Looking at an incident through a lens...in essay form (and then I degenrate into nonsense)

This is for my Academic Writing course, and the title pretty much explains the assignment I have.  We had a choice of four cheating-related incidents, and read some scholarly articles about cheating and had to pick a concept from these articles, and examine one incident using the concept as a lens.  So pretty much, how do these two things relate to each other?  At least, I hope that's what it's supposed to be, or else I'm going to be in some serious trouble....

Incident – Harvard Cheating scandal

125 students of varying years are in trouble due to alleged cheating that occurred in a Spring 2012 course taught by Matthew Platt—Government 1310: Intro to Congress. This cheating varies “from inappropriate collaboration to outright plagiarism, on a take-home final exam." (says a letter attributed to the College) As many as half of the accused are varsity athletes (which somehow makes them more special than everybody else....) For the students that graduated in Spring 2012 after completing the course, their diplomas are in jeopardy, and for the rest, they can be facing as much as a one-year suspension. Some of these students are threating to take legal action against the college if the are faced with harsh punishments, and some students also have very vocal in defending themselves, with their words appearing in news centers such as The New York Times. These students make the course sound terrible and inconsistent in both the rules and grading, they say that the requirements weren't clear. Yet according to Micheal Carmichael's article, the 'no collaboration policy' was printed right on the exam, and it was an open notes, open book and open Internet test. This issue still hasn't been resolved, although Harvard is looking into preventative measures for future events, like an honor code.

Concept – Collaboration v. Doing it by yourself

“On campus, solitary independence; off campus, collective energy.” Chace points out the differing views of collaboration that exist in two settings—the 'real world' and then college. In the 'real world' collaboration is expected and teamwork skills are a prerequisite for success. In college, it is viewed as cheating, and can be punished very harshly. This is a confusing discrepancy, and it would be a good lens to approach the Harvard Cheating incident because 'collaboration' is exactly what these students are being accused of. The lens I will use is the differing views of collaboration that exist.

So I wrote this lovely little thing sitting up in the coffee house/dessert and panini serving deliciousness that lives on the top floor of my tower.  It's open mic night, and also it's Halloween, so right now I'm being serenaded by this

It's an interesting experience, I must tell you.  I have no idea where one is suppose to get a hold of a costume like that.

This is what the girl-behind-the-counter-who-refills-my-glass-of-water is wearing, and it looks incredibly comfortable.  Like a cross between a giant bag and onesy pajamas.  

Earlier today, me and two other floor-mates attacked the bathroom mirrors with some white-board markers in an attempt to be festive.  I think it worked.  There's now pumpkins and ghosts and "Boo"s and one kitty (by me) that live on the mirrors now.  It was a bit of a stroke of genius, this idea, and I hope that it catches on, because our floor does not have too much community spirit.

There's now a very attractive man playing a guitar song he wrote, and it's got some really cool chords, but I can't exactly hear what he's saying, but who needs that when I can look at his attractiveness?

Wow. 

I started off trying to actually make a decent blog post, and then I wound up talking about random guys...well, what does that say about me?  

Anyways, I think I ought to get going now, because now I'm embarrassed without anything intelligent to say.