May Leaflet by Sycamore High School

THE LEAFLET volume I issue I may 30, 2014

cheating

the cheating issue THIS MONTH: P2: Problems lead to loss of values P5: Grades cause stress P6: Honor code neglected P7: Even famous people do it P8: Failures in life P12: Deceiving professional leagues P13: Decisions effect on future P16: Faking your way in life P17: Memorizing not learning P18: Personal narratives

EDITOR’S NOTE:

Seeing the word ‘May’ on the cover hopefully gives everyone an automatic sense of relief. We made it; the year is finally coming to a close. Seniors are gone and the juniors have taken over the school - specifically within the staff for The Leaf. We have transitioned into our hierarchy for the upcoming months, and have already put out our final issue for the 2013-2014 school year. Looking toward next year, the students in Journalism Convergence are prepared to come back after a relaxing summer break with a fresh mindset to revolutionize the program like never before. Over the summer, we will be redesigning the print portion of our news magazine as well as the online portion, and we are looking forward to so many exciting things including our magazine, The Leaf, our website, www.shsleaf.com, to be updated daily, and of course our newest addition, The Leaflet. The purpose of The Leaflet is first, to have the ability to display every angle on one central topic that relates to everyone. The next goal is to be able to showcase

The Leaflet Sycamore High School 7400 Cornell Road Cincinnati, OH 45242

Leaflet Editor-in-Chief: Lauren Glynn Print Editors-in-Chief: Atiya Dosani, Lauren Saxon Web Editor-in-Chief: Kathryn Tenbarge Associate Editors: Joseph Ahn, Madeline Marsh, Anna Zhou Managing Editors: Abbey Baker, Isaac Goldstein Creative Projects: Joseph Ahn, Taylor Evans, Hannah Frey, Elizabeth Rickert, Orion Schlosser Business Manager: Caroline Gao Web Master: Eli Seidman-Deutsch Strategic Coaches: Lila Englander, Brenda Shen Broadcast Editor-in-Chief: Victoria Swart, Ben Young

more students who are on the staff and also who are not through our Personal Narrative section. As a final goal, we are aiming to get more readers onto our website. In the future, it is anticipated that most newspapers will be online only. The Leaflet is our way of starting to make that transition along with society. Next year, we will have two issues going out a month: one online and one in print. I hope you enjoy reading about cheating and realize how serious and relatable of a topic it truly is. The Leaflet will be something that we carry on through next year, and we want your help picking the topics. If you have ideas, do not hesitate to tell us; we want to write about what interests the student body. Have a great summer!

Lauren Glynn

leaflet editor-in-chief

Alex Wittenbaum Eli Zawatsky Ben Ruskin Joseph Ahn Brooke Landrum Rujula Kapoor Jordan Baker Anais Cabello Camila Cardenas Benjamin Cohen William Coleman Amy Deng Cameron Foy Max Fritzhand Zach Fritzhand

Sarah Horne Lauren Kurtzer Beverly Liu Jack Loon Ellen Martinson Hannah May Joshua Patterson Orion Schlosser Zoe Schlosser Lauren Shassere Emily Tyler Jennifer Weber David Wertheim Jessica Wocks

THE LEAFLET

School scandals reveal rott BY LILA ENGLANDER

ay Z, Jay Gatsby, and Al Capone all find refuge in the hearts of Americans. These three men represent our nation’s twisted admiration for masterful cheaters. Americans are intrigued by these men, seduced by their risk-taking and their subsequent success. The majority of society is not made up of criminals, gamblers, or drugdealers. But cheating is prominent on a smaller scale, in more realistic acts. Recently, educational cheating scandals seem to be gripping the nation, or at least the media. One explanation for recently publicized academic dishonesty is that students feel increased pressure to secure high GPAs and standardized test scores to get into increasingly competitive colleges. Similarly in New York in 2011, one student used fake IDs to take the SAT and ACT for six other students. To prevent this method of cheating from reoccurring, students now must provide a picture of themselves when they sign up for the SAT and ACT. In New York in 2012, 70 students at

years of cheating cases

SOURCE: http://www.houstonchronicle.com

a prestigious high school were caught using their phones to cheat on tests. According to a 2013 study by the Josephson Institute Center for Youth Ethics, 51 percent of students admitted to cheating on a test in the last year. In 1963 at Columbia University, 75 percent of students admitted to cheating at least once. In the last 50 years, regardless of technology and added pressure, cheating cases have not become more frequent. What’s new is the growing role of teachers and administrators in encouraging cheating. In a survey of 4,000 schools, 50 percent of teachers said they had ignored cheating at least once. A principal encouraged teachers to enable student cheating on standardized tests for five years at an elementary school in Philadelphia. To improve scores, students were provided with answers before taking the tests. The principal allegedly visited classrooms during the test and instructed students to change their answers. In some schools, teachers and

2010 44 Atlanta schools are investigated for state test cheating

administrato rooms to cha their student 200 educat were involve in Atlanta. A had weekend wrong answe together. As scores increa “We were t by any mean told our jobs Sidney Fells, Atlanta to AB In 2004, ed high school s drop out befo the school’s s Public sch teachers’ che high expecta tests. Across and parents protests agai standardized teacher or sc Standardiz administrato with an objec students’ kno

2012 70 students in Ne York were caught phones on tests 2011 New York student uses fake IDs to take SAT, ACT for six others

THE LEAFLET

ors met in conference ange wrong answers on ts’ standardized tests. tors from 40 schools ed in a cheating scandal At one school, educators d pizza parties to correct ers on test documents a result, the school’s ased 45 percent. told to get these scores ns necessary. We were s were on the line,” said , a fourth grade teacher in BC news. ducators encouraged 500 students in Alabama to ore the test to increase score. hool activists attribute eating scandals to the ations of standardized s the country, educators have participated in inst heavy reliance on d test scores in deciding a chool’s success. zed tests provide ors and state government ctive evaluation of owledge.

Ohio will implement a new teacher evaluation system in 2015. Teacher performance ratings will rely more heavily on student test scores than in past evaluation systems. Teachers will receive one of four possible grades: accomplished, skilled, developing, and ineffective. Each district’s board of education must decide how teacher’s evaluations will be used to determine promotions and terminations. “It is good that they want to evaluate all teachers to be fair. It keeps veteran teachers evaluated. However, student performance tied to pay is frustrating and may not be the best way,” said Mrs. Kimberly Cooper, science teacher. Unrealistic expectations for teachers do not justify cheating. However, valuable conclusions can be drawn from these national scandals. Teachers are intended to be models of a national moral code. But our veneration of famous cheaters may reveal that the obsession to succeed at any cost has overshadowed past emphasis on values of fairness and meritocracy.

all images by lila englander

ten core values

2014 Philidelphia elementary school educators are exposed after giving students test answers for five years

ew t using

2013 70 Harvard students are asked to leave due to cheating

GET THE FACTS:

50% F

ifty percent of students in high school do not believe cheating is bad

9 out of 10 students cheat on their homework

seventy five

75% more students cheat on exams, tests, and homework than they did 50 years ago

G N I T EA

38% of students directly copy a sentence off websites

1/3

of teens use cell phones to cheat

95% of cheating high school students said that they had not been caught Source: glass-castle.com

Image by Orion Schlosser, Zoe Schlosser, Brenda Shen

THE LEAFLET

Overstressing grades causes students to cheat BY ELI ZAWATSKY

rades. The mere mentioning of them can strike fear into the hearts of students everywhere. They report on the academic abilities of students and play a large part in determining the college a student will be admitted to. “We’re always told that high school is when it counts, because that’s what colleges will see. But colleges see our grades, not what we learned, and those two things aren’t necessarily the same,” said Abigail McGowan, 10. But are grades a good indicator of future success? Maybe not. In a 1981 study following valedictorians and salutatorians from Illinois high schools, it was found that these superior students only reached an average level of real world success by their

mid 20s. This study clearly shows that grades are not the best indication of a student’s future success. So why do students try so desperately to receive A’s on their report cards, to the point of cheating? The answer lies in the fact that in high school grades are the most prevalent measure of success. An average school year, which lasts 180 days, is valued by a simple set of letters on a piece of paper. “I understand why students have the urge to cheat, because school and colleges seem to stress grades as the most important thing in a student’s life, and I can see why that would drive someone to do whatever they can to get straight A’s,” said Jacob Spiegel, 9. The answer also lies in the fact that

students see college as the goal of their high school careers, not education, and GPA is a very important element in the college admissions process. “Although education should be the way to get good grades, it is often easier to cheat. Right now it’s more important to get into a good college and ensure myself a future education than to get a good high school education,” said Hayden Kirkham, 10. Grades do hold an important place in our current education system, as they determine the type of college a student will go to, but they also offer a blaring opportunity for students to take advantage of the system.

“Sharing is not caring” As pressure in school to do well increases, the amount of cheating increases. Classes that people cheat the most are math and science. Cheating in school can lead to cheating in society.

IMAGE BY SARAH HORNE

Cheating hurts in long-term

86 percent of students in high school admit to cheating. In society, less disappointment comes indirectly when students cheat. Students have started doing whatever it takes to get an A. 80 percent of the country’s best students admit to cheating in a “Who's Who Among American High School” poll. Students are less likely to tell a teacher about cheating because they do not want to "tell on a friend” or tattle.

Source: studymode.com, glass-castle.com

‘ON MY HONOR’

THE LEAFLET

BY ELIZABETH RICKERT n honor code is created to form an environment where everyone has the same positive morals as the people surrounding them. SHS’s honor code has failed to do this job. “All things are possible when we live with integrity, treat others with dignity and take pride in diversity. As a student of Sycamore High School, I can make a difference.” This phrase is printed on the back of every student’s I.D. Although it is never officially called the honor code, the statement does fit all of the requirements. In addition, the incoming freshmen take a pledge in accordance to this code during freshman day. “I honestly think the first and only time I have ever looked at the honor code was when we got our first I.D.s in Junior High and they were still exciting,” said Maggie Pustinger, 10. On top of not being recognized, SHS’s honor code cannot do its job because there are no definite words like will, done, etc. People can pledge to this phrase and break it without any consequences. Also, when students were asked about this statement, many had no clue that it ever existed. In fact, everyone I asked did not know. This shows both a lack of school unity and a fault on the administration’s part in enforcing the code.

“ 6

At some schools and universities, the honor code is taken very seriously. For example, Washington and Lee University (W and L) has a system dating back to its foundation. The code is fairly simple. It essentially says, “Conduct oneself as a gentlemen (or gentlewomen).” The in-depth version shows that violations such as lying, cheating and stealing are not tolerated. This is true at SHS, but it is different at this university. At W and L, one can leave their laptop in the library with no fear of it being stolen due to the honor code. All exams are taken wherever and whenever. Taking exams whenever is of course impractical for SHS, but being able to trust fellow students is not so far fetched. Washington and Lee also uses an allstudent Executive Committee to decide the punishment for any student who has been found breaking the honor code. “The honor code is an integral part of the W and L campus. It is an amazing thing to witness people all agreeing and following a belief that allows the campus to be free from theft and cheating. The ability to implicitly trust all of my fellow classmates will be cherished for as long as I am a ‘General’,” said Matthew Rickert, 12, future Washington and Lee student.

school, if t a t a h t k I thin ers, and h c a e t , s t n stude e honor h t w a s s r to administra e would refer e, w code mor k in. would sin it d n a it e to honor cod e u r t a g in Hav la the schoo e k a m ld ith wou rs. Mered M ” , e c la p r bette teacher. h is n a p S , re Blackemo

Examples of Honor Codes St. Xavier

St. X has a code of conduct that must be signed by all of its incoming students. This is not taken lightly by the school’s administration. It includes a section on cheating and on respecting others. The administration may take the honor code so seriously due to the fact that it also includes a section about their religious beliefs. To summarize, their code is “Men for Others” this motto includes both their religious beliefs and individual morals. If a student violates the code, they will be removed from campus.

ALL IMAGES BY ELIZABETH RICKERT

Honor code wastes away with disuse

Washington and Lee Similar to St. X, Washington and Lee (W&L) takes their honor code very seriously. It is an integral part of their life on campus. The general idea of the W and L honor code is to “‘Conduct oneself as a gentlemen (or gentlewomen).” This includes not lying, cheating, or stealing. If a student is caught doing this they are expelled from campus. This is through a studentrun executive committee.

‘On my honor I will...’

y t i r g e t n I h Live wit Treat Others w ith Dignity

y t i s r e v i D n i e d i r P e k Ta

THE LEAFLET

Athletes reach top of their game by unfair means

heating is an issue that has plagued our society and can take many forms. Whether it is in school, in our personal lives, or in those we look up to, cheating can tear down our walls of admiration. We all know the name Lance Armstrong, the man who won seven Tour de France races after battling cancer. Last year, though, he was discovered to have been ‘blood doping,’ or using performance enhancing drugs, and was stripped of his titles. One might think that our society would learn from the mistakes of others, but cheating incidents within professional athletes continue be prevalent, seen as recently as last month. On April 23, New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was caught with pine tar on his neck which he was using to grip the ball better. During the second inning, the umpire approached the mound and touched Pineda’s neck. He was immediately ejected from the game. Cheating continues despite all efforts of

others to play a fair game. Are people just so With this being a common belief of competitive that they will do anything to get athletes everywhere, is it really that ahead? surprising to learn of the number of them The unfortunate answer is yes. Too that are involved in unfair activities? often athletes, both on professional and recreational levels, turn to unfair means in order to win or to be at the top of their game. Cleary the benefits of successfully cheating outweigh the consequences of getting caught. But maybe that is because getting caught is not all that bad. - New York Yankees Athletes such as Plaxico Burress third baseman under and Muhammad Ali both speculation for substance experienced cheating scandals in their respective sports, were abuse banned, and then allowed to -Admitted to performance return. enhancing drug [ PED ] use earlier It is hard to refrain from cheating if the consequences are in his career not that severe.

All images by Lauren Saxon

BY ISAAC GOLDSTEIN

Alex Rodriguez

- Was given a 162 game suspension for his actions - Hopes to return to the field in 2015

Q&A with Ms. Renee Hevia on cheating Do you see cheating instances often here at SHS?

How do you handle SHS students who cheat?

Kids have come up for academic dishonesty, and I do see students sharing their homework way too often. They are just doing it to get it done, not for the learning, so I think it’s a big problem.

Our policy for cheating is in the student handbook. When a teacher has direct knowledge of a student cheating, the student gets a Saturday school as well as a zero percent on the assignment.

Why do you think people decide to cheat? There are different motives for cheating. Some students don’t want to let down their parents with a low grade. Not wanting to do the work is probably the number one reason why people cheat.

My message would be ‘what goes around comes around.’ If you’re not doing the work, later on it’s going to come back to get you when you don’t know how to do something. Cheating is going to catch up to you, it always does. My message is simple: Don’t cheat.

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SUCCESS FAILUR E

FAILURE IS AN OPTION ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’

BY ORION SCHLOSSER

THROUGHOUT HISTORY

FAMOUS FAILURES

ailure: something that is ultimately inevitable, hardly desired, and highly feared by those who are concerned with the idea of not succeeding. When people hear the word failure, they tie it to negativity. This is most likely due to the fact that our surroundings and experiences have pushed us to look at it in that perspective. “...we hate to fail. We fear it, we dread it, and when it does happen, we hold onto it,” said Susan Tardanico, in her article, Five Ways to Make Peace with Failure, featured in Forbes Magazine. “We give it power over our emotions, and sometimes we allow it to dictate our way forward (or backward). Some of us go to great lengths to avoid failure because of all the pain and shame associated with it.” But where would we be in the world today without the ability to fail? Nowadays more than ever, the thought of failure is changing as a

growing realization of the importance of failure has been exposed. Despite the feeling individuals get when they have failed, failure ultimately provides information that will help individuals be able to do things differently next time. Failure, more than anything, is an opportunity to learn from the mistakes being made. It provides the chance to try again and again until one has found the best and most valuable ways to succeed. History is defined by failures, even from the brightest minds of our time, including individuals such as Oprah Winfrey, Albert Einstein, Michael Jordan, and the list goes on and on. If failure ceased to exist, would society have the technology it has today? Would we be where we are, so advanced and knowledgeable, without the opportunity to fail first and then learn what it takes to truly succeed? Success takes persistence and the confidence to stand back up when one has been defeated. This factor, though not impossible, can be difficult considering that society does

Albert Einstein

Not being able to speak until he was four years old, his teachers continuously said, “he’ll never amount to much.” Einstein created the theory of relativity.

The Beatles When they were first rejected by Decca Recording studios, the studio said, “we don’t like their sound” and “they have no future in the music business.” The band had over 80 billboard singles.

MICHAEL JORDAN Cut from his high school basketball team, he locked himself in his room and cried, thinking he was not good enough. He played in the NBA and made it into the Hall of Fame.

not reward defeat. This judgment of failure makes it easier for individuals to avoid the opportunity of success because they are more focused on not failing. But when people look at failure in this perspective, they lower themselves to average standards because they do not challenge themselves. Failure in the past has been looked at negatively, but recently, according to BusinessWeek, many companies presently are looking for individuals who have records that reflect failure and success. What this shows is that such individuals have survived defeat and have come out successful in the end. According to Winston Churchill, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.” Failure has been redefined and shaped into an idea that can be more advantageous than not. Failure is what leads people to success and their goals. Instead of fearing failure, society should learn to embrace it.

Walt Disney

Fired from a newspaper because he was “lacking imagination” and having “no original ideas” he started the Walt Disney Company, created Mickey Mouse and other famous characters, and started Walt Disney World.

STEVE JOBS

At 30 years old, he was removed from his own company that he started. Jobs became the cofounder of Apple Inc.

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Deal, DON’T dread 5 ways to deal with failure

4 5

Don’t make it personal. Separate failure from identity. Simply because one has not found a successful way of doing something does not make them a failure.

Learn and adapt. Look at failure analytically. Why did failure occur? Gather facts and think about how this will help discover new insight going forward.

FAMOUS FAILURES WHO DID WHAT? His early businesses failed and left him broke five times before he founded a successful motor company.

A. Henry Ford B. Soichiro Honda C. Nicholas August Otto D. Karl Benz

Stop dwelling. Obsessing over failure will not change the outcome. It will intensify the outcome, making it hard to move on. Let go. Stop worrying about changing the past.

Do not rely on the approval of others. Often, fear of failure is caused by fear of judgement. Many are influenced by what people say. If too much power is given to others people’s opinions, it can affect one’s ability to succeed. Try a new perspective. Society has given us an unhealthy attitude toward failure. Shift perspectives away from negativity and embrace more positive associations.

Failure

“ is simply the

opportunity

In his early years, he was told he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb until he succeeded.

A. Charles Darwin B. Francis Bacon C. Nicholas Copernicus D. Thomas Edison

Before she published a series of novels about wizards, she was nearly penniless, divorced, and trying to raise a child on her own while attending school.

to try again,

A. Jane Austen B. J.K Rowling nie Meyer Stepha C. D. Jodi Picoult

this time more

intelligently”

All Images By Orion Schlosser

Answers: A, D, B

-Henry Ford

One of the few project-based classes that is offered at Sycamore is Theory of Teaching, better known as TPA. This class was new to SHS this year, but it is well-known throughout the country. Students who participate in the class for two consecutive years have the chance to get three credit hours for college if they are considering going into teaching. This class does not have any real tests. The students are evaluated by how they make lesson plans and put them to use in front of the rest of the class. In the shot above, students are teaching that we need others to be able to get things done. The class took off their shoes and were blindfolded as the teacher hid the shoes around the hallway. Students had to find their shoes without taking off the blindfolds using only the other blindfolded people.

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Photo courtesy of Nikita Tandon

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Project-based classes take on education field BY ANNA ZHOU

the real world and I feel like doing is better than just memorizing,” said Mrs. Jody Googins, TPA instructor. Based on a series of projects, TPA provides a chance for students to apply knowledge in a real world context. “We never have lectures because we are always working hands on, on our own projects. I think project-based classes cater more towards how students function best: moving, thinking, and doing everything on their own,” said Esther Kaplan, 11. Another aspect of projects is teamwork; however, as seen in the real world work environment, the work load is not always evenly distributed. “Sometimes working on a team is good and sometimes it is bad. Some kids do more work.

I think that teaching kids accountability at a young age is important,” said Googins. As academic pressure continues to increase, it seems as though the desire to get perfect grades will continue to increase as well. Unfortunately, this yearning to achieve excellence may also bring the urge to cheat. While project-based classes have yet to make their way into mainstream education, they certainly provide a viable alternative to combat academic dishonesty.

s io n s s e f o r P g Te a c h i n d e m y Aca

NA ZHOU

sse s la c d e s a Proj e c t- b

AN IMAGE BY

hame, derision and humiliation often result from the act of cheating. However, few students can say they have never done it before. With the increasing difficulty of college acceptance and the rigorous academic competition at SHS, it seems as though the desire to learn has been overshadowed by the desire to receive the highest grade point average. Unfortunately, students will often do whatever it takes to achieve this goal; even if it means cheating. While sometimes the desired grade is received, the valuable knowledge is lost. In order to combat cheating, several methods have been proposed, one of which is project-based learning. This type of learning eliminates tests and quizzes, which are replaced by a series of projects to be done during class. The idea behind project-based learning is that real world problems provoke serious thinking as students apply new knowledge in a problemsolving context. Meanwhile, the teacher promotes the development of knowledge and social skills and assesses what the students have learned from the project. Unlike traditional courses, which assess understanding of learned content through a series of questions and responses, project-based classes provide opportunities to apply the learned content by investigating meaningful questions. In addition, with no concrete guidelines or criteria that constitute good projects, project-based classes allow for greater creativity and varying depths of the questions explored to accomplish learning goals. While project-based classes are certainly not predominant in mainstream schooling systems, they are appearing sporadically. In fact, even SHS offers several project-based classes, one of which is Teaching Professions Academy (TPA). “This [TPA] is a practical careertech class and I am preparing them for

m Jo u r n a l i sn c e ) ( C o n ve rg e ing t e k r a M ne o t s p a C Se n i o r y Fi e ld B i o log

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Bribing, bluffing, blood doping ALL IMAGES BY JOSEPH AHN

Pro athletes reveal sketchy secrets to success

BY: DAVID WERTHEIM

arry Bonds is arguably the most hated baseball player of all time. He took performance-enhancing drugs, and then lied about it to the U.S. Congress. Bonds was then sentenced to house arrest as well as probation. However, on Feb. 22, the San Francisco Giants announced that Bonds, who spent the majority of his career with San Francisco, would be a special hitting instructor for the Giants during their spring training. While most other players, active and retired, dislike Barry Bonds, the Giants hope that he can be a valuable tool who will give the hitters some good advice. After all, he did break Hank Aaron’s alltime home run record, smashing 762 balls out of the park during his long career. For Major League Baseball (MLB), this creates some controversy. It draws questions about why former Cincinnati Reds and all-time hits leader Pete Rose, who received a lifetime ban in 1991 for betting on the games of the Reds (he bet for the Reds to win every time), is not allowed back in the game. “I think that if Bonds is allowed back, Rose should be also.

Rose’s crimes did not taint the game, but Bonds’ did,” said Kaleb Riesenberg, 9. The MLB has a dilemma to face. While Rose will probably not be allowed in the game any time soon, it is a major breakthrough for him and his fans, as well as a major blow to MLB and Commissioner Bud Selig. Selig has bashed Rose throughout his tenure as MLB head, but now, he may have to rethink his stance. Bonds must make up for his past mistakes and repay his debts to the game.

Cheating Hall of Fames ROSIE RUIZ

In 1980, Ruiz was the alleged winner of the famous, annual Boston Marathon. It was found later that Ruiz jumped out of the large Boston crowd of people a few hundred feet before the finish line.

MICHAEL PINEDA

In April of 2014, Pineda, Yankees pitcher, used an illegal substance in baseball called pine tar on his neck. The substance allows the pitcher to get a better grip on the ball and pitch more effectively. He was ejected from that game in the second inning.

TIM DONAGHY

This NBA referee intentionally made the wrong calls from 2005 to 2007 in order to win games he was gambling on. After investigated by the FBI, Donaghy was sentenced 15 months in prison.

A 14-TIME ALL STAR winner, Barry Bonds broke the lifetime home run record of sports icon Hank Aaron with ease in 2007, turning him into a baseball legend. Later that year, however, he was indicted on charges of perjury and obstruction of justice for allegedly lying to the grand jury during the government’s investigation of Bay Area Laboratory CoOperative (BALCO) by denying his charges. As a result, Bonds was denied his eligibility to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Much controversy surrounds this issue.

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One decision can change future ‘The pressure to succeed is immense’

BY ZACHARY FRITZHAND

“I believe that if you cheat, you should just go ahead and rip up your test/quiz because you do not deserve an ‘A’ no matter what,” said Miles Goldfarb, 10. The pressure to succeed and do well is not just about the students, but also about the teachers. Each school district sets up their own standards in relation to tests/quizzes and pass/fail. When students enter high school as freshmen, the stakes are higher and the consequences deepen. Hours upon hours of homework, projects, and tests clutter the mind of young adolescents. “The pressure to succeed is immense and hangs over our head. If we do not perform to a certain level, our parents, counselors, and teachers are disappointed in us,” said Adam Dock, 11. Students often feel the need to cheat in order to have a better chance of scoring higher on the given assignment.

A recent study done by Stanford University has concluded that between 75 and 98 percent of college students cheated in high school. Also, the study claims that two-thirds of the respondents reported cheating on exams, while nine-tenths reported copying another’s homework. “The statistics [above] are jaw dropping and I cannot believe they are so high, but after all, numbers never lie,” said Benjamin Grossheim, 9. As for teachers, they are assessed on how well their students do. If teachers fail to educate their students, then they could be in jeopardy of losing their jobs. No matter if you are a student, teacher, or school administrator, then there will surely be pressure to perform at an extremely high level. Take a deep breath, relax, and finish the task at hand... without cheating.

cheating in college

At Corona del Mar High School, students hacked into their school’s computer system and changed their grades with the help of a private tutor. 11 were expelled.

75% of college students admitted to cheating during high school

95%

ALL IMAGES BY ABBeY BAKER AND LAUREN KURTZER

s you near the start of your school day, you suddenly realize that you have a make-or-break math test during fourth bell. You start to panic and worry that you will not get an ‘A.’ Your grade is sitting at a 89.93 percent and you have one more day left in the semester. You walk into math class not prepared whatsoever and you face the moment of truth: to cheat or not to cheat. The person to your left is brilliant and knows everything. They will certainly get a higher grade than you, considering that you spent all night eating popcorn and watching Netflix. The tests are handed out and you make the decision to go ahead and cheat off of your neighbor. The biggest risk of your life pays off as you receive a 91 percent on the test resulting in an ‘A’ for the semester.

of those people said they were never caught

34% reported doing it more than two times

Studying success 7 ways to maximize efficiency

Get enough sleep, especially the night before an exam.

2. 3.

Start studying early and plan your study time in advance.

4. 5.

Music can help people focus. If that is the case, keep the volume low and play songs you will not sing along to.

Eat healthy food that fuels your brain. Fruits can help improve your ability to focus.

6. 7.

Use graphs and charts to visualize your topics better.

Take breaks to exercise; you will feel more energized and refreshed.

Good lighting can increase productivity; a desk lamp is recommended.

IMAGE BY CAMILA CARDENAS

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Effective studying can prevent cheating BY KATHRYN TENBARGE

espite honest intentions to study, every student can say they have been a victim of procrastination. Dictionary.com defines the term ‘procrastination’ as the habit of putting off or delaying, especially something requiring immediate attention. While most people recognize that putting off work is bad, many find it difficult to quit. The problem is that procrastination and the inability to study leads to more dire consequences, like cheating. Every student learns differently, and instead of feeling the pressure to sacrifice morals and cheat, one should learn how to personalize and imrove their studying experience. Scientifically, there are reasons why students and adults procrastinate, and according to AsapSCIENCE, one of those reasons is temporal discounting. In other words, one prefers instant gratification over long-term benefits. For example, if one were told to choose 100 dollars now, or 110 dollars in a month, most people would immediately accept the 100 dollars. However, if 100 dollars was offered in a year, or 110 dollars in a year and one month, one might reconsider and choose to wait longer for the greater reward.

After all, if they have already waited an entire year, what is one more month? But, the time and value change are the exact same in each example. Therefore, human motivation is highly influenced by how imminent the reward is perceived to be, often referred to as present bias or hyperbolic discounting. Similarly, one prefers the instant gratification of social media to studying for a perfect grade on a test and other distractions, because with the former they are immediately satisfied. A perfect grade on a test does not seem as urgent. At least it does not until temporal proximity makes the reward of an ‘A’ closer, and they stay up all night cramming. On top of that, taking part in enjoyable activities releases dopamine, a chemical that stimulates one’s feelings of happiness, making it is more likely to repeat the action that led to the release of dopamine. Social networking, gaming, and other forms of procrastination release dopamine in small, continuous amounts, compared to a successful grade, which is a one-time occurrence.

becoming more productive. One solution to procrastination is the Pomodoro techinque. When studying, start by setting a timer for 25 minutes. Then, after working consistently during that time period, reward yourself with a snack, a game, the internet, or whatever your heart desires, during a five minute break. Another technique is setting deadlines. Studies show that setting a time period for when an objective is to be completed makes it likelier for the task to get done, especially if the deadline in question comes from an external source. The attitude one has while working is an important factor in more effective studying, too. Thinking, “I’m being so productive,” or “Getting my work done is great,” instead of “20 more minutes of torture,” is proven to help one work more efficiently. The bottom line is, studying does not have to hurt. In fact, being productive can actually be enjoyable. And along with understanding the material comes the joy of being prepared, and much less desire to cheat.

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Road to success

Acknowledging that one does, in fact, procrastinate, is the first step to

Tips & Tricks

Teachers share real life study secrets

When studying for science, flashcards are a good thing. On test day, and when completing assignments, always use pencil.

Know your vocabulary and verb conjuations for a global language. Find a way to incorporate movies, music, etc.

Always take notes and review them within 24 hours before the next day of class.

For math, rework problems that you’ve already completed corectly, so you can check your answer.

Mrs. Margaret Stone

Sr. Michael Vega

Mrs. Christine Allen

Ms. Kendra Hornschemeier

THE LEAFLET

BY ANAIS CABELLO BY HANNAH FREY

heating is a huge issue in life today. Not only can people cheat in school, but also in activities, work, and even in relationships. Yet, the one thing that people cheat the most is themselves. While someone might get an ‘A’ on his or her test that he or she did not study for, or get an amazing time on a workout set, the real question is whether or not cheating was involved. If a student is caught cheating, there can be serious consequences that can damage one’s high school transcript or even result in getting kicked out of school. One student in New York named Sam Eshaghoff took dozens of high school students’ SAT and ACT exams and charged the students thousands of dollars. However, he was caught, arrested, and charged. This mistake will follow him for the rest of his life. Even SHS has students that cheat their way through life. In general, people cheat by using their phones during tests, looking over at someone’s paper, or taking ideas from the internet to use in an essay or on a homeswork assignment. While it is unlikely that cheating will ever go away, students should learn the material rather than taking the easy road and faking their way through the system. If someone starts cheating now, then it will most likely become a bad habit that will be difficult to break in the future. Even if cheating helps people get better grades, there is still the feeling of guilt that will follow them through life. In the words of Terrence McNally, “cheating is not the American way. It is small, while we are large. It is cheap, while we are richly endowed. It is destructive, while we are creative. It is doomed to fail, while our gifts and responsibilities call us to achieve. It sabotages trust and weakens the bonds of spirit and humanity, without which we perish.”

Classic cheats in life: Footlong sandwiches: Subways Footlong sandwiches are not actually a foot long, they are 11.3 inches.

Image by Hannah Frey

Cheating your way through life

11.3 in

Love: When people cheat in relationships it has lasting effects on the other person.

Phones: People use phones to cheat on many things in life. In school students could use them to cheat on tests, but they can also use them to cheat on their significant other. Double Stuff Oreos: When people eat a Double Stuf Oreo, it is not really double the cream.

THE LEAFLET MAY 30, 2014

Staff editorial

When memorization tops knowledge

he quadratic formula. For years, unsuspecting Algebra I classes have had to memorize this monstrous equation. It starts with small steps; splitting the formula into pieces, remembering a bit more every day until the dreaded quiz. But maybe someone forgets. So they write the formula down on the inside of their calculator with a Sharpie and bring it into class. Everything is going great- until the teacher notices. There are multiple types of cheating, including the archetypal looking-over-your-shoulder kind. But bringing notes into an exam is cheating too. And while some teachers may allow the use of a ‘cheat sheet’ on quizzes and tests, most do not. The problem with rote memorization, like learning the quadratic formula before using it, is that it does not work long-term. Just because you repeat the same numbers over and over again does not mean you have any idea how to utilize those numbers. Flashcards for AP Psychology might work for a test on 75 vocabulary words. But when it comes to applying those same terms to a mock situation, do you actually have a clue what you are talking about? Rarely should students ever be tested on simple memorization of terms. Education is really about the application of skills, not memorizing facts and formulas. While there is an argument that without learning the facts first, you cannot apply them, there are other ways to memorize smarter. According to the “Atlantic Post,” it can be broken down into repeated use and building on what you already know. After using the same formula on a math assignment sheet over and over, day after day, you will begin to remember it. By memorizing through practice, rather than by repeating the same formula over and over again in your head, you are actually understanding the concept better. Similarly, building on what you already know comes naturally. For example, instead of memorizing the process of photosynthesis, by comprehending what each step really means, the next step will seem logical. Instead of seeing a foreign chemical equation, you will see something indisputable. And so, with classes like social studies and language arts, there should never really be the need for useless memorization. You should never walk out of a United States history class and forget the material you were just tested on. For math and science classes, there will more often be a time when facts just need to be known, maybe even prior to practicing with them. When faced with this kind of situation, the cheat sheet

IMAGE BY KATHRYN TENBARGE

‘Cheat sheets’ may be viable option for some

becomes relevant again. It may seem like, well, cheating, but look at the big picture. While you are sitting at your desk at your future job, no one is going to expect you to have every relevant fact memorized. Rather, they will expect you to be able to assemble the necessary knowledge in an easily accessible form- voila, cheat sheet. Besides, a science or math test should not be assessing the student’s knowledge of how well they can memorize terms. It needs to test how well they can handle higher-level thinking. Even on standardized tests, like the SAT, they offer a little box with every formula you could possibly need. This way they can get around the idea of preparation through cramming, and get straight to the test taker’s skills. And finally, there’s something inherently valuable in developing a cheat sheet. It forces you to consider and categorize main ideas and details, and create logical links between the two. Instead of cheating the system, you are beating it. Kind of like what learning should be.

MAY 30, 2014

Personal Narratives

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The main thing school has taught me is that failures happen...even when we do the right thing.

BY KATIE STEINBERG

ost of the time, when we students talk about academic dishonesty, we think of it in its most grand incarnations: elaborate schemes concocted by the desperate and ambitious. And, just as with all crazy stories, these tales seem distant from crowded hallways in which we walk each day. This familiar high school bubble of ours doesn’t seem like the place for such ethical crises. However, while Sycamore may not face the type of large-scale moral lapses that usually come to mind on the subject of cheating, each day it is replete with smaller issues of the same sort. Just think of all the friends who occasionally lend each other homework to copy, how many lunchtime conversations focus on specific test questions. I think to many people, such occurrences don’t count as cheating. Certainly there are worse things to do; it’s not like robbing a bank or even running a red light. I’m pretty sure you can’t get arrested for telling a friend what presidents they need to know for the history quiz. However, I’d like to point out that though these conversations aren’t illegal, that doesn’t mean they’re morally sound. I tend to be a stickler on such issues, and some days I just want to stand on a table and yell,

“COME ON FOLKS, ETHICS! ETHICS!!!” Of course, I don’t, because I generally air on the side of shyness and don’t have a burning desire to be socially ostracized. But on this occasion, I’m going to make an exception. Ladies and gentlemen, here’s my rant: Okay, I know you want to get good grades so you can go to a good college and get a good job and have a good life, but isn’t there more to a good life than getting the right answers? Perhaps in practice there isn’t always, but ideally, happiness and success should be a product of hard work and good deeds. Yes, this is an overly-simplified, idealistic view of life. I know that. But we’re young. If all goes according to plan, we have a whole lot of time ahead of us to become cynical, self-serving, and jaded. Is it so bad to be excessively idealistic for the time being? High school is meant to be preparation for the rest of life; for the ‘real world’. And, no doubt, at some point in life we will all be confronted by great ethical dilemmas, points when the right path is shrouded in uncertainty. Of course, there’s no way to ever guarantee we’ll always make the right call, but I really do believe that good ethics, like any skill, get better with practice. If we get into the habit of doing the

morally right thing now, for the little stuff like that history quiz, doesn’t it seem more likely that we’d make the right decisions for the big stuff later? It’s not like it’s a particularly difficult ethical issue: we all know that giving someone the answers to an assignment isn’t a great thing to do. It’s not a terrifically terrible thing to do either, but yeah, it’s wrong. What if we all just studied a little harder? Had more confidence in our own abilities? And for those bad days, when everything else is crazy and studying just isn’t possible, what if we just accepted taking the occasional hit? Cliché alert, but I bet it would build some character. This year, the main thing school has taught me is that failures happen. They happen a lot, even when we do all the right things. And from what I hear on the news, they happen a whole lot in the real world too. To truly be prepared to be successful adults, to contribute to society, we need to be practiced in dealing with failure, not taking the answers from someone else. Alright, enough soap-boxing from me. I’ll leave you with a rather witty quip I found from the mouth of a Mister Gilbert K. Chesterton: “Art, like morality, consists in drawing the line somewhere.”

Ethics: the philosophy of what is right and wrong

ALL IMAGES BY KATHRYN TENBARGE

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Our class was going to take a vocabulary quiz. I looked over, and the student next to me had previously prepared a little half sheet of paper with all the answers needed to get a one hundred percent on the assessment. As the teacher passed out the quiz, he hid the half sheet of paper in his lap, and then slipped the paper on the table under the quiz once the teacher turned her back. I watched the student do this, and he knew I saw. They showed me the half sheet of paper clearly, and whispered ‘Don’t tell’ with a sheepish grin. Later, the student would go on to explain that this final quiz grade would ultimately determine their overall quarter grade in the class, and affect their yearlong grade as well. Throughout the quiz the student referenced the half sheet of paper constantly for answers. He received a one hundred percent on the quiz. The effort used for cheating and not getting caught is the same effort you could’ve used to study for a test or an exam. I think in our school, it’s harder for students to turn in other students if they see them cheating. Although it is an integrity concept, that doesn’t make it any easier to turn in a friend or someone you know, even if it’s the right thing to do. BY ANU ROY-CHAUDHURY

THE LEAFLET

Cheating: acting dishonestly or unfairly to gain an advantage

What choices will you make?

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SHSLeaf.com Have a nice summer SHS!

The Leaf: BY LAUREN GLYNN

Look out for the upcoming issues of The Leaf and The Leaflet in the Fall

Platforms go under construction

As the 2014-2015 school year begins, almost everyone wants a fresh start. New clothes, new hair styles and of course, new approaches. For the staff of The Leaf, their time over the summer will be spent redesigning the website, shsleaf.com, the print news magazine, The Leaf, and the newest addition, the online magazine, The Leaflet. For the website, changing the look is the number one priority. Having a fresh new vibe to make the site more welcoming in the upcoming months is what the staff is looking for. There are also expected to be some new blogs for students to follow along with throughout the year.

For The Leaf and The Leaflet, changing the style sheet is the first thing that needs to be done. Members of the staff have spent months working with the same fonts and styles. Now, they are hoping to make something new. For The Leaf, there is expected to be a slight change of size for the pages and it will also be printed in all color. Since The Leaflet is the most recent addition to the convergence platforms, students are working on changing the style sheet, but also to making it more techfriendly. After consulting with professional website designers, it is hoped that the website, The Leaf and The Leaflet will all be able to be viewed on technology such as iPhones and tablets.