Senior Hannah Clay, who has served on Discipline and Honor Committee (DHC) since her junior year, will be joined by seniors Maddy Rosenberg, Arie Tuckerman, and junior Russell Ahmed.
In the application process, students had to respond to a series of short essay questions that asked about personal experiences that made them qualified to serve on DHC, and they also had to provide their perspective on two scenarios that are realistic to ones the committee may hear.
The DHC consists of 3-4 elected students, 3-4 faculty members, Dean Dr. Losambe, and chaired by Upper School Head, Mrs. Izokaitis. The DHC meets when a member of the student body violates a major school rule or commits repeated offenses deemed problematic.
While those who are elected pledge to keep all matters concerning students confidential, I asked Hannah Clay about what it is like to serve on DHC.
Clay addressed a misconception about the committee: “Before I was on DHC, I thought of it as a really scary school court trial almost where classmates and teachers decided your fate. In reality, it’s just teachers teachers and students trying to figure out the whole story and make sure that whoever made a mistake grows from it.”
Before meeting with a student asked to meet with the DHC, Clay says they are given a handout that details what happened, who was involved, the timeline of what happened, and any other background information.
“We review it and address any initial questions,” said Clay. “Then the student will walk in with their teacher representative, and someone will explain what the DHC is and how it works and then give the floor to the student to tell us the full story of what happened.”
The DHC asks the student questions, and after the student leaves, the committee decides on its recommendation to Ms. Soderberg.
Clay says, “I think the DHC is a good way for students who have made mistakes to have their side of the story told. As a student member, I get to offer my perspective and vouch for whomever happens to come before us.”
“Also the DHC is one of the largest ways I’ve seen how much our faculty cares about us,” Clay says. “I can’t speak on specific cases, but I’ve seen faculty members cry because of how much they care about students and want to see growth from those who mess up.”
