BYU'S HONOR CODE

Brandon Davies in action in file photo. Courtesy of AP.

I must say that I don’t really follow US college basketball that much. Not until mid March when Duke would win it all!  But when a school’s third ranked scorer and starting center is suspended and sent off packing – in the latter part of the tournament – when the team is seeking a Final Four appearance stumped me.

            The school is Brigham Young University, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Subject is power forward, the 6-9 Brandon Davies.

Davies was dismissed, the other week for breaking the Honor Code that every freshman that enters BYU signs and commits to uphold. By signing the honor code, students bind themselves to strict compliance to fundamental values such as attending church every Sunday, keeping the Word of Wisdom (in layman’s term: no alcohol, coffee, tea or drugs), keeping chaste (no premarital sex), etc.

            Davies admitted to committing premarital sex with his girlfriend and thus had to be suspended from playing and will eventually be removed from the roster.

            The suspension sent shockwaves to BYU fans and made headlines in the US. Was the honor code too strict? Could BYU, ranked third in the US NCAA, afford to let go of a player that is a vital cog to its championship aspirations?

            The Honor Code for that matter isn’t too strict. Generally, it’s a set of fundamental principles that could set things straight for students while they're in college. More importantly, it’s a commitment that you sign to uphold. Danny Ainge (or any other BYU student) signed it when he played for BYU before playing for Boston. Note, if you don’t agree or won’t sign it, then you go to other schools. There’s no coercion whatsoever.

            BYU could afford to dismiss Davies because he broke the code. I don’t know if the team could perform well without him. So far, BYU is 1-1 after Davies’s dismissal (BYU dropped a game against San Diego 64-82 but handily beat Wyoming 102-78 last Saturday). Still there’s Jimmer Fredette, who averages over 28 points a game.

            For sticking to its Honor Code, the school received a mixture of criticism and commendation. The most sarcastic was from Charlie Pierce of the Boston Globe. In part he said, “It should be stated that the ‘honor code’ that he has been punished for violating really has nothing to do with ‘honor’ at all. It has to do with conduct, and control, and a revoltingly retrograde attitude toward human sexuality that ought to embarrass any institution of higher learning. ... Micromanaging the hormones of young people is a profound waste of time, unless you believe that religion is often measured by the sum total of its attitudes toward the naughty bits.” Read whole comment here: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsvulture/51379004-56/pierce-byu-honor-code.html.csp

            BYU, however, scored big on its stand on principle. Michael Otterton, the worldwide public affairs honcho of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, wrote in his Washington Post column, “I wondered about the public reaction, however. Were we about to see endless commentaries about how the honor code was too strict, and that Brigham Young University needed to move into the 21st century? My first inkling that something different was about to happen came the next morning when Joe Scarborough was having his usual round-table conversation on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." Amid the banter came this clear message: At a time when so many people and institutions rationalize behavior, here at last is a stand on principle. Whether or not you agree with the specifics of the honor code, the school was willing to sacrifice popularity and acclaim for a principle. Someone on the set even wondered whether they could send their kids to BYU.” Here’s the link to that column: http://onfaith.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/panelists/michael_otterson/2011/03/brandon_davies_suspension_byu_stands_on_principle.html

            I wouldn’t say this is the last we see of Brandon Davies. There will be Church leaders around him who will help him come back. They will nurture him so that he could come back. His friend will be there to comfort him. He will have lots of help. He won’t be left alone to carry the load.

            In the ward that I lead, I have counseled young men who had gone in similar path with Davies. Particularly a young man has come back into being active in Church and has regained the confidence and self-respect he possessed before he got into trouble. In Church, we say, “We hate the sin but we love the sinner!”

            I hope we all could uphold an honor code…