Sacrificing Morals for Success
Sacrificing Morals for Success
Colleen Wenke expresses her concern for the moral future of our country through
her essay “Too Much Pressure”, which explains the rapid increase in students that
cheat. She explains that over the years the number of cheating students has risen, while
their moral ethics and beliefs in integrity have almost diminished. Wenke writes “I
blamed our school system for not instilling the proper values in its students”, and goes on
to further discuss how cheating had become acceptable as long as you are not caught.
Schools seem to be putting a much higher standard on achieving high grades rather than
the actual value of retaining the material taught. Regardless of being raised by parents
who find cheating a moral corruption; somehow these students find it easy to set aside
what is morally correct for a better grade. “In high school I always felt at a disadvantage,
because everybody else was cheating and doing better than I was, even if only by a few
points”, Wenke explains how giving in to cheating is the way to get the edge on others
for that higher grade. It appears that cheating has become so common that students
barely hesitate. Trying to play sports, attend extra curricular activities and
obtain the highest grades to get into the best schools, these overachievers set there values
aside to obtain these goals. She tells us how students now are in desire of the best
schools to obtain the highest paid careers. It has become second nature to share papers,
copy homework, or use some type of cheating method to pass a test. Sacrificing any
integrity to be the best and succeed. The author shows us how cheating in school is not
where it ends. These over achievers have made these immoral ways new habits in their
lives. Habits that will obviously follow into careers that will place them on top of those...
Cited: Wenke, Colleen “Too Much Pressure.” The Bedford Reader
Ed. X.J. Kennedy Boston Bedford, 2006 532-536
Colleen Wenke expresses her concern for the moral future of our country through
her essay “Too Much Pressure”, which explains the rapid increase in students that
cheat. She explains that over the years the number of cheating students has risen, while
their moral ethics and beliefs in integrity have almost diminished. Wenke writes “I
blamed our school system for not instilling the proper values in its students”, and goes on
to further discuss how cheating had become acceptable as long as you are not caught.
Schools seem to be putting a much higher standard on achieving high grades rather than
the actual value of retaining the material taught. Regardless of being raised by parents
who find cheating a moral corruption; somehow these students find it easy to set aside
what is morally correct for a better grade. “In high school I always felt at a disadvantage,
because everybody else was cheating and doing better than I was, even if only by a few
points”, Wenke explains how giving in to cheating is the way to get the edge on others
for that higher grade. It appears that cheating has become so common that students
barely hesitate. Trying to play sports, attend extra curricular activities and
obtain the highest grades to get into the best schools, these overachievers set there values
aside to obtain these goals. She tells us how students now are in desire of the best
schools to obtain the highest paid careers. It has become second nature to share papers,
copy homework, or use some type of cheating method to pass a test. Sacrificing any
integrity to be the best and succeed. The author shows us how cheating in school is not
where it ends. These over achievers have made these immoral ways new habits in their
lives. Habits that will obviously follow into careers that will place them on top of those...
Cited: Wenke, Colleen “Too Much Pressure.” The Bedford Reader
Ed. X.J. Kennedy Boston Bedford, 2006 532-536
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