Next time you're in the Swann Center, be sure to check out the new exhibition near the Eagles Nest and Dining Commons. Installed by ESD’s Upper School Honor Council, the Honor Code Wall showcases the signatures of every child and adult in the ESD community who signed the Code of Conduct earlier this year.

Inspired by walls at top colleges where honor pledges have roots back to the 1700s, ESD’s display was years in the making. It began as a collaborative effort between ESD’s facilities department, upper school administration, communications, and chaplains. The Upper School Honor Council was tasked with completing the project this fall. The final product was unveiled on Tuesday, January 3, 2023.

“The students had to determine not only the layout of the images but also the supplies and tools needed for installation,” said Mary Jo Lyons, Upper School Librarian and Honor Council Advisor. “I was proud watching them figure everything out on the fly and work together as a team. Bryan Stuart and other facilities team members were a huge help.”

All 13 Honor Council members played a part in the signature wall, whether it was their role in the fall Code of Conduct signing of the sheets, two fall planning meetings, or the actual installation. One took the lead for counting and organizing grade-level sheets, and in early December, several students used a lunch period to sort through tallies and figure out the layout for each grade level on the wall. Knowing the height of our littlest Eagles, they started with Beginners at the bottom so they could see their own names.

“Every ESD student and employee can see their signature on one of the pages," said Henry Heil, Clark Family Head of Upper School. "This display keeps our individual and collective commitment to aspiring for these ideals top of mind."

Ms. Lyons believes the project will impact the community and the students who worked on its installation. “I think the students were tentative when it was first introduced to them in the fall, and we spoke of the legacy they were leaving on this campus for generations to come. I could sense that recognition and their pride when they hung up the final sheet.”

Kudos to everyone involved. Members of the 2022-23 Honor Council are Briggs Briner ‘23, Olivia DeYoung ‘23, Sydney Stuelpe ‘23, Amelia Sinwell ‘23, Elliot Lovitt ‘24, Christopher Inglis ‘24, Cole Spence ‘24, Charlotte Traylor ‘25, Benjamin Moorman ‘25, Parmida Zandinejad ‘25, Maggie Chein ‘26, Will Cook ‘26, and Jackson Maddox ‘26.

Read more about ESD’s Code of Conduct signing here.