As a lot of us have heard, WHS experienced a big cheating scandal during midterms. If you have not heard of this misconduct and are just hearing about it now, then I suggest you continue reading. Two weeks ago the week before midterms a few students chose to break into a teacher’s classroom and take a picture of the midterm exam. Breaking into a teacher’s classroom and taking a picture of one’s midterm are both wrong and a violation of WHS’s Core Values. 

Personally, I never take these tests well. They stress me out and I always second guess myself,and in that whole week I am mentally drained. Still, I would never break into my teacher’s class and take a picture of my midterm just to try to do better on the exam. At the very least, I know the grade I earned is an honest grade.

After speaking to multiple teachers, they stated that breaking into a teacher’s classroom was a violation of their space and privacy. In addition, going through their personal and professional belongings to take a picture of the midterm exam is a further wrongdoing–both as a violation of the handbook and one’s ethical decisions. 

Teachers are now making sure to close their classroom doors and lock their cabinets when they are not in the room. The teacher who had their midterm stolen had to recreate the midterm which took more time and energy to make a new exam.

Students after taking the test were angry with the student(s) who took the picture of the exam because their test could have been easier previous to the new exam. Many complained the exam was harder than what it previously could have been. 

I think that there should be a harsh punishment for the student who took the picture and the students who were also a part of this scandal. I also wonder why the student chose to take a picture of the exam. Unfortunately, I believe that they won’t receive a harsh punishment, and I believe that is unfair to other students in their class. Taking a picture of your midterm exam in any class and then sharing it with classmates should not be tolerated. The students involved clearly didn’t think that they would get caught and didn’t think that another student would tell an adult or their teacher. This act not only violates the teacher’s trust, but also the rest of the students who had to take the exam.