destruction is dismissed as a byproduct of alcohol use or the rowdiness of athletic teams, but that deflection is unwarranted and only serves to rid ourselves of responsibility. Too often we forget that our Honor Code requires us to hold both ourselves and others accountable for actions. We frequently complain about the damages done, but think that if it’s not us doing it, it’s not our responsibility.
There have been some changes to the Honor Code in the past year, most notably the separation of alcohol violations from Code infractions. The main draw for this change was to ensure that we have an Honor Code that we can all abide by on a daily basis, so as not to be hypocritical of the value system that is so vital to our community. With all of the vandalism and damage done to our campus this year, it seems that we once again have another contradiction. The problem must be either that the Honor Code is being misrepresented and students are not aware of their responsibilities to report violations, or that we have another piece of it that we do not feel comfortable with. It is impossible to submit an anonymous report, and thus, when a student sees a violation occur, they have to decide where their priorities lie: loyalty to their friends and social status within the community, or to upholding the values that constitute it.
Many of us on campus work for the Office of Admissions, and one of the most important elements of our community that we talk about is the Honor Code. When interviewing prospective students, I always try to get a sense of whether our applicants would acknowledge the Honor Code’s importance and actively uphold it. We (as employees of the College) speak largely about honorable values, and it is much harder to do so proudly when I’ve just opened an email with a lengthy list of dorm damages from the past week. The Honor Code is one of the primary reasons that I am here, and thus it’s critical that we uphold its ideals through its practice on campus.
My purpose of this piece is not to blame. However, I want us to consider the atmosphere we have created surrounding the Honor Code on our campus that condones being a bystander. There are always going to be members of our community who will choose not to respect other students’ property or space, but instead of letting this year of increased vandalism define us, we can use it as a chance to reflect on our community and change the culture into one of accountability. We are a residential campus—proudly so—and it is important for us to recognize how special our Honor Code is, in that it (hopefully) draws students who want to be in a respectful community, and gives us an outlet for redirecting the rest. So, the next time you see somebody rip down a bulletin board, smash a window or chuck someone’s bike into a tree, please confront that student and make them take responsibility. Ultimately, my hope is that we can have more pride in our school and more money in our pockets. •
