SOPHS: The Puritan Legacy: Blue Laws and Honor Codes (in class work Oct. 6)
In 1723, Jonathan Edwards wrote seventy resolutions for personal growth that he reviewed once per week.
Here are two resolutions that I'd like you to examine:
Resolved, never to speak anything that is ridiculous, sportive, or matter of laughter on the Lord's day.
Resolved, never to speak evil of anyone, so that it shall tend to his dishonor, more or less, upon no account except for some real good.
Puritans kept the Sabbath holy. This meant not only attending services and suspending the daily workload, but also, in some communities, observing a more strict code of conduct that forbad activities like dancing. Some of these laws remain on the books today --they're known as Blue Laws, laws that essentially legislate old-fashioned religious beliefs.
Puritans believed in public censure, publicly and formally naming, condemning, and sometimes banishing sinners and criminals. So it was perfectly fine "to speak evil of someone" if "some real good" would come from it--like the discovery of a cattle thief, a cheater, or even a witch. Some schools, mostly religious and service academies (like Brigham Young University and West Point), have honor codes, where the entire school community is in charge of policing virtues like honesty and chastity. What you might call "snitching" might be considered a moral duty to keeping the community clean.
Your assignment is to research blue laws and honor codes to find where they are still present today. Even better would be to find recent news articles where these legacies of Puritanism have been tested (hint: try Google News).
Write a synopsis of what you've found today to post before class on Friday. Minimum of 200 words (but this is NOT a journal assignment)
If you're a man or woman more interested in providing solutions than in researching problems, then, as an alternative assignment, tell me how you think an honor code might (or might not)work at St. Mark's. Got integrity, anyone? (minimum of 200 words--again NOT a journal assignment).
posted by JTF @ 1:56 PM
42 comments
42 Comments:
I honestly don’t think an honor code would pass over smoothly at St.Mark’s. With students having so much liberty now, laying down new rules and regulations would be hard to agree with. Students would most likely react in three distinct ways. The first group would hold to the codes fervently, whatever it would be. This choice would be the high road for students and would be followed by the “goodie two shoes-students.” Then there would be the group of passive students, who just “go with the flow” and see the school day as just another seven hours. They would most likely loosely abide to the rules not being morally affected if they were to break a rule here or there. The final group would be the rebellious group. Their opinion would be that of unwilling to compromise what they want to do for what they have to do, even if it’s as simple to never tell a lie. Despite these varying opinions and actions the results of an honor code could span much greater. With violations, come great consequences. Both physical and mental strains could be placed on the students. If codes are passed, and then disobeyed, the moral constitution of violators will be tested and with this, a possible inclination to further break laws could be founded. Physical consequences could range from expulsion of violators or a possible reward system for followers. This would draw a schism between groups of students and set the reputation of St.Mark’s as being not so pleasant. These are just possible, maybe not entirely probable, reasons why I believe St. Mark’s high school should not enforce a system of honor codes.
At the Virginia college of William and Mary, the Honor Code is still expected to be followed by students now more than ever. Three lecture classes at William and Mary are now using the new and innovative device called the “clicker”. This clicker allows students to ask questions in class and allows professors to immediately respond. It is also being used to take attendance and take quizzes by the students. This new policy of allowing clickers enforces the Honor Code among these students. Professors do not know if these students are really in class, and by using the clicker students can be dishonest about their attendance. These professors highly trust their students, because they believe in the Honor Code and integrity, and trust that the students feel that way also. Those who attend William and Mary are influenced by the values of the Puritan honor code everyday, since Virginia was one of the original Puritan colonies where the values were essential. At William and Mary, the Honor Code is being considered for revision by the Honors System Review Committee. Students who attended this college stated that the Honor Code prioritizes how they treat each other and what their values and morals are. The Honor Code is still a very important part of what William and Mary is, and in many schools across the country it is still enforced and highly respected and followed.
Honor codes and Blue Laws are moral guidelines and restrictions implemented on society for the for the good of the population as well as individuals. Back as early as the 1950's these laws could fully be seen in effect if you were to try to go out and buy something later in the evening on a Saturday or Sunday. However, in our modern day society many of these Blue Laws have been lost or aren't enforced at all. Many states still do uphold the law prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sunday or at least before noon on Sunday as the rationale is that ideally people should not be drinking that early on a Holy day. In Europe Blue Laws are still quite traditional and this summer I experienced this first hand as even on week days the only establishment opened past 8pm was the McDonald's in the center of Bordeaux. This, however, could be due to cultural differences rather than actual legislation. Here, many of the old Blue Law legislature that had been passed had actually been declared unconstitutional, and the repercussions for breaking said laws could be heavy fines or even a light jail sentence! however, some laws are so ridiculous, like, "You may not peel an orange in your hotel room in California". Granted, having all those restrictions does make life a lot less convenient, but maybe there is something to be said for not having the option to go out and buy bread at 10pm or 2am, although I enjoy having that freedom and ability! All in all Blue Laws were designed to moderate the moral life of the population and while they are out of date, we can still learn from them and what they were created for!
Today, many schools keep the honor code alive. At Middlebury College, they hold an honor code signing ceremony for incoming freshman. They all pledge to keep up academic honesty throughout their years at that school. Another school is Elon, which has an Honor Board. The Honor Board is essentially a student judicial system that holds court cases for those who go against the honor code of their school. There is a school called Guilford that instated a social honor code, which strives to embody the school's values of integrity, diversity, equality, and justice. The school tries to keep its old Quaker values that it was originally founded on. "I absolutely believe that the social honor code is necessary to hold community members accountable for their actions," said sophomore and Academic Affairs Chair Lyes Nazim Benarbane. Many Ivy League colleges also uphold an honor code. Schools such as Stanford and Harvard have honor codes instilled in their student community. Brigham Young University has a strict honor code by which all of its students are expected to abide. They also have a strict dress code as well. They are expected to be honest socially and academically at all times. These rules are a good idea for all school communities.
Honor codes are present in many southern and military colleges. Two of the main things the honor codes prohibit are cheating and plagiarism. This includes copying problems from another student’s homework and buying papers off of the Internet. If accused of one of these things, the accused student can be suspended from school and given community service hours to complete.
Many states have blue laws. Some are ridiculous, and some are religious. One example of current blue laws is in Bergen County, New Jersey. They have laws that require non-religious Sunday closing of stores that sell electronics, clothing, and furniture. The town of Paramus in Bergen County is even stricter. It bans any type of work on Sundays besides grocery stores, restaurants, and other entertainment places. The Bergen County legislature recently wanted to abolish this law, but they were strongly opposed.
In Canada, the Lord’s Day Act had been in place since 1906. This law prohibited business transactions on Sundays. In 1985, this law was struck down as unconstitutional and was ruled an infringement of the freedom of conscience and religion in America. This case involved R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd.
There are still examples of honor codes and blue laws all over the United States. Although some can be strange, ridiculous, or strict, many are not as bad as the laws of the Puritans back in the time of colonial America.
The most common of the honor codes found today would have to be the honor codes required in schools. It is more important in colleges than it is in younger schooling, but no matter what it is always important that the honor codes are followed. A few examples of honor codes in schools include not cheating, not stealing, not plagiarizing, knowing what your professors expect from you, or not receiving a not permitted aid. All of the codes that the student is expected to know is usually listed in an honor pledge or honor system. If the honor codes are disobeyed the punishment varies on harshness according to the fault committed. Some punishments include probation with supervision until graduation, community service hours, or complete expulsion from school. Here at St. Mark's I would consider our student handbook to qualify as our honor system because it includes all of the things we are required to do or not to do. If we disobey the rules listed in our student handbook some of our punishments include demerits, detention, no sports, or expulsion. In elementary schools honor codes are less severe. Most students know that they are expected to be friendly to their classmates, share toys at recess, and include everyone in their games. Their punishments might include a 'time-out' or 'nap time'. I'm sure a majority of student who have been expelled for their faults wish their punishment could be 'nap time'. No matter what, everyone should keep their honor codes because it's just as important as the blue laws were back in the time of the Puritans.
Honor codes play an important part in maintaining order. They are often found on college campuses. Some examples of said honor codes are frequently displayed in colleges which are operated by military and religious institutions. At West Point students whom fail to perform their duties or are cited for various performance shortcomings are made to “walk the area,” carrying their rifles while in full uniform. Another example of honor codes in recent news is Brandon Davies’s removal from Brigham Young’s basketball team after he admitted to having sex with his girlfriend. He didn’t contest the ruling although he was the star player of the team and without him BYU was easily knocked out of the NCAA tournament. Brandon Davies’s case became quite controversial because many other “student athletes” are guilty of much worse behavior than he was and yet they are still allowed to play. A secular college with a good example of an honor code is UVA, which has one of the oldest student enforced honor codes in the U.S. in which students pledge that they have neither given nor received help on their assignments. These are some examples of honor codes in colleges.
Blue laws, or laws which regulate moral behaviors on the basis of religion, are still common throughout the U.S. While they are still officially on the books they are often not as heavily enforced today as they were at one point. Some regulate commerce while others regulate behaviors (some even regulate what can take place in the bedroom). Arrests for purchasing alcohol or selling anything on Sabbath were fairly common, although they often carried low fines. Other cultures have more severe punishments and restrictions by blue laws. In Saudi Arabia, which is ruled by strict Sharia (Islamic) Law, many things are restricted. Some examples of these restrictions are the prohibition of alcohol, non-Islamic religious symbols, and the prohibition of anything considered heresy towards Islam. These restrictions fall heavily on Women who are not allowed to vote, leave home unless fully garbed and accompanied by a male family member, enter a mosque, or even drive a car. These are some examples of blue laws and honor codes in “modern” society.
I don’t think that an honor code system would work at Saint Mark’s. This is because I don’t think that most students would be willing to “snitch” on their fellow students. This is because people usually don’t want to get their friends into trouble. They could also be afraid that if they turn their fellow students in then the other student will get revenge on them. People could falsely turn people in just because they don’t like them. If the honor system was instated here, then “snitching” could break up friendships, turn the school into a battleground of revenge, and get innocent people in trouble. Some things that might help the honor system work in our school are if the “snitches” remain anonymous and if you have to have proof of your accusations for something to be done about them. Another reason that I don’t think the honor system will work is because a lot of people will take advantage of it. With less regulation on cheating, students will be able to cheat more. They will unfairly get better grades and more opportunities that should belong to more hardworking and honorable students who do not cheat. Something that could help solve this problem is if Saint Mark’s keeps its cheating regulations if it adopts the honor system. Even though the honor system is a good concept, I don’t think it would work here at Saint Marks.
Blue Laws are old-fashioned rules that were mostly created a long time ago based on religious principles and tradition. Many of the rules are considered weird or unnecessary so they have been repealed or simply not enforced. Although some of these restrictions such as not selling liquor or opening car dealerships on Sundays are still enforced in many states. There are also some other miscellaneous blue laws still remaining in some states consisting of restrictions on food or beverages. Honor Codes are very much still in affect all over the country. Most honor codes are enforced at colleges, universities, and other school systems. They usually deal with the prevention of cheating, stealing, plagiarism, etc. They also give guidelines for the standards the university holds for its members. Because these blue laws and honor codes are based on moral standards related to the Sabbath, many of the prohibitions are only enforced for certain amounts of time and have many exceptions. Many of the blue laws were only considered unnecessary to those who don’t relate to the religious beliefs they are based on. Most of the laws were repealed because they could only be justifiable if the majority of society agreed to them. I think that many of the states that do not enforce blue laws anymore do so because they do not have a Puritan heritage that influences their beliefs.
There are still many blue laws and absolutely necessary laws in our society still. For example, Rehobeth Beach has some very important blue laws. No body is allowed at any time to pretend to sleep on a bench and no one is permitted to change clothes in their own car. This seems very necessary, and any correctly trained law enforcement officer can tell is someone is pretending to sleep or not. Florida also has some very important laws. You cannot sell you children in Florida, and pregnant pigs cannot be confined to a cage. Another example is that in West Virginia, you may are charged $1 for every curse word you use in public and whistling underwater is also illegal, which also seems to be impossible. In Oregon, you may not juggle without a license. In Ohio, you are required to notify police if your pet tiger has escaped within one hour and it is illegal to fish for whales on Sunday. I had no idea that humpback whales lived in the great lakes. In Pennsylvania, it is illegal to catch fish with dynamite and to felons may not operate bingo games. In Rhode Island, no one is allowed to bite off someone else’s leg and cap guns are illegal. Who knew so many important laws existed?
Saint Mark’s has a defined list of numerous Rules and Regulations that we are issued on the first day of school. Though some minor changes are made each year, the basic idea stays mainly the same. We know what to do and what not to do, yet some people still insist upon breaking the rules. So, would an honor code work at our school? I personally, do not think so. Although things might be calmer, in today’s society we’ve become so accustomed to securing our things that the thought of leaving our lockers unlocked or our phones out in the open isn’t ideal. I feel that if this occurred, people wouldn’t follow it and just take advantage of it by taking others possessions, which is sadly true. Also, since most of us are friends, we wouldn’t tell others if our friends were cheating or stealing, because friends don’t tell on friends. The thought of an honor code would scare people though, because then the people who are considered that “rebel” children and go against the rules would be afraid of getting caught and dealing with the consequences. So in all, there are positive and negative thoughts that go along with a supposed “honor code” at St. Mark’s High School. From a personal perspective, I don’t think that the students would take to well to the idea, but could teach others to learn to trust people and hopefully let others gain a sense of integrity and responsibility.
Even though, the Blue Laws were very important in the colonial times, there is an attempt to get rid of them in modern America. Even today, the day of rest or "Sabbath" is still enforced. This day of rest is on Sunday for Christians and most people do not work on this day. A cardinal in New York challenged the athletic society for holding athletic games on Sunday, the day of rest. He also defended the Blue Law of resting on Good Friday because he boycotted the Major League Baseball for holding thirty games on the incredibly holy day. In Boston, the governor wanted stores to open at 9 AM on Sundays. However the Cardinal from Boston wants the opening time to stay at noon because less people would come to church. The Pope even tried to convince European nations to impose the Blue Laws. There was some success, but still not the what the church wanted. The church is imposing these laws because of the lack of attendance at Sunday Masses and to continue to enforce that anti-blasphemy and anti-obscenity morals. Many people are angered by these attempted laws because they don't think they should be told where they should be on there Sunday. This just shows that the Blue Laws in America are declining.
I personally don’t think that an honor code would work at St. Mark’s. The way an honor code works is that it is the duty of the body of St. Mark’s, that if they know that someone is doing something dishonorable such as cheating, stealing...ect, to report it to the administration. However, I don’t think in todays society that this system would ever be possible. There are many reasons that this system wouldn’t work. First of all, nobody wants to be the tattle tale and nobody wants to hurt their friends or someone they know by turning them in for doing something wrong, even if it is the right thing to do. People want to do the right thing but if you’re taking in account that everyone would have to be onboard with the system, come on now, this is high school. We’re all good people but all it would take is one person to not follow the system and soon the whole system would thrown out of wack. I would like to be optimistic and say that the students at St. Marks high school would be capable of doing the right thing all the time by following something like an honor system, however I’m more of a realist and I realize that it most likely wouldn’t work. The other thing about an honor system is it could very easily turn into a case of your word verses my word with little to no proof. For example if someone was cheating, but there was no proof, then they couldn’t be punished for it because the whole basis of America is guilty until proven innocent. Overall, I don’t think an honor code would work at St. Mark’s, but for the most part, the students here are good enough people that we don’t have to worry too much about it. Generally the students at St. Mark’s strive to do the right thing.
An honor code is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals. Here at St. Mark’s this is one thing that we lack; an honor code. Personally I think this would not work at St. Mark’s High School. St. Mark’s is a very good academic high school, but unfortunately there are many students here who honestly don’t care. People think cheating, lying, stealing and hurting others is okay at St. Mark’s, but it isn’t. If an honor was instituted I think students would follow it for a whole 2 weeks and then become angry with all the rules and decisions. Most people here at St. Mark’s are good characters, but what some people don’t see is them breaking the rules; cheating on tests, chewing gum, and texting in class. Most people wouldn’t realize they are breaking an honor code, because this is simply the way they act, it’s their daily routine. Being a teenager I know how it feels to break rules. I get worried when I break the rules, while others could careless and shake it off. Students at St. Mark’s don’t care, they think its cool to get in trouble, it’s their own way of getting attention and looking like the “bad boy or girl” in class. St. Mark’s values are faith, hope, excellence and integrity. Students know these values, and yet they do not obey them. Most students do know that cheating, lying, stealing, and straight up being bad is awful at St. Mark’s, but others don’t and that's why i believe an honor code wouldn’t work.
An honor code is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on what that community defines as honorable behavior. I do not think that an honor code would work successfully in St. Marks’s. An honor code would require that students are held responsible for cheating, stealing, etc., and for telling if they know someone who is cheating or stealing. In high school, I don’t think an honor code would work because students generally do not want to tell on other students. Friends do not want to get their friends in trouble and therefore, they wouldn’t tell on each other and that would mean they broke the honor code. An honor code would make our school have a higher level on integrity. It would prove that the students here are responsible and care deeply about their integrity. If the honor code did work at our school, our school would have a better reputation. Unfortunately, I don’t believe that this code of honor would work in our community. In higher quality colleges, an honor code would work. It also makes the college more knowable and responsible. I think that college students are more likely to follow an honor code than high school students. So overall, I do not believe an honor code would work in our school because even though we are responsible, we usually do everything we can to stay out or get out of trouble instead of purposely getting in trouble as the honor code would require. We are teenagers after all.
When it comes to the idea of having an honor code at St.Mark’s High School, personally, I do not think it would work. High school is filled with teenagers who LOVE to lie and sneak around. This place is full of people who you one day call your “best friend” and the next day you find out they were talking about you behind your back. Everywhere you look you can see liars, cheaters, backstabbers, fake people, and just plain mean people. With all of these negative attributes, how can you trust anyone? If you cannot trust anyone, then what would be the point of having an honor code? There isn’t a point. Don’t get me wrong, there are some absolutely amazing people here at St Mark’s. Sometimes it can be hard to figure out who are the people you can trust, and who are the ones you should stay away from. At first glance, many of the students here look like great kids who follow the rules. But behind the scenes, rules are constantly being broken. Just looking around in a class you can see people on their phones, listening to ipods, chewing gum, sleeping, and cheating on tests. Teachers may try and stop us, and then of course there will always be a “teacher’s pet” who loves to tattle on rebellious students, but you will never be able to stop this from happening. Teenagers are too resistant and rebellious for everything to be controlled. No matter how many rules or guidelines you attempt to restrain us with, nothing will hold us back from breaking them time and time again. I once heard that rules were meant to be broken; I guess the old saying is true.
I think as a new addition to the honor code for St. Mark’s, I would let students use their phones during lunches and study halls. Not only would this keep students more occupied and quiet, but it would keep a lot more kids out of trouble. I feel as though this would keep St. Mark’s expulsion rate down more, even though the school’s rate is already quite low when dealing with expulsion. Being able to use one’s phone during lunches and study halls would reduce the noise factor and ensure that every student had something to do. I realize that this could be a distraction to people in other classes if someone from a study hall or lunch is trying to communicate with the one in an actual class. So, I realize that with good reason we as students have to keep our phones off and supposedly in our lockers. However, I am simply stating that if St. Marks changed their mind one day. It may in fact have a good effect on the school and benefit their credentials. I am sure that many students, and maybe even some teachers and parents would agree with me.
What is an honor code? What if Saint Mark’s had an honor code? An honor code is “a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community”. An honor code is when if you see something bad that is being done, such as stealing, cheating, or engaging in illegal behavior, you have to report it to authorities no matter what. If you are asked if you have done something wrong, and you have, an honor code states that you need to be honest with the person asking you. At Saint Mark’s High School, we have a set of rules and regulations for us to follow. Every student knows what to do at school, and what not to do at school. Every year they change but they basically stay with the same idea. If one year Saint Mark’s were to take on an honor code, I do not think it would work. From a personal perspective, I think that a lot of the students at our school would not be honest. Everyday, someone new is getting in trouble for either a cell phone, dress code infraction, or something as little as chewing gum. People try everyday to get away with these things. I think that if the students here were given an honor code, they would take advantage of it. They would use their friendships with other students as a weapon against authority. A good friend probably would not tell on another friend, even if they were supposed to. Also, if someone did tell on that person, and the one getting in trouble found out, I think that it would cause a riot between the students. Getting an honor code would give the students at Saint Mark’s a chance to show their integrity and honestly, but I, personally, do not think that an honor code at Saint Mark’s High School would be successful.
I think an honor code would only affect half, or a little bit more, of the students here at Saint Mark’s High School. I believe this because no matter how strict the honor code is some students just won’t pay attention to it. An honor code is all about honesty and integrity. Some people are born with honesty and others are not completely honest, or honest at all. To me there are three different types of students. The first type is the student who truly does their own work and own tests and will be okay with whatever they grade is that they receive. They may not like the grade, but they will accept it and try even harder the next time. The second set of students is the ones who will be honest on tests, but on homework they will sometimes take other people’s work. And the third group is the ones who don’t take any credit for what they do. They will use other people’s homework and cheat on tests. And they won’t feel any guilt at all. This is where the 50/50 comes into play. The first group will highly acknowledge the honor code. The second set will go 2 separate ways. They will either acknowledge the honor code, or not care and still try to copy others’ homework. And lastly, the third group will not care one bit about the honor code. They will keep using other people’s work and not do anything by themselves. Some of these students wouldn’t even be affected if they were asked to leave the school. So my final conclusion on the honor code is that some students will pay attention to it and others will not at all.
I think an honor code would work because it sets rules and regulations that are important for the students to go by at St. Mark’s. An honor code is a set of principles governing a community based on a set or rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. This would work at St. Mark’s because hopefully everyone could trust each other. I know that there is an honor code at Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware. They have lockers but without a lock and combination on them. I still think we should have locks and combinations on our lockers but I think it would be a good idea to have trust between students and faculty. I think with an honor code we would all become better people and learn not to cheat or argue. We already have four values that this school teaches us. They are integrity, excellence, humility, and faith. Integrity is a major value that we should all practice on campus and off. Integrity goes hand in hand with an honor code. They both include honesty and good morals. To have integrity means to be truthful in word and deed and to have good moral principles. I think that if the St. Mark’s High School keeps on teaching and enforcing their students to have integrity, it could possibly eventually lead to an honor code. This honor code will improve our school to be even greater than it already is.
I believe that if we integrated an honor code or system into the St. Mark’s that it would not work. Whether or not it would work, would wholly depend on the responsibility and maturity of the students. For example, under the honor code, a teacher would have the freedom to leave the room while his or her class is taking a test or quiz. If during the teacher’s absence, a student cheats, then it is up to his classmates to adhere to the honor code. If they decide to follow the honor code, they would have to “snitch” on their classmate and bring to the attention of the teacher that the cheater had enacted in such an offense against the code. Though, there is another path the class could choose to take. They, themselves, could further break the honor code, and fail to report the cheater. I believe that if presented with such a situation, most high school students, not just St. Mark’s students, would choose the second option. They would choose, instead of the mature and responsible choice, to stay quiet and allow the offense to continue. They would make this choice not because they enjoy blatantly defacing guidelines or rules, but because adhering to such a rule, and reporting the offender, would be seen as “snitching.” This, in itself, is enough to deter a student from telling the truth.. In conclusion, it is this dishonesty and immatureness that is exhibited by my classmates, as well as me, in during school that leads me to believe that if the honor system were to be applied to our school, it would have a drastically negative effect.
Schools across the country have codes of conduct of which it is the students’ responsibility to enforce. These codes are not dependent upon the discipline of teachers; they rely on the students of the school to carry them out. I believe that enforcing an honor code at St. Mark’s High School would be unbeneficial to the school. I feel that the students who do not apply themselves in academics would disregard the code and disobey its rules. If not all of the students follow the honor code, then the code would not be effective in the school. Since students at St. Mark’s are teenagers, who at this point in time are trying to ‘find their way’ in life, they tend to rebel against disciplinary rules to stand out in the crowd. Also, most students would feel that to follow the honor code, they would have to tattle on one another. Truthfully, most people would not want to ‘rat out’ their friends; ‘ratting out’ their friends would cause tension in their relationships. If a student was hurt by another student, he could abuse the honor code and falsely accuse the other student. For these reasons, I feel that an honor code at Saint Mark’s High School would prove unsuccessful. I believe that because students in colleges are more mature, honor codes would prosper better in colleges or universities.
There are still several honor codes in effect even to this day. You can find a community that follows an honor code almost everywhere you go. Honor codes are very important because they keep society running smoothly. An example of a modern day community that follows an honor code is St. Mark’s. The honor code at St. Mark’s is made by the principle and it’s basically the small community equivalent to the laws that the government makes. All of the students of St. Mark’s have to follow this set of rules similar to how all citizens have to obey the laws. This set of rules known as the honor code helps keep the students here safe and under control. The honor code is a vital role in St. Mark’s because without it the kids would do whatever they want and people would end up getting into trouble. Some rules that keep the students here orderly include no cellphones during school, no gum, no fighting, and no insubordination. Many students here think some of the rules are unimportant or unnecessary such as chewing gum but in reality every little rule no matter how unnecessary it seems contributes to keeping all the students under control. There are also many other rules that the school enforces which keep our behavior in check. Without an honor code society would run wild and that’s why America kept the idea of an honor code ever since it was originated from the Puritans.
Honor codes exist today mainly in universities such as Harvard. Blue laws, however, are much more common. For example, fourteen states in the United States prohibit the sale of alcohol on Sunday. A blue law in North Carolina states that a bingo game may not exceed five hours and the sale of alcohol is prohibited during the game. Another blue law in North Carolina also prohibits a person from making a living through the profession of fortune-telling. A blue law in Pennsylvania prohibits hunting on Sundays, unless the animal being hunted is a fox, crow, or coyote. Another blue law in Pennsylvania prevents a person from singing in the bathtub. Blue laws in Alabama prohibit driving barefoot and having an ice cream cone in your back pocket. In Arkansas, dogs may not bark after six P. M. Some blue laws in Connecticut prohibit silly string, walking backwards after sunset, and crossing the street while walking on your hands. One blue law in Idaho prevents residents from fishing while on the back of a giraffe. In Iowa, horses are forbidden to eat fire hydrants. A blue law in New Hampshire prevents anyone from tapping their foot or nodding their head in a tavern, café, or restaurant. And finally, a blue law in West Virginia prohibits whistling underwater.
Considering what an honor code entails with many teenagers’ morals and values, I do not believe one would be effective and successful at any high school, let alone St. Mark’s. An honor code is a set of rules governing a community based on ideals that define honorable behavior within. Although we would like to believe that all students, and people, value sincerity and ethnicity in their thoughts and actions, it is not realistic, and nearly describes a utopian society in which does not exist. There are many individuals that are honest with themselves and others in every aspect of their lives because they acknowledge right from wrong, whether or not they are hurting themselves from doing so. However, there are far too many people that are more concerned with personal gain than living faith, achieving excellence, embodying humility, and upholding integrity. These people reject morals and ignore their conscience by lying, cheating, stealing, and hurting others in order to benefit themselves. Some students will cheat to get an A, ignoring the fact that they are going against trust of teachers, because they want to do well and aren’t willing to put in the time and effort to justifiably do so. They know they shouldn’t, but they can, so they do. Some people will go behind their friends back, will break the rules, and will defy trust because they have no integrity. They push what they know is right out of their minds because what they want comes first and is more important. A written honor code will be as meaningless to many individuals as the honor within themselves and the trust of those around them. In order for one to thrive, everyone in the school would have to be trusted to act honorably, which is impractical within the world we live in today. No matter where we are, there are always going to be people that care about how they feel about the decisions they’ve made, and there will be those who do not. Under these circumstances, I don’t believe an honor code would be valued by everyone at St. Mark’s High School.
I do not believe that an honor code would be successful at St. Mark’s High School. Although our school puts an importance on unity and obedience, I still feel like we as a whole are not as honest and respectful to the rules as we should be. To put it shortly, I predict that our school would not have what it takes in the integrity department to carry out a full honors code system. We may be a pretty well-behaved school, but that does not mean that we pledge our full allegiance to the administration. As a community of over one-thousand students, individual moral conduct becomes a slightly lost concept. Instead, we tend to focus more on our outward performance, which is more about preventing visual violations that include anything from gum chewing to fighting. When it comes to things that can be easily sneaked, such as cheating, I think it would be much harder to simply take these factors out of the equation with complete cooperation. Students of this age group tend to think that as long as you can get away with something, it is okay. I do not think St. Mark’s students are much different. The endless quest to manipulate the school system is a motive that is utilized by more than a few Spartans. Bending the rules for the greater good of ourselves is a practice that the majority of high school students, including myself, tend to indulge in. For some, it is a much more regular habit than others. Unless our student body slightly shifts the way it prioritizes honesty, an honor system would not deliver desired effects.
After finishing my research on blue laws and honor code, I have discovered that both types of laws are still regularly used in America to this day. Honor codes are generally used in academic areas where they are set in place to protect against academic dishonesty. The first honor code was created in 1779 at The College of William & Mary. Honor codes are based on a community belief that decides how an honorable person should act. If an honor code is broken, the community can punish the person by expelling them from their community.
Blue laws enforce religious standards like keeping the Sabbath holy. Blue laws can be found in use in America, Israel, and other countries with a Muslim majority. Many blue laws in America have been removed over the years, but many still have remained in a few states, like the sale of alcohol on Sunday. Some blue laws that are still in use include: hunting on Sunday in Virginia and that car dealership must be closed on either Saturday or Sunday in Texas. However, some countries like Canada have abolished the use of blue laws. In the 1985 ruling of R. v. Big M Drug Mart Ltd., the Canadian Supreme Court ruled that the blue law called Lord's Day Act was an “unconstitutional attempt to establish a religious-based closing law.”
Blue laws may be still be used today, but they’re slowly going away with the changes of time.
To be honest, I don’t think that the honor code would work very well at St. Marks. The students are so used to what free liberties that they have now, that laying down new rules and regulations would be hard to agree with. If St. Marks were to enforce an honor system, the student body would most likely divide into three separate groups. The first group would be the more “goody-goodies”. They would accept the system and rule. They would uphold them to the highest of their abilities. The next group would be labeled more as the passive group of people. They wouldn’t mind the new system. They would just go with the flow of the other students. This group would loosely follow the system and now really care if they broke a rule. The third group of students would be known as the “rebels”. They would reject the system and not even pay attention to it. They would openly rebel against the system and not care at all if they were to get in trouble. Also, another problem with the honor codes would be that it is the responsibility of everyone to enforce the new rules. I don’t think that a lot of St. Marks students would help keep the rules enforced. This is why I think that St. Marks is fine the way it is.
It is possible to establish a working honor code at St. Mark’s, but I don’t think that it is reasonable. For it to be effective, each student must monitor his or her peers to eliminate any and all offenses. I think that the only way that idea would catch on here is if it became a competition of sorts. It would be a game to see if we could become a utopian school. This effort would involve not school spirit but school pride. School pride is a good thing unless taken to the extreme, as it would be in the overhaul of our school. Teachers and administrators would not only punish the students who committed the crimes, but also reward those who turned them in. This is something that, in my opinion, should not be condoned. Also, our school doesn’t have a real need for an honor code. Granted, one who leaves a cell phone unattended shouldn’t be surprised if it isn’t there upon returning. Altogether, though, we have a pretty good school! Most importantly, the students and teachers never feel that they are in danger while at school. This is something that we may not appreciate, but unfortunately, safety is a constant worry at some schools. If the entire school underwent an entire mind-set change and a nearly militaristic approach was taken, our school could become a model of perfection, but it would come at a cost. Enthusiasm would certainly be drained from school life, and one’s personal life would be subject to public scrutiny.
I do not think an honor code will work at St. Marks for various reasons. A big reason I don’t think it will work is because of the size of our school. There are about 300-400 students per grade so I think it would be impossible for 1000 teenagers to agree on a ground set of rules. Another reason is the weak or nonexistent enforcement of the honor code. I believe the analogy “If you give kids an inch, they’re going to take a mile.” really explains this. Teenagers are going to try to get away with whatever they can and there are always going to be those certain ones that will never get caught lying, cheating, or stealing. Also, if an honor code is enforced, I think it will drive many friends apart. In high school, friends tell friends everything. If suddenly their friends are telling others about one breaking the honor code, there will be many disputes and cause even more drama. Peer pressure is already a huge decision teens face nowadays and I think they will give in to the peer pressure of breaking the honor code as well. I think an honor code instituted on St. Marks is a fantasy rather than a thought for the future. Teachers aren’t going to be able to know if kids are respecting this code and it would cause problems with the new freshmen and the seniors that lose focus at the end of the year. The main reason I do not think an honor code will work is because teenagers will think it is cool. If they’re caught, then they have a rep or status of being the rebel who broke the code. I don’t agree with honor codes for high school kids because like everybody knows, teenagers will be teenagers.
There is an astounding amount of blue laws and honor codes still in effect today in many of the United States. Blue laws are laws that were established in the colonial days. They enforce religion, prohibit certain acts, and deem Sunday as a day of rest from anything besides going to church and praying. Most of the laws that are still in effect today are ones which prohibit purchasing alcohol on Sundays. The blue laws that have not been deemed unconstitutional have remained enforced simply because of convenience or tradition.
These acts are still deemed unlawful on Sundays in many states today: selling and purchasing alcohol, car sales, horse races, working (especially in retail), and hunting (besides foxes, crows, coyotes, and raccoons). Many people do not enforce these laws anymore, but they are kept to remind citizens of their history.
Honor codes tend to go hand-in-hand with schools and universities. Honor codes are the basic foundation of school rules. They are used frequently in military academies, but also at regular grade schools, high schools, and colleges. An example of military academy honor code is, “A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those who do.” Charlotte Catholic High School’s honor code is, “I pledge my honor that I have neither given or received aid on this test paper.” These codes have long been in effect and will probably never be absent from the schools which have them.
Blue laws and honor codes are traditions started in the very beginning of the United States and have been preserved for over two hundred years. They are reminders of the way the Puritans and other religious groups first governed their territories, and will continue to remind the people of the United States of their humble (and strict!) beginnings.
I think an honor code at St. Mark’s would work differently among students and teachers. Currently, the school has rules such as no chewing gum during class, but no official honor code. I believe that an honor code would give St. Mark’s students a model of what is expected out of an exceptional student. We would be held accountable for our actions, which is often needed. At the core of Catholic schools is the principle of honesty. As students with busy schedules, we do things at the spur of the moment. Our parents can put pressure on us to do well, when we often end up doing just the bare minimum. I also think an honor code would highlight what a student could do to excel in school. Although some students would probably consider the honor code tough, much of a basic honor code is common sense. People know actions like plagiarism and cheating have bad consequences if you get caught. But if the honor code really stood for something, like how we should be reverent and respectful, I believe it would be a good idea. While we aren’t living in the time of the Puritans and we certainly aren’t as strict as them, a basic honor code could potentially do some good for St. Mark’s.
I think that an honor code at st marks as severe as ones in the time of Puritans would definitely not work and would be hard to enforce. The teachers and administrators would have a very difficult time trying to enforce laws such as no fooling around, or dancing, or singing, or joking, etc. St marks does have an honor code, but the harshness does not come close to that of the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early years of the Americas. The school already enforces things such as dress code, gum, eating/drinking, insubordination, etc. I suppose they could become stricter if they chose to, maybe pick up some of the Jonathan Edwards' philosophies. But in the modern day and age, that kind of severity would be frowned upon by parents of the students and other schools and would probably not work out too well for st marks. The kids would definitely not enjoy it, and then the parents would complain and pull their kids out of school if the harshness continued. Some laws that are put into effect are needed and are useful to see where your boundaries are in school. I think their honor code that they have now if just fine, and there is no need to put any of the Blue Laws (or laws similar to the Blue Laws) into effect.
If Saint Mark’s High School tried to enforce the strict honor codes that Brigham University has established, I honestly believe that it would never work. Today’s generation of teenagers has been portrayed as a bit lazy and slacking in their work. We have also been labeled as rebellious. Some believe that the mindset of teenagers is to find the quickest and the easiest way to complete a task even if that means doing it dishonestly. Cheating in schools has always been a problem throughout generations. However, now cheating is even easier because students have access to online information that can be easily copied and pasted into a document. Having an honor code at Saint Mark’s would mean that all students are responsible to enforce it. Students that “snitch” on cheaters would receive praise from teachers who tell them that it was the right thing to do. However, those students enforcing the honor code could possibly be bullied by their classmates. In high school, being accepted by your peers is important to teenagers. Not many students would take the risk of being excluded or persecuted by their classmates. Even the most honest student might look the other way when seeing another student cheat rather than turning them in. I believe that enforcing the honor code is a responsibility that most students at Saint Mark’s would not want and would not do therefore having one would be ineffective.
Blue laws are generally associated with the original Puritan colonies of the seventeenth century. The term “blue law” derives from the eighteenth century use of the word to refer to rigid moral codes. These “blue laws” regulated the behavior of the citizens of the colonies and prohibited activities that religious ministers thought were offensive to god. For example, kissing in public or having sexual intercourse on a Sunday were strictly prohibited. Laws requiring church attendance disappeared in the nineteenth century, and most of the “blue laws” were abolished because of their infringement on the freedom of worship of the citizens. However, the Puritan legacy remains in the Unite States and some “blue laws” have somehow managed to remain a part of the legal system of several states. In several states, such as Arkansas, Indiana, Michigan, and Minnesota, still have some restrictions on the sale of alcoholic beverages on a Sunday, Although many of them do not ban it completely. In Indiana, restaurants and taverns generally still serve alcohol on Sundays. Another common form of “blue laws” that still exists today is the banning of vehicle sales on Sunday, which still exists in several states including Indiana, Minnesota, and Illinois. Mostly, the only residue of “blue laws” seems to be the prohibition of certain activities on Sundays, and many states have already started to abolish these laws. However, the fact that even a few of these laws remain proves that the Puritans have had a lasting legacy on the United States.
The Puritan honor code system has always seemed like a very helpful and strict one. It allows students to excel, and it tries weed out the students who are taking advantage of another’s work. But would the honor code system work at Saint Mark’s High School? I do not think so. This is mainly because it is such a tightly knit school. All of the students are close, and almost everyone knows and is friends with everyone else. None of the students would feel right about telling a teacher if a friend was cheating, even if it was the right thing to do. It might even be considered “snitching”. But another reason I do not think the system would work is that the students of Saint Mark’s High School have a strong sense of right and wrong. The students that I have encountered are all hardworking, trustworthy, and take pride in the work that they accomplish themselves. The honor code system just is not necessary because the students don’t want to take a friend’s work and try to spin it as their own. They want to see what they can do on their own; I know that I do.
The idea of an honor code being implemented at St. Mark’s would, in my opinion, initially seem like a great idea. I do not think, however, that it would last long for many reasons. Firstly, the Puritan religion declined rapidly because of the strict rules, regulations, and the honor code that tried to keep all members living to the standards of the code. I believe the same would happen at St. Mark’s: many people would either leave the school or future classes would be much smaller because of the strict attitude. A second reason I believe the honor code would not last long is because of “loyalty.” I don’t think students would rat out other students for not following the honor code; the students would want to be treated with the same respect that is given to them when they aren’t following the code. Students would form a sort of unwritten pact to keep each other out of trouble. Thirdly, unless the consequences were dire, most students wouldn’t care whether or not they were following the code just as they don’t really care about breaking current rules at St. Mark’s. All in all, unless consequences were great and the overall experience was greatly enhanced, an honor code would not be successful at St. Mark’s.
In Modern American, blue laws or honor codes still exist today. Honor codes are a set or system of rules or principles that can confine us or make us better people. These exist in school communities, and government. In military school, most honor codes consist of an honesty policy, respect for each other, rules on lying, cheating, and other offenses, but are mainly based on a trust that the students would not commit such things. Nationally we also respect Sunday as a holy day of rest,and is respected by many religions alike and dissimilar. Different sects of religions are binding together to enforce similar causes. A Catholic and Protestant group of people are binding together to "safeguard" morality and
even regulate certain books. Many celebrities are also urging people and influencing them to their opinions on their religion whether they are laws or not. This is currently being enforced not as strictly as it seems but the laws are out there and still exist.
Blue laws are laws that are designed to enforce religious beliefs and keep them alive. The first time the term blue law was used was in 1755 when a writer of the New-York Mercury of March 3, 1755 imagines a newspaper of the future praising the revival of Connecticut’s old blue laws. Blue laws mostly concern the restriction of things like alcohol sales, vehicle sales, and hunting. Blue laws are still found in America today, but they are also found in the cultures of Israelites and Muslims. In fact, the common types of blue laws can be found in Islamic countries, Israel, the Cook Islands, Canada, and 22 of the 50 United States, including Delaware, Georgia, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Even though the blue laws are essential for those with religious beliefs, they can sometimes cause some problems at certain times. An example of this is a 1991 blizzard in North Dakota when citizens were not able to purchase needed goods and services because of their blue law. As a result, some people might have froze or starved to death because of possible power outages. After that blizzard, the law was changed so that nothing like what happened then would occur again.
In addition to the blue laws, certain places in the US and around the world also have honor codes. An honor code is a set of rules governing a community based on a set of ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. Honor codes are most commonly used in the US to halt academic dishonesty. The earliest academic honor code was in 1779 at the college of William and Mary, and the use of honor codes has spread around the country from school to school ever since. Both blue laws and honor codes are meant to keep people in line and to make sure nothing bad happens.
I don’t think a strict honor code at St. Marks would work. Actually, we really already have somewhat of an honor code already because there are certain ways we are expected to act. For instance, getting into a fight with some one is against the rules. Another example is chewing gum or talking back to a teacher; both are against the rules. But if there were some new rules that would be put into place to make a real, more strict honor code, I don’t really think it would work. Honor codes are very strict, and focus on every person conforming to the group. However, St. Marks is a very diverse school, and everybody is different. I think that those honor codes would constantly be broken by people who don’t want to act the same way as everybody else. Another kind of honor code that could be applied has to do with food. An example of a possible food honor code would be you can’t buy candy or drinks before school, or you can’t buy anything with meat in it on all Fridays. So I think that because the honor codes would probably be broken and/or protested so much, St. Marks would eventually just lift the codes and make things like they were before.
Before one institutes a new policy, one must consider all the pros and cons. If the cons outweigh the pros, then obviously the policy is flawed and needs review. This is the logical idea. However, necessity is often overrules all others. This being said, I don’t believe that an honor code at St. Mark’s would work. There is no need. What is the purpose of having such a system when there truly isn’t that much need for it based on current happenings? Also in a way, we already do have an honor system. This is high school. As soon as something is planned, happens, or even discussed, the entire school knows if you just open your ears. To quote the great Albus Dumbledore, “What happened down in the dungeon between you and Professor Quirrell is a complete secret. So, naturally, the whole school knows.” The same thing is true for our school. We, as Spartans are taught to have morals and a strong idea of social justice (we take these courses for our junior year, for crying out loud). When something bad happens, or somebody does something wrong, we feel guilty (or at least most of us). After the pep rally, I saw people sobbing in disgrace because of what had just happened. Picture that and then ask yourself, “Do we really need an Honor Code?” The answer is no. If something is wrong, we try our best to fix it and atone for what we have done. Invention is the child of necessity and in this case, there is no need for the invention of a St. Mark’s Honor Code.
Blue laws have been around since the founding of colonies in the Americas. They are put in place to enforce religious standards and acceptable social standards. They restrict social activities such as kissing on a train in Utah or whispering in a church in Lewes, Delaware. These laws began with the Puritans who wanted to create a “city on a hill” as a model to the rest of the world. They hoped that these laws would create a moral standard in society and create a society pleasing to God. Although not as strict, some blue laws still exist today. These mainly deal with alcohol consumption and sale, horse racing, hunting, and shopping all on Sundays. Many of these laws are not strictly enforced, but citizens still abide by them. Many southern towns are more strict about these laws, especially pertaining to alcohol sale on Sundays. Today, blue laws are seen more often in the form of honor codes. These codes are mainly seen in military schools and universities. They are the foundation of basic rules and tend to reinforce a person’s own conscience. If you do something against the rules, there will be consequences. Likewise, if you see someone do something against the rules, it is your responsibility to report that person. If you do not, there will be consequences. These honor codes have been long in effect, and I do not believe that they will ever go away entirely. The blue laws of modern day society exist because of tradition, even though they are not as strict as the first blue laws.
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