Public school vs. private school (p.4)
See Feature page for a comparison of private and public schools in key areas such as workload, class size, athletics, and food.
Winter sports update (p.11)
How do you feel about guns? (p.3) Current discussion about second ammendment rights and gun laws has the country divided. Turn to Op-Ed to read opposing views on this controversial subject.
Turn to Sports to read reports on swimming, fencing and wrestling.
Febuary 2013 | Volume 114 Issue 6
the
Dial
voices.hackleyschool.org/dial/
Voice of the student body
The evolution of 21st century cheating
isabelhayward staff writer cademic cheating, plagiarism included, Other teachers alter their tests slightly for different is common among students in middle classes to prevent answers from being shared among school, high school, and college. Accord- students of different class sections. “If there is more than ing to an online study, 73% of all test a week and a half when kids have not taken the same takers, including all prospective graduate assessment, I’ve had to write a third version of a test,” students and teachers, agree that most students cheat at said math teacher Semere Baraki, regarding students some point during their academic career. who miss school and need to take a test at a later date Classic ways of cheating include “cheat sheets” that than the rest of the class. “It’s rare, but I’ve had to do come in a variety of forms. Answers written inside the it,” he said. label of a water bottle, in the front pocket of a binder, or Teachers are unable to prevent students from sharing even on hands or arms are typical examples. “I have seen answers between class sections. This form of cheating is kids cheat by leaving an open book under their desk or common at Hackley, as 52% of students admitted to by actually writing stuff on their hands,” said sophomore receiving information about a test from another classmate Erik Bostrom. “They also look at tests from other kids before he or she took it. but there are probably a lot more ways, and that’s why Homework is one of the areas of school in which it students can get away with it.” is easiest to cheat and get away with it. “When it comes These “classic” methods of cheating still occur today, to homework, it’s a gray area for students. I encourage but students have found new, updated ways to cheat students to work together on homework, but working using some of the new technologies. Students now have together is not the same thing as copying down,” Ms. the ability to obtain answers on their phones through Kaplan said. texting other students, using pictures of the answers, According to Ms. Kaplan, homework is a little bit and even looking up information online through sites harder to tell if someone has been cheating. “If two people like Google. “With technology, have the two exact same wrong antaking pictures of answers and swers, then I start to get suspicious,” texting the answers to other she said. According to the poll, people has gotten easier,” said 42% of Hackley students let other sophomore Lissa Villani. classmates copy their homework Sites made specifically for while 25% admit yhey have copied high school students, like a classmate’s homework. Sparknotes and Shmoop, inAccording to Mr. Baraki, the ~Semere Baraki most important thing a teacher can clude summaries and analysis on books that are included in do is have faith in their students. Hackley courses. Although these sites are allowed if given “Trusting your kids, and letting them know that you permission by a teacher, this is the most prevalent form trust them [is the] biggest leverage you have because you of academic dishonesty at Hackley, as 75% of students can’t close all the holes to prevent the kids from cheatadmitted to using these resources in a recent Dial poll. ing,” Mr. Baraki said. Because of high pressure to get into a good college, While some cheating offenses are intended to raise high school students feel as though higher grades, rather grades, others are accidental. “When we are contacted by than knowing the material, have become their main fo- teachers who suspect that their student has plagiarized, cus. Some are willing to do whatever it takes to achieve sometimes we go back to the teacher and say ‘I think this. “Students cheat to get a higher grade for a class they this student just needs more education, because I don’t don’t like or don’t do well in, “ Erik said. think what he or she did was necessarily on purpose,’” On the other hand, reasons for cheating vary from said Head Librarian Bria Judkins. saving time to simply being lazy. “[Students] do it because Hackley middle school students have formal trainthey think they would get a better grade from copying ing on the intricacies of academic cheating. However, rather than studying,” Lissa said. “Or maybe they thought students’ understanding of cheating is dependent on it’d be easier.” the teacher and department. In certain courses, it is the “I understand when students feel panicked and teacher’s responsibility to educate students on the subject, desperate, and they look over at someone else’s paper while in other classes students are expected to understand during a test,” said Math Department Chair Diana what constitutes cheating entirely on their own. “Some Kaplan. “But if they come to the test unprepared, ready students, especially younger students, may not always to cheat, then that is intentional and should be handed recognize what they’re doing is cheating,” said Head of over to the dean.” Support Services Linda Sadler. In order to combat academic cheating, teachers take “To prevent this from happening, teachers need to precautions and use certain methods to reduce the op- lay down their expectations, very clearly, as to what portunity for their students to cheat. “I let students retake constitutes cheating, when they can work with a partner, certain quizzes,” said freshman English teacher Anna and how to cite sources, so that it is very obvious to the Abelaf. “I do this so students feel less pressured about students,” Dr. Sadler said. getting a good grade.”
A
“
by the numbers
58% Have
received information about a test
9% Have used a
You can’t close all the holes to prevent the kids from cheating.
news bites
Vandalism in Goodhue
On Thursday, Jan. 24, the study rooms in Goodhue were locked and signs were posted on the doors stating that they had been closed due to vandalism. On Wednesday night, librarians had found obscene drawings on the wall of study room 202A as well as toothpaste smeared on the floor. The decision to lock the study rooms came from Assistant Headmaster Phil Variano. According to Upper School librarian Jackson Blossom, there had previously been a pattern of destruction and signs of overcrowding within all rooms. As of Jan. 29, there is no word on when or if the study rooms will re-open.
smartphone during a test
75% Have used
Sparknotes or other online resources 52% have given information about a test. 26% have copied a classmate’s homework. 42% have let a classmate copy his/her homework. 4% have plagiarized on an essay.
Review and Exam schedule updated with subjects
Feb 15
Feb 19
History and math review
History and math review
Feb 25
Feb 26
Feb 27
Feb 28
Mar 1
Language exams
Science exams
English exams
Exam make-up day
Science, english, language review
Feb 20 History exams
Feb 21 Math exams
Feb 22 Science, english, language review