Ekka Adler has seen cheating take place in the classroom first hand. "I was taking a test, when I noticed a student was cheating," the freshman at SUNY Rockland Community College said. "The person just put their study sheet in front of a clear folder and placed it on their backpack, cheating throughout the whole test." The undeniable truth is that many high school and college students are cheating their way through school, and RCC is not exempt. "I think it really unfair. I study so hard and that person doesn't and they end up getting a higher mark on the test than I do," said Adler. "It's unjust. It makes the people who do study look bad." There are many reasons for cheating, most notably the pressure. "It is so competitive in getting into a college that students are doing anything to get the best grades," said Stephen Hano, head of the MgD program at RCC. Many students feel like there is no other option but to cheat. A recent survey reported that 49 percent of American teens have said they cheat a lot, 35 percent said they've only cheated once or twice, and only 16 percent said they have never cheated. "Come on, when the teacher walks out of the room during a test and I don't know an answer, it's like impossible not to cheat," said Dan Mosow, sophomore at RCC. "I've seen people talk during tests and look under their desks for notes when a teacher leaves the room," said Flor Rivera, a freshman at RCC. So what are the consequences if you are caught cheating at RCC? According to the student rule book, it is entirely up to the teacher. The student can get as harsh a penalty as expulsion or as small a punishment as politely being asked to stop. "I would go to someone higher to see what to do if I had proof that someone was cheating," said Beth Cunin, psychology teacher at RCC. "If I just see wandering eyes then I make a comment like 'it's tempting to cheat' and hope that the students will take the hint," she said. Other professors, however, take it into their own hands. "Years ago, I had a student write all the answers on his hand. During the test he kept rubbing his nose and the ink spread all over his face, so I knew he had been cheating. When he handed in his test I asked to see his hand and he got so flustered," said Wilma Frank, a speech teacher at RCC. "I simply ripped up his test and that was it. I can't countenance cheating." Hano also had an experience with a student cheating in his class. "One time an international student brought in a dictionary to the test to translate words he didn't know. I noticed that he kept referring to the dictionary more often than necessary. When I went over and looked I saw that he had written formulas in the book," he said. "I immediately confiscated the dictionary and gave him a zero on the test." Many teachers make sure that students won't cheat by simply taking precautions against cheating. "I hand out different tests to every other person," said Cunin. Other teachers pace around the room or totally separate the desks. But this doesn't stop some students. Since technology has advanced tremendously is the past few years, many students are able to cheat other ways. "I've seen kid's texting on their cell phones during a test, probably asking for answers," said Cindy Ruebenstien, a sophomore at RCC. Another soon-to-be popular way to cheat is via iPod. Students can now record their professors and transfer the lecture onto their iPods. If the teacher allows a student to listen to music during a test, then the student can just play the lecture, getting all the answers. Some students feel that cheating is the only way they will succeed. Since grade inflation is going up, it is much easier to get an A from a teacher, and when students don't receive one, they feel like a failure. "A student's mentality is 'if I don't get an A it's useless,'" said Hano. "I wanna go to a good university after RCC and sometimes the pressure just gets to me. I don't cheat a lot, but I have in the past been known to bend the rules a little," said Alex Zimbaski, a sophomore at RCC. Sometimes students learn from their elders to cheat as well. Businesses all over the world are known to cheat. "I think that it's possible that accounting firms may sometimes hire employees who will do a little white-collar crime," said Hano. Not only that, but parents are cheating under their children's noses. One out of four Americans surveyed said it's acceptable to cheat on their taxes. If the parents are cheating, the children are bound to learn to cheat too. "It's like a cycle, I guess. If the parents cheat, then the children will think it's acceptable and teach their kids to cheat," said Ashley Smith, a freshman at RCC. "I think it's very sad for people who see nothing wrong with cheating," said Cunin. "I think it's terribly destructive for society," she continued. And society is being affected by it. There are different levels of cheating. Cheating on an English test is one thing, but who's to say that the student won't get into the habit and continues cheating when things become more important, like on a medical exam. "Sometimes students cheat in school and then see the light, but I think if you cut corners now then you'll continue to cut corners," said Hano. Maybe if the repercussions were more severe, then fewer students would be inclined to cheat. Not one person from RCC has ever been suspended or expelled for cheating. "I know in the business world after Enron got caught cheating and got severe repercussions, other business firms started to cut back in the cheating department," said Hano. "We all need to get over the concept that if everyone does it why can't I?" said Hano. "You can't because it's morally unacceptable!" he said. "Cheaters never prosper, in the end it will catch up with them," said Kevin Johnson, freshman at RCC, "hopefully students will start to learn that early on."
Outlook Student Press > Features
Cheaters never prosper
Published: Thursday, May 18, 2006
Updated: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 02:08
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