To the Editor:
Regarding Tuesday's article ("Poll: 17 percent of students say they have cheated," Nov. 24): I am bitterly disgusted to think that nearly one in five of my classmates is an academic cheater.
Professor of History Omer Bartov questions why students would spend tuition money in order to cheat. The answer is simple. It is the same reason why some people fabricate their resumes or lie to achieve power, fame and money — except less risky. I want to clarify that I am not criticizing Professor Bartov for his comment, as most likely any other professor could have been quoted as saying the same. It is important to continue to point out that academic dishonesty is a form of stealing from oneself.
Professor of Computer Science Andy van Dam's argument that academic dishonesty "debases the coin of the realm" is nonetheless much more brave and true. As I approach graduation, I am realizing that my Brown degree and transcript will represent the greatest achievement of my life. Perhaps many students forget that earning a Brown degree is, in the big picture, a rare and enviable achievement, uniquely qualifying one for positions of power, intellect, and responsibility. Those who falsely possess a Brown degree and transcript because they cheated will devalue my achievement, and the achievements of all other honest Brown graduates. I consider this a significant form of stealing from me. Cheaters receiving financial aid steal from tuition-paying students and the University's donors. Cheaters using Brown's physical and intellectual resources steal from all past and present University benefactors. Cheaters steal from a centuries-old tradition, among the most exceptional in the world, of preparing knowledgeable and moral men and women for the responsibilities of society. These points may seem obvious, but they are under-articulated in today's Brown community.
Graham Anderson '10
Nov. 30
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