As the frantic, tired students of Jesuit College Prep make their way throughout the challenging school year, navigate their demanding workloads and enjoy the high school experience, the temptation to cheat rears its ugly head and begins to become more enticing to students.
Although Jesuit students are called to be men of academic integrity, sometimes the lines distinguishing academic dishonesty can become blurred, especially in the increasingly technological and over-shared world we live in. Because of this, the administration at Jesuit decided to lead the student body in a day of reflection and communication amongst students and their families concerning the pitfalls and temptations faced in our competitive academic atmosphere.
As the weight of the school year sets in, many students struggle with the temptation to cheat. One sophomore, who has asked to remain anonymous, describes as increasing pressures from school and extracurricular activities sometimes “motivate students to try and take the easy way out” and how, in the competitive context of the classroom, “students sometimes determine and rationalize” what does and does not constitute cheating.
While the problem of academic dishonesty is not rampant within the school, members of the school administration, such as Dr. Ben Kirby ’00, wanted to lead the school community as a whole in a reflection on how we as Jesuit students are called to a higher standard of academic integrity, as well as facilitate discussion between parents and students on the subject.
Since the summer, Dr. Kirby and the administration have been discussing and planning a unique way to foster this discussion between parents and students. At their annual retreat, Dr. Kirby explained that the faculty agreed that they wanted to be able to “provide an opportunity for students…and conversation.” Additionally, Dr. Kirby explains that another goal of this Ignatian Day was to give parents a “framework for a conversation” that exposed them to what students learn through guidance sessions and to provide the foundations for topics concerning academic integrity.
Once Kirby and his fellow faculty members settled on the idea for this day of reflection, he wasted no time bringing their idea to the student council. With the help of student council members Evan Jackson ’17 and Steven Mancillas ’17, Campus Ministry held prayer services focused around the theme of integrity, with the intent of starting this conversation at the student level.
Looking back, Dr. Kirby is very pleased with the outcome of this years first Ignatian Day. He describes how his main indicator of the success of this day of reflection was the responses of both parents and students who participated. The overwhelmingly positive feedback he has received in response to Ignatian day is in large part due to the opportunity for families to discuss important issues, which was the ultimate goal.
Looking forward, Dr. Kirby is optimistic and eager for the upcoming Ignatian Days, which will cover such topics as the election, drug culture, and social justice. For more coverage of Jesuit’s Ignatian Days, come to The Roundup.
