She's more ethical than you...

To get a student perspective on Conduct Review Committee (CRC), the Mercersburg News sat down with the student chair, Koko Chen ‘23.

Mercersburg News: What is your role on the CRC and what do you do in each meeting?

Koko Chen: I am the student co-chair. Attending every CRC allows me to have a well-rounded view of incidents and the overall atmosphere of the school in order to make just decisions. 

MN: Can you or other students on the committee be disqualified from hearing a case?

KC: Students are not disqualified from hearing a case but rather recuse themselves if they believe they will not be able to make a fair judgment due to their relationship with the appearing student. Although student members will be "disqualified" if the student in the case requests an administrative CRC.

MN: How does the whole committee stay up-to-date and consistent with recent cases and consequences?

KC: The CRC values precedent cases in order to remain fair and constant with our decisions. We also have meetings on weeks when there are no cases for all members to catch up on recent decisions so that everyone has a clearer image of the overall community norms we are building. 

MN: Why do you think having student voices on the CRC is important?

KC: Student voices are crucial to CRCs so that we are able to provide the committee with more perspective within our community as fellow students. We might be able to better understand situations that students find themselves in. 

MN: What are the benefits of having a discussion-based disciplinary system over a more objective set of consequences?

KC: Our system allows students to have more understanding and evaluate student misconduct case by case so that we can grant the most understanding and our best interest for each student under the blue book. 

MN: Is there anything you would like to see changed or improved about the CRC process?

KC: I hope that the CRC process would gain more transparency within the school. I also hope that people can recognize the severity of certain consequences and avoid doing such actions that may lead to warning or final warning.