PLAGIARISM AIDS EDUCATION

Washington — One of the biggest businesses in this country right now seems to be the production and sale of college term papers. Described by New York City Atty. Gen Lefkowitz as a multimillion dollar industry, the sale of term papers, essays, and theses has made it possible for many college students to pass courses and earn degrees never dreamed of 20 years ago.

While there has been criticism of this vby some educators, my friend Elias Flimflam of the Institute of Instant Plagiarism defends the practice of buying and selling term papers as essential to a modern education.

“The term paper industry not only gives college students an opportunity to participate in a great capitalist enterprise,” he said, “but it provides jobs for thousands of moonlighting professors and graduate instructors.

If you cut out the sale of term papers and require students to write their own, many teachers would be unable to afford to remain in our schools.

“But,” I said, “Atty. Gen Lefkowitz is trying to outlaw term paper companies on the grounds that students are obtaining degrees by fraudulent means.

“Nonsense. All the term paper companies are doing is providing a service to students that wasn’t available a few years ago. Most college students have too much to do when they’re in school. The pressures are great and as the work load increases they become more and more depressed. This leads to anger and alienation from the mainstream of our society.

“If they can purchase a term paper or an essay or even a thesis and hand it in as their own, these students are happy, and they don’t want to tear down the system any more.

The question the attorney general must ask himself is does he want contented students who don’t do their own work, or does he want an honest homework program that could tear this country apart?”

“Is there any danger that if students cheat in school they will continue to cheat in life?

“Cheating is a very strong word,” my friend said. “Let’s say that Prof. Applebaum assigns a paper on The Abstract Theory of Solid Gas. This might require 10 hours of research in the library, plus three hours of writing, nit to mention typing fees. It takes the student two hours to find a parking place near the library, and another two hours reading magazines before he gets around to the research. This adds up. It’s time that could be much better spent exchanging important ideas with other people in the student union, or playing touch football against another fraternity.

“The problem we have to address ourselves to is, why are kids in school. Is it to get an education which they will never use, or a degree which will open up a new world for them?”

Flimflam continued earnestly. “What we do is to take the sweat out of college. By selling term papers to students we are removing competition from the classroom. Thanks to us it’s possible for a mediocre student to compete with a brilliant student on his own level.

“For as little as $10 an ineffectual student no longer has to worry about the person sitting next to him getting a better grade. If this isn’t a service to mankind, I don’t know what is.”

“You make a convincing case for the sale of term papers,” I agreed, “but what happens when the student gets out of school and starts his profession? He could make a lousy doctor, lawyer, or engineer, if he bought all his work in college.”

“It’s a good point, and we’ve been concerned about it. So what we’re doing is starting a post-graduate service. We plan to sell lawyer’s briefs, doctor’s diagnoses, and engineering blueprints to anyone who wants to continue his education once he gets out of schools.

[from The Free Lance-Star - Feb 19, 1972]