TO THE EDITOR:
I’m a sophomore now, but around the time I was waiting to see if I got accepted to UNC the academic scandal was all over the news. I didn’t know how to feel about it at the time, and mostly I brushed it off because more than anything I was hopeful of getting accepted to such a prestigious university.
However, I did experience what I never thought I would: a feeling of shame and embarrassment when I told people where I wanted to go to college. Where it really hit home, though, was where the Honor Code was concerned. I’ve always loved the idea of the Honor Code and it was one thing that I esteemed UNC above other universities for; the idea that a moral code could bind us all and would uphold and enforce an ideal college environment.
It seemed to me that the university was serious about the code too; the code was a frequent topic at orientation and there’s always that little box on our tests where we promise not to cheat.
Gradually, I lost faith in the Honor Code after ruminating on the scandal and realizing that we as students are being held to a standard that isn’t reflected in the actions of the university. On reading this, none should wonder if I plan to break the Honor Code; I’ve never been dishonest in signing that little box.
No, I still hold my own honor in high enough regard to not besmirch it.
Trevor Moss
Class of ’17
Pre-nursing
