<p>The honor committee is full of hypocrits. Those very same people who decide to kick you out of UVA are the same ones who are at the Virginian and at X-Lounge trying to get in with a fake ID. Now, THAT is also an honor violation, but is it ever prosecuted? No. Are frats every prosecuted for the rampant under age drinking that goes on in their parties EVERY single weekend. No. The police turns a blind eye to them. It is SO unfair. For example, in my Econ 201 class, everyone cheated, literally everybody cheated during our midterm and final, did anybody do anything? No. So many people get away with cheating at UVA because the system is flawed and only a few get punished like this kid. I’m not excusing him at all, he lied and he deserves to be punished, but how can he be kicked out for his lying when under age drinking (also an honor violation), goes on unnoticed. At most, he should be suspended for a semester.</p>
<p>The punishment seems incredibly harsh, especially since the person bringing the charges is in the inner circle . Surely there was some lesser punishment that could have been levied. You know the old saying-yet he (or she) who is without sin…</p>
<p>I feel such pain for the individual in question. This just does not sound like correct justice. I support the Honor Code, but gosh, ruining someone’s life…</p>
<p>I really hope the appeal system is a good one, and that it is a flexible one because college kids will be college kids. I’m willing to bet that TJ would have admitted to a few wrong doings here and there on his own part, and would have been magnanimously lenient towards others if warranted. We are all human.</p>
<p>Dean J this sends a terrifying message to newcomers to UVA, and even haunts me as a current, run-of-the mill, student at UVA. I ask that in your role as a Dean, please intervene on behalf of the outlook of future and current students. This poor kid’s life is in real jeopardy and I’m not sure it should be.</p>
<p>I’m sure that all of CVL will be following this one. I’m sad.</p>
<p>Yes,Powderpuff, this really sent a chill through me. My son is weeks from graduating and I found myself emailing him and pleading with him to be extra careful after I read this in the the Cavalier Daily. I really think that a fellow student that is also on the honor committee has a conflict of interest and perhaps their own agenda.</p>
<p>This really sounds like a power play to me. The guy has played by the rules for years and suddenly his college career is over. Life happens. It sounds like the guy hit a rough patch. Haven’t we all?</p>
<p>I really don’t see the lie, cheat, steal infraction. He failed an assignment. The penalty should be an F for the assignment. Nothing more.</p>
<p>The article makes these women sound relentless (maybe the article was not fair,what do you students think?). Seemed to have backed this guy into a corner. Maybe someone who knows otherwise can shed more light on this. Hopefully, these women never have a personal issue in their lives that they do not want to have to broadcast to everyone. I can see a kid who has a family member who has been incarcerated not wanting to have everyone know his business. Especially at a place like UVa (or an Ivy,etc). Appearances do seem to matter to an extent. What is the current climate on campus about all of this? How is this impacting the single sanction issues?</p>
<p>Lying about assignments and such is in clear violation of the honor code. The open trial aspect allowed the article to be so thorough and if it 's all true, he should be punished for repeatedly trying to violate rules. It was the student’s decision to broadcast this to the public so don’t blame others.</p>
<p>I assume the student felt that fellow students would be ok with his bs approach to the assignments which is just a poor decision, especially in a class about honor.</p>
<p>Underage drinking would almost always fall under non-triviality so if that were ever an issue it would be punishment from UJC (ie drinking in dorms).</p>
<p>Prospective students and parents, there’s no need to worry if you’re an honest and well principled person, don’t bs the system and it won’t hurt you.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I like to believe the honor system is like speeding - when you get a ticket, 99% chance it’s not the first time you’ve ever been speeding. When they convict someone, 99% chance they’ve done sketchy stuff like this before. Though, no way to know…</p>
<p>Protean, to me, you seem to be quite casual about the whole process of ruining someone’s life.
And,
The concluding sentence in your message is ominous not comforting, at least from my point of view.
I am heart broken for this person in question.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>You know I really hate criminals. The truth is they walk up and down the street as free men and women all day long. Under your theory we should ditch the innocent until proven guilty theory of our government. Kangaroo court is close enough. Tell you what, I’ll go with your plan, sketchy conviction in an honor charge equals multiple offenses in the real world, as long as you agree everyone convicted of rape, murder, and child molestation (by a real jury under valid laws) gets the death penalty. Immediately upon conviction.</p>
<p>If a person’s college career is over by virtue of some nebulous charge, lets off the ones we are sure are slime. Not only is it cost effective, it makes innocent people safer and in this case it makes the honor code pure and effective.</p>
<p>You In?</p>
<p>
I think you over estimate my power. </p>
<p>You all probably know more than I about the case at this point. All I know is what I’ve read in the Cav Daily. The editors themselves wrote an op-ed that, if memory serves, said that members of the honor committee aren’t allowed to comment on cases and that limits the paper’s ability to report the full story sometimes.</p>
<p>There will surly be an appeal and I hope more information will come out about both “sides”. </p>
<p>Protean’s point is worth repeating: when a student is caught violating the code of conduct, they will be held accountable by the authorities and [url=<a href=“http://www.student.virginia.edu/~judic/]UJC[/url”>http://www.student.virginia.edu/~judic/]UJC[/url</a>].</p>
<p>Something I don’t understand is that Mary’s sorority sister, Taylor Critz, who allegedly stole an i-pod earlier this year, was not brought up on honor charges. </p>
<p>[UVA</a> Police Make Several Arrests in Connection with Thefts On Grounds /](<a href=“http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/home/headlines/39560737.html]UVA”>http://www.charlottesvillenewsplex.tv/home/headlines/39560737.html)</p>
<p>It’ll be interesting to see what would happen if someone reported her, as her alleged crime is on public record. Also, she’s a first-year student.</p>
<p>I love your post vistany, very poignant. Much appreciated.</p>
<p>Dean J, you always rock. Thanks for responding to the issues impacting students. I know you don’t have a magic wand, but thanks for caring and daring to dive into the controversy.</p>
<p>Your fan,
Powder</p>
<p>Woe, I posted my post just a second after yours Barboza.
Something really doesn’t smell right about this whole controversy.</p>
<p>I’m sorry but having a fake ID should be (if already isn’t) a violation of the honor code and not merely a violation of one’s conduct. Trying to pass for somebody else (identify theft?) to do whatever you want is very serious, at UVA however, this is so very common that people don’t really think about it. Lying to a cop about being 21 so he can let you off the hook for underage drinking is also an honor code violation (my roommate second year did this…nothing happened to him). If we are going to be harsh with the honor code, let us be harsh with every single offense and not pick and choose. But then again, what can we expect when RAPE is NOT taken very seriously at UVA (again, I’m not simply just talking, search a little and you will see)</p>
<p>In my opinion, this whole thing is stupid and the poor fellow is about to graduate in a month. Considering how far he’s come to attend and pay for his tuition for ALL four years, and then kicked out for turning an assignment late, Mary and her committee should be ashamed of themselves – mainly Mary though because she initiated this whole process and pressed forward with her agenda.</p>
<p>mary didn’t convict him though… the jury did. the jury isn’t honor members, it’s just uva students randomly selected. they knew he was a 4th year and they came to their own conclusions. now you all may think it is trivial but i mean… it was lying… and in a class ABOUT honor…!! i kind of think he got what was coming to him.</p>
<p>think, if you decided to speed past a cop, you’re GOING to get a ticket. if you cheat in a class about honor, you’re GOING to get brought up on honor charges. then, it’s up to the judge+jury to decide what your fate is (judge if you speed and appeal your ticket; jury if it’s honor charges)…</p>
<p>also couldn’t he just have made a conscientious retraction, failed the course (which it was obvious was going to happen by his lack of effort), and not gotten kicked out??</p>
<p>Though the jury convicted him, Mary (and perhaps Michelle Fox as well) was the one who pressed honor charges. Then, the honor committee, which includes her, “randomly selected” a jury of students for the trial. The funny thing is, the selection process was not open and could be subject to strong bias, such that it would favor Mary’s agenda. The whole process wasn’t transparent for sure.</p>
<p>I was seriously considering attending UVa; now after this incident I really feel that UVa is probably not the best place to be at. It’s sad to hear that some poor fellow gets convicted for honor infractions while many others get away with lying, cheating, and stealing.</p>
<p>What can anyone say…it’s such a shame…I pity this poor student. Mr. Jefferson himself would not be so harsh. There is often a middle ground, why not in CVL? Someone out there, with authority at UVA, please have a heart for this kid and for justice in general. We owe it to this fine University and the fine students who define this University>>yes, some faults and all. No one is perfect. No one, even TJ.</p>