This past summer, I was forced to read and write about an article titled "Cheating Upwards." When I first read it, I didn't think very much of it. All I really thought was, I get to read and write about cheating? Greeeeaaaaat. Frankly, and unsurprisingly, the Directed Self Placement (DSP) was the last thing I wanted to do during the summer before the start of my college career. And the fact that the DSP was on such a banal topic didn't help my interest. Plagiarism was something that my generation was constantly reminded of throughout our secondary education. It wasn't anything new to me--it was old news.
However, after rereading the article now, I realize there were many things I didn't notice my first read through. Due to my inattention, or more so my lack of interest, I hadn't realized Robert Kolker introduced his essay with a three-page story to lure his audience in. I mean, don't get me wrong; I wasn't oblivious to the presence of the story. I just didn't really process, nor had I really cared to know the purpose of the implementation of a story. Instead of conveying the scandal in the standard news report format, Kolker had managed to transform the news into a story, which allowed for readers to better visualize what exactly had happened.
Kolker was careful to include several story elements when introducing his non-fiction. He began the story by describing the setting, vigilant to incorporate every specific detail. He noted the time and date, the environment and scenery--everything visible to the naked eye at the place and time of the start of the crime. Kolker then proceeded to further describe the main character, Nayeem Ashan, illustrating his appearance and background. "Like many teenage boys, he [seemed] to straddle two worlds: One moment you see a man, another a boy." After providing an adequate history of Nayeem, Kolker continued on by introducing the conflict at hand: cheating. The plot then begins to develop, moving the story along as well as noting the impact of the technological and collaborative culture kids these days are being raised in. Rising action builds as Nayeem grows bolder and bolder with his ethics, climaxing during his Spanish Regents exam--specifically when Stanley Teitel, the Stuyvesant High School principal at the time, enters his testing room.
While I was rereading this piece, I recalled most of the content. It definitely was something that stuck with me, as I recall being appalled and amazed that a bright and intelligent student actually had the audacity to cheat on not one, but three important examinations. I mean, it's not that I wasn't aware of students of all academic levels cheating; I just assumed that students as smart as Stuy kids would know better than to risk their academic career like that on something as major as an exam. Rereading about the Harvard case reiterated the importance of academic integrity and the severe consequences of plagiarism. I remember when I first read about the case, I viewed it as a scare tactic from UMich to alarm incoming freshmen of where cheating could get them.
I certainly saw this article differently my second read through. Maybe it's because I had to write this blog post, or maybe it's because I'm a more developed reader and writer as I once was, but I now notice the purpose of the usage of certain elements, such as anecdotes and rhetorical questions. I'm more aware of Kolker's transitions and overall writing style. After six months, after my first term of college, I've become a more attentive reader, questioning and interpreting the voices and the writing styles of every writer, as well as analyzing how each writer goes about conveying his/her purpose.
I don't remember how I wrote my essay, especially since my hard drive crashed last week and I didn't back it up, but if I were to write the DSP essay today, I would deviate from the standard five-paragraph essay I was taught to write in high school. I would develop my essay with an abundance of quotes, to better support my claim. Also, I would consider disregarding the prescribed writing rules my honors/AP English teachers taught me to adhere, such as eliminating rhetorical questions and beginning my sentences with conjunctions.
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