This fall semester, we welcomed the Class of 2015 to Reinhardt. On Thursday, September 8, this group of students was officially “inducted” into the Reinhardt family at, what we call, New Student Induction.

The induction ceremony is an annual academic event that signals the beginning of a student’s college career. It is intented to mirror the symbolism and importance of commencement, which celebrates the student’s completion of studies.

And, this important ceremony is steeped in tradition. As Dr. Isherwood stated in his welcome speech at the event, “I bet all of you are thinking, ‘what are all these old people doing up here talking about alll these traditions and such.'” Well, Class of 2015, tradition plays a large role in what Reinhardt is all about. We stand on our traditions, values and morals, and each member of the University community lives those in their personal, classroom and professional lives.

During the ceremony, one of these traditions came to life…the signing of the Honor Pledge. This Code of Honor was originally written by a student, Thomas Alonzo “Lonnie” Lacey II ’02, in 2000, and was first signed by that year’s incoming class.

In 2004, the orginal Code was replaced with the Honor Pledge. The goal of the Pledge is to reinforce the concepts of academic integrity and the ideals of honor.

The University community has fully embraced the philosophy that an Honor Pledge is not simply a set of rules and procedures governing academic conduct, but an opportunity to put personal responsibility and integrity into action.

As a reminder of the Reinhardt’s student body’s commitment to academic excellence, the Honor Pledge is signed by each incoming class during New Student Induction and is displayed in the Tarpley Center until that class’ graduation.

So, Class of 2015, now that you have been a part of New Student Induction and have signed the Honor Pledge, what will you do in your experience here at Reinhardt to uphold the values of the Honor Pledge?