“A PEN Student’s words carry weight. He is honest, trustworthy, and has consistency in words and actions.” – Integrity, PEN Values, the PEN Student Handbook Tertiary Level
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| illustration by Melanilene Balot |
It is
examinations season once again, and we students must face tons of schoolwork.
To top all this off, there is once again the threat to succumbing to the
temptation of every student’s ancient frenemy – cheating.
Understandably,
students are distressed by the fact that they must study for practically all
their subjects at the same time. It doesn’t help that deadlines for projects,
group works, and other academic requirements fall on the same date. Yet, this
is no excuse to resort to such devious measures.
Most of the
students do not realize the gravity of their actions. Moreover, the lax
attitude of the school personnel and the teachers themselves only serve to
aggravate this matter. In fact, the whole community’s outlook serves to make
the campus a potential breeding ground of cheaters. We do not want this to
happen to our Araullo, beloved.
On the other
hand, the PHINMA Education Network formulated the PEN Values to guide their
students in their day-to-day actions and interactions. These values are
Integrity, Professionalism, Commitment, Competence, Teamwork, and
Innovativeness. Ironically, some students fail to comply with the very first
value.
The List of Offenses and Corresponding
Categories (p. 17-19, PEN Student Handbook Tertiary Level) provides very
harsh punishments to those who breach the school standard for Academic
Integrity.
For Plagiarism, (1.1) or the use of
published information without providing proper recognition to the original
author, is punishable with outright dismissal or expulsion on the first
offense. For Cheating on Any Graded Work,
(1.2) the first offense is punishable with Suspension for three (3) academic
days, for which he will incur absences. For the second offense, the offending
student shall face dismissal or expulsion. In all cases, the student shall
receive the lowest possible score in the graded work concerned.
These are
very stringent guidelines, indeed. Sadly, no one seems to take these seriously.
If we are to preserve PEN’s mission of preparing the students for global
competitiveness, this matter must be addressed immediately and cogently.
For us
students, on the other hand, we must start taking our schoolwork seriously.
This is a way of preparing ourselves for the real world outside of the campus.
When you are already an engineer or a computer programmer, you cannot expect to
copy a blueprint or a source code and just get away with it: There are very
serious consequences for offenses against intellectual property. As an
accountant, you cannot rely on others to do your work for you. For a future
teacher, you will serve as a role model for your future students. For a future
policeman, you are to be an enforcer of the law and a protector of the people. College
is simply the preparation for life, and the more you sweat in time of peace,
the less you bleed in war.
Examination
results will not dictate your success in the future. Your attitude in life
will. So the next time you are tempted to cheat, remember that your actions
today will resonate in the future. You carry not only your name but the name of
your alma mater as well. Years from
now, you will be able to pride yourself for not cheating even in the face of
temptation. After all, we are PEN Students, and we can face the examinations
with Integrity in all our haggard glory! Dan Kevin Roque
