The Honor Code

Code of Honor by Alan Gratz is an amazing, action packed book, that you will not want to put down. I really enjoyed reading this book because there was never a dull moment and it wasn’t too long. The author did a great job keeping my interest the whole time.

David brooks article “honor code” deals with boys in the education system having to conform to an unbalanced system that favors girls over them. The article “honor code” explains that the way the education system is made only fits a certain type of person,” The education system has become culturally cohesive, rewarding and encouraging a certain sort of person: one who is nurturing, collaborative, disciplined, neat, studious, industrious and ambitious. People who don’t fit this cultural ideal respond by disengaging and rebelling...many of the people who don't fit in are boys” (David Brooks) The education system only appeals to people with certain characteristics, the people who don't fit the systems ideal image are forced to conform or fail.

It is through this thesis that Freeman has created a groundbreaking piece of publication that has an effect of changing the way people think on the generations existing in both the revolutionary and the relative post-revolutionary periods. By utilizing captivating illustrations of how a code of honor was considered as a foundation stone in defining the characters of key leaders and the values of their virtues and reputation in dealing with different issues as they arise. This has effectively addressed the understanding that individuals’ behaviors can be well-explained by utilizing a code of honor that define the values and measures expected to be observed by everyone. Another significant thing that has effectively come out of this thesis is how the current leaders and the society as a whole are finding it hard to build their values on a strong foundation; one that can be compared to the code of honor as exhibited in the historical orientation of America (Freeman,

The existence of honor codes has had basis in helping students learn since their inception, but there are still those who object to their very definition. Nearly every institution centered around the education of children has some sort of code of conduct or set of rules in place for the betterment of the students. However, the term ‘honor’ in the title ‘honor code’ is what people can occasionally take issue with, as the term often implies a much more respectful idea. This issue leads one to question the purpose of honor codes. Although honor codes, like that of the school in Tobias Wolff’s Old School, exist for the purpose of bettering the students by ensuring that they all have an equal chance and that they all do their own work, Mr. Ramsey objects to his school’s honor code because he believes in a much more personal and valuable meaning of the word ‘honor’.

All around the world today, there is a lot of tension revolving around concepts of morality. In Moral Disagreement by Kwame Anthony Appiah, Appiah writes about differing values and morals around the world and within our society. He points out, “we aren’t the only people who have the concepts of right and wrong, good and bad; every society, it seems, has terms that correspond to these thin concepts” (658). However, these concepts are not always the same with each other in every society. In the same way that not everyone in our society believes in the same moral concepts. Unfortunately, it is these disagreements that often separate us as people. Forming different cultures, large and small, throughout the world. This is not a bad thing, but it does separate us as a race, leaving us to care more for one group of people rather than humanity as a whole. In Patriotism and Cosmopolitanism, by Martha Nussbaum, Nussbaum suggest that a way to fix this problem, and to become a cosmopolitan person, is to teach students in our education systems more of different cultures throughout the world. Yet not only should we learn to accept other cultures and their beliefs, but we should also educate ourselves to accept everybody we meet, giving respect to them as individuals, if we ever truly want to become a citizen of the world.

I believe I am, and will be, a good custodian of the Texas A&M honor code as evidenced by my choices that have upheld the values of the honor code. In terms of the value of leadership, I have exhibited leadership in multiple situations, such as my experience at the ASM Materials Camp, during which I led our team to be the only successful completers of the engineering challenge of walking on water while facing the constraints of time and a budget. I also uphold the value of honesty, as indicated by my childhood, during which my parents would inquire as to the successfulness of my day following each day in elementary school. My parents recall that I often responded with stating that I had been scolded for an infraction. Although the consequences

suggests that on a global scale, unique societies fail to share the same evaluative language when

Honest. Disciplined. Hardworking. These words or a variation of these words are most commonly used by schools to describe their students. But to have such students, schools have needed guidelines to follow so students could be considered for the values put in place. Anonymous High School is no different. Currently the school possesses no such honor code system but some students do not notice. The rules put out by the school seem to accomplish their goal quite well and there seems to be no reason for establishing any kind of honor code system. No honor code system should be put into place because the school is functioning fine without it and adding it would only complicate things.

Bring your books, notes, and note card from today. The meeting is part of an investigation of a suspected honor code violation (see pp. 49-50 and pp. 65-78 of the Student Handbook for more information). Please be advised that any information or evidence gathered during this informal meeting or investigation may and will be used if a formal investigation or hearing on academic misconduct appears to be warranted.

In the short four and a half years I have spent as a part of the Marist student body, learning their habits, celebrating their triumphs and considering their concerns, I have noticed a problem requiring immediate action, a silent plague sweeping our school that needs to be addressed to avoid imminent catastrophe. Across all subjects, from middle school theology classes to Advanced Placement arithmetic courses, the practice of cheating runs rampant and unchecked at our school. Popular cheating tactics include plagiarizing, using unauthorized outside sources and outright copying another student’s answers during a test, but exceptionally creative Marist students have explored less conventional strategies, such as the creation of secret codes to discretely convey messages.

     Throughout my years at Xavier and beyond I intend to follow the Xavier Honor Code so I can become a cooperative and responsible person. By being a student at Xavier I notice I will have to take responsibility of my actions and faults. In order for Xavier to trust me and to allow me to continue attending their school, I will have to follow their rules and be respectful. Not only should I do these things, but also I have to respect myself in order to respect others. In following the Honor Code at Xavier I will learn more about others, the school, and myself. The Honor Code will impact my academic and campus life because it will lead my way to the

My position on the honor codes within a school system is that they can be beneficial during certain circumstances. I say this becuase honor codes are guidelines that usually are not enforced with more consequences behind them rather than morals. They are sometimes enforced with a pledge filled out with a signature but those who create the pledge fail to understand that the signature is on a sheet of paper that will deteriorate and has no moral value behind it in order to enhance its importance. An honor code is a necessity in a school that is trying to be an exemplary school which all schools should be striving to be. On the other hand it may cause many problems restricting students of their feeling of freedom because an honor code provides restraints and if the student body feels rebellious because of those restraints then they will begin to disregard the honor code thus giving no value in morals or importance to that education facility.

In Trent Reedy’s opinion, Code of Honor is, “a true page turner that delivers no shortage of military and spy thriller action, even as it provides an incisive look at some of the most daunting challenges facing America today.”Some people dislike that this book is very violent, especially with all of the bad things that are happening in our society, but generally this book is action-packed, emotional, and nerve racking. Code of Honor is an amazing book that most readers will enjoy.

Shame is the brace of morality and described by Aristotle are a “semivirtue” because of the role it plays in the eventual moral education of the previously mentioned “learner” (456). Aristotle argues the role of not only our own shame in our own moral learning but also how others shame impacts us. He advises not defending those with bad character as to not be seen as a reflection of said bad character while also stating that this defensiveness of bad traits offends the good character of the community (457). In a sense by doing away with the bad as opposed to trying to understand the perspective of what is “bad” the greater good is better met. But if our fear of shame is wired to be dictated by public opinion of it then it could be said shame would not exist without public deliberation which is be perceived as the purpose of Nieuwenburg’s article. But if our fear our shame keeps us from speaking against a social concept sincerity is bound to become less and less genuine. This loss of sincerity would also be met with shame until the speaker reaches a balance of being sincere about values the public all agree

I’ve lived my life with a code of honor and it’s to never let things go past the breaking point. It’s actually pretty applicable to almost every aspect of my life but let’s start with the beginning. I was conceived in the small town of Pontianak, Indonesia. My surroundings were pivotal to my growing years but they ultimately yielded nothing more than a void in my memories. As a child, my family acquired quite a substantial amount of wealth through their businesses. They ran multiple business fronts switching from one store to another over the course of five years. It wasn’t until an ill-fated choice was settled on a desperate transaction of thousands of thrifty lumber that we started having to dress impecuniously. My father finalized the sale only to have realized he had come