Letters to the editor

In the Dec. 7, 2004 issue of the Online 49er two questions were raised concerning the issue of financial compensation to AS Senators during their term of office.

(1) Why is the AS Senate rushing this financial legislation at the end of the semester? The issue is not being rushed. The issue will, in fact, not be addressed until next semester. As always, in a public forum.

(2) Who will hold ASI accountable?

The Senate does not establish payments nor does it directly involve itself in the budgeting process. Any payments made to senators will need to be approved by the AS Board of Control, a separate board from the Senate. Though the Board of Control currently seats two AS senators, accountability is maintained now and in the future as it is chaired by the AS treasurer and seats the AS president and vice-president (none of whom are voting members of the Senate's Board of Directors, with exception of the vice president, who traditionally abstains from voting), as well as two non-AS affiliated members, the associate vice president for financial management from the University's Administration and a faculty representative from the University Financial Affairs Committee.

This board is a collection of all the financial authorities across the campus and would decide the amount and timeline of any payment to any position in AS. This board, in fact, keeps the AS financially accountable. As always, these meetings are completely public.

— Morgan Wheeler, Senator-at-Large, Associated Students

 

Cheating is a victimless crime...right? As a serious student, I really get frustrated when classmates cheat. They claim that cheating doesn't harm anyone. I disagree. Cheating in the academic community leads to cheating in the real world. Cheating has far too many gradually destructive effects on our society.

Our society is based on the assumption that people obey the rules. We stop at red lights and drive the speed limit.  People who cheat break the rules that our society is founded on. Many people who cheat attempt to create a rational reason for their actions. I feel that the more reasons one needs to feel comfortable cheating, the more questionable their ethics become. 

Cheating is injurious to others for the reason that it is untrue to the rest of society. Cheating can cause a society to go to wreck and ruin. Envision a CSULB athletic team winning only because some of the athletes decided to use performance-enhancing drugs. Consider having a professor who never passed a test without a cheat sheet. We look to our professors, athletes, doctors and lawyers because we see them as qualified professionals. I can only hope that all professionals have earned their positions.

So how does this relate to cheating in the academic realm? It is my opinion that cheating in one division of life leads to cheating in others. Certainly, we do not want students who cheat in class to bear that trait in their place of work. Moreover, if an academic institution became known for harvesting cheaters, imagine how difficult it would be to secure a job after graduation.

Finals week is here — consider being honest.

— Graham McPartland, senior economics major and chemistry minor