The Athenaeum. (Atlanta, GA) 1898-1925, March 01, 1917, Image 9
THE ATHEN/EUM
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knows it. Both see it every day, yet both let it go by, saying
that “Cheating is almost universal—the college man cheats the
academic man cribs, so let it go; they will see their mistake when
they get out into real life.” And so it goes until the cup runs
over and the worst happens.
Now here comes a clash of opinion between student and
instructor. A student is found stealing in the examinat ions, and
is severely disciplined. Some one will say ‘T knew he was a
thief; he has been by my side cheating for four or five years.”
The teacher naturally asks, ‘‘If you are an honest student, why
allow a man to cheat by your side in every examination for,five
years? Will you allow a man to steal honors from you in this
way? Will you allow him to bring disgrace upon himself and
school bv this sort ot tiling? Why do you not take a stand a-
gainst such practices? Whv not report such a fellow to the teach
err” Then he decries student leadership and initiative and ^ays
that the students are asleep. But the so-called hone t ^t,udent
has a reply. lie wants to know “Why do you.,as an instrpctor
allow a in in to sit bv me and recite daily from a scrap pf, paper
or with his finger in his book? Why did you not cifIJ.thp>man
down for cheating in daily recitations instead of v\ aitii)g,lor 0 the
examinations? If daily work is more important than exatpipa-
tioris certainly he steals more by stealing daily'. Jf.it is \y.rong to
cheat at one time is it not wrong to cheat at another? Where
in lies the difference between a crime committed on Monday
morning in October, and the same crime committed on Wednes
day morning in January?”
The culprit comes forward with a different point of view.
He asks whether it is wrong to cheat at all at any time He
has been cheating very boldly every day and nobody .se’erned to
object until the dav of examination. But he does remember hear
ing someone sav (jokingly) ‘“If you ride, don’t violate the.elevr
enth commandment, that is. don’t get caught.” ... ... ^
Now, what is the trouble? We are simply too slow. Jf.
we do not want cribbing in the’exaininations we must begin to
work to that end no later than the first school day. Senti
ment and not rules must work fair play among the students, and
senriment against a fixed rule cannot be made in a day. If a stu-