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?