Do the words integrity and honesty mean anything to anyone anymore? As a budding journalist, they mean something to me, but I have a feeling I am one of the dwindling few.

Recent national issues of controversy have showed me how precarious these values have become. Two recent events come to my mind – the issues surrounding the pairs figure skating competition and events in Piper, Kan., where a large number of students plagiarized their science projects.

In one example, the parties involved did something wrong and the other, something right. Ironically, in subsequent actions, one situation was made right while the other was made wrong.

Am I confusing anyone yet? I am sure confused by this. These aren’t the only recent examples of a lack of integrity and honesty. Perhaps it’s only because I’m taking a journalism ethics class right now, but I have become aware of a number of scholarly individuals accused of faking data and dissertations in addition to a whole slew of other dishonest activities. I am sure many more cases don’t make it into the news.

The media has covered the Olympics situation quite in depth, but I haven’t seen the same kind of coverage on these recent breaches of academic integrity.

Our entire school career is based on the value of honesty. We are taught to do our own work and not to lie. Plagiarism constitutes the ultimate punishment, maybe a zero on the assignment or an overall failing grade, not to mention the marks on an individual’s reputation and academic record.

Unless you live in Piper. Apparently, in Piper, students who are guilty of plagiarism only need to have their parents complain to the school board to have the decision overturned.

Did the fact that 30 out of 120 students took entire papers off the internet mean anything to these officials? Apparently it makes no difference that the teacher vocalized the rules and then followed through on them.

So what does this say to all who strive for that integrity and honesty, not to mention satisfaction, of doing their own work and truly earning their grades or recognition?

Complain if it doesn’t go your way, and all will be made right. Be lazy, but know the right people, and you can’t go wrong.

People who know me know I complain quite a bit but only about trivial things, and it certainly doesn’t change my situation. I sometimes wish I had the pull of those parents in Piper.

The school board officials who overturned a teacher’s decision, which was clearly outlined in her course objectives, said it was because the students were only in grade school, not yet the real world.

Plagiarism rules were made for a reason and should apply to everyone, even grade schoolers. Grade school is the foundation of an entire education!

So who has the power to decide when plagiarism is plagiarism and when it actually counts? Is the cut off high school? College? Maybe there shouldn’t be any rules about plagiarism. We can all just steal each other’s work and be undeservingly called scholars.

I am outraged that a school, the very place today’s youth are supposed to be learning about honesty and integrity, has fallen into the grip of recent trends toward laziness, sloppiness and dishonesty.

I guess the old adage “honesty is the best policy” is not good advice anymore. I suppose “life isn’t fair” is a better one.

So is there anything we can do to stop this trend?

As the individuals who will run the world in a few years, we need to make the effort to reinstitute these important values into American life. Who is actually proud of cheating and getting away with it?