Residing at the University of Oklahoma, a council of students were appointed to uphold the standard for academic integrity. These students have the authority to examine and penalize other students academic misconduct in accordance with university policy. In an eloquent room coated in mahogany, a particular case was brought to the council regarding a student who plagiarized on his final research paper. Upon submitting his final paper, the professor instantly recognized and made note of the conspicuously unformatted, copied sections within each paragraph. One week later, the student was informed via email of his required attendance at his hearing for academic misconduct. Ignorant of what constitutes plagiarism and oblivious to the repercussions, he shouted in anger, “I didn’t do anything wrong! I wrote that paper. What the heck is this about?!”
Following the evaluation of the paper through various plagiarism sites, the professor and council agreed that the paper would receive a grade of zero. After being informed of this sanction, the enraged student in question attempted to argue his case by announcing to the council, "That's my work! My property! I worked hard to research, copy and paste that information. I added my own input on parts! How dare you give me a zero!" While the exasperated student paused to catch his breath and calm his heartbeat, the head of the council replied, "Oh, its your property? Did a magical fairy come and implant those words into your head? Did you write each sentence and choose each word? No. You stole those ideas from another person and you will be held responsible." Before the student could breathe another word, the council adjudicated a semester suspension and a mandatory Do You Understand Integrity course upon his return to campus.
After his semester suspension, the student returned to campus with an improved understanding of plagiarism and a new-found cognizance that nothing is accomplished unless it is accomplished with your own talents and abilities. Although he did not pass the course and had to re-take it, he recognized his fault and later admitted to being thankful for the critical mediation.
Ron Burgundy from Anchorman, 7 Meme Lessons
Authors Note: Aesops fable, The Wolf and the Lion, is a story of a wolf who had plans to eat a lamb until a lion stole the lamb from his mouth. The hungry, shaken, defeated wolf ran a distance away from the lion and then turned around to inform the lion of his frustration for stealing his meal. The pretentious lion told the wolf that the meal was never his to begin with. The moral of the story is "What is evil won, is evil lost" (Aesops for Children). I adapted this parable to reflect the phenomenon of plagiarism that has plagued the University of Oklahoma's campus and many other college campuses across our country. I visited the idea of the wolf representing a student without education on the definition of plagiarism and the lion as the distinguished council of students whose role is to teach the student a lesson for his benefit.
Works Cited: “The Wolf and the Lion” illustrated by Milo Winter, from Aesop for Children (1919). Web Source: Aesops for Children.
I really enjoyed your story Mary! The story of "The Wolf and the Lion" fits in perfectly to your story. It is great informative story too, not just for entertainment. It reminds students that they cannot steal others work even though you may think you haven't. I like how at the end of the story the student learns from his mistake despite his outrage from before. You are really good at telling stories! Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteWow, great story! I am impressed that you were able to make a modern rendition of this fable that is so relevant to student life at OU. I think the message of both your story and the original “The Wolf and the Lion” is important for everyone to remember; what isn't yours in the first place can't be unfairly taken away from you.
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