University of Virginia Library

Orientation Not Meaningless

academic community is
idealistic, and thus subject to
the breakdowns of all idealistic
communities, but it is far
superior in my opinion to the
circumspect and devious
society we so often encounter
outside our community.

Finally, I would like to take
issue with Mr. Butler's
dismissal of orientation as
meaningless indoctrination to
be suffered through by poor
first-year students. Mr.
Whitebread (hardly the bastion
of Old U. conservatism)
defended both the Honor
System and the single penalty
in a brilliant address that was
later reprinted in the Cavalier
Daily. Perhaps orientation
week has more to offer
than "indoctrination" for those
willing to approach it with
open, yet discriminating minds.
There is a great deal of good
and a great deal of evil at the
University, but the vibrant
force for intellectual and
societal freedom comes from a
living Honor System.

Keith L. Kearney
College 4

Expulsion Justified

Greg Carmona, in a letter
printed in The Cavalier Daily
for December 13, suggests that
the dismissal of a friend of his
after an Honor Committee trial
for shoplifting merchandise
worth two dollars was unjust
and disproportionate to the
offense. We disagree.

Shoplifting is stealing, pure
and simple. Premeditation,
"freakish impulses," 3.6
averages, graduation,
trustworthiness, excellent
character, or "playing God"
(all of which Mr. Carmona
mentioned) have no bearing on
this fact. Mr. Carmona and the
student who was expelled
realize as well as we do that
lying, cheating, and stealing are
honor offenses which are
punished by dismissal from the
University. We find it hard to
understand how Mr. Carmona
can demand that leniency be
shown to a student who stole
even while knowing this.

Mr. Carmona suggests that
his friend "is no more
dishonorable than any other
man at the University." This is
not only unfounded in fact but
is also insulting to a large
number of students at the
University. We have no doubt
that many students are able to
resist any impulses to lie, cheat,
or steal. Honesty is not as
difficult for these students as
Mr. Carmona suggests. Because
they recognize that any
dishonorable act, however
inconsequential in itself,
weakens the fabric of trust that
should prevail in the University
community, they recognize the
difference between theft of
two dollars and of twenty as
one of degree, not of
substance.

Although we feel that the
dismissal of another student is
unfortunate, we nevertheless
believe that the expulsion was
justified, that the theft,
however insignificant it may
seem, cannot be condoned and
cannot be reconciled with the
spirit of the honor system.
Although we are dismayed that
a student had to be expelled,
we feel the Honor Committee
made the only just decision. In
fact, the student was "kicked
out," not by the Honor
Committee, but by his own
"freakish impulse" to steal. By
permitting his sense of honor
to lapse, however slightly, he
put himself outside the
University community as it is
meant to be.

Times change and systems
change, but honor does not. If
Mr. Carmona's friend had been
acquitted and his offense
excused, as Mr. Carmona seems
to suggests should have been
done, then he would be right in
saying that his friend is no
more dishonorable than any
other man in the University, or
at least on the Honor
Committee. Dishonorable acts,
no matter how minor they
seem, threaten the University's
sense of community. We are
glad they are not condoned.