Fifty years ago, my high school ran a trust experiment; we students learned some hard truths
A Newsday story about experimenting in trust, from Sept. 26, 1973.
By Thomas Maierthomas.maier@newsday.comTrust in government is at an all-time low, newscasters tell us with a frown. Just 16% of Americans in a recent Pew Research Center survey said they trusted Washington politicians to do what is right most of the time.
Overall, a lack of trust can be corrosive to one's soul. Researchers say it can make us miserable and undermine not only our faith in democracy but also those essential human connections in our work and family lives.
While everyone speaks of “trust,” we rarely put the notion to the test.
This quandary reminds me of a unique “experiment in trust” — as Newsday called it 50 years ago — that involved a group of Long Island high school students, myself included. It offers some lessons for today about the difficulty of living up to your ideals and putting trust into action.
In fall 1973, America was in the throes of the Watergate scandal. TV news was full of allegations about break-ins, stealing, lying and cover-ups. The nation wondered whether to trust President Richard Nixon when he claimed, “I am not a crook.” We know how that turned out.
In reaction, the principal at St. Anthony's High School, then in Smithtown, decided the student government would teach the world about trust through our own example. Not some ethereal idea, but a real test of honesty that would put our Washington elders to shame.
His directive: Remove all locks from the lockers.
It was a radical notion. Imagine 700 teenage boys — with all sorts of personal stuff hidden in their three-foot stalls — being asked to dial open their combination padlocks and trust that their fellow students wouldn’t rip them off.
School didn’t become a suburban "Lord of the Flies" with rampant stealing. But our little experiment provided big insights into human nature.
At a trust rally in the gym, the school’s principal, a Franciscan brother, explained this honor system to the student body. As student council president, I also spoke as his amen chorus. While some students remained dubious about taking off their locks, most complied, if warily.
To reinforce a feeling of trust, the school created a social safety net for any victims of stealing. During the rally, a favorite English lay teacher took $400 out of his pocket and tossed it on the floor. Dramatically, he said he would pay for the losses for those who had their books or sneakers stolen. He made it sound like a dare. How could you even think of stealing something after that impassioned speech?
Unfortunately, some students still had larceny in their hearts. With the $400, we began reimbursing victims who came to the school bookstore wanting their stolen stuff replaced. Some students created a petition drive against the trust program, complaining it was too heavy-handed. The safety net dwindled as locker theft continued, eroding trust among students and some of my own confidence. Eventually, another $2,000 in school funds were used.
After a trial period, we had a school vote on whether the trust program should become permanent. Trust won that day, but not for long. By the end of the year, a new student council president was elected on a platform of putting the locks back on and ending what he called a burdensome government program.
With this experiment in trust, we learned a lot about ourselves and what government can and cannot do, even on the smallest level. It showed how some young people, when called to a higher principle, can respond in a positive way. Even if the trust doesn't last forever.
Columnist Thomas Maier's opinions are his own.
