Students work to replace honor code

A group of students, formed to create a new honor code, has begun meeting every week.

Seniors Jeremy Widder, Joe Howley, Brian Robinson, and Lauren Safranec organized the group. The group has not attracted very much attention but still has very serious intentions for the honor code they will write.

Cherie McGinn, Blair's social studies resource teacher and one of the writers of the honor code, attended to give her opinions and her advice on the beginnings of this group's new honor code.

The new honor code will tentatively have six sections. The first is a preamble because "every great document has [a preamble]," said Widder. The second section is the actual code, the third section is faculty responsibilities, the fourth section is parent responsibilities, the fifth section is about the honor council, and the sixth section is definitions of everything in the document.

Most of the document will be in paragraphs instead of lists because students tended to dislike the list of rules format, according to the group. The document will also explain why the document itself is important and the benefits of signing it.

According to Widder the source of the groups' ideas for the new honor code come from different colleges from around the country, primarily Haverford College in Pennsylvania. Safranec said that the goal of the honor code is to heighten the academic environment. "Hopefully the [honor code] will raise the whole educational atmosphere," she said.

During the meeting there was also discussion about the need for the honor code to apply to teachers as well as students. Students discussed busy work and worksheets taken off the Internet. McGinn said that students can submit complaints to her regarding the social studies office and that she always follows through with every complaint. She talks to teachers and investigates the complaint. She does not think that enough students know about their ability to make a difference.