The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 19, 1985 Page: 2 of 8
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Strong beliefs, not wrong ones threshing it out
Are you smarter than your professors? Wiser, too? 1
remember a certain Zorro who used to write in to the backpage,
insisting that most Rice students were their educator's
intellectual superiors. Zorro, and a few like-minded souls who
have been writing in recently, are full of it.
Professors Daniel Graham and Gale Stokes wrote separate
letters to the editor a couple of issues ago. They criticized the
showing of Insatiable, but they did not insist that the film should
have been banned. They merely asked that moral issues be
considered when decisions about pornography are made.
Graham's letter I particularly liked, although 1 was one whose
views he criticized. He pointed out, and rightly 1 think, that the
only real basis for making a decision on the pornography issue is
a moral one. Considerations of expediency, offensiveness, or
freedom are subordinate.
Freedom subordinate to morality? "Freedom" does not mean
that one must do whatever one can, but that one can do whatever
one will. What one will do, however, should be determined by
some sort of morality. Those showing Insatiable would have
denied no one's freedom, not even their own, had they decided to
forego the film for moral reasons.
Graham proclaimed pornography "immoral, pure and
simple." Thomas Carson wrote in accusing Graham of trying to
impose his views on others. But a majority that votes to show a
film overrides minority opinion; Graham merely chose to
express his beliefs, for others to accept or reject as they wish.
Stokes claimed that pornography is insulting to women. One
Richard Palmer tried to counter this by asking Stokes to point
out the offending portions of Insatiable. But did Palmer ever ask
a woman if she considered the film insulting before writing his
letter? Many women, especially feminists, find the majority of
sexually explicit films sexist and therefore insulting, and when
Stokes generalizes, at least he does not generalize lightly.
Both professors could be wrong. But 1 admire their apparent
belief in absolutes, and consequent refusal to bend morality to fit •
the situation. Their views, while sanctified by no authority
higher than themselves, should be heard. Too many students
have dismissed their arguments as trivial, without even listening.
— Paul Havlak
Need precautions
to defend honor
To the editor:
Last semester, an unfortunate
chain of events unfolded involving
myself and another student, the
nature of which has compelled me
to write this caveat concerning
take-home tests. My reticence in
this matter until now was due to
subsequent developments wTiich
have, until recently, been ongoing.
1 do not wish to bore the reader
with superfluous details, but I feel
a brief summary of what occurred
is necessary to indicate the
sincerity and urgency of this
warning.
The other student and I were
taking a class in which there were
some take-home tests. Soon after
taking one of these, we were
individually informed of pending
action by the Honor Council
concerning our exams. We
attempted by various means to
explain the striking similarity of
our work. The professor who
taught the course testified at the
trial that he could not believe such
similarity could possibly be due to
chance alone. By a whim of fate. I
chose to take my test in Lovett
Commons, where two persons saw
me taking the test. In the end, I was
found not guilty, the other student,
guilty.
In the course of trying to
exonerate ourselves — absolute
proof is not required for a guilty
verdict we gradually came to
realize the impossibility of proving
one's innocence in such a situation.
You might ask why one should
worry if one is innocent.
Unfortunately, the realization
soon dawns that being innocent is
a double handicap. If one is guilty,
there is little to be gained by giving
even partially honest testimony.
Also, one has, at least in theory,
some plans for explaining the
damaging evidence. An innocent
party feels compelled to be as
honest and forthright as possible.
In addition, one has no idea what
type of cheating scheme or plan
must be refuted. In the final
analysis, then, a student's only
recourse is to present evidence or
testimony which is so indisputable
as to discredit the testimony of a
figure with the subtle, but
significant, advantages of seniority
and impartiality.
We were unable to present such
testimony. The other student no
longer attends this university as a
result. I believe a few simple
precautions will keep this type of
incident from recurring. If you
ever believe there might be even a
remote possibility of your work
being very similar to another
student's — e.g., due to shared
notes, etc. — the following would
be prudent when working a take-
home test. Take the test in the
presence of another person. Have
him or her witness your sealing of
the completed exam in an envelope
whether or not one was supplied.
To eliminate virtually all risk, have
this student keep the test until it
must be returned.
If this procedure or a similar one
is taken, I believe a repeat of such a
debacle can be avoided in the
future.
Howard P. Pritchard
Lovett '85
9
Doonesbury
THINGS WERE S0/AJ6 GREAT UNTIL L5XLUTH0R HIT
m m awn mm mmmmsuir,,,
BY GARRY TRUDEAU
.. ANPWE UNPERSTANP YOU've
SUCCESSFULLY TRANSPLANTS?
THE HEART OF A LIBERAL INTO
ft CONSERVATIVE. NATURALLY,
HJefiJ THEp.n.C. ARB VERY
INTERESTED IN
your RESULTS.
MR. ENPICOTT, I'M GOING TO ASK
YOU A FEW QUESTIONS TO SEE IF
YOUR NEW HEART HAS AFFECTED
YOUR ATT ITU PES, OKAY?
WHAT ARB YOUR
ARMS CONTROL 2t
Ad.
OKAY, MR ENPICOTT, LET'S
MOVE ON TO THE DOMESTIC
ISSUES. DO YOU FAVOR THE
TREASURY PEPARTMENT%i.
TAX 5IMPLIFICA -
UH-HUH. WELL, TO B6 HONEST,
MR. KIRK, WE PONT REALLY
KNOW WHAT WE'VE GOT YET.
OUR BOY HAP SOME COMPLICA-
TIONS, AND WE'VE ONLY JUST
STARTED INTER-,
VIEWING HIM-
SAME AS THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN!
ARMS CONTROL IS INSANITY! WE
SOVIETS ARB MURDERING SWINE,
AND ANYONE WHO NEGOTIATES
WITH THEM SHOULD/
ARB YOU CRAZY?
DO YOU KNOW HOW
MANY PEPUCTI0N5
I'LL LOSE? MY BOAT,
MY LUNCHES, MY
VACATION HOME,
MY.. MY.. HEY!
what
is it?
EVEN BETTER.
HESEeMSTO
HAVE BECOME
INPEPENPENT.
/
wbll.poes
the mum
APPEAR MORE
PROGRESSIVE?
HOWMANY
FINGERS?
/ YOU
TELL ME.
- //////.
ON THE
OTHER
GOOP! NOW
GUILT! I'M TRY TO
FB5LING CHANNEL IT!
guilt!
T,M r,M CAN YOU
IM..IM PESCRIBE
EXPERIENCING ,T?
THE STRAN6EST i '
SENSATION.
sss
1HRESHER
Paul Havlak
Editor
Todd A. Cornett
Business Manager
David Friesenhahn News Editor
Ian Neath Fine Arts Editor
Scott Snyder Features Editor
Bev Blackwood Advertising Manager
Susan Buchanan. Pam Truzinski Photo Editors
Tony Soltero, Mark Matteson Sports Editors
Brandon Rigney Back Page Editor
John Knapp Production Supervisor (Tuesday)
Robyn Klahr Managing Editor (Friday)
Valerie Rohv Managing Editor (Tuesday)
John Knapp Copy Editor
Mark M. Mitchell Senior Editor
Head Typesetter l.isa Gray
Associate Editors., Erin Blair (News). Karen Nickel (Fine Arts).
Scott Snyder (Sports)
Contributing Editors Steve McLaughlin.
David Richardson (Editorials): Steve Mollenkamp (Sports)
Photography Consultant Mike Gladu
News Staff Kimberlee Barrett, Patty Baron.
Susan Buchanan. Paul Buenatlor. Ian Davidson.
Thomas Gon/ales. Robert Hess, Spencer Greene.
Scheleen Johnson. I itior Roberts. Valerie Rohv.
Jana Sanchez. David Schnur, Catherine Shin.
Cheryl Smith. Katherine Sugg. Caesar Argwings-Kodhek
Fine Arts Stall John Knapp. Sarah Jordan.
Frances Egler, I . Gene Spears, Jr.. Marie l.awson.
Valerie Rohv. Carolyn Austin, John Thomas.
Wendy Sterba. Cheryl Smith, Carrie Blum.
Karin Murphy. Steven Spears, Erin Blair,
Nancy Collier, Crystal Davis. James 1 aura.
Jay Galbraith, Paul Fee. Maribeth Clark,
Ross Waldorf, Bev D. Blackwood 11, Trevor Sehelbourg
Sports Staff Joey DiGregorio, Jay English,
Kevin Gass. Chris Lowrance, Andy Kopplin.
John Lippert, Stephen McVea. David Schafer.
Antonio Torres, Ted Anders. Don Tomaseo, Jr
Photography Staff .Kristi Isackson. l.aura Rosky, Eric Salituro.
Alan Dupont, Mike Hulbert, Benjamin Hegre
Graphics Mike Harshman. Scot Brooks
Production Staff Rick Ary, Mary Ashkar.
Jennifer Brown. Kathy Byers. Jennifer Corkill.
Grayson Haun. Tracy Hodge. Mike Hogan.
Sarah Jordan. Stephanie Ko/inski, Anju Kukreja.
Karin Murphy. Geoff Stafford. Adam Sticpewich
Business Staff
Assistant Business Manager Susan C. Brown Snook
Assistant Advertising Manager Crystal Davis
Advertising Production Assistant Ashley Stainback
Subscription Manager Kathi Fletcher
Student Staff Assistant Carlos Soltero
Circulation Sean Daichman, Howard Goldman,
Mark Mitchell
The Rice Thresher, the official student newspaper at Rice University
since 1916. is published each Tuesday and Friday during the school year,
except during examination periods and holidays, by the students of Rice
University. Fditorialand business offices arc located on the second floor
ot the Rice Memorial Center. P.O. Box 1892. Houston. Texas 77251
1 elephone (71.1)527-4801 or 527-4802. Advertising information available
upon request. Mail subscription rate per semester: $15.00 domestic.
$.10.00 international, (via first class mail). The opinions expressed herein
are not necessarilv those of anyone except the writer. Obviously.
c" 1985. The Rice Thresher. All rights reserved.
The Rice Thresher, February 19, 1985, page 2
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Havlak, Paul. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 72, No. 26, Ed. 1 Tuesday, February 19, 1985, newspaper, February 19, 1985; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245588/m1/2/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.