opinion
Editorial Cheating:
by James Martin
Collegian Editor
Ed Miseta's survey and
articles in the last edition of
the Collegian have created
something of a stir. The
administration, faculty and
students alike, have expressed
dismay, but not disbelief. I
think that Ed’s statistics were
fairly accurate. His polling
method was simple,
straightforward, and his
questions were clear— but so
are the answers. The simple
truth is that cheating at
Behrend, (as well as at most
other schools), is a fact of
life.
Why do we cheat? The
answers seem fairly obvious.
Usually we cheat in an effort
to improve our grades and in
other cases individuals- cheat
in a kleptomaniac state of
mind. Roughly translated:
cheating for the thrill of
getting away with it. For
Letters to the Editors
ATTN: Editors' desk:
The consequences for being
caught cheating are severe. AH
students know it. So most students
don't like to address the issue
seriously (except when trying not
to get caught). A humorous
approach to the subject is
appropriate then, especially if it
appears in the Opinion section of
the paper.
In the last edition of the
Collegian, an article was printed
that shocked a lot of people -male
and female alike. Ed Miseta had
taken a cheating survey in the
Gorge and wrote about his
responses.- Unfortunately, rather
than reporting - the results of the
survey, he used the opportunity to
reduce the female population on
this campus to nothing more than
an amusement.
"She probably fakes her
orgasms t00..-the most ignorant
person I met was a girl (isn't it
always a girl?)...Ah women. Can't
live with 'em, can't shoot 'em."
Ignorance?? Those state
ments speak for themselves. And if
I'm right, Ed, you aren't a
girl...possibly one of those "she
males" you referred to.
I’ll admit it, when I first read
this article, I laughed at these
comments. But then I considered
the seriousness of the sexist
undertones they presented, even if
they were made in jest.
Does it bother you that you
can't get away with charming the
professors? If you're insinuating
that the only way a female can get
through higher education is by
batting her eyelashes, don't say it
hoo .loudly. I can't imagine the
Smoke
by Maria Plaza
Collegian News Editor
The grey clouds hang heavily
in the air, blurring vision and
hindering breathing. No, it's not
rush Los Angeles; it's a Behrend
lobby.
If you breathe, you too have
probably noticed this phenomenon.
I’m amazed that in spite of the
nationwide crackdown on smoking
in offices, airplanes, and public
places, Behrend students who want
to socialize and relax in a smoke
free environment have only two
choices; the Wintergreen Cafe or
outdoors, (and we all know how fun
that is with Erie weather). It's even
impossible to walk to class without
gagging through poluted hallways
and lobbies.
Ever notice those signs in
the Nick and Behrend buildings?
The ones that say "smoking
prohibited in . . . public lounges
except in special segregated areas
provided for smokers." What a
joke! Every lounge is a smoking
area!-
I realize that smokers have
rights too. Therefore, it would be
impractical, to say the least, to ban
smoking-on campus.
However, non-smokers have
the right to clean air. Since the
two groups can't share the same
areas,' the logical thing to do is
whatever reasons students
choose to cheat, they do so in
the full knowledge of the
repercussions. The minimum
penalty for cheating on an
exam at Penn State is
automatic failure for the
exam. Many professors opt
for more severe punishment
such as failure for the entire
course. Repeat offenders are
generally subject to expulsion.
In light of this kind of
punishment, one wonders
why students ever take the
risk of getting caught. But the
fact is that many students
weigh the alternatives on their
mental balance sheet, and
decide that cheating is worth
the risk.
So, the faculty wonders,
how do we discourage
dishonesty? Their efforts
generally amount to passing
out different versions of a test
and making sure that no one
Behrend faculty will appreciate it.
Granted, it is a shame that there are
a few girls who think that's the way
to do it. But I assure you they are
not the majority and there is no
reason to generalize that attitude.
Even if your survey was
serious, you didn't present it as
such, and all your hard work was
reduced to nothing more than a
laugh by some and insult to others.
If you're truly this chauvinistic,
either keep it out of your articles or
write for a different paper.
Objectivity should be a requirement
for journalists and you are certainly
not meeting this requirement
Now, to address the
Collegian Editorial Staff...As a
staff member, I know these sexist,
.attitudes are not the views of the
Staff I am surprised this article got
through as printed though. Freedom
of speech is a constitutional right
and maybe as such, Ed's remarks
shouldn't be cut from the article.
However, there is something to be
said for professional standards.
There is a sign we all see
around campus that says "RACISM
HAS NO PLACE AT PENN
STATE...we seek not only a
diverse university community but a
caring one as well." Shouldn't the
Collegian help promote this ideal
in all respects?
When this kind of ’slander’
appears on your desk, Jim and/or
Lisa, please consider the credibility
of the Staff in the eyes of its
readers. I would hate to see one bad
apple ruin the quality of the
Collegian.
Respectfully,
Julie Gustafson
screen
lounges. This doesn’t seem to be
asking too much.
What better opportunity to
implement such a program than the
opening of the new bookstore area?
I suggest that the new lounge(s) be
non-smoking. This would be easier
and less controversial than changing
old lounges. It would also save the
new areas from the mesh of ash
trays, cigarette butts, and smoke.
I hope that the
administration opens their eyes (and
nostrils) to this problem and does
something about it. I know many
students would support them.
Editors Note: It is unfortunate
that segregation has- to occur to
protect the rights of smokers and
non smokers alike. However I think
Maria's suggestion is an excellent
compromise and the Collegian
is fowarding it to the administration
for their consideration.
Video USA
4744 Buffalo Road
899-5225
Video USA has free
Lifetime memberships
with- proper ID. Stop
in and : . check out our
movie selection. Over
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from.
sits to close to anyone else.
These are safety measures,
designed to eliminate a lot of
the temptation of a casual
glance at a neighbors paper.
These measures don't insult
me. However, some other
professors take a different
tact. We’ve all had the
experience of a professor who
brings a helper or helpers to
patrol the classroom, gestapo
style, during the course of a
test, yelling at students to keep
their eyes on their own
papers. I'm surprised they
don't bring along guard dogs
to sniff out cheat sheets.
I don't mean to be too
critical. These individuals
mean well. They don't want
students to cheat on their
exams. They want the
students who are studying and
working hard, to be rewarded
with higher grades than those
who are just floating along in
class. However I think that
Dear Editor,
Recently I've been hearing by student services, stop by student
fellow students complaining about govememnet offices; these people
the new bookstore and lack of a arc there for you! Please start asking
decent library. I think it's time for for answers to those things that
you people to get your heads out of bother you. If you start to do that
the clouds and start asking then we can avoid the mixups that
questions. Here on campus there are happen when students don’t realize
several people who are able to help that the funding for the new book
you out with questions. The store comes from the profits from
number ranges from about 100 to the University Park bookstore and
1000. Yes, there are that many that funding for the library comes
people who know the answers to from the Commonwealth of PA.
those questions that have been Thanks for the time.
bothering you all semester. So all
I'm saying is go out and ask. Stop
What Do,You Think?
Who do you think best presented
arguments at Monday night's debate?
Is there something you feel the
Collegian should have covered or covered
differently?
Do you have any comments
would like to see printed?
The Collegian Would like to know!
Letters to the Editor for the next Collegian
should be dropped off at the RUB desk in
an envelope marked COLLEGIAN before 5
p.m. April <>th
TODAY'S
CROSSWORD PUZZLE
46 Cavalryman
49 Adherent:
ACROSS
suff.
50 Animal food
54 Deed holder
55 Epic poetry
56 Church table
58 Marsupials
60 March style
63 Play speech
66 Hostelry
67 Gem
68 Mortise
1 Respond
6 Sipping tube
11 Many times:
poet.
14 Below: pref.
15 Rumpus
16 Victory sign
17 Prorogue
18 Frog
20 Print style
22 Vituperates
23 Commanded
25 African
fitting
69 SlOO bill
70 Realize
71 Sidled
animal
28 majeste
29 Cretan peak
30 Putrefies
32 Fiction
1 Disencumber
2 Chemical
34 Sturdiest
39 Beefing
42 More dapper
43 Completely
45 China’s Chou
suffix
3 Sworn
statement
Candi
What’s a Professor to Do?
patrolling the classroom like a
soviet border guard has an
adverse effect. Nobody is
more likely to be dishonest
than a student whose
professor , so obviously
demonstrates that he doesn’t
trust him. Many students will
cheat, simply to spite an
.instructor of this sort. In a
case like this, a student knows
that the instructor doesn’t
respect him, so there is no
fear of jeopardizing that
respect by cheating.
If someone treats us as
though we were an honorable
person, we will strive to be
honorable. I know of a few
professors who ask students
to sign an academic integrity
statement, after which the
professor will sit at his desk
reading during the course of
the exam. Is this professor
being gullible? Though some
students would use his mist in
them to their advantage, I
The Answer Man
or questions
5 Irish kings'
home
6 Sweet rolls
7 Felines
8 Libertine
9 Bat wood
10 Fish trap
11 Sheepish
12 Emprises
13 Verb form
19 French prom
21 Harbor
23 Wild party
'24 Doll up
26 Makes after
taxes
27 Tumble
30 Coquette
31 More certain
33 Attached to:
pref.
35 Barrel
36 Obscuring
37 From
think that he is sending his
students a message of trust
and displaying a confidence in
them, a confidence that many
students would hesitate to
betray.
I know of one student who
said that though he had
cheated on occasion, he had
one professor whose class he
would never cheat in. The
reason: he said he had a lot of
respect for the way the
professor treated his students.
In addition to trusting the
student, I believe that a
faculty member can encourage
honesty by demonstrating a
sincere interest in teaching the
class, i had one professor
who actually pointed out that
he knew we were all there just
to fulfil a requirement and that
he would much rather be
teaching an upper level class
of students who were
majoring in the subject.
-So did you take us seriously? Did you
actually think that Dean Lilley would
resign, Behrend secede from Penn State,
and Julia Child join Food Services all in
the same week? These articles(designated
MORE), were not only ridiculous and
completely fictitious- hopefully they were
funny too. The Collegian intends no
malice towards any of the individuals
mentioned. Please accept them in the spirit
of the day. Happy April Fool's Day!
40 Stout's Wolfe
41 Redden
44 NY city
47 Persons
48 Pitching stat
50 Witchery
51 Unmatched
52 Rock
53 Partakes of
55 Slackened
57 Agts.
59 Bygone
61 Bishop’s area
62 Color
64 Buck’s mate
65 Goal
Answers:
Page 12
-More
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Editorial Policy
The Behrend Collegian’s editorial opinion is deter
mined by the Editor, with the Editor holding final
responsibility. Opinions expressed on the editorial
pages are not necessarily those of the Behrend Col
legian. The Behrend College, or The Pennsylvania
State University. The Cony Jounal, the publisher of
the Behrend Collegian, is a separate corporate in
stitution from Penn State.
Letter Policy: The Behrend Collegian encourages
on news coverage, editorial policy and University af
fairs. Letters should be typewritten, double —spaced,
signed by no more than two people, and not longer
than 400' words. Students letters should include the
semester and major of the writer. All writers should
provide their address and phone number for verifica
tion of the letter. The Collegian reserves the right to
edit letters for legnth and to reject letters if they are
libelous or do not conform to standards of good taste.
Postal Information: The Behrend Collegian
(898—6221) is published fourteen times annually
(seven times during each academic semester at The
Behrend College) by the students of The Behrend
College; the Reed Union Building, Station Road,
Erie, Pa
16563 .
Collegian
Throughout the course , the
professor never changed or
improved his attitude. When
the day of the first test arrived
the result was predictable.
Even though the professor
took numerous precautions, a
vast majority of the class
sported cheat sheets which
they made full use of. The
professor hadn't been trying
and neither were they.'
In sum, cheating is an
unfortunate and all too
common an occurence at
Behrend. I don't think that
the key to eliminating
dishonesty is treating a
student like an accused
criminal. I think respect and
dignity will go a lot further
Perhaps a school-wide honor
code would be an incentive
for some. Whatever the
answer is, I know that if you
treat a student like a criminal,
he's likely to act like one.
So next time, show how much you
care. With foam for her. And condoms
for you.
It might take a sense of humor.
But it's part of getting serious.
Protect your bve with condoms.
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