Cheating: How to Halt It?
Last term an Oregon professor burned the “blue-books of
an entire class after it had been reported to him by a student
that cheating had been observed during the examination. 1 lie
class took the examination again.
This is a single case of cheating made dramatic because of
the professor’s reaction. However, it is not an isolated case.
A study by the student discipline committee released in Jan
uary of 1952 showed that slightly less than one-half of Oregon
students admitted cheating at some time during their college
career.
Questionnaires were answered by 1200 students. Similar
questionnaires sent to faculty members showed that there is
little cheating in class as measured by the detection rate.
Of the students polled, 27 per cent said that they had noticed
■“many" cases of cheating and 57 per cent said that they had
noticed a “few” cases. The study showed that cheating tends
to be associated with certain classes.
On Nov. 8, 1951, ASUO President Bill Carey appointed a seven
member committee to investigate the possibility of an honor
code at Oregon. The committee worked 15 weeks preparing the
report.
On Feb. 26 and 27 the* final committee report was published
in the Emerald. The report was printed a second time on Apr.
22 and 23.
On Apr. 9 a poll of 251 student taken under the direction of
Walter T. Martin, assistant professor of sociology, indicated
that four out of five students agreed with the principles of an
honor code as they understood them and 70 per cent said that
they would definitely support it personally.
A referendum election was held on Apr. 24. Students were
asked to answer “Yes'' or “No" to the statement: “I am in
favor of the adoption of the honor code at the University of
Oregon.-' Of the 2027 valid votes cast in that election, 1066 were
marked “Yes” and 961 were marked “No.” Fifty-one per cent
of the student body voted.
Proponents of adoption of the code did not believe that the
slim majority in favor of the code was sufficient to push the
proposal further and it was dropped.
Two important West Coast schools have honor codes. They
are Stanford and Reed college.
Oregon’s honor code committee sent members to visit Stan
ford last year. They were tojd that:
The honor system will survive as long as a large majority
of students want it and work to maintain it.
The honor system is much superior to proctoring.
The main power of the honor code is that it has strong penal
ties. (Penalties for cheating range from an F in the course and
a term’s suspension"to permanent suspension.)
The greatest amount of cheating is done in lower division
courses.
In 1951 nine cases of cheating were reported.
Reed college has had an honor system for 40 years. 'J he Reed
system applies to the student's whole life, not just the class
room. In the last three years there have been only three in
fractions in the classroom, according to Ed Jacobs, Reed col
lege student body president.
To start an honor system Jacobs believes that the college
must first educate its students to the idea, with such education
starting in the living organization and then built into the col
lege community.
The responsibility for cheating is dual. It rests with the
student and the instructor. There are two general lines of ac
tion which might be taken:
1. Students might adopt some type of “honor system ’ which
would expose and discourage cheaters.
2. The faculty might control exams more rigidly and in
crease the precautions taken against cheating.
The ASUO senate has started to prod to life the Oregon
honor code committee. This committee could do much to edu
cate students in the meaning of an honor system. A great deal
along this line was accomplished last year, but the process is
necessarily a long one.
The honor code committee recommended last year that a
file of back tests be established in the library and made avail
able to students. Such a measure would keep professors on
their toes and force them to devise new examinations. It would
also eliminate the advantage of the fraternity or sorority life
which aids only a small portion of the students. We believe
that this file should be established as soon as possible.
Cheating, like taxes, is always with us. The danger is becom
ing complacent about it. Definite moves should be made to cur
tail cheating. '
Daily
EMERALD
The Oregon Daily Emerald published Monday through Friday during the college year
except Jan. 5; Mar. 9, 10 and 11; Mar. 13 through 30; June 1, 2 and 3 by the Student Publi
cations Board of the University of Oregon. Entered as second class matter at the post office,
Eugene, Oregon. Subscription rates: $5 per school year; $2 per term.
Opinions expressed on the editorial page are those of the writer and do not pretend to
represent the opinions of the ASUO or of the University. Initialed editorials are written by
editorial staff members. Unsigned editorials are written by the editor.
Larky Hobart, Editor Sally Thurston, Business Manager
Helen Joneg, Bill Gurney, Associate Editors
Jim Haycox, Editorial Assistant
Al Karr, Managing Editor
Red and Black Dots
Cause Concern
Among SU Thinkers
By Bill Gurney
Last weekend on the Oregon
campus a now problem reared its
perplexing head. Not that the
deeper thinking undergraduates
had solved their old problems —
they still applied themselves with
real fervor toward getting more
money from home, deciding if
this was really love, looking for
the infinite significance of it all
over that lusty-tasting Student
Union coffee, and of course, their
courses. Of course.
But this problem soon began
to split students into two
groups, the ones who knew the
answer, and the ones who did
n’t. And, as somebody probab
ly said once, there was a real
difference. When you figured
it out, you got rid of that hum
ble, searching look, and adopt
ed a sort of benevolent super
iority toward the unenlight
ened. And you wouldn’t tell the
answer, but instead would say
in criptie manner: “It's all a
matter of logic—figure It out
yourself.”
Sam, Joe and Iago
The problem was introduced
by Myron Bagley, a student who
said he knew of it for five years
before learning the answer.
There are three men in the
problem, whom we shall call Her
man, Arthur, and Richard for
security reasons, even though
their real names were Sam, Joe,
and Iago.
All three were applying for
a job in a factory that for
some reason, made 200-shot
repeating waterguns and plas
tic toothpicks.
All Oregon Grads
Now the men were all Oregon
graduates, and were thus highly
intelligent. Also, they possessed
scintillating Dale Carnegie-type
personalities, because they had
been neck deep in campus activi
ties during their college days.
The trouble was that the
watergun and plastic tooth
pick company couldn’t choose
between them. They seemed
exactly equal in all ways.
“A Great Idea”
“Eureka, tempo fugit, and sic
semper tyrannis,” said the com
pany president. “I have just
thought of how we can see which
of these guys is the smartest.”
And all of the vice-presidents, as
good vice-presidents should,
heard the idea and said: "Yes sir,
that’s a great idea!”
' So here is what they did.
They put Herman and Arthur
and Richard into a completely
empty room, with no mirrors,
shills or trapdoors. Then the
president said:
Black and Red?
"I am going to paint on each
of your foreheads either a black
dot or a red dot. When I get
done, I want any man who sees
two red dots to raise his hand.
The first one of you who can tell
me the color of your own dot,
and why you know what it is,
will get the job.”
Next the president painted a
black dot on each of their fore
heads, and left the room. Her
man, Arthur and Richard sat
in chairs arranged in a triangle
and stared at each other, deep
in thought.
Herman Won!
Finally, after about half an
hour, Herman, bless his soul, got
up and said “I’m positive my dot
is black,” and left to tell the
president why. Herman got the
job and finally worked up in the
water-gun business to where his
salary before taxes sounded rath
er impressive. How did he know
his dot was black ?
It Takes All Kinds
“Boy what some of these frat men won’t try just to see th’ inside
of a sorority house.”
The College Crowd
_Campus Headlines Elsewhere
l
By Rae Thomas
The Cavalier Daily, University
of Virginia, has finally figured
out the definition of education.
Says the Daily:
"We have been sitting around
this University, man and boy, for
over five years and we have fin
ally decided that an education is
a process of deadening one end
in order to liven up the other."
* * *
Two doors, stolen from frater
nity houses at Ohio State Uni
versity, have been recovered.
Doors and signs have been dis
appearing from Greek houses on
campus for the past few weeks.
Police are still searching for the
culprits.
* * *
The scientific method has ap
parently gone too far at Baylor
university, Texas. Students go
ing to the biology building have
narrowly escaped being hit by a
flying cat s liver or some other
innard.
This type of thing has been
going on for a long time and has
been the butt of countless com
plaints.
Now the department head has ,
issued a statement condemning
the entire business and warning ‘
the scientists that "This just is
n't the right way to dispose of
used biology experiments."
* * * ^
The Daily Reveille, Louisiana '
State University, views the hon- -
or system there with a slightly
jaundiced eye. "It seems." says
the paper, ‘that the teachers *
have the honor and the students
have the system. "
* * W
Want ad in the Michigan State
News: "Single room for male
student with parking space, on
east side of Lansing."
Jazz With Chas
Recent Recordings Reviewed)
By Chuck (Chas) Karsun
Here are some recent record
releases that I would like to
bring to your attention because
I feel that they are worthy of
mention.
Woody Herman — “Tcrrissita”
and “Clementine” (Mars) . . .
Woody Herman and his stars
from Mars shine on a bright
Ralph Burns creation called “Ter
rissita.” The flip side is that old
gal Clementine in a brand new
dress fashioned with modern
frills, flourishes and embellish
ments. Pretty fair material. De
lectable Dolly Houston brings
the lovely lass to life with her
fine voice. This pairing by the
Third Herd represents, in my
opinion, the best biting, hard
hitting, two-fisted, two-sided re
cord of 1952. They are such de
lights you will want to play them
endlessly. You’ll tarry with Terry
and linger with the fern, Clem.
Billy May—“A Cute Piece of
Propreyt” (Capital) . . . Billy
May’s latest Capitol caper is a
contagious cutie that you will
want to add to your library. It's
a precious piece of property. Dig
that real estate.
Mickey Katz—“You Belong To
Me?” and Feet UP, Pat Him On
The Piplck,” (Capitol) ... Katz,
a former featured entertainer
with Spike Jones, has by far sur
passed his old boss in clever
satire. Mickey's latest record pro
vides the dubious listener with
concrete evidence. For laughs
aplenty, you cats catch Katz.
Jo Stafford—“Keep It A So
cret” (Columbia)... Ye, Gad!
Very sad! Very bad! Columbia *
should have kept this one a se*
cret.
Anita O’Day—“The Lady Is A.
Tramp” and “No Soap, No Hope
Blues,” (Mercury)... Why the
Tramp side by the inimitable'
Anita should be banned from the
radio is beyond my comprehen
s )n. I find nothing objectionable’
or in the least way offensive
about the lyrics. The side without
soap is the cleaner side and has
been given the green light by the
blue pencil boys. When I inter
viewed Anita in Portland last'
month, she called my attention
to Roy Krai’s prodigious piano or
this coupling. Anita turns in, a.1.’’
always, an adroit job.
Frances Faye — “I Wish I
Could Shimmy Like My Sistc
Kate” and “She Looks,” (Cap!
toi- The censors have been.
having a field day of late. Yov
won’t hear these sides on you
Kilocycles, but they’ll “Kill” yoi
at you favorite record shop. An
attentive ear to these etchings by
the effervescent Frances will rr r
veal why she is the smart set’s
"Faye-vor-ite.”