Honor Among Thieves
Learning about the various schools that implement the honor code system this week had me thinking about just why it exists in the first place; basically to put an end to cheating among students, but after reading the sources about said honor code I realized just how often people demonize the person cheating. these sources made cheating seem to be the most unholiest of sins a student could partake in and should be immediately punished for stooping to such levels in the first place, children are raised on the notion that cheaters never win and that its better to fail a test because you don't know it than cheat and pass, but honestly I dont agree with that at all.
When you think of a cheater you probably get the same google stock image of the slacker in the class that spent too much time hotboxing the bathroom than taking notes during the lecture, there the ones who text you at 10pm asking for answers to the homework, or the one etching notes into the table on test day; but if that's really what you think a cheater looks like than you're mistaken, a cheater is anyone who felt that studying or paying attention in class that day just wasn't necessary, if I had a dollar for every time I saw or heard a "model student" cheating on a test or homework then I wouldn't need to be writing this post in the first place. Our parents generation and the generation before that were preprogramed with the ideology that honest failure was better than lying success but wake up and smell the kool-aid when I say that a mindset like that doesn't belong anywhere in this society now. In a world where the schooling system is more competitive than ever before, students are forced to take what ever measures are necessary if it means not failing.
My sophomore Spanish teacher would always say "id rather have you not know it and fail than cheat and pass" to which my eyes would properly retract into the base of my skull usually followed by a sarcastic response to my peers consisting of "well i'm glad you feel that way about OUR gpa's and future occupations"-too quiet for her to actually hear of course-now i'm not saying I cheated enough to the point where that quote actually applied to me but if you're reading this and you haven't cheated on a single test, homework assignment, in class worksheet, or pop quiz, then you're a liar... a rather bad one now that I think about it. Now does cheating on any of the previously mentioned categories above make you a bad person? Would you say that you shouldn't be allowed to succeed because you got stuck on a question and needed to get at least a 90 on this final to pass the class and hopefully get accepted to the college of your dreams? Im not endorsing cheating but It's hard for me to turn a blind eye when the students in the sources and the students around me act so high and mighty with their holier than thou attitudes about it, "YOU BROKE THE HONOR CODE! SHAME ON YOU" how quickly people are to judge and point fingers when they're protected by their anonymity on the subject at hand, but when "attention is focused on surfaces"(Kakutani) you can only expect other students to do so much; you'd never expect the star of the football team or the leader of the chess club to ever glance over your shoulder during your exam, I mean how could they ever break the honor code and live with themselves after I hear you cry, well the answer is easily. YUP I said it, because at the end of the day the average student would rather cheat and possibly have a chance of getting it right than guessing and getting it wrong.
It's just apart of the student condition, i'll be the first to say that I've cheated on a test before because I was afraid of failing and I know a multitude of other students-much smarter than I-who would join me in admitting to it too; in fact lets take it from another perspective where we have a student who is stuck on a question on their final exam, and while breaking the honor code by glancing over to his/her peers paper is risking a zero, suspension, or possible expulsion, because passing the test means more to them than any of those punishments. Does that sound like an unsavory underachieving hoodlum, or a kid just looking for a breather from all of the stress of the ACT, SAT, AP exams, and whatever other beastly standardized test used to map out our future for us? If you take away anything from this post then let it be this, after reading everything I just said about cheating; do the people you chastised in your synthesis essays for breaking the honor code look a little familiar now?
When you think of a cheater you probably get the same google stock image of the slacker in the class that spent too much time hotboxing the bathroom than taking notes during the lecture, there the ones who text you at 10pm asking for answers to the homework, or the one etching notes into the table on test day; but if that's really what you think a cheater looks like than you're mistaken, a cheater is anyone who felt that studying or paying attention in class that day just wasn't necessary, if I had a dollar for every time I saw or heard a "model student" cheating on a test or homework then I wouldn't need to be writing this post in the first place. Our parents generation and the generation before that were preprogramed with the ideology that honest failure was better than lying success but wake up and smell the kool-aid when I say that a mindset like that doesn't belong anywhere in this society now. In a world where the schooling system is more competitive than ever before, students are forced to take what ever measures are necessary if it means not failing.
My sophomore Spanish teacher would always say "id rather have you not know it and fail than cheat and pass" to which my eyes would properly retract into the base of my skull usually followed by a sarcastic response to my peers consisting of "well i'm glad you feel that way about OUR gpa's and future occupations"-too quiet for her to actually hear of course-now i'm not saying I cheated enough to the point where that quote actually applied to me but if you're reading this and you haven't cheated on a single test, homework assignment, in class worksheet, or pop quiz, then you're a liar... a rather bad one now that I think about it. Now does cheating on any of the previously mentioned categories above make you a bad person? Would you say that you shouldn't be allowed to succeed because you got stuck on a question and needed to get at least a 90 on this final to pass the class and hopefully get accepted to the college of your dreams? Im not endorsing cheating but It's hard for me to turn a blind eye when the students in the sources and the students around me act so high and mighty with their holier than thou attitudes about it, "YOU BROKE THE HONOR CODE! SHAME ON YOU" how quickly people are to judge and point fingers when they're protected by their anonymity on the subject at hand, but when "attention is focused on surfaces"(Kakutani) you can only expect other students to do so much; you'd never expect the star of the football team or the leader of the chess club to ever glance over your shoulder during your exam, I mean how could they ever break the honor code and live with themselves after I hear you cry, well the answer is easily. YUP I said it, because at the end of the day the average student would rather cheat and possibly have a chance of getting it right than guessing and getting it wrong.
It's just apart of the student condition, i'll be the first to say that I've cheated on a test before because I was afraid of failing and I know a multitude of other students-much smarter than I-who would join me in admitting to it too; in fact lets take it from another perspective where we have a student who is stuck on a question on their final exam, and while breaking the honor code by glancing over to his/her peers paper is risking a zero, suspension, or possible expulsion, because passing the test means more to them than any of those punishments. Does that sound like an unsavory underachieving hoodlum, or a kid just looking for a breather from all of the stress of the ACT, SAT, AP exams, and whatever other beastly standardized test used to map out our future for us? If you take away anything from this post then let it be this, after reading everything I just said about cheating; do the people you chastised in your synthesis essays for breaking the honor code look a little familiar now?
This was so refreshingly real and accurate. I loved reading this, its not just another 10 blog points for you, but a way to express ur ideas through words GREAT job!
ReplyDeleteYour blog brought up a lot of great points, I too hated how negative the synthesis was towards cheating. Of course, it's not right, but it's not fair to pin these cheaters as scum as we've all been in that position. Thank you for shedding light onto this, your voice really shines through in your post!
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