Image provided by: West Linn High School; West Linn, OR
About The amplifier. (West Linn, Oregon) 1921-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 1, 2008)
2008 3 Cheating episode brings up ethics issues I saac C allagan Contributing Writer Cheating. A prevalent practice that w ill always be frowned upon. As long as there are grades and rewards for excellence, cheating w ill exist. It is an ethical problem and recently became a very public issue here, even making the front page of the Oregonian. In late January, six students were suspended from school after the teacher noticed a substantial difference in his electronic grade book. This was a serious breach of trust between the students and the teacher. Teachers shouldn't have to worry about students accessing their computers. Although the teacher left his gradebook open on his computer, the blame falls on the students. It is expected . that most students would have the integrity to ignore Idle temptation. The issue brings up serious questions for students and teachers to address: how secure do grades need to be before die possibility of tampering is removed. This episode takes cheating further than anything I had seen or heard of in four years of high school. Cheating is a part of high school. Whether copying someone else's homework, using an illicit note card, or taking a furtive glance to the side during a test, students everywhere bend the rules. According to The Oregonian, two-thirds of high school students have admitted cheating during some of their time in school. The key word is admitted, as the actual number would probably lie higher. There are many motivations for students to cheat; In our current, competitive high school environment, the cutthroat battle for scholarships and college admission provides plenty incentive. When being successful centers around earning a college degree, there is more reason than ever to make yourself look better. To the naked eye an 88 percent does not seem too far from a 90, but on a transcript, there is a world of difference. OregonLive posted an article on this and the response was surprising, to say the least. Several visitors to the site that identified themselves as West Linn parents defended some of the students and their actions. There is no hiding the fact that these actions constitute a felony. Luckily for the offenders, they were not charged as such but did receive school suspensions. A few people tried to place blame on the teacher, but it is hard to find fault. The teacher trusted his students, school is not a prison and shouldn't be treated as one. The trust between students and teachers is an integral part of school, a crucial key , to a conducive learning environment. If trusting students was the biggest mistake the teacher made, that reflects on our society when this is considered a risk. This issue is truly about is personal responsibility. Students have to realize that cheating does not help them in the long run and it is up to each student to develop the study skills and work ethic necessary to succeed. The next time you have a temptation to copy someone's homework, make the right choice and instead work hard to further yourself. The temptation to take a shortcut is strong, which makes the individuals who ignore it look even stronger. Make teacher absences productive, not wasteful m S arah C hicoine _______ _ co-Editor-in-Chief With college applications finally finished and senioritis setting in, getting to class in the first place is hard enough. Attending a class with a substitute? Nearly im possible. Even in classes w ith the regular teacher, I find m yself sizing up the worth of the particular class and w onder.. .why am I here? Thinking, "can I ju st leave?" And questioning, "Why am I wasting my time?" Is this busy work really going to help me next year? More importantly, w ill I even remember filling out this pointless worksheet? No. Barbara Heredia, substitute teacher, watches over the students from Gary Eppelsheimer's Photo I As someone who class. Often when teachers do not leave specific instructions, the time spent in class is unproductive. recently went through Photo by Malia Chong about a month and a half of illness, I found m yself When I knew it w asn't That m ovie, or alternative choice. picking and choosing pressing for me to be there, answering questions out Nevertheless, so do which classes were I didn't go. of the back of the book my constructive, class essential for me to attend. or perhaps filling out a Now, I fully understand appropriate activities. worksheet are pointless that teachers are, in fact, Getting my math exercises. They can all people and deserve a day homework done early, off every once and awhile. I be accurately described reading that enormous wonder, though, why must as one thing, busywork. chapter, studying for Even when a substitute is I waste my time since most that test next period, or W est lira i H igh School, 5464 W est A Street, W est Lirai, OR 97068 knowledgeable about the class periods w ith subs getting help from a peer (503) 673-7843 •fax: (503)657-8710 • subject the class is focused turn into busy work? I also w Ihs-am pM er@w lhs.w lw v.kl2.or.us who had last period with on, it seems I spend most understand that legally, we me. Countless, productive The A m plifier is published approxim ately every four weeks by the West of the period trying to have to attend school all options come to mind that Lirai High School Advanced Journalism class. Opinions expressed in understand the lesson, only would benefit me so much day with a teacher present. com m entaries and editorials represent only those of the w riter, and are to be re-taught the same Thus, the m ost desirable m ore than that video or not necessarily the opinions of W est Linn High School, its adm inistration, thing the next day. option, canceling class for faculty, staff, or student body. worksheet. If a test or quiz is that day, is im possible. Turning a teacher's S ta ff R ep orters E d ito rs-in -C h ie f However, I feel as if that planned for that day, I C helsea C allas, Jo n absences into a productive N ic k A m tz H e lm k a m p , Adam H olm es, hour or hour and a half find it reasonable that the S a ra h C h ic o in e study hall seems so much C alley Lathrop, Sydney B u sin e ss E d ito rs: block we are given is not lesson plan is followed. more worthwhile. Having M acN aughton C h ris E rb in fully utilized. Am I really However, in m ost other time-to catch up or finish C o n trib u tin g W riters K elsey Sch rad er getting anything out of this cases I can't help but think homework for later lessons Isaac C allagan, Em m alie C ox, S e ctio n E d ito rs movie that doesn't even of all of other things I would promote class K ira M atsuoka, K aitlyn R agan, N ew s: H illi C iav arello pertain to what we are could be doing. O f course, Lexi W elp, M ary W ood attendance w ith teacher Foru m : S a ra h C h ic o in e Photographers sitting in a comfy chair studying? No! Truthfully, F ea tu res: C h ris E rb in absences as w ell actually Sarah C hicoine, Jo n H elm kam p, S p o r ts : M a x H a y s I am w asting moments of sipping a w hite chocolate help students complete A dam H olm es E n tertain m en t: K elsey my life half listening and mocha at Starbucks, their work done and Schrader perhaps shopping, or m ost likely playing with promote learning. After all, A d viser P h o to E d ito r: even snuggling in my bed title play-dough I got from isn 't that what school is all A n nB reyne M alia C h ong Burgerville during lunch. often seems to be my first about?
