Eliot Spitzer announces his resignation, Ryerson student awaits his fate
Well folks, to follow up my latest posting it seems that we are awaiting the fate of one person while another one announces his resignation immediately. Eliot Spitzer, the governor of New York has made a desperate announcement - he is resigning effective immediately. Mr. Spitzer was involved in a sex scandal which cost him his job. In a press conference in Manhattan, he made a statement to all the people of New York State:
“I go forward with the belief as others have said that as human beings our greatest glory consists not in never falling but in rising every time we fall,”
Mr. Spitzer (also known as Client 9) was allegedly to be involved in so-called sex chat lines to meet a girl named Kristen to travel from New York to Washington for a large amount of money in a luxury hotel. Many opponents, especially the Republicans gave Mr. Spitzer a deadline. He eventually complied and effective Monday (March 17th, 2008), he will step down for good. Replacing Mr. Spitzer is Lt. Gov. David Paterson, an African-American who is blind. It seems that it came a long way when Mr. Spitzer dominated the whole state of New York, but with his resignation official, it seems that he should “Move Along”.
Anyways, let’s go north of the border and Chris Avenir, the Ryerson student who got expelled for organizing a Facebook study group appeared at an appeal hearing yesterday. He was scrummed by the media along with his girlfriend as he enters and leaves the building. The media asks him many questions about his expulsion, but Avenir looks optimistic that he will stay in school to focus his studies. This has marked a shockwave across the post-secondary community all over Canada and it is starting to gain worldwide attention. It’s anyone’s guess if and when CNN and Fox News interviews Chris Avenir. And just to clarify, Chris Avenir is one of the co-admins of the facebook group (which has since shut down), the real real real culprit is unknown (that particular user was using an alias).
The lawyer who represented the defendant, explains this statement to the media, “We will press his case forward and in particular expose the glaring lack of evidence that is behind the allegations,”
According to Ryerson’s code of conduct, some believe that there is no clear policy regarding about if Facebook study groups fit into the category of cheating, but by judging yourself from Ryerson’s code of conduct, you have to re-think:
Cheating
i. using materials or aids not expressly allowed by the instructor in an examination or test;
ii. copying another person’s answer(s) to an examination or test question; copying another
person’s answers to individually assigned projects;
iii. consulting with another person or unauthorized materials outside of an examination room during the examination period (e.g. discussing an exam or consulting materials during an emergency evacuation or when permitted to use a washroom);
iv. improperly submitting an answer to a test or examination question completed, in whole or part, outside the examination room unless specifically permitted by the examination format;
v. resubmitting altered test or examination work after it has already been evaluated;
vi. presenting falsified or fabricated material, including research results; or
vii. improperly obtaining, through deceit, theft, bribery, collusion or otherwise, access to examination paper(s) or set of questions, or other confidential information.
Plagiarism
Claiming the words, ideas, artistry, drawings, images or data of another person as if they were your own. This includes:
i. copying another person’s work (including information found on the Internet and unpublished materials) without appropriate referencing;
ii. presenting someone else’s work, opinions or theories as if they are your own;
iii. presenting another’s substantial compositional changes to an assignment as your own;
iv. working collaboratively without permission of the instructor on an assignment, and then submitting it as if it was created solely by you; or
v. submitting the same work, for credit in two or more courses without the prior written permission of the instructor(s).
I wish my best for Mr. Avenir. I hope the situation will be settled anytime soon. This will definitely leave a dent in the student’s reputation.
References:
http://www.gazette.uwo.ca/article.cfm?section=FrontPage&articleID=1212&month=03&day=12&year=2008
http://torontosun.com/News/TorontoAndGTA/2008/03/12/4977651-sun.html
http://www.kval.com/news/national/16451406.html
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_20463.aspx
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_20487.aspx
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_20528.aspx
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=1722ada9-2541-4484-912a-b41d794f063f
Ryerson student faces expulson for posting illegal content on Facebook, NY governor’s sex scandal
There was some controversy going on in the news recently about a person named Chris Avenir who is a first year computer engineering student from Ryerson University, is getting expelled alleging that he posted answers on the popular social networking site called “Facebook”. He and his fellow students swapped homework questions on the website. Ryerson believed that Avenir was cheating so they slapped him with one count of academic misconduct for helping to run the group and 146 counts for every classmate that was involved for using the social networking website.
This incident has marked shockwaves all across the country, even colleges and universities are stepping up to the table to support Avenir’s case. From my point of view, this had reminded me about one student named Brad Parsons of Birchmount Park Collegiate Institute has been expelled last year for posting inappropriate comments about the vice-principal (or something like that) and this had marked a protest by the students at his school which resulted at least 3 people facing criminal charges.
Back to Avenir’s case, he believed that the administration mishandled the situation because they don’t simply have a clear policy regarding Internet use. He quote, “I don’t really see how it’s justified. I can understand how the original creator, when he put in the group’s description, might have brought in some questionable thoughts, but I don’t think that jumping to conclusions and assumptions and hiding behind a very vague policy really justifies any of what’s going on right now,” unquote.
UPDATE: It appears the media states that the “real” person who created the study group is unknown. Avenir was a co-admin of the group, but the administrative authorities at Ryerson are not taking any chances. Should Avenir lose that appeal, he will take that case to the university senate. If that fails, he will go a step further - launch a lawsuit against Ryerson. Now that, involves many steps.
The hearing will take place today. I’ll keep posted on what’s going on as it develops.
In a related matter, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer is in serious hot water because he was allegedly involved in a prostitution ring. Just like Avenir, he could get expelled and possible terminated from his position, if the situation arouses. Spitzer was involved in a sex scandal and the FBI was able to wiretap all the events. Spitzer recently made this statement in a press conference telling all people in the state of New York:
“I’ve acted in a way that violates my obligation to my family and that violates my or any sense of right and wrong. I apologize first, and most importantly, to my family. I apologize to the public, whom I promised better.”
It really bothers me that not that the Ryerson student and the New York governor faces desperate times, but it reminisces me about the time I have to live through during my elementary school years. I’ve been grounded once from elementary school and I once got suspended in grade 9 because the people at the board was able to track me down for writing a vulgar letter from elementary school. I cannot tell you why I did this, but it’s quite hard to understand to you.
References:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/11/nyregion/11cnd-spitzer.html?hp
http://www.thevarsity.ca/article/2427
http://www.680news.com/news/local/article.jsp?content=20080311_081651_8096
http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/story.html?id=3c266f4b-e0de-4817-aa8d-729ebb73ceec&k=92050
http://www.citynews.ca/news/news_20463.aspx
Brad Parsons’ expulsion:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20070323/student_protest_070223?s_name=&no_ads=
Obay does not exist, post-secondary campaign is to blame
After much speculation to some people, it seems that we finally got a conclusion to the Obay ads - it seems that Ontario Colleges were to blame for making this viral advertising campaign.
According to a news release, the particular ad campaign is targeted to mostly parents when it comes to post-secondary education.
“Students across Ontario can breathe a sigh of relief today with the news that a new product, ‘Obay’, purported to stop them thinking for themselves, or about their future, isn’t for real and won’t be appearing in their parents’ medicine cabinets anytime soon. A teaser campaign, featuring fictional ads and humorous, provocative messages about parental ‘mind control’ has been running across province for the past few weeks. They are part of the lead up to today’s official launch of a new marketing campaign by Colleges Ontario - the advocacy organization representing the 24 colleges of applied arts and technology - that is targeted primarily to parents, the group identified as having great influence when it comes to post-secondary education.”
It seems that everyone had got the message, but some of them got pointless…lol According to a representative of the Canadian Federation of Students, this is what he/she has to say:
“It’s ironic that Colleges Ontario has chosen to market itself this way If the colleges want to talk about obeying anything, students ask them to explain why they refuse to obey the law.”
According to another press release, two former post-secondary students filed a lawsuit against Ontario colleges to put a stop the collection of tuition-related ancillary fees and secure at least $200 Million CDN in compensation for current and former post-secondary students. Ancillary fees are charged in conjunction with tuition fees. These fees are used to fund student centres, athletic facilities, health/dental care insurance or other services that are supplementary to the basic operations of a college or university.
Edit at 8:40p.m.: The Torontoist blog made their own view about the Obay ads. It can be viewed here: http://torontoist.com/2008/02/obay_phase_two.php
Ontario Colleges was able to provide a section dedicated to those ads, which can be viewed here: http://whycollege.ontariocolleges.ca/en/obay.html
There were also some Youtube Videos dedicating to the campaign such as a new baby becoming a lawyer, a mother telling a young girl a bedtime story about anatomy and the group of kindergarden students divided into three groups: lawyers, doctors and chartered accountants. The ads can be viewed here: http://ca.youtube.com/user/obayCamp
Since the McGunity government has removed a freeze on tuition fees, the costs began to rise significantly. The biggest hit is for people with disabilities, they have to find a way on how (and their caregivers) to finance their post-secondary education. I’m not making any negative opinions, though. Just like when Billy “Fish” O’Neill said in an interview about his horrific ordeal while doing a rollerblading stunt in Barcelona, Spain:
“Seriously be careful. Obviously what had happened to me is avoidable, so just be aware it can happen and avoid it.”
To read the rest of that interview, please click here.
On another note, I will be away to Montreal with my mom and I will promise to provide an update about the current events that revolve around us. Keep up to date with my blog.
References:
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2008/25/c5491.html
http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/February2008/25/c5551.html
http://angeladuncan.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/nobay-obay/
http://onlineprcourse.wordpress.com/2008/02/25/obay-explained-part-2/
