Stop taking advantage of the honor code

By Josh Hypes

Bags in the booths at A.J.’s, coats draped over couches in the Heritage Room, and mugs deserted in the library—these are the ways students try to mark their territory on campus. We also know it’s a perversion of the Honor Code.

These manipulative signals can be found across campus. Belongings left behind do not amount to an indefinite claim over all the study spaces on campus.

These people deliberately choose to take advantage of their fellow students, and therefore they should face some consequences for their actions, like clearing off the table if the original owner hasn’t returned after a certain amount of time. Students must work together to address this pervasive problem on campus and establish a consensus on what to do about this issue.

ensure harmony on campus unless students are willing to impose limits on themselves.

Ultimately, any solution requires student involvement by talking to people and informing them about the negative impact that these selfish acts have on campus culture.

For one, it disincentivizes studying on campus. If no spots are available, people look elsewhere. For instance, when Hell Week rolls around and all the classrooms are taken, good luck finding a spot in the union or the library. Often the only choice is just to return back to your dorm and study there, which can make you less productive since you’ll want to hang out with your friends.

Lack of study spots is especially a problem for off-campus students who have to walk or commute a greater distance than students living on campus.

by allowing students to use the dining hall nearly all day long during exam season.

Possible solutions illustrate this point further.

There’s always the subjective option just to move someone’s stuff after a reasonable amount of time. You could place the other person’s things aside and claim the spot as your own.

Yet, this solution lacks consensus and authority. Ultimately, this will result in the same distorted interpretation of the Honor Code by arguing touching another person’s belongings and allegedly “steal” his or her study spot is an act of petty theft.

Consensus and authority are the means to achieving a peaceful resolution.

ness unless A.J.’s hires a table watcher to ensure all people obey the limit. It is a temporary solution that works but is unlikely to be used.

Of course, if the college felt like using a more hightech option, it could use a QR code that, once scanned, could show whether a table is occupied or not and how much time is left until it expires. This solution eliminates the arbitrariness inherent in the other solutions because there is an objective measurement of who is in the right and who is in the wrong.

Hallmark movies, such as “The Christmas Card,” are examples of the normalization of infidelity, especially since most of them have the same plot: A woman is engaged to or seriously dating a man she does not connect with. She falls in love with another man who makes her truly happy, all while still being engaged. She flirts, sneaks around, and sometimes even kisses the new man, while her fiancé knows nothing about it. Many of the movies end in the woman starting a new relationship before she has broken off the one she’s in. Although these movies are cheesy, and it may not seem like a big deal, movies have a great impact on human emotion.

The Chicago Tribune published an article in 2011 highlighting the benefits of watching movies. Psychologist Birgit Wolz, quoted in the piece, “Because many films transmit ideas through emotion rather than intellect, they can neutralize the instinct to suppress feelings and trigger emotional release. By eliciting emotions, watching movies can open doors that otherwise might stay closed.”

Even if it is subconsciously, movies play an important role in one’s emotional state. Watching movies that encourage spouses and boyfriends/ girlfriends to cheat is not healthy for anyone.

“He’s Just Not That Into You” is an example of a movie that portrays cheating as the filthy thing that it is. Characters Ben and Janine are married college sweethearts who just moved into a new apartment. Janine is discussing plans for a baby nursery room while Ben is secretly having an affair. At the end of the movie, Janine learns of the affair, initiates a divorce, and Ben is painted as a scumbag. It should be common sense that if someone cheats, it is a bad thing, and thankfully the producers did a good job of portraying the gravity of the situation.

It is understandable that engaged or dating couples may fall “out of love.” These couples should feel no obligation to stay with each other if they do not truly love each other, especially if someone in the relationship is being mistreated or disrespected. But no matter how bad a relationship is, two wrongs never make a right. Cheating is always wrong, even if it is understandable.

Our world is fixated on quick problem solving, but that mentality cannot be applied to relationships.

What many movies fail to portray is that true love takes work and grit. Despite the hardships and the differences, two people can come together as one and fight for each other until their last breath. That is the type of love story the movie industry should portray.

Lauren Scott is a junior studying history and journalism. She is an assistant editor at the Collegian.

All incoming Hillsdale students must sign the Honor Code during freshman orientation. One of the clauses students pledge to follow requires them to be “respectful of the rights of others.” Hillsdale touts the self-government of the student. Yet, these selfish actions inevitably require draconian solutions to

One solution is to open up more study spots. The college needlessly restricts students from using several spaces used sparingly, such as the dining hall, the Dow Hotel lobby, or the Searle Center. Opening these spaces for student use could alleviate some of the pinches on study spaces. Already, Metz Dining Service has begun to move in this direction

For example, the staff at A.J.’s could post notes on all the tables telling students that they can keep their study spots as long as they’re in AJs or the bathroom. The note has the authority to change the popular interpretation of how long you can leave a table unattended, and there is now a clear limit.

While a step in the right direction, this solution is not perfect because time can only be measured subjectively by the person that wants to claim the space. There is no ideal way to ensure fair-

Ultimately, The best solution is to impose limits on yourself and encourage others to follow. Move your things if you know you will be gone longer than 30 minutes. If someone else is not observing the rule, tell him or her that it is inconsiderate. Try to change culture one step at a time. We must win the battle of ideas to make any meaningful change on campus. Speak up against those that abuse the Honor Code.

Josh Hypes is a junior studying politics and journalism. He is a political correspondent at the Collegian.