In 2007, a group of seniors who were concerned by the high number of disciplinary cases created the Honor Code. They created the Code to further emphasize the sense of honor and integrity that Deerfield stands for. So, three years later, has this vision been realized?
“Student council decided to make the honor code more visible on campus. The whole idea was to raise awareness,” explained Student Council member Nori Welles-Gertz ’10.
In past years, the Honor Code book was available for members of the community to sign. A student’s signature would mean that he or she respected Deerfield’s tradition of honor and integrity.
However, Student Council noticed that many were still unclear on why they were signing.
“The honor code is not just something to sign; it is committing to a way of life,” added Honor Code Committee Member Muheb Esmat ’12.
“The importance of the Honor Code is not the words, but rather the discussions that surround the issue,” commented Welles-Gertz.
In hopes of generating such discussions, the Honor Code committee and Student Council are working on starting a program in which sophomores will take an Honor Code class. The class would be taught by students and discuss honor at Deerfield by looking at examples of past Disciplinary Cases and discussing the honor and ethics involved.
“Our hope is that we will have a tangible definition for the honor code,” concluded Welles-Gertz.