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As the ���ϲ����� Class of 2028 prepared to commit to the university’s Honor Code Monday morning in Alumni Gym, Charlie Cheema ’19 made sure they took away one message: “always assume good intentions.”

“The easy route is to fall into the trap of thinking everyone is out to get you, willing to achieve success at your expense. The honorable route is to trust that, generally speaking, people want to do right by others, based on the worldviews that they’ve developed through their personal lived experiences and the life lessons they’ve been taught in their own communities,” said Cheema, now a gardener at ���ϲ�����.

Be the best we can

Cheema spoke to the nearly 1,700 new students at the Call to Honor ceremony on Aug. 26, where incoming students make a pledge to uphold the university’s Honor Code, which includes four pillars: Honesty, Integrity, Responsibility and Respect.

Cheema spoke of a time at ���ϲ����� when he was struggling and not showing up to class, but the professor showed him grace and assumed he had good intentions.

“You might fail to turn something in by a deadline or you may just be having a really bad day and say something unkind to someone without considering the impact. And sometimes, even though you wish you could take back one of those choices, all you can do is apologize and strive to be better,” said Cheema. “That is what the Honor Code is truly about – constantly striving to be the best we can, while understanding we are all human, and we all make mistakes.”

As students reflected on the ceremony, Cheema’s remarks made an impact.

“He gave a very relatable experience about falling behind, feeling like you can’t talk to anyone and being that student that no one wants to work with,” said Kostadina Kaltabanis ’28. “I think by giving that example, he instilled in everyone that you can dig yourself out of the hole you dug yourself in.”

Accept ���ϲ�����’s challenges

Student Government Association President Taylor Cote ’25 led the ceremony as representatives from each class signed the Honor Code book with each class representing a different pillar of the Honor Code.

“These are more than just words; they are a guiding star for every decision we make throughout life,” said Cote.

President Connie Ledoux Book then led the new students in reciting the Call to Honor:

Today we are entrusted with the honorable legacy of ���ϲ�����, dedicated to the intellectual, personal and spiritual growth of all its members, to the advancement of knowledge for the good of all, and to the service of local, national and global communities. To that end, we affirm our commitment to the core values of our university:

• We commit ourselves to honesty, being truthful in our academic work and in our relationships with others.
• We commit ourselves to show integrity, being trustworthy, fair and ethical.
• We commit ourselves to responsibility, being accountable for our action and for our learning.
• We commit ourselves to respect, being civil, valuing the dignity of each person, and respecting the physical and intellectual property of others.

With these commitments we join generations of ���ϲ����� students as bearers of its honor

“On behalf of the university, I pledge to you that ���ϲ����� will do its part to challenge you to grow intellectually, socially and spiritually,” said Book. “I am counting on you to accept ���ϲ�����’s challenges, and to join your faculty and staff in the daily practice of these core values. I hope all of you have a most successful academic career.”

“Class of 2028, as student body president, I charge you to be the best that you can be and take advantage of the opportunities you will have at ���ϲ�����,” Cote said. “Never forget your commitment to our Honor Code and you will have some of the best years of your life.”

Following the ceremony, students exited to Young Commons where they each signed posters inscribed with the Honor Code and received a coin with the word “Honor” engraved on it.

“I think it’s important to be at school like this because it’s a community, it’s a home,” said Molly Hazen ’28, following the ceremony.  “It’s not just a school. Your teachers care about you and the people around you care about you.”