<p>Your point is well taken. It’s unfortunate that the discussion of the Honor Code on tour is a turn off to so many people. I definitely get that HC is not for everyone, which I often emphasize with my posts but I think the concern with the Honor Code by many prospective students/parent is an definite over-reaction. It’s hard to describe something as abstract as “honor” and the more time spent talking or writing about it may give people the impression that it is a suffocating presence on campus when it’s not. Truth be told, when HC is in working order, it is essentially indistinguishable from the campus dynamics of other top LACs when they are functioning well themselves… nice students, respect, little cheating, collegiality. It’s only during instances when la merde hits the fan or when things aren’t working well that HC’s uniqueness becomes glaringly apparent and I think the Honor Code in these circumstances has something to do with it. For example, a few years ago I read about an incident at a top New England LAC where a student passed out (for a joke or something like that) “Happy b-day Hitler cards” around campus. Personally, I think this or something similar could have happened at most of the top LACs, but what caught me by surprise when I was reading about this on CC was that at the campus town hall meeting at this college, only about 20-30 faculty, administrators and students showed up with the school being 2000+ students. During my 4 years at HC, I know from experience that even when “lesser” incidents occurred, there was always a much greater campus wide response. As a student, I was sometimes dismayed that, instead of 200-250 people showing up to town hall meetings I as an optimistic person felt important, maybe 25-100 faculty, staff and students would come. I didn’t realize just how special that actually is.</p>