Given the dynamic nature of the Honor Code and the opportunity you will have to shape and change the Code if you come to Haverford, what issues and ideas do you think are essential for an Honor Code to focus on, and how should an Honor Code address them?.
Although to an outsider, squash might appear to be governed by incomprehensible rules, the sport's guidelines form the basis for a well-founded honor code. One of squash's most notable conventions, for instance, is that the winner and loser of the previous match must ref the next one. Consequently, both participants are forced to put aside their competitive differences and work together toward a common goal-enforcing the rules. Through this regulation, I cooperate with my former opponents and build a system of trust, a principle that should form the groundwork for any well-conceived honor code.
A firm belief in reliability and truth ensures that all members of the code unite around a collective cause, since the most successful communities are those whose members share common interests, but whose members also feel comfortable enough to voice their concerns. For example, in the first sentence of the second part of Section 3.04, Haverford's Honor Code reads, "Our community's social relationships are also based on mutual trust, concern, and respect." This line details the importance of establishing due regard for all opinions and viewpoints. A strong community must consist of people willing to work together to improve on shared community values.
In addition to cooperation, self-responsibility is another concept that squash regulations promote: if a referee misses a call which the player saw, the player is encouraged to admit the error even if it's not to his advantage. For instance, if a referee rules that a ball stayed in play, but if from my vantage point, I saw that it crossed the line out of bounds, squash norms advise that I should admit the referee's fault.
