M
ETHODIST
Fayetteville, NC
PLAGIARISM
Common problem with no easy answers
By Amanda Fellers
Staff Writer
In a 1990-91 survey of 6,000
students across 31 campuses, 70 per
cent admitted to cheating at least once
in college; 40 percent admitted to
cheating on exams.
Within the past year, Meth
odist College faculty have been con
cerned about plagiarism. On Jan. 31,
Dr. Ronald Speier, dean of students,
and Karen Boyd, assistant dean of stu
dents, both from East Carolina Uni
versity, came to Methodist to inform
faculty about how to deal with pla
giarism. The two spoke briefly at a
faculty meeting with a luncheon fol
lowing to further discuss the problem.
Methodist College’s Honor
Code prohibits cheating, including
plagiarism. The Student Handbook
states, “Anything that is written in a
paper, book report, or any other as
signment must be in the student’s own
words or must properly and fully in
dicate the source(s)...students may
not submit as their own or copy any
part of their papers from another
student’s paper, a paper they have
bought, or anything written by a friend
or relative.”
One of the major issues con
cerning plagiarism is intent. Did the
student plagiarize due to sloppy docu
mentation or did he/she have the in
tent to mislead? Teachers agree that
it is not an easy distinction to make.
The difficulty is determining
someone’s intent.
Students also recognize in
tent as an issue. One student said, “I
think teachers take it too far; is it pla
giarism through ignorance or is it
malice [on the student’s part]?” What
ever the case may be, students should
remember that intent is not required
to prove a case of plagiarism.
Although intent is not a con
cern in regard to proof, it is often a
factor when determining the student’s
NCSU professor, SGA president
provide humor at convocation
By Mike McDermott
Editor
Methodist’s Opening Con
vocation Feb. 7 combined inspiration
and humor to kick off the spring se
mester. Student Government Associa
tion president Leon Clark and N.C.
State English professor Elliot Engel
both drew laughter and applause from
the appreciative audience.
Clark gave a speech on how
to cope with and overcome adversity,
employing a catch phrase used by his
grandmother, “You gotta use what
ybu got to get what you want.”
Clark spoke of adversity he
has faced as a student and an athlete
at Methodist College, and how he has
overcome hardships to persevere and
excel. His speech closed with a refer
ence to the late 1970’s movie Super
man, when he quoted the marquee
poster which stated, “I believe that a
man can fly!” Clark added, “That man
is me,” as he loosened his tie and
opened his dress shirt to reveal his
now-famous Superman tee-shirt.
Dr. Anthony DeLapa, vice-
president for Academic Affairs, took
the stage following Clark to introduce
New show choir holding auditions
...:...page 2
Sports highlights
page 3
Internet not always suitable for children
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Fayetteville needs to be cleaned up and improved page 4
“It always comes back to football”
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c
OLLEGE
Pride
Vol. XXXIV, No. 9
Monday, February 17, 1997
penalty. The issue then becomes
whether students should be given the
ultimate penalty or be given a chance
to redo the work. One teacher said,
“An intent to mislead should carry a
heavier sanction.”
Boyd advised teachers to “be
able to defend the action that you take.
Did you treat the students fairly and
reasonably?”
In an informal poll of 10
Methodist students, only one admit
ted to having plagiarized. Although
most were skeptical when asked
whether they thought plagiarism is a
problem on campus, all ultimately
agreed that it is. Finally, eight out of
the 10 students said they know some
one else who has plagiarized.
The most common re
sponses were, “I know a lot of people
who’ve done it” and “A lot of people
get away with it.”
Plagiarism is a concern on
our campus. Now that teachers have
been informed as to how to discour
age and detect plagiarism, it is equally
important for students to know how
to avoid it.
An academic integrity hand
out printed by the University of Cali
fornia at Davis provides the follow
ing guidelines for helping students
avoid plagiarism:
( Try to use your own words
when writing a paper.
{ When using another person’s
words, use quotation marks and give
credit to the source. Even if you make
slight variations in the language, make
sure you still give credit to the source.
{ Even if you don’t directly
quote the material, document infor
mation and ideas whenever they are
new to you.
( If you are unsure, add a foot
note or citation; it is better to be extra
cautious than not to give credit where
it is deserved.
Is it plagiarism
or not?
Take this quiz to find out.
True or false?
1. Using someone else’s
exact words as your own
is plagiarism.
2. Using someone else’s
ideas as your own is pla
giarism.
3. Every school has the
same definition of plagia
rism.
4. If you didn’t intend to
plagiarize, then you aren’t
guilty.
5. A student can be ex
pelled from college for pla-
giahsm.
6. A plagiarism conviction
on your record can pre
vent you from getting in to
law school or grad school.
7. If you use several pas
sages from another work,
you only have to cite it
once.
8. It is better to turn in a
paper late than to plagia
rize.
9. Plagiarism only exists
when you use material
from a copyrighted work.
10. If you paraphrase the
work, it is not plagiarism.
Answers:
1. T, 2. T, 3. F, 4. F, 5. J,
6. T 7. F, 8. T, 9. F, 10. F
Key point to remember: If
in doubt, cite the source.
Always ask your professor
for help or advice to avoid
plagiarism.
Muscling in for two
m
m
Senior forward Jason Childers takes it to the h(M>p in the Nfonarchs' 71-62 defeat of Newport News Apprentice Feb. 2.
Childers scored 21 points and was twice-named DLAC Player of the Week. The Monarchs remain undefeated in confer
ence play heading into the last two weeks of the season. (Photo by Jamee Lynch)
the guest speaker, Dr. Elliot Engel, a
professor of English at North Caro
lina State University and a leading
expert on the English writer Charles
Dickens.
Engel began his presentation
by stating that Dickens would be “dis
gusted if he thought that A Christmas
Carol was his most popular work to
day.” Engel went on to describe how
he, the day after the drop/add period,
would give his students reading as
signments of novels for which no
CliffsNotes exist.
Throughout his entire hu
morous oration, Engel divulged little-
known facts and anecdotes about
Dickens, such as his invention of the
paperback novel as well as the “pro
crastinated suspense” style of writing,
which is the forerunner to the soap
operas of today. Engel also mentioned
that Dickens, although dead for more
than 100 years now, is still the high
est money-making author whose work
is studied by academia. Dickens made
$68 million as a writer.
Engel closed by saying, “I
didn’t finish my presentation, but if
See ENGEL, page 2
Brother’s illness leads to MC football standout’s
meeting with Michael Jordan (instead of exams)
By Sonya Sparks Murdock
Staff Writer
Sophomore Trayfer Monroe got a call from his mom in
November about a possible trip to Chicago.To see the Bulls. To
meet Michael Jordan.
Monroe remembers saying, “I hope it’s not during ex
ams.”
The trip materialized. And Monroe was faced with the
dilemma: to take his exams on schedule or meet Michael Jordan.
He made the obvious choice.
On Dec. 6, Monroe and his family met Michael Jordan
and dined at Jordan’s Chicago restaurant.
How did this encounter come about?
Monroe has a younger brother: 17-year-old Travis. One
year ago this month, Travis underwent heart-transplant surgery
after an initial attempt to repair his own heart failed. Travis waited
five months for a heart that matched his rare blood type. Before
his surgery, Travis had made one wish: to meet his idol Michael
Jordan. The Make-A-Wish Foundation granted that wish by send
ing his entire family to Chicago for five days.
So Trayfer, Travis, and their family of seven, as well as
nine other families, were flown to Chicago by the Foundation.
They were treated to dinner at Jordan’s restaurant and a special
appearance by Jordan himself, who posed for photographs, shared
jokes, and signed autographs.
Afterward, the Make-A-Wish Foundation sponsored a
party for the families. The Chicago Bears quarterback Eric
Kramer and Chicago Bulls’ mascot “Benny the Bull” showed up
as well.
TTie next night, Monroe’s family saw the Bulls play the
Miami Heat. Unfortunately, the Bulls lost. But that didn’t seem
to matter to Travis. The highlight of the trip was meeting Michael
Jordan. “That was [Travis’] happy day,” Monroe said, smiling.
“Michael stayed at our table [during the dinner] the long
est,” Monroe said. “He was picking at my sister because she
couldn’t.get the camera to work. He kept saying, ‘She doesn’t
know what she’s doing.’ She didn’t have film in the camera!”
Jordan also joked with the crowd, asking them if they
were going to pull for the Bulls in the game against the Heat.
Monroe described Jordan as “silly” but also a “down-to-earth
guy.” Overwhelmed and in awe of “His Airness,” Monroe said.
See JORDAN, page 2
_ m 0 •
MC sophomore IVayfer Monroe met Michael Jordan in December while on a Make>A-Wish Foundatioo
trip for his brother IVavis. The Monroe family dined at Jordan's restaurant and took in a Bulls game.
(Photo courtesy of TVayfer Monroe)