5 minute read
THE CODE Binds Us Together
The following speech was given by Jayden Muthaiah ’24, Head of the Honor Committee, during the first week of the 2023-24 school year. In his speech, Muthaiah told new and returning students of the importance of Episcopal’s Honor Code, and why it makes our community unlike any other.
Hello, everyone. My name is Jayden Muthaiah, and I am serving as this year’s Chair of the Honor Committee. I hope you all had a fantastic summer and were able to rest and rejuvenate. To the returning students, welcome back to The Holy Hill. To the new students, I would like to extend a very warm welcome to each and every one of you. These next years will be some of the most memorable of your life. I hope you all are as excited as I am for the year ahead of us.
I stand before you today to emphasize the importance of honor and the role it will play in your life during your time at Episcopal. In addition to myself, the Honor Committee is comprised of 7 other seniors present before you today, and all were elected by student vote last spring. In addition to 8 students, the Honor Committee consists of 4 faculty members: Madame Moore, Mr. Quirett, Mr. Rauth, and Mr. Rogers. Last but certainly not least, Captain Eldred serves as the faculty advisor to the Honor Committee.
The Honor Code at Episcopal is among the oldest of any high school in the nation. For 165 years, it has bettered this institution by fostering a climate of trust within our community. While the School has undergone much change, the code has remained a constant. The Honor Code is comprised of 4 pillars, each holding equal importance. It reads:
I will not lie. I will not cheat. I will not steal. I will report the student who does.”
The first three pillars are relatively self-explanatory. Lying, cheating, and stealing all revolve around one similar principle: They destroy trust. When you lie, cheat, or steal, you erode the trust that others place in you. Your most personal relationships are put in jeopardy. Lying, cheating, and stealing hurt others, and ultimately, they hurt you.
The last pillar of the Honor Code, reporting a student who violates the code, is perhaps the most important. But in practice, it may be the most difficult to abide by. A table cannot stand with 3 legs. Without that 4th leg, it topples. Likewise, the 4th pillar of the code guarantees the structural integrity necessary for its effectiveness. It provides a sense of accountability for wrongdoings, and without that 4th pillar, the Honor Code has no potency whatsoever. Because this institution values strong compliance with the Honor Code (for good reason), any person who violates any pillar of the code becomes an obstacle to the goals of this community and is subject to appropriate accountability.
The Honor Code is not to be seen as a list of regulations; rather, it is a set of morals that upholds important values within our community. Furthermore, it gives the School a strong backbone that serves as the underlying foundation of this institution, and the wide acknowledgment of the Honor Code has made, and continues to make, this school a very special place. In essence, the code binds us together in many spheres of our lives. It is the reason why when you give someone your word, they take it as the truth. It is the reason why a teacher is able to leave a classroom during an assessment and have full confidence that their students will not cheat. It is the reason why a backpack can be left in the library and be untouched 24 hours later. Hopefully, these values will stay integral in your life beyond your time at Episcopal. Not only do I want all of you to graduate from this institution, but I also want all of you to graduate with a strong moral compass that guides you everywhere you go.
Temptations to break the Honor Code will be present everywhere in your life, but especially in the classroom. It is much better to take a low grade on an assessment than to cheat and ruin your academic integrity. It is much better to ask for an extension than to use tools that will give you an unfair advantage on an essay. This includes the use of AI technologies, which as clearly outlined in the Student Handbook, is forbidden unless you are given direct permission from a teacher. If ever you feel the urge to disregard the Honor Code, consider the impact it will have on not only yourself but on our community as a whole.
To the returning students, I hope that this talk refreshed and strengthened your understanding of honor at Episcopal. To the new students, I hope that this talk served as an informative introduction to the Honor Code, and over your time here, you will begin to understand its importance. If you did not listen to a word I said, I hope that instead, you will take with you the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr:
Education without morals is like a ship without a compass, merely wandering nowhere.
