Valedictorian caught cheating

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so my graduating class just found out who will be representing our class as valedictorian and it's a student that was caught cheating on an exam. she was caught on camera and later admitted to the cheating. I feel someone like this should not represent our school or class as a valedictorian. It sets a bad example that cheating will be tolerated. there are many students that sacrifice so much for nursing and this bothers me that someone like this would be honored. she was caught once cheating but there could be other times she cheated and didnt get caught. I addressed this issue with administration. Please give me your opinion about this. Am I over thinking this?

I would think that if the administration is aware of just how angry a majority of the class is AND that the class is even aware of the situation, they would rather "cya" to protect their own reputation. They should be concerned about this going higher and for their sakes, they may cave to the student body. They never should have allowed it in the first place.

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Specializes in NICU, Trauma, Oncology.
I'd refuse to go to my graduation. I think your whole class should just refuse to show up, in protest. You still get your degree whether you "walk" and get pinned, or not.

Let her give her meaningless little speech to an empty auditorium.

I second the poster hat says to really scrutinize your student handbook. It's ridiculous that she was able to retake an exam. We had a student leave her cell phone in her jacket - which was placed in the front of the classroom (where we drop out IDs/keys/etc. she received a 0 on the exam Bc the handbook says no phones in the classroom. That was an honest mistake.

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Specializes in PACU, pre/postoperative, ortho.

Has anybody written a letter to the editor of the local paper?

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Specializes in Psychiatry.

Nu rn no not yet we are waiting to get the final decision on what will happen with her first. If noting happens it going to get ugly

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Specializes in ED, ICU, MS/MT, PCU, CM, House Sup, Frontline mgr.
Your politics are irrelevant. I said that because of Mrs. Clinton declaring at the Benghazi hearing that it made no difference whether she lied. I don't think most Americans agree with that.

No, our former Secretary of State did not say any of that or imply any of that! Fox Noise said that and implied that since day one! So did the Tea-Party nut jobs that control that so-called news organization. Most Americans know that to be the truth. Also, we know that the so-called controversy regarding Benghazi was made up and spun up by Fox Noise and the crazy talking-heads on Conservative radio shows of which most Americans DO NOT agree with!

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I'm going to be among the dissenters. I'm also surprised she wasn't kicked out. It sucks that she's getting rewarded. All of that is true.

On the other hand, I'm just a few years out from graduation and I can't even tell you who our valedictorian was. Maybe it's just me. Maybe graduation didn't mean as much to me as it should have (I cared a lot more about the NCLEX, when it got real). But if it were me, I'd just not invite her to the after party and then forget you ever knew her. Her being valedictorian won't get her a job (remember, no one cares what your GPA was, either), and holding onto negative feelings has a real cost to you. Not that you should let it go, but you also don't need to let it ruin anything. Just talk through the whole speech or something. :)

A thousand times yes, that ^^^. You said it more succinctly than I....that's why I said to just let it go!

mc3:cat:

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.

I didn't even know they did Valedictorians past high school. :p They didn't do that at my LVN graduation.

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Specializes in ICU / PCU / Telemetry / Oncology.
I didn't even know they did Valedictorians past high school. :p They didn't do that at my LVN graduation.

Ha! I just realized that. You're right. Our class has a class speaker selected by the director of the program, but he was only referred to as that. He was clearly one of the smartest in the group, so I suppose he was in essence the valedictorian but never referred to as such.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

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Specializes in M/S, LTC, Corrections, PDN & drug rehab.
Ha! I just realized that. You're right. Our class has a class speaker selected by the director of the program, but he was only referred to as that. He was clearly one of the smartest in the group, so I suppose he was in essence the valedictorian but never referred to as such.

Sent from my iPad using allnurses

I don't even remember my graduation. I do remember this big fuss that was made over the song though. Haha! It was a Miley Cyrus song. I was sooo dead set against it. But there was this clique that wanted it for our song. In the end, because I was the only one that hated it, that was our song. I cared then, I couldn't care less now. I was also 21 then.

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Specializes in LTC Rehab Med/Surg.
I didn't even know they did Valedictorians past high school. :p They didn't do that at my LVN graduation.

I never thought of it like that, but really, isn't valedictorian more of a kid reward?

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Specializes in General Surgery, NICU.

nu rn, I was about to suggest that too! I would let it be known publicly, if the school and administration do not do something. They have already let her have advantages she should never have had as a cheater.

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Specializes in Behavioral Health.
I don't even remember my graduation. I do remember this big fuss that was made over the song though. Haha! It was a Miley Cyrus song. I was sooo dead set against it. But there was this clique that wanted it for our song. In the end, because I was the only one that hated it, that was our song. I cared then, I couldn't care less now. I was also 21 then.

I'm in a similar boat. We had a faculty member speak at our graduation, who we selected by vote. I'm not a fan of popularity contests to begin with, but I vaguely recall everyone got bent out of shape that their favorite professor wasn't everyone else's. The memory of the conflict is the strongest memory I have of my whole graduation... well, that and the after party. I guess my point is, since that's the first thing that comes to mind when I recall my graduation, it doesn't seem like fighting over it made the day better. It just made the memory worse.

Of course, I may be the only person in my cohort who remembers it that way. So, YMMV and all that.

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