Newspapers / Albemarle High School Student … / Jan. 1, 1983, edition 1 / Page 2
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Page 2 THE FULL MOON January-February 1983 CHEATING: An Update Which Asks, “How Honest Are Students?'’ The way in which a student copes with daily pressures is a measure of his mind, body, and character” By TINA CAGLE and MARY MOOSE Cheating is an underlying ele ment in all types of classrooms. Teachers and students alike are well aware of its existence. How ever, since at a given time or in a given circumstance different stu dents will cheat, accuracy in this or any survey is impossible. These findings are merely an at tempt to somewhat reveal stu dent actions and opinions. Three years ago a former ASH journalism student wrote an in- depth article on cheating. With exams just ending, the Full Moon Staff decided it was time to see if students have changed their opin ions on this controversial subject. In this survey on cheating ap proximately 20 students from each of the four grades were poll ed from randomly selected home rooms. The first question asked Do you ever cheat on tests? Yes 80% No 20% these students, “Do you ever cheat on tests?” The majority of students, 64, answered yes, while the remaining minority, 16, answered no. This difference shows that overall, most students do cheat. The Juniors ranked highest among the classes with 21 of the 22 people polled confessing to cheating. Freshmen followed closely with 17 of the 23 cheating. The majority of the sophomore class, 7 of 15, also confessed to cheating. Eleven of the fifteen se niors polled admitted cheating at some time in their high school career. Opinions on the morality of cheating is also shown in this survey. The majority of all polled proclaimed cheating as being “Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure on a student that he feels he has to cheat” morally wrong. However, this majority was not great. One stu dent replied, “No” and gave this as her reason — “Sometimes there’s a lot of pressure on a stu dent that they feel they have to cheat.” In opposition to these comments, common replies in cluded, “Because it’s not fair to others,” and “Because you’re not helping yourself learn anything.” When questioned on cheating tactics, students commonly responded that “cheat sheets” are the dominant method. These “cheat sheets” are small pieces of paper with the needed informa tion. Normally this paper is con cealed underneath the test paper or on the desk seat under the stu dent’s leg. Talking and looking onto another’s paper were also frequent answers. Other modern methods include stolen test ques tions, plagiarism of scholarly work, and “ghost-writing,” which is having another person do one’s work. To combat cheating, most col leges, preparatory, and private institutions maintain an “honor code.” At the completion of tests, students must simply sign a statement pronouncing their in nocence and honesty. These codes are normally strictly en forced. Expulsion and/or suspen sion are likely on the college level. Area high schools have no such code but perhaps it should be considered. Who is responsible for cheat ing? This question leads an answer comprised of several dif ferent factors. Parents may be responsible in part for their demanding pressure. They may not realize the limits of their children and, therefore, con tinually push them harder. They feel that it is because the child is not trying, never because he just cannot do any better. Parents must realize the true capabilities of their children. The attitude of parents in deter mining right from wrong may further contribute to the practice of cheating. They call it “clever” to hedge on income taxes, take ashtrays and towels, pad expense accounts and speed a little here or there. Is it so different? Another factor responsible for cheating lies within the educa tional “system.” Too much em phasis is perhaps placed upon grades and exams, and not enough on ability. Instead of con- “To cheat once is to open the door for further dishonesty. That door can be closed if the individual is determined to live by his own means” ... a teacher centrating on real learning and student growth, memory work and tests are of prime concern. Teachers may also contribute to the practice of cheating. They may leave during a test, give the same test to each class or not test frequently enough, creating the “do-or-die” exam. Expecting too much in the way of facts, figures, dates, and small details may also drive the potential cheater to his limit. When questioned on her view of cheating, one student sug gested that “Teachers should al ternate test days so that a student would not have six tests on one day. It’s a shame when a test is given and everyone fails and the teacher just moves on to some thing else.” Foresight and com mon sense by the teacher could eliminate some possible cheat ing. Quoting one teacher, “The way in which a student copes with dai ly pressures is a measure of his mind, body, and character.” The final responsibility for cheating of course lies within the student, for he alone must choose the course of his own actions. Moonbeams student Lion for January is Kelly Herrin. Student Optimist for January is Barry Brummit. Student Rotarian for January is Carol Harbers. The McDonald’s Student of the Month for January is Matthew Howard, who received a free birthday par ty for this honor. Shane Chavis won the essay contest, “Why I as a teenager don’t drink and drive”, sponsored by MADD. N.C. State School of Textiles is sponsoring a luncheon for five interested seniors who are planning to attend State. Those attending are John Montgomery, Anthony Reese, Barry Brum mit, Matthew Howard, and Darryl Shaver. Student Lion for the month of February is Matt Howard. Student Optimist for February is Etelle Taylor. Mary Moose is the Student Rotarian, and Todd Rogers has been selected as the McDonald’s Student of the Month for February. Congratulations to Allison Smith and Kathy Love for being chosen to attend the Mars Hill Choral Clinic February 3-5. Five ASH students have recently formed a group called SADD, Students Against Drunk Drivers. These students will as sist MADD with projects such as a letter writing campaign to the state legislature. They are Louis McSwain, Pam Treece, Glenda Poplin, Anita Blake, and Rodney Davis. Happy Birthday, Dr. King Your Dream Still Lives By CYNTHIA ASBURY & CHERYL GULLEDGE Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. would have celebrated his fifty- fourth birthday on January 15, 1983. In April of 1968, Dr. King’s life was ended by the fatal bullet of a vicious assassin. The death of Dr. King was a great loss to peo ple throughout the country and the world. Martin Luther King, Jr., son of Reverend and Mrs. Martin Luther King, Sr., devoted his life to the civil rights of people everywhere. Dr. King’s civil rights movement began in 1955 with the bus boycott in Mont gomery, Alabama. The success of this boycott showed civil rights could be gained through a non violent protest. From 1955 to 1965, Dr. King led many demonstrations to promote Civil Rights and liberty for all people. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 are two laws Dr. King’s demonstrations brought about. On August 28,1963, Dr. King de livered his well known speech “I have a dream” at the Lincoln Me morial in Washington, D.C. In 1964 Dr. King received the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. King based his nonviolent demonstrations on theories of Henry Thoreau, author of “Civil Disobedience,” and Mohandas K. Gandhi, who used nonviolence to help free India from Britain. Like Dr. King, I too share the dream that one day our nation will rise up and live the true meaning of its creed, that ail men are created equal. I have a dream that children will live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their charac ter. I have a dream that black boys and girls and white boys and girls will be able to join hands as brothers and sisters; and I pray that racism and discrimination will become an ended nightmare. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Dr. King; your dream lives within me. V\6 fk
Albemarle High School Student Newspaper
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Jan. 1, 1983, edition 1
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