The difficulty with creating an honor code out of thin air is that there is really no guarantee that anyone will follow it. If the student body isn’t used to adhering to an honor code, the argument goes, then introducing a sheet of paper affirming a vague commitment to integrity isn’t going to change much. … Read more
The word “honor” describes a two-way relationship between an individual and his society. The individual commits to uphold a certain standard of conduct, and his society rewards this commitment with increased esteem and privileges. In short, an individual behaves honorably because he expects to be treated as such. Unfortunately, the Academic Integrity Committee’s current honor … Read more
The practice of scholarship is based upon integrity towards oneself and one’s work. The Harvard College honor code should emphasize the commitment of students as individuals and as a group to pursuing their studies with integrity. With this emphasis, the honor system can aim not only to prevent or tame the most egregious cases of … Read more
I believe that honor, honesty, integrity, and the desire to strengthen these values should be held in the highest regard. While I like the idea of an honor code in order to do so, especially one that promotes trust within the Harvard community and strives to keep students honest, I fear that the implementation of … Read more
In the wake of great pain, tragedy, or inexplicable bad-action, we commonly seek some sense of comfort and understanding of the event by trying to empathize with the characters involved. After the tragic shooting in Newtown, CT, concerned parents across the country voiced support for Liza Long’s column I am Adam Lanza’s Mother, in which she … Read more
Eldo Kim sent two emails that are now etched into my memory. I’ve pondered both deeply since Monday’s events. His second email, which contained the threat, sent shivers down my spine as I read the hoax he conjured up. But focusing on the words of this email is beside the point. Can there ever be … Read more
Eldo Kim sent two emails that are now etched into my memory. I’ve pondered both deeply since Monday’s events. His second email, which contained the threat, sent shivers down my spine as I read the hoax he conjured up. But focusing on the words of this email is beside the point. Can there ever be … Read more
Following reports that Eldo Kim ’16 had planned the false bomb alert in four buildings on Monday in order to cancel his Gov 1368: Politics of American Education exam, students have expressed a wide spectrum of emotions: relief, anger, annoyance, even occasional laughter. Given Boston’s recent and horrific bombings, hearing that a fellow student would … Read more
The Harvard Public Opinion Project released statistics showing millennials approve of President Obama’s signature health care law in differing numbers depending on the name used to describe it (i.e., the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare). This nonexistent, yet perceived difference, shows not only the importance of branding and marketing in how millennials view laws, but … Read more
In the age of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, political engagement through social media is easier than ever. For members of the millennial generation, where interconnectedness is driven by likes, shares, and retweets on social media sites, politicized discourse often goes viral, perhaps at the cost of meaningful engagement with the topic at hand. The Kony … Read more