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Thursday, October 26, 2000 - Page 8 COMMENTARY Honor code policy evolves oft the mark Ai/a Albrecht discusses her thing, yet the Honor Code has been con- by Mark Parisi disappointment with how the verted from a trust policy into anti-cheating IbOAy'S 70P/C 15 "HOW -TO ~t.L honor code has changed. propaganda. It has been proposed that every classroom I~ )6(J~ PCrVALLY A&E? To mark one's tests and papers with the but my biggest concern is the shift in atti- simple words "Honor Code" followed by a tude regarding the Honor Code. It seems to SAD signature was considered sufficient proof me that people are more occupied with stu- that students were aware of the trust placed dents memorizing the Honor Code word for in them, and that teachers accepted work word than they are with maintaining the prin- signed this way as proof that they in tum ciples on which it was' formed. The Honor trusted students to know their responsibili- Code is no longer about trusting students to ties. behave as responsible adults. Rather, it is Of course, whenever a policy of trust is now more of a threat or a punishment, akin implemented, a few individuals choose to to writing on the chalkboard one hundred violate it. The Honor Code was no excep- times, "I will not cheat." tion. Unfortunately endeavors to eliminate In case I seem to exaggerate allow me Honor Code or no Honor Code, cheating is never .tolerated by academic institutions. violations completely resulted in the Honor to relate the incident which prompted me to Code changing from something used to treat write this. On the last day of a recent gym students as adults into something used to class, I finished my test (no cheating in- treat students as children. volved) and quickly dashed off a slightly First, the Honor Code was amended to abbreviated version of the HonorCode at the include an informant clause. With the addi- bottom: "I have neither given nor received tlon of this clause, the now-famili~ "nor . unauthorized aid, nor tolerated others doing WMC's student web servi~'r have I knowingly tolerated others doing so," so." even those students who were not themselves My teacher refused to accept my test on guilty of cheating could be held In violation the 'grounds that I had not signed.the Honor.; Dennis Lucey announces that auonal-purposes, there aremany-other-pos-t"- -{"'I'll of the Honor Code. With the addition oithis Code. He told me to add "on this exam" sibilities of practical value. clause, the Honor Code moved away from. after "unauthorized aid." I did so. He again there are new opportunities for FACf member Chris Selmer sees web ,';,' being an issue of personal responsibility and refused to accept it until 1 amended "nor" students to have their own web pages as a useful business tool. To him, .a moved toward being an issue of policing. into "nor have I." 1 did so. I was then told pages quality web page that. includes a resume one's fellows. to add "knowingly" after "nor have I" and Westem Maryland College students and would be "good self-promotion for poten- Apparently enlisting every student as a was finally permitted to tum in my test. organizations now have the opportunity to tial employers." potential informant was not sufficient to This incident angered me, but 1also found share their own web pages with the world Ryan Melhorn agrees. "Not only will stamp out all violations, because the Honor it discouraging. What is more important, over the Internet. your resume be accessible to prospective em- Code was then converted from a policy into writing the Honor Code "correctly" or be- Anew web server, stuweb.wmdc.edu, has ployers," he notes, "but you will demonstrate a campaign. The assumption prompting the having in a responsible and trustworthy man- been set up and is ready to host student web that you possess technological savvy." campaign was that if students continue to ner? The trust policy I was so excited about pages. Selmer also adds that web pages could violate the Honor Code. it must be because as a freshman had turned into just another The new server is being maintained by also be a good vehicle for allowing others to they are not aware they are doing so. excuse for nit-picking. FACT, or Faculty Assistance for Computer access information about yourself and your Now, perhaps not everyone knows that Honor Code or no Honor Code, cheating Technology. current activities, noting that "web pages they can be a violator by association, but 1 is never tolerated' by academic institutions. This group is responsible for maintain- could keep family and friends posted on guarantee' that everyone does know they are The WMC community should either decide ing the server, creating user accounts, and things going on in your life." not supposed to plagiarize papers or cheat to place trust in students to behave responsi- helping students learn how- to create their Students can access the new server on tests, and that they will be punished if bly or conclude that the Honor Code is inef- own web pages. through the World Wide Web at http:// tbeyare caught doing so. I hope that no one fective and should not be retained. What- Each student or organization will be per- stuweb.wmdc.edu. Questions and com- here believes a student can come to college ever the outcome, 1 hope the current trend mitted five megabytes of space for their own ments regarding the server should be sent to honestly thinking that cheating is allowed. will not continue: the trend of turning some- use. While this space can be used for recre- admin-@stuweb.wmdc.ectu. 1 assume that no one here believes such a thing positive into a negative. Fridays: why professors should go easy on their students Cyndi Nicoli expresses her - By my third Thursday, 1 found myself to college students everywhere. Therefore like to say that a compromise between us all di t t b ut having classes running out to parties and friends' rooms at something needs to be done about this pesky could be reached, but when the class week lscan en a 0 Frid 10 o'clock only to get home at3 o'clock.ff I problem with classes on Fridays, since it's comes to a close and the weekend begins, and tests on rl ays. came home at all. Then I would get up at 7 obvious few will abandon their Thursday students can't be rational. For many WMC students, a typical o'clock to barely make it to my 8 o'clock on routine. Fridays should be days of review and Thursday night lacks the diligent work ef- time. I propose that professors take it easy on maybe a time to bond with fellow students fort that can be found during the school At first, I thought that Thursday night their students on Fridays, because we have and teachers.' • week. partying was the greatest thing 1could imag- all had a rough week, as well as a rough Thursday nights of fun have been a tra- When I came to college, 1 realized that ine doing at college, until my lack of sleep night. Quizzes and tests are a bad idea. dition for decades, all we can do as a school the weekend begins on Thursday and that and work effort started to catch up on me. How many degree-holding professionals community is to allow this tradition to con- very few people can be found in the library' All of a sudden I began to realize how want to spend their weekend grading exams tinue, by reducing the stress to us all, even or in their dorm room. rough I look early in the morning after too that students took in their sleepy haze fol- professors, on Fridays. Thursday is basically designated as a much fun and too little sleep. Then J real- lowing one good night? I know the administration is not going to weekend night when it's time to let go and ized that professors don't understand the All students need is a little understand- try to mace Friday classes easier on us so have a good time. To do this, of course, one need students feel to go out the day before ing for their plight. Very few, ifany students, we can party, I'm just trying to give them mustleave behind all thoughts of class and their big tests and quizzes. can truthfully say that they haven't blown something to think about. whatever work may be due. When my quiz grades started to drop off necessary work for a much needed break. So party on students, but remember that The first two weeks I was here, I couldn't from B's to D's, I just got sad; I didn't get This is a plea to all the teachers and ad- professors don't care how much fun you believe so many students stayed up until 4 busy working. Going out until all hours of ministration at WMC, please help everyone have. They want you to do the work and pass o'c1oc:t. in the morning on a 'fhursd.ty night. the night is a tradition and an exclusive right: with this plight faced on Fridays. I would their class.