Woman Confesses To Cheating On High School Test 47 Years Ago

[matcom]

<snip>

GYPSUM, Colo. -- A high school graduate has confessed to cheating on an English literature test -- 47 years ago.

Eagle Valley High School Principal Mark Strakbein said he got a one-page, handwritten letter from a 65-year-old grandmother of five who admitted she and a friend stole the answers to a Shakespeare test in the fall of 1957.

"I know it makes no difference now (after 47 years), except maybe this will keep some student from cheating and help them to be honest -- conscience never lets you forget -- there is forgiveness with God, and I have that, but I felt I still needed to confess to the school."

Strakbein didn't release the woman's name but said he confirmed she graduated in 1958 from Eagle County High School, which has since been consolidated into Eagle Valley High.

Strakbein said he read the letter aloud to every homeroom class as a lesson in following your conscience.

"You could have heard a pin drop," he said.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4158797/detail.html

[LynneSin]

1. I confess, I cheated on a spelling test in 2nd grade

so I'm not perfect!

[ashling]

2. Revoke her diploma!

"You could have heard a pin drop," he said.


they are probably thinking: WTF?

[ashling]

3. Principal needs remedial lesson in

seperation of church and state

"there is forgiveness with God"

[Rabrrrrrr]

8. Actually, I don't think that's bad - since he's reading what someone

wrote to the school, and not offering his own theological spin on the situation.

To edit that out would be an unnecessary bit of censorship, IMO.

[ashling]

10. Your right that it could not have been edited out

And that is the point.

Her "confession" was of a religious nature. Go make it to a priest if that's your thing, but it was inappropriate for the principal to read it in school.

What if she had said - "but I know I am forgiven through the Lord, Jesus Christ, who has redeemed my soul and will come again and take all those who believe on him to the place hae has prepared for us in heaven at the right hand of . . . . "

If the principal wanted to make the point that cheating is wrong and that it can still haunt you many years later he could have simply read that part, or summarized it without mentioning that.

He was over the line.

[BikeWriter]

14. I agree!

[Zuni]

22. Her confession merely said "God Forgives"

she was not preaching a hellfire and brimstone "you are all hellbound sinners" type speech.

She merely mentioned forgiveness, and made a brief reference to "God", not in any specific way.

I do not see why this was "over the line"
To me, this was not the endorsment of a religion, nor was it even religious indoctrination or merely teaching religious dogme.

I do not think simply mentioning God is a problem. I do not think this is a violation of the seperation of Church and State, like teaching Creationism would be

[Zuni]

17. The letter was not pushing religion, but urging students not to cheat

It doesn't sound like he was preaching to the children.

[ashling]

18. I repeat:

If the principal wanted to make the point that cheating is wrong and that it can still haunt you many years later he could have simply read that part, or summarized it without mentioning that.

He was over the line.

[Zuni]

21. Because she said "there is fogiveness with God?"

I do not see that as a major breach of the wall seperating church and state

I do not see that as a problem. I do not thinking mentioning God or a higher power is a problem. I do not understand why this is even an issue

[ashling]

23. What if she had said

I do not see that as a major breach of the wall seperating church and state

Thats like being a little bit pregnant. "But the condom just had a little hole"

A breach is a breach. A wall of separation should be just that.

What if her letter had said:

I know that the Goddess forgives me . . .

or

I know that it is o.k. with my Lord Satan . . .

or

I know that it doesn't matter because God is dead . . .

or

It bothers me, even though there is no God . . .

or

I don't no why it bothers me, after all, there is no God or higher power . . .


she has a right to believe any of this, and to write it to the principal, but it was not appropriate for her statement to be presented in this way.

[Rabrrrrrr]

25. Since he was reading a letter, written by a non-government non-school

employee, written to the school, I think in good conscience he needs read the whole thing, and not edit out the parts that he - or others - might find "offensive".

It's a letter to the school - read it.

Same as if he were going to post it on the bulletin board - I wouldn't take my black pen and cross out the "bad" stuff.

Now, granted, had the woman gone on at length, then we have a different issue.

But here's a woman saying that even though she knows she's right with her deity of choice, she still feels it important to also make a confession to the people that she wronged. I think that's pretty cool, and sends an even bigger message then to delete out the higher power stuff. Same as if she had said "there is no God" or "my Lord Satan".

Kids need to get stuff unfiltered and true.

If I were the principal, and I were going to read it at all (and I think I would), I would have read it in its entirety. It was short and to the point.

I can't see how this counts as proselytizing at all.

[ashling]

28. Who made him read it at all?

I know of no law or other guideline that would force a school administrator to read aloud to the students every - or any- letter that he recieved.


the point is that he made a choice to convey a message. It could have been on that cheating is wrong and that there are consequences, one of which is that it might haunt you for 47 years. That is appropriate. But he had to read a letter containing this religious message. He had the responsibility to edit that out.


simple as that.

[Zuni]

29. There was no religious message

the woman was not preaching, she simply mentioned God in passing

This is ridiculous. Seperation of Church and State does not mean you cannot mention God or speak of religion at all in public places, it means that you cannot force your beliefs on others. In schools, this means you cannot use a position of authority as a Principal or Teacher to proselatize to children. But I do not think mentioning God in passing is worth even thinking about. This was in no way anyone forcing a belief upon anyone.

Heck, when I first read it, I didn't even realize that it could be taken as a religious message

[ashling]

30. And the more I read it and think about it

the more I realize that it was inappropriate.

The more I recall all religious things mentioned "in passing" to me throughout my high school years that added up to more.

I recall my geometry teacher starting class 15 minutes late so that the class members could mention that they would pray for me, etc.
I had simply declined to say the pledge because I objected to the religious message therein.

I've seen my own child come home crying and depresses because of all the things mentioned "in passing" to her.

I could go on, but those two things alone are enough to justify a barrier.

I would rather see a full blown discussion of religious beliefs, and comparative religions in an appropriate setting such as a humanities class or a sociology class that to see it mentioned "in passing."
Sometimes things said "in passing" carry more weight not.

[ThorsHammer]

19. Agreed

[Rabrrrrrr]

7. And break her toys!!

[baldguy]

4. "OH, I CONFESS!"

[NGU]

5. Interesting. I confess that I...

Oh, wait, I'm perfect--NOT!

[tjwmason]

6. I once cheated on a physics test

A long with everybody else in my class. They were giving it to everybody in the year but my class had it delayed because our teacher was ill. There was a multiple choice section, and we all memorised the pattern of letters before going in.

It wasn't a major test, or one on which final marks depended or anything like that I hasten to add.

[NewJeffCT]

9. OK, I confess

I think once in middle school, I borrowed a little bit too much from the World Book encyclopedia for my report on Mark Twain (Sam Clemens)...I cited the WB as a reference, but I think my borrowing was a bit too, um, liberal.

[Bunny]

11. Oh piffle!

I cheated my way through 12th grade Physics, with an open textbook in my lap for Chrissakes, and STILL only managed to get a D!!! (I did not care about the grade because I had already been accepted to college.)

I simply do not have the type of brain that grasps physics, even with an open book in front of me. Quarks? :wtf:

[AngryAmish]

12. In the immortal words of Pete Smykowski: "When in doubt, look about."

[Lavender Brown]

13. why does she think this will keep students from cheating?

To me it says, "cheat now and don't tell anyone until 50 years have passed." :P

[American Tragedy]

15. Kind of like my mom when she was a little girl

When she was first wrapping her head around the notion of confessing her sins, she wondered to the nuns if this implied that she could do bad things so long as she made sure to feel suitably bad about it later.

[yellowcanine]

16. Well, I hope they revoked her diploma!

Heh.

[ashling]

20. I am shocked! SHOCKED I tell you

that my fellow DUers are a bunch of cheaters! You all get detention.
(oh, and you are sooooooo grounded!!!)

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

24. I confess- I cheated on a college test last week

but who doesn't in a pointless memorization of minutae class?

[ashling]

26. Excuse me?!!!

but who doesn't cheat here or there with the minutae of a few votes.
-KKKarl Rove


Detention for you!:)

[LSdemocrat]

27. In our "Zero Tolerance" world, this calls for Gitmo