VOL. 6, NO. 10
FEB. 19, 1965

Responsibility Is Imperative
Statements such as "We want honor study halls," "Why can't we have more afternoon dances?" "What is the matter with our school?" "Why can't we have a mirror in the washrooms?" or "Why can't we have more self-government?" are frequently heard coming from students.

All of these ideas are tied into the problem of responsibility. Without responsibility students can lose many of their freedoms.

In the recent scandal at the Air Force Academy where more than a hundred students left the school, we learned something about responsibility. Responsibility at the Academy meant not only refraining from cheating but telling on those who were promoting cheating. Some of the boys couldn't accept this code of honor involving responsibility. They let their school down as well as themselves and their fellow students. One boy's father stuck up for him because he said the boy had been taught not to be a 'squealer' at home.
 The end result of this thinking, then, would be to shut our eyes to theft, murder, violence, and corruption. Let it go because we aren't going to be 'squealers.' The only trouble is that at this point we become partners in the crime.

Among many things, being a responsible student means helping stamp out all acts of vandalism, obeying rules such as no smoking in the school, discouraging cheating, promoting good habits in the cafeteria, and helping conduct proper study conditions in the library and classrooms.

No one needs to be told how to do this. It is merely being loyal to the course that is right-helping yourself and your fellow students along the road to more freedom by showing that you can be responsible.