No Country for Plagiarizers

Brwa Aziz-The Third Eye Cartoonist

by The Third Eye
Once upon a time, I was a level two student at the American University of Iraq-Sulaimani. Almost everything was new for me, especially the curriculum because I came to AUI-S with a completely different background of the system of education. Days past and my English improved a little. We got to a day when Ryan Bubalo, my level 2 instructor, asked us to write an essay. I chose Newroz, one of the Kurdish national holidays, to write about. I went back to the memory of the days when my high school teachers appreciated any students who told them that they used internet or copied information about what was the teachers asked about. So, I directly went to Wikipedia, copied and pasted as much information as necessary about Newroz. Later, I gave my paper to my instructor on the due date.

A day after, Mr. Bubalo brought our papers back to the class with grades on. Every student asked each other about the grades they got. I looked at my paper to find out what grade I got. I couldn’t find anything about grades. All I found was some words with a red pen that stated, “Mahdi, you did something called plagiarism. See me.” I was totally confused and didn’t know what to do. As soon as the class was over, I checked the so-called word “plagiarism” because I didn’t even know what does it means. When I looked plagiarism up in the Longman Dictionary, something came up and said, “When someone uses another person's words, ideas, or work and pretends they are their own, or an idea, phrase, or story that has been copied from another person's work, without stating where it came from.”  Still, I had no idea what was wrong with that. I forgot to concentrate on “without stating where it came from” because I didn’t do that on my essay.  So, I went to Mr. Bubalo’s office and explained everything. He was shocked by the fact that we, Iraqi students, had no policies about copying, pasting, and plagiarism. Shortly, we came up with a deal that Mr. Bubalo would let me re-write my essay with my own words and I did. From that time on, I had fully understood about copying, pasting, and plagiarism. There is no doubt that I committed a crime in the field of education at that time, but how strong the punishment should’ve been when I had had no idea that plagiarism was a mistake! Who should have been punished? Me or my previous system of education?!
I am sharing this personal story not to let everyone know how I first started studying at AUI-S, but to illustrate another serious issue that almost buried the student’s minds. Today, copying, pasting, and plagiarizing are reading, writing, walking, talking, eating, drinking, smiling, and crying almost everywhere around the campus. They are sharing themselves with every circumstance every time and ever where. When you are at home taking a take-home exam, when you are in class taking a real exam, when you are in lab writing essay, copying, pasting, and plagiarizing are there and greet you in deep in their hearts. Where ever you go around the campus, you will hear this conversation.

Strong As in a half hour

B:  Hi A, what is up?

A: Good, how are you?

B: Pretty well. By the way, have you seen D?

A: Yes. He is sitting with several other students in the cafeteria. I guess they are studying as a group.

B: hahahaahahahahhahahahaha! A study group?! It is so funny!

A: Wait I got it. They are reading as a group.

B: Hahahahahaha funnier!

A: So, what are they doing man?

B: Man, they are sharing their take-home exams.

A: No way. What about the AUI-S policy about copying, pasting, and plagiarism?

B: Come on man! Who knows about that? It is math and physic exam. It has only one answer not only here, but around the world.

A: what about you B? Have you answered the questions for your take home exam?

B: Not yet. I still have one hour.

A: Come on. I spent more than five hours till I answered all the questions.

B: Hahahhahahahahahahahha. Believe it or not, I will never spend more than an hour to do any take home exams and always get 100%. If you do not believe me, here is my paper.

A: I see it. Man, you must be very smart.

B: Very smart? Hahahahahaha. Believe me, I had no idea what the questions were talking about.

A: So, what is the secret man? How could you get such a high grade?

B: It is easy bro. Just you go and ask E, who is very smart and always get 100%, to give you his answers and copy them. You’ll get the same grade as he will.

A: It is a great idea. But I need someone to help me in the English composition, too. I would rather die than writing an essay.

B: It is easy bro. You don’t need to bother yourself and spend such a lot of time writing essays. You just go and ask your friends who in the other classes and take the essays they have written before. You will be fine and will get a perfect grade.

A: It seems to be a good plan, but what about professors? Don’t you think they will know about that?

B: Come on man! There is no way for the professors to know about that. All you need is to change their names and classes to yours. That is it. You will just be fine.

A:  Thank you so much Mr. B. You helped me a lot. I don’t think I need to study anymore since we are all getting the same grades. Why should I study if one who never studies gets the same grade as I do?!

B: I don’t know man. It is up to you. See you.

It was my system of education that directed me to commit such a crime when I was in level two for it didn’t provide me any policies about copying, pasting, and plagiarism. I wonder to understand what is directing the AUI-S environment to do that, since we have one of the most restricted policies about that issue. What are these reasons that facilitate ways for some students to be such skillful in applying that issue? In other words, why such policies about plagiarism are not affective? Is it AUI-S Administration, the professor, or the student’s fault in spreading that issue around? I really wonder to understand. Clearly, it is not the Administration’s fault because I had a face-to-face meeting with some students who have been called by the dean. The office should be very serious about that issue as the students talked about the terrible experience they have faced because of the so-called plagiarism.

What about the professors?  It is the moment for the professors to realize what makes all of their students to be A students. Is it really the student’s ability or something else? It is the time for the professors to evaluate their student’s abilities then reward them with big and strong As. It is the moment when the professors should look at the papers and say, “Wait a minute. What is wrong with these papers? Why do these papers just duplicated? It is the time for the professors to have the ability to distinguish those students who study as hard as they can to get As with the students who just copy, paste, and plagiarize to get As. My message for all the lovely professors is that providing easy tests, leaving classes during the tests and letting everyone share their answers, and giving strong As to everyone with ignoring copying, pasting, and plagiarizing may satisfy small number of students, but what about the rest of others? Let’s be fair, reward those who are deserved to be rewarded, and challenge the others to get that gift.

What about the students? It is the moment for the students to understand what being a college student means, too. My only message for the students is that being a college student is a great thing. We need to act as positively as we can to shine that name. Otherwise, we will just be namely college students and lack of knowledge. I agree that nothing is good and beneficial for the students as studying as groups and helping each other. What I am disagree and unhappy about is to see copying, pasting, and plagiarizing at the peak. It is enough, please!