The Cavalier daily. :: Friday, April 4, 1969 :: University of Virginia Library

Mr. Hodges, Sceptre Society
candidate for President of the
College of Arts and Sciences,
kicked off his official campaign
Wednesday by visiting two first-year
dormitories, Lefevre and Metcalf
Houses. Repeatedly, he emphasised
that it was the duty of the
Honor Committee and the personal
responsibility of each student to
create a student body which truly
understands the Honor System.

"I think that the most
important thing for you to remember
is the idea of personal responsibility.
You have a personal responsibility,
to yourself and to the
Honor System, to find out as much
as you can about the System. That
is the way to make it work," said
Greg Hodges Wednesday night.

"Body Of Precedent"

"The Honor Committee has
failed to keep in touch with the
student body," he continued.
"Most of its deliberations are
secret, and although they will have
to stay that way, general summaries
of the Committee's work could be
published. For most of the year,
many students know nothing about
what the Committee actually does.
Instead of merely a notation in The
Cavalier Daily at the time a student
has been expelled, the summaries of
Honor Committee decisions would
help the students better understand
Committee feelings.

"In addition, the Committee
ought to keep records of cases in
which the defendant was acquitted,
as well as the convictions. This
would help to build a body of
precedent, which might prove helpful
to future Honor Committees.

"I feel," Mr. Hodges said, "that
a new approach needs to be taken.
There is a great deal of talk of
changing the Honor System. An
important phrase in the 'blue sheet'
distributed by the Committee is
that it is based upon the attitudes
of the 'student generation involved.'
In order to determine these
attitudes, I think there will have to
be some sort of referendum, asking
each student several basic questions
about the scope, procedures, and
penalties of the Honor System.

"But before any referendum can
be legitimate, the students must be
educated. Only when we have a
student body informed about the
Honor System will we have a
meaningful system."

Mr. Hodges then outlined what
he felt were necessary steps toward
creating an informed student body.
"A whole new re-education process
will be needed," he said. "We will
have to make sure each student has
a thorough background on the
history of the System. Right now,
you can only acquire this through
detailed research in the library.

"But there are," he continued,
"at least two histories of the Honor
System which have been made by
former Committee members. These
ought to be printed in large
quantities and sent out at the
beginning of each year to all
entering students. It might even be
a good idea to send this to everyone
before he signs any statement that
he agrees to live under the System.

"Of course," Mr. Hodges explained,
"It would be necessary to
begin this by sending the history to
all students at the University. But
this is not simply a process for
orientation. It must continue
throughout a student's life at the
University."

The candidate the turned to the
issues of the campaign. "Once we
understand what the System has
been, then perhaps we can decide
where it is to go. I feel there is a
definite need to keep the one-penalty
system. Gordon Calvert
has said there is but one offense, a
violation of one's honor, and there
should be only one penalty."

When asked to take stands on
political issues outside the Honor
System, Mr. Hodges stated his
beliefs but wished to play down the
importance of politics in the
presidential campaign. "The job of
President of the College is already a
monumental task as it is. I don't
think the President could honestly
take time to take positions."