The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-09-04
DOWN ON CRlBBING
But Local Educators Do Not Think
It Necessary to Inaugurate
Crusade Against It.
DR.. Northrop and supt. Jordan Say
the Practice Is Not Common
in Minneapolis.

Last spring when the papers of eighteen
of the thirty-one students taking the
entrance examinations at Princeton were
thrown out" because of unusually fla
grant "cribbing,' instructors in the vari-
Gus preparatory schools and colleges in
the country raised a hue and cry which
portended that in the immediate future
at least the chances of passing examina
lions by such procedure would be vastly
cut down. A number of these instructors
have agreed with the general public that
martinez methods are the only methods;
but there are others who would put the
matter as does the faculty at Princeton,
into the hands of the students themselves.
President Northrop, while he condemns
"cribbing' in no immeasured terms, is
not going to join forces with the old
fashioned school of rigid disciplinarians.
His equanimity is not disturbed by the
passing storm of virtuous indignation
raised by the uninitiated over the moral
obiquity of university students. Il be-
lieve as little in Intellectual dishonesty as
believe in financial dishonesty, and
regret that the standard of the university
is not sufficiently high to dispense en-
tirely with the practice, but I am not go
ing to institute any special campaign
against 'cribbing,'" said DR.. Northrop
In the first place there is not enough of
it to require special action by the faculty,
and In the second place. while I put
as low a plane as abstracting money from
another mans pocketbook, for instance,
yet with the new method of conducting
classes it Is hard to say where 'cribbing
begins and scholarship ends. In a class
In geometry, for example, the text book
Is supposed to be closed. In class in
political economy, on the other hand, the
professor may make a sta tement which
requires classification with some other in
the text book. Then to open the book is
not only lawful, it is good scholarship.
But there Is possibility and even a
probability that this, with the aid of a
little moral gymnatics, may serve to pave
the way to a dishonest use of the book.
What I strongly advocate in this mat
ter is the responsibility Of instructors.
I don't believe in the custom prevalent IN
many Of our schools and colleges OF leaV-
ing the students alone in the room where
the examination is being held. To the stu
dent, especially the young student who
breads funk the temptation to COM
municate or to use the book, is almost
irresistible. To avoid that, the instructor
should be at his desk until the last mem
Der Of the class has handed in his paper
Asked as to whether the girls or the
men were more likely to 'crib,' Presi-
dent Northrop looked thoughtfully into
space. Women be said, guardedly'
ARE, theoretically, believed to have a
were under temptation, they might sue
cumb. But 1 don't know anything about
it. so don't say anything about it,
1T is an epidemic, but it will soon blow
over" succinctly observed c. M. Jordan,
superintendent of city schools. Zone thing
is certain, we're not going to conduct a
crusade against it here in Minneapolis.
AS matter Of fact, if there is any crib
bing' done in our high schools, it must
be done on a. very small scale, on account
of the absence OF final examinations
When I first held this position, ten years
ago. I put my foot down on final exam
nations. I have always argued that II
anyone could judge Of a pupils scholar.
ship, it was the pupils teacher, and J
acted accordingly. There are tests during
the year and the pupils work from day tc
day is recorded, but the agony of the fina
| examination is a thing dispensed with
and with it goes the temptation to crib.
At the end of the four years the student
is given a certificate, and If satisfactory
this admits him into the state university
without the necessity Of the hated cram
ming, and possible 'cribbing."