HIGH LIFE : Sooner or Later, a Cheater Must Learn a Hard Lesson

“Cheaters never prosper.”

Or so the saying goes, but cheating still occurs--every day and everywhere. Hot Topics wonders: “If you saw someone cheating on a test, what would you do? Why?”

“Tell the teacher about it because cheating is wrong.”

Valerie Canfield, 15, sophomore, Bethel Baptist

“Tell the teacher unless (the cheater) was my friend. If he was my friend, I would talk to him about it.”

Erick Justiniani, 15, freshman, Bethel Baptist

“If he doesn’t want to learn the material for his own benefit, let him be. It’s his future, not yours.”

Angel Rodriguez, 16, sophomore, Bethel Baptist

“If it was someone I didn’t like, I would probably say something; but if I liked the person, I would warn him to stop. If he didn’t, I might report it.”

Laura Bentz, 17, senior, Brea-Olinda

“The attitudes of my peer group would force me to overlook cheating. Anyways, cheaters generally lose out in the end--if not in school, then in the real world.”

John White, 15, sophomore, Brea-Olinda

“I just wouldn’t pay attention to him. If I said something to him about it, he would think I’m some kind of teacher’s pet.”

Kyle Kilpatrick, 16, sophomore, Brea-Olinda

“Probably just ignore it and keep on doing my work because it’s none of my business what he’s doing.”

Aimee Masgai, 17, senior, Capistrano Valley

“I get mad when people cheat and get a good grade while I study and get a bad grade, but I wouldn’t tell on them.”

Stacey Stoddard, 16, junior, Capistrano Valley

“Give him a dirty look and make sure that nobody copied off me. I wouldn’t tell, though, because the whole class would hate me.”

Anne Petersen, 15, sophomore, Capistrano Valley

“Just ignore it. I wouldn’t care.”

Trisha Stephen, 14, freshman, Capistrano Valley

“Nothing. It’s up to the teacher to find out.”

Sean Nakagawa, 17, senior, Cypress

“Nothing. I don’t think (cheating) will help in the long run.”

Chris DesRochers, 18, senior, Cypress

“Ignore it because it’s none of my business. It’s not hurting anyone but himself.”

Grace Lee, 17, senior, El Toro

“Say something to him. If he was cheating the whole time, I would tell the teacher. I’d make sure I remained anonymous, though.”

Jeanna Arvizu, 14, freshman, El Toro

“After class I would ask the student about it and see if he would admit it. I would wait to see if it happened again before I told the teacher about it.”

Kenny Martinez, 16, junior, El Toro

“Turn him in to the teacher because if I didn’t, I would be helping him cheat.”

Gabriella Scavelli, 15, sophomore, El Toro

“Probably nothing. I wouldn’t want to be a rat. I might mention something to the person.”

Mark Yang, 15, sophomore, El Toro

“Nothing. Receiving a good education is up to the individual, and if a person chooses to cheat, the only person he is cheating is himself.”

Dave Bueno, 18, senior, Estancia

“I wouldn’t care. If he was lucky enough to get the answers, then he takes the risk of getting caught.”

Scott Boren, 18, senior, Estancia

“If I know something will be done, I probably would (tell the teacher).”

Mike Estrick, 17, senior, Fullerton

“Probably just tell him to stop or cover my paper because we’re a little too old to be tattletales.”

Evan Itzkowitz, 14, freshman, Irvine

“Go to the teacher and tell him what I just saw. It is immoral and unfair if (a cheater) gets a better grade.”

Eunice Tark, 16, sophomore, Irvine

“Tell the teacher to watch the class very carefully for the next test.”

Jennie Kim, 16, junior, Irvine

“Tell the teacher but not give the name of who was involved.”

Bernie Trumpler, 18, senior, Marina

“Let him get away with it because someday he’ll get caught.”

Jenny Henderson, 17, junior, Marina

“Look the other way because it is his choice to cheat and his business.”

Susanne Ban, 17, senior, Marina

“I would see if he is copying off someone smarter than me; if so, I’d copy off him.”

Greg Squires, 17, junior, Marina

“Ignore it because it’s none of my business, but if the teacher was watching, I’d probably tell.”

Teri Collella, 14, freshman, Mission Viejo

“I’ve been caught before. A friend of mine was cheating off me and we got caught. I’d probably just tell him to cut it out.”

Juli Kriger, 17, senior, Mission Viejo

“It would depend on the situation. If it is a test, such as the SAT, in which I’m competing against the person who is cheating, then I would probably report the situation to the proctor.”

Amy Graham, 16, junior, Pacifica

“If it was a minor test, I’d forget it. However, if it was a major test and the person had been cheating often, then I would let the teacher know because then it would be apparent that the person plans on making cheating a habit, isn’t studying and therefore deserves the bad grade.”

Tonia Wong, 17, senior, Pacifica

“I wouldn’t tell, because I don’t want to get involved in the situation.”

Kevin Masui, 15, sophomore, Pacifica

“I wouldn’t do anything. I’d just sit back and shut up.”

Kirstin Aplin, 18, senior, Sunny Hills

“Make sure that he had the wrong answers because he didn’t take time to study.”

Christina Bass, 15, freshman, Tustin

“Ignore it because it wouldn’t have done any harm.”

Cindy Murphy, 16, junior, Tustin

“I don’t do anything when I see it. What’s the use? What can you do? Everyone does it.”

Barbra Caliendo, 17, senior, Villa Park

“It’s his problem and he suffers the consequences. It will catch up with him later.”

Erin O’Donnell, 17, senior, Villa Park

“See who it is, and if I didn’t like him, I’d tell on him.”

Andi Jensen, 16, junior, Villa Park

“Tell the teacher privately because I don’t think it’s fair that a person gets good grades by cheating.”

Lynn La, 16, junior, Western

“Probably give him a dirty look or something, but I wouldn’t talk to him because then I could be accused of cheating also.”

Kristi Sponheim, 16, sophomore, Western

Next Week’s Hot Topic:

Who is your favorite cartoon character and why?

Hot Topic responses gathered by Connie Alcaraz, Roxane Dyrud, Crystal Fu, Michele Jack, Jenny Kaplan, Lynda Kim, Kyra Kirkwood, Joo Young Lee, Jason Loeb, Heather Orey, Hai Pham, Dawn Stone, Janet Stouder and Ed White.