University of Virginia Library

Honor And Impulse

I am writing this letter with
regard to a recent case that
came up before the Honor
Committee. I am specifically
writing against a power that
the Honor Committee has
exercised in this recent case as
well as in numerous cases in
the past. I will take this case as
a standard for the type of case
in which the Honor Committee
exercises such a power.

The power I am referring to
is expulsion. The power to
dismiss or "kick out" a student
from the University due to a
"dishonorable act." Someone
who I knew very well was
brought up before the Honor
Committee due to an act of
shoplifting (I can of oil - $2.00)
which was entirely on impulse.
It was not a premeditated act,
in fact, he was going to buy it,
but by some freakish impulse
he decided to just walk out
with it. Unfortunately, he was
caught and prosecuted as if he
had performed a fantastic
robbery.

This person is no more
dishonorable than any other
man at the University.
Everyone does dishonest little
things all the time, and it is
good most of them don't get
caught, otherwise the infamous
Honor Committee would be
setting examples of their
hallowed authority right and
left. This person is also fourth
year in the College with a
standing 3.6 average or better!
Now the stupidity that the
Honor Committee has shown
to me is in their "wise, fair,
and reasonable" decision. All I
can say here is what a joke! To
kick out a person who is just
about to graduate, just as
trustworthy as anyone else that
you will find, and with an
extremely successful academic
career which could very well be
ended sooner than expected is
hardly a wise, fair and
reasonable decision. The Honor
Committee is supposed to
represent the views of the
student body. Would you
personally endorse a decision
like this

In the past, as a matter of
fact, last year, a person was
pardoned on a very similar
case, a small, insignificant
incident in which the Honor
Committee is not supposed to
concern itself with. My guess is
that the Honor Committee has
taken upon itself to make an
example of certain people
periodically in order to keep
the student body scared and
aware of its God-like power in
the cases which involve "major
decisions."

My gripe with the "Honor
Committee" in this case is their
decision and the way they
came about it! They made a
decision which is normally
exercised in a very serious case.
A person who has been
dismissed from the University,
as quoted from the
Colonnades, is "one who
engages in disruptive conduct
or in any other prohibited
conduct which poses a
substantial threat to the health
or safety of other members of
the University.' This quote is
taken from a less severe
sentence in the Colonnades
which is known as Interim
Suspension. The next step is
expulsion. Since expulsion is
the most severe sentence, it
seems one would practically
have to be a murderer or an
espionage agent to be conflicted
of such a sentence. I say this
because of the basis for the
judgement used in making the
Interim Suspension decision.

Having the power of
expulsion is like having the
power of life and death. The
power to wreck someone's
college career, to disgrace
someone to such an extent is a
power nobody or no
organization should have!
Especially when such a
decision is handed down on
such a trivial and
misinterpreted case. One of the
various reprimands listed in the
Colonnades is ample measure
to restore the 'level of honor"
as exemplified in the
University community to its
distinguishable level. But no,
the Honor Committee instead
gets another chance to play
God, and hands down another
"honorable decision' which
only serves to discredit itself
and show how ridiculous its
valuable principles of fair
judgement are. The Honor
Committee has only two
decisions or to expel him
permanently. No leniency or
flexibility is allowed for. The
expulsion power of the Honor
Committee is being challenged
more and more simply because
any system which does not
allow for flexibility is bound to
be destroyed by dissentful
action.

My only regret is that it has
taken a case involving a man of
excellent character who I know
very well to bring my personal
attention to an organization
which has frightening power
without the ability to exercise
it properly. Such an
organizational power and
misuse should not be tolerated
in a supposedly "honorable
community".

A petition of support for
this victim of the Honor
Committee may be coming
around soon. Please give him
your support and fight against
authority in misuse!