“If you accept that you have done cheating in assignment then sign here, or if you disagree with your professor’s claims then we will proceed with documents of hearing of honor court.” Mrs. Alice told me for last time. I replied, “I accept all claims.” And I took pen from Mrs. Alice and put my hand on paper in position to sign, and then something pulled my hand back. It was my inner voice, it was telling me “you are not cheater, you haven’t done anything wrong.”
This is my real story, and all characters are real. But I am not using real names of people, otherwise they will kill me. You will ask who are 3 monkeys; first one is me, second is Hari and third is Lalu. And you may think that python is that professor, but python is our course, its computer language, and Dr. Anaconda is that professor who is teaching that course.
The story started somewhat like this, we were sitting in cafeteria before few minutes of lecture and Hari told me he got 0/100 for assignment, I told him it will be some mistake, tell Anaconda he will correct it. And we continued eating and gazing at girls around us. When lecture started I was checking “TOP NEWS” on facebook that someone is feeling :( today (it’s breaking news and most liked news of that day), then I heard something like honor code violation and cheating. I looked up and professor was showing 2 same programming codes side by side. Anaconda said “I told in first lecture that don’t test me with this. Now be ready for consequences.” I looked at Hari and he approved that those codes belongs to his and Lalu’s assignment. What I understood from that scenario is that these 2 guys are in trouble and it will be good lesson for them for not doing work on time and copying from other’s work. When lecture ended those 2 guys went to meet professor and I was discussing that issue with other students. They told me professor mentioned about 3 codes but showing only 2. They suggest me to check my grades. And it was 0/100. When I had checked in cafeteria it was 85, so, I was relaxed throughout lecture.
As we are masters students we have evening lectures, and this lecture is from 7:30 to 10:00 PM and then 1 n half hr traveling from campus to home, so it was almost 12 when I reached home. While coming home Hari approached me once and apologized. I was worried but not panicked at that time, I thought if I told professor whole story, at least I will not get suffered because of those guys. Before going to bed I checked my mail and there was a mail form Lalu, it was something like this….
Hi,
I am really sorry for wat happened and never thought this would happen. I know you do work sincerely and becoz of me you have to face this.
well I having huge guilty feeling so could not talk to you directly.
I ask you only one thing, If you want to scold me please do but just, don't hate me.
Thats all I can tell you now though i want to speak many things.
sincerely,
Lalu.
I replied him…..
Hi...
Don't take this incident seriously. Even I m not much worrying about it. But we should be happy that we got warning sign at right time.
We will manage this. And I don't have any bad feeling for you or Hari. And don't worry about my grades, I really don't care about it. I don't need someone's approval for my qualification.
I also know u r also trying to study and understand these tough subjects. N don't worry, we will study together but take enough precaution form next time, and will do assignments separately.
OK. GOOD NIGHT.
TAKE CARE.
I had written some filmy dialogs in excitement to make him feel good. Next day I met Peof. Anaconda and told him the whole story that I had done my assignment by myself. They both had some work during those days so they started assignment on last day of submission. And Hari’s laptop had crashed on that day so, he had used mine as we need python installed on laptop to do assignment. In hesitation of submitting it before dead line they copied some of my work and we get caught. Anaconda told me that he didn’t want to bring this case to honor code, but if I want my grades then he has to go. Otherwise accept no grading for your work. He told me to inform him with my final decision.
Honor code is a type of small court in university. They handle this kind of forgery and cheating cases. They also have hearing committee who decided penalty depending upon severity of crime. So, another war started in my mind whether to go for honor code or not. If I go then these two guys will go through sever consequences and if I don’t go then I will get penalized for mistake that I haven’t done. I called one of my best friend in India to help me as I wasn’t able to take any firm decision. He explained me beautifully that don’t feel guilty because you are not cheating your friends; you are going there for justification. Forgive someone for their mistake but never compromise with things what you feel right. I agreed with him and informed prof to go for honor code.
After 2 months, when semester was about to end we get reply and as procedure we took individual appointment with Mrs. Alice on 3 consecutive days. Mrs. Alice is member of honor code committee and handling our case. I had first appointment so, I thought that I had advantage of knowing the whole scenario and taking any other decision if needed. But Mrs. Alice had some urgency so, she postponed my appointment for next week. Next day Lalu went and he called me from there that they gave him 2 options, “Either accept claims and penalty for that is ‘no grading’ for assignment as mentioned by prof. or if you think that professor is wrong then go for hearing but after hearing, committee will decide whether to increase penalty or decrease, there are equal chances for both.” At that time he didn’t know what will be penalty for me and Hari if we accept it. I thought that as professor knows that I had done my work I will get score for that assignment even if we three accept it. I told him to accept it. Hari did same next day.
During that 1 week period, we got final grading for that course, me and Hari got ‘B’ and Lalu got ‘B-’. If I get grade for that assignment then my grade will increase to ‘A-’. So, I was happy with my grade. Next was my turn, I went to honor code office with positivity and meet Mrs. Alice. She gave me documents of claims by professor, I was reading and I shocked. What is this, according to professor I am lying about giving my laptop and he is penalizing me with “no grading” for that work. So, only way that I can prove myself innocent is to go for hearing. I asked Mrs. Alice for 1 hr time to decide. I was angry with professor at that time, I am determined for hearing. But again those ‘shoulder angels’. Funny thing about these angels is that you never know which one is good and which is bad. I thought that I am not only person who will go to hearing; I am bringing these two guys also. If by chance penalty get sever then Lalu’s grade will decrease below ‘B-’ and as per rule he has to repeat this course. I told Mrs. Alice to give document to sign. Before signing I heard voice “you are not cheater, you haven’t done anything wrong.” It wasn’t my inner voice, it was Mrs. Alice. I told her “I am not cheater, but I am also not that much selfish.” And case dismissed.
I still don’t know whether it was virtue of mine of not being selfish and thinking about others or excuse for running away from situation where I has to take firm decision. It may be possible that to hide my cowardliness I am depicting myself as protagonist. But because of this incident I have seen that part of myself that I have never seen before. Sorry Dr. Anaconda for compelling you to write that 6 page claim latter and at the end I ended up at same option which you offered at beginning, but journey to this point from different route has taught me lot, may be more than your lectures. And sorry to Lalu and Hari for bringing this story to public, but let people know about our roller coaster ride of python.
“I was standing at point few feet away from the peak of Mount Everest, I could have reached at the top by cutting rope and let my fellow fall in valley or return back from that point. I choose second one.”~Jaimin
