Chris Mueller's column "Cheating is an innate part of humanity" (Oct. 27) was very sad.

Yes, cheating has always been with us. So have murder, adultery, stealing and all the rest. This does not mean there is no point in trying to combat it in every area of society. The fact that Chris studies journalism is even more disappointing, since in a democratic society, we depend on journalists to tell us the truth.

I graduated from Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pa. where there is, and has been since 1869, an honor code. No quiz, test or final exam has ever been proctored. We were expected to do our best without cheating, and in my four years, I never saw anyone cheat.

I am not saying it didn't happen - it did - but it was very rare. What I concluded from this experience was that people's expectations for themselves tend to rise to the level of the expectations of those around them. Wilson's thousands of graduates have carried this standard of behavior with them for the rest of their lives and have contributed very positively to American society for more than 130 years.