Message from the Chair
August 2012
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TO: The South Carolina Corps of Cadets
The foundation of everything we do here at The Citadel is built upon our Honor Code. The separation of what you did before you came here and when you entered Lesesne Gate is the most profound and definitive change you will ever experience. Thirteen words comprise our Honor Code. It is very simple to all who endeavor to wear the Band of Gold. To wear the ring, you must guard the principles set forth in this manual and fight the temptations of dishonesty and deceit. As cadets we must hold ourselves to a higher standard that has been passed down from generation to generation.
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Time as it passes brings about change. In a society where Honor has been filed away as being an intangible product of a long since passed era, we here at The Citadel continue to hold the principle of Honor close to our hearts. The Honor Code is administered by and for the Corps of Cadets. This is your code. As you embark upon you Cadet Career I challenge you not only to uphold the Code as an individual but that you also hold your fellow cadets to that sacred principle we call Honor. You cannot simply codify our Honor Code. The Code must live within you as we have all been given a sense of reason that gives us the ability to know what is right and what is wrong. As your Chairman, I and the rest of the 2013 Honor Committee serve at the pleasure of the Corps of Cadets to uphold the standard of Honor here at The Citadel. I trust every individual who serves on this Committee, and I submit to you that you would be wise to do the same regarding the Code. As you leave the gates wearing the ring be sure to carry your Honor with you for the rest of your days on earth. We will be equipped with the principles it will take to restore our society's integrity. The choice is yours. Make it an honorable one.
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Very Respectfully,
Tyler Paul Smith
Cadet Lieutenant Colonel
Chairman, 2012-2013 Honor Committee