the stentorian
Volume 14, Number 1
NCSSM, 1219 Broad Street Durham, NC 27705
October 13, 1994
Around the world and back
By MAGDA KOTEK
News Editor
International
The bubonic plague has surfaced throughout India. Over four
hundred cases have been reported though many have proven
to be false. Passengers on planes from India have been
warned of the disease and are being surveyed by doctors for
up to three days after their arrival in the U.S.
After the sinking of the Swedish ship, the Estonia, Swedes
have begun to mourn the loss of nine hundred passengers. Of
the one thousand and ninety on board, only 190 survived A
suspected cause of the disaster is a severed cargo door that
allowed the ship to flood.
After two weeks in Haiti, U.S. troops have begun to disarm
supporters of the Cedr^s regime. Many Americans though are
disappointed with America’s inconsistent if not stagnant
Haitian policy. Troops are expected to begin leaving the
island country in the coming days.
National
South African president Nelson Mandela has made his first
trip to the United States last week. In addition to addressing
the General Assembly, Mandela met with American business
leaders in order to strengthen economic ties between South
Africa and the United States. He also discussed the Haitian
and Rwandan problems with the President.
Japanese and American trade representatives met to discuss
Japan’s unfair trade policy with the United States last week.
Japanese industries, such as the automobile, glass works, and
telecommunications industries, have agreed to use more
American products. This deal will likely bring billions of
dollars into the American economy.
New statistics show that 27% of annual American household
incomes accounts for consumer spending debt. Economists
question whether the slow increase in household incomes will
lead to an eventual increase in interest rates. The FED,
though, has decided not to raise interest rates.
The O.J. Simpson saga continues. Three and a half months
after the murder of Nicole Simpson and her friend, Ronald
Goldman, lawyers have begun to whittle down a jury pool
from close to one thousand Californians to twelve. The trial
is not expected to begin for a few more months.
The space shuttle Endeavor was launched three weeks ago,
and is currently using digital radar imagery to measure carbon
monoxide and pollution levels on Earth. Scientists have
discovered that pollution levels in North America are much
higher than those in South America.
Nationally subsidized health care is dead because of
congressional disagreement. Also, Democrat incumbents are
struggling to be reelected.
Local
A reporter and photographer from the popular magazine “The
U.S. News & World Report” visited Science & Math three
weeks ago. The Journalists were working on a story about a
in life in a local institution. The story will be appearing in an
upcoming issue.
Sports
Both the national league hockey and baseball labor disputes
have not yet been resolved.
The football season has just begun.
rMi-
Photo by Brian Yen
NCSSM has recently undertaken new efforts to try to put an end to academic dishonesty.
Here, Lisa Worthington, junior, sneaks a peek at senior Julie Munoz's test paper.
Much ado about nothing?
By ROBERT DALAND
Staff Writer
Controversy arose last
year from a study some students
did about academic honesty. Of
the students who answered the
questionnaire, 64% replied that
they had, at some time, done
something they knew theif
teacher would consider
cheating. That figure may
sound high to some, but Dr.
Warshaw, the principal, said
that it is actually lower than the
national average, about 76%,
for similar studies done at
colleges. So what’s the
problem?
Academic dishonesty is
defined, in a pamphlet by the
math department, as anything
including the “giving, taking,
or presenting of information or
material with intent of
unethically or fraudulently
aiding oneself or another
person.” The problem with this
is that it should not exist at all.
However, some teachers and
administrators felt that a few of
the students last year were not
clear on exactly what
constituted academic honesty.
Near the end of last
year SGA organized what is
known as a speakout, an event
where students have a chance
to share ideas on issues that
affect the community, on
academic honesty. However,
the faculty members attending
outnumbered the twelve
students present. Said SGA
president, senior, Janora
McDuffie (then a junior
representative), “There was a
large faculty turnout, but there
were not as many students as
some had hoped.”
This year the faculty is
getting more involved with the
issue. When the seven
department heads met before
school began this year, they
decided to emphasize the
academic policy in all the
classes. In a staff meeting, the
English teachers volunteered to
give a portion of their run-
through the first day to talk
about academic honesty. Math
and computer science teachers
passed out a brochure,
containing examples,
definitions, and other
information regarding
academic dishonesty, to all their
classes. Teachers were all
required to put a brief statement
concerning their individual
expectations in their course
expectations handout.
Is the policy being
pushed too hard? Dr. Goebel,
of the math department, replied.
“No, it sounds like an.overkill,
but this way the student body
realizes that we're serious about
it." Dr. Kolena, of the physics
department, feels that it is
basically the same as last year,
but that some incidents had
made it clear that the point was
not getting across.
Mrs. Dusenbury
(formerly Ms. Meadows), a
history teacher who has been
with NCSSM ever since the
doors opened, said, “I haven’t
had a problem (with academic
dishonesty); maybe that’s
because I don’t look for it.
When I do encounter a
dishonest student, I feel that
we should work it out
ourselves.”
Most of the seniors
interviewed felt that the new
policy -was not being pushed
too hard. “1 don’t think it’s
much different from last year,”
said one senior. Another said,
“A lot of people cheated last
year, and it helps you learn if
you do your own work.”
Some juniors, however,
felt that the new policy was
being pushed too hard. “It’s
overdone to the point where
people want to break it," said
one junior. Stated another, "We
don't need a sheet for every
class.”
Several teachers
expressed the possibility of an
honor code. Dr. Winters,
science department heaa. s;iid
that he felt an honor code was a
good idea but when it was
mentioned a few years ago.
nothing ever happened. Dr.
Eubanks, a biology teacher new
to NCSSM. said that most of
the schools she has taught at in
the past had honor codes, aiul
she thinks having one here
would help.