Blue Umbrella Official Feb 2020 issue | Page 4

To Cheat "It's always better to give our best efforts to God and fail, than to "succeed" by deceiving others and taking the easy way out." - Mr. Harrington By Rebekah V. or Not To Cheat Every student is familiar with the word cheat. But what does it really mean? Dictionary.com defines it this way: ?to deceive, to defraud, or a person who is dishonest.?Cheating is a big deal, and its consequences can be even bigger. Here at AOA, cheating is taken very seriously. Cheating is not just a quick ?escape route? to not knowing an answer; it has a negative effect on the student?s reputation, pride, and overall character. Mr. Gesink, a math teacher at AOA, says that ?cheating is doing something, or submitting something, that doesn?t reflect your true knowledge or thoughts on the topic at hand.? So when a student cheats on a lesson, a test, or a project, they go against what is right and moral not only in their life as a student, but also as a Christian. Cheating can come in many forms. It includes anything from copying a friend?s homework, asking a teacher for help on a project, using notes during a quiz or test, all the way to Googling answers for a math problem. A lot of the time, students cheat because it is an easier and quicker way to finish, and they would rather not take the time to diligently complete their work. English teacher, Mrs. Cottam, says that another way students cheat is by copying and pasting their answers from the lessons, which are sometimes even full paragraphs.