Abraham Lincoln once said, "Reputation is like fine china: once broken, it's very hard to repair.” Maggie L. Walker’s Governor's School has long upheld a prestigious reputation, requiring a competitive application process and demanding a significantly heavier workload. Students know this firsthand: the average student here might be considered a sleep-deprived, coffee reliant overachiever who grapples for success. Yet recently, we’ve been seeing a stark change in our community. Perhaps it could be considered minor or insignificant to other high schools, but this sort of behavior is absurd at an institution that values incredible honor and integrity. In fact, cheating, infractions, and infamous bathroom incidents have become exceedingly more apparent in the past few months, almost blurring the line between traditionally reputable Dragons and a bunch of middle schoolers.  

A “pack of wild middle schoolers” never gives off an optimistic connotation. In a number of shared experiences, it refers to a bunch of pre-adolescents vaping in bathrooms and stealing toilet seats for a TikTok challenge. It’s the term for students that can’t be trusted, resulting in many regulations such as closing off certain restrooms and restricting departure of classrooms during the first and last ten minutes of class. It means just a couple immature and inconsiderate misbehavers ruining what’s meant to be an educational environment of honesty for everybody. Many high school applicants view MLWGS as an opportunity to escape their unsupportive surroundings, to engage with like-minded individuals at a place renowned for its academic excellence and avoid encountering juvenile misconduct. Nobody would have ever expected for a Maggie Walker student’s behavior to be equivalent to that of a troublemaking 7th grader. It’s unforeseen for someone to blatantly disregard the repute behind the memorial of Maggie L. Walker, choosing to purposefully vandalize property without rationale or justification. 

What had the perpetrator even hoped to achieve? Not only was the plumbing system damaged, but so was our long-standing credibility. The reluctance to speak up or turn someone in further contributed to the strain of honor in our community. Each student has the responsibility of maintaining our school’s image as well as their own character. 

Booker T. Washington said that “character, not circumstances, makes the man,” emphasizing how the actions and content of your identity define you. This quote establishes the direction of the Honor Code which stresses the importance of acting with integrity and righteousness. Everyone is familiar with this, always signing the pledge on every assessment and seeing those “On My Honor” posters throughout the building. But why are people still cheating? Perhaps it’s because at the moment, students don’t recognize the repercussions of their actions and what one Google search or peek at your table mate can do. However, rather than focusing on how breaking the Honor Code could totally ruin your academic integrity and the trust you have built with your teachers and peers, it may be more helpful in highlighting the positives of ensuring truthful principles. 

For one, keeping your honor is much more rewarding since you’re not only showing others your good nature, but also building trust and pride within yourself. The feeling of earning a high score on a test isn’t nearly the same as acing a test knowing you didn’t truthfully earn that number. This is especially significant as, by now, students understand that school can sometimes be a mental battle, requiring absolute confidence in your abilities. This means relying on yourself, not anybody else, not AI, and not Photomath. A healthy reflection of yourself can never be achieved if an overwhelming pile of guilt and fear weighs you down. How could anyone look a teacher in the eye, knowing that they’re lying to everyone including themselves? The complexity of honor is that it underlines the reputation and perspectives of others that only you can change. That starts with being proud of yourself and your school, having a strong mindset, and showing respect for your honest resolve to succeed. 

Even with numerous undermining instances that have many students questioning the honor of our community, hundreds of pupils will continue to apply for Maggie Walker every year, understanding the kind of exceptional reputation built yet remaining oblivious of these humiliating incidents. People will continue to comment about how proud your parents must be that you're attending this school, all the while staying unaware of a certain notorious toilet clogger. Here within our community, we know what onlookers do not and we should hope that they never have to know. Ultimately, it is true that honor and reputation, once shattered, is difficult to repair, further emphasizing that cheating, lying, and other scandals should never define us in any shape. Rather, we still must acknowledge these transgressions and make amends to restore our image. We're not proud of these recent events, but we’re proud to be honorable Dragons.