Cheating, an action condemned by the administration and pursued by the students, seems ubiquitous in the school system. Simply copying homework is an act of cheating, and questions have arisen as to whether or not it is justifiable. Moreover, there are many myths about cheating, such as only the "dumb kids" do it. Well, teens in honors or advance placement classes have shown a tendency to cheat, and many are asking why.

Recently, a teacher caught nearly 20 students in his class cheating on a homework assignment. "Everybody copies homework!" cried a student. Others even replied that it provided some with competitive edge and that it was basically Darwin's law of survival of the fittest: Only the crafty emerge victorious. One student also pointed out "It's only tedious work, and it usually has no point. I don’t see the big deal," when asked if copying homework was a faulty act to commit.

Well, in a recent study, we have discredited the belief that out of the 82% of cheaters present, only the dumb kids do it. In fact, many of the not-so-dumb ones cheat also. One went as far as transferring schools to be in the National Honor Society, rather than suffer the consequences of their cheating in school. But where do we find these so-called cheaters and why do they do it continuously? The answers can be found in a recent survey taken in a high school. When asked which classes required cheating the most, the replies ranged widely, but when asked about what tasks they cheat on, the answer was obvious: Quizzes, with homework and tests coming 2nd and 3rd respectively. Most people stated that homework copying isn't the big deal that it is made out to be and that they only do it when necessary, but a select few felt strongly that one's precious work should not just be thrust upon another's paper.

So, where do we end up on the cheating policy? Should it be allowed?  Should "rats" and "tattle-tales" be commended or purged for unleashing the identities of these copy-villains? The answer lies in your own opinion and on your own paper.