University of Virginia Library

Letters To The Editor

—Ed.)

Ageless Honor

Each student, when he enrolls at
the University, signs a statement
indicating that he understands and
agrees with the Honor System. Any
student who lies, cheats, or steals,
cannot help but do so with full
knowledge that he is committing
an Honor offense. In doing so he
commits an offense against the
entire student body and is
unworthy of further membership in
the University community.

Honor is not a relative thing.
The concept of what is, and what is
not, honorable has remained
unchanged throughout the ages.
Certainly lying, cheating, and
stealing have never been regarded as
honorable actions. To condone
such actions through a system of
graduated penalties would weaken
and perhaps even destroy the
Honor System as a vital force in the
University community. Each
student who values honor should
vote against those candidates who
support such a plan.

Death Penalty

I would like to respond as one
of the students who chose the
university on the basis of the Honor
System to Mr. Capobianco's
statements which you printed on
March 17.

Undoubtedly, if Mr. Capobianco
had been elected President of the
College and he succeeded in
eliminating the Honor System, the
consequences would be dire. The
university would divide into two
factions: the students like myself,
and the liars, stealers, and cheaters
(with their "rational response to a
useless system.") The conflict
would undoubtedly blossom into
bloodshed. Immediately after that,
I would probably be found dead, a
Bic pen in my groin. The
offense-honor; the penalty-death.