Issuu

For men’s golf, winning is par for the course

Men’s tennis bucks the Buckeyes SPORTS, 1B

SPORTS, 1B

Monday April 30, 2012 High: 73˚ Low: 56˚

www.DailyIllini.com

The independent student newspaper at the University of Illinois since 1871

Vol. 141 Issue 143

FREE

Facebook post sparks cheating scandal More inside:

Check out the editorial for insight on unethical actions on Page 4A.

More on-air:

Tune into the 5 p.m. newscast on WPGU 107.1-FM

for more coverage.

Exam canceled after students distribute information online BY EMMA WEISSMANN STAFF WRITER

When an instructor decides to reschedule an exam, students may be relieved that they have a few extra days to study. But for the 600 students in Chester Brown’s MCB 247 lab, they’ve gained more than a few extra days; they now have a final exam that’s almost twice the original length. Last week, a student alerted Brown that classmates who had already taken a lab practical the previous day were using Facebook to share information about test material. Brown canceled the exam on

Tuesday while it was still in session. All students’ scores, regardless of when they took the test, were thrown out, according to campus spokeswoman Robin Kaler. “Apparently, in this course, some group of students had created a Facebook group to share information and discuss course topics,” Kaler said. “At some point before this test, apparently some students had decided to morph it into a cheating site (after) they had taken the exam themselves.” Kaler said students posted the ques-

See CHEATING, Page 3A

Plagiarism increased in past decade, college presidents say Most college presidents believe plagiarism has increased over the last 10 years, and an overwhelming majority believe the Internet has contributed to this rise.

55% 40%

Stayed the same Decreased

How much of a role have computers and the internet played in the increase in plagiarism?

89%

Major role Minor role No role

BY MATT RICE STAFF WRITER

Over the past 10 years, plagiarism has ... Increased

Students, faculty adapt to challenges posed by Internet, social media sites

7% 1%

Source: Pew Research Center BRYAN LORENZ DESIGN EDITOR

An alleged cheating incident on Facebook that surfaced last week has again brought to light the issue of a link between social media and cheating. Since the boom of the Internet in the new millennium, University students and faculty have been adapting to classroom challenges posed by the Internet revolution. Robert Baird, associate director for CITES’ academic technology services and professor of media and cinema studies, said he thinks technological change

has raised academic concerns in the past, and the Internet revolution is no different. “When books first took off, philosophers were concerned that it was going to destroy our memory because now it’s all in books,” Baird said. “We have those same kinds of conversations now. But the progressive answer to that is the quick retrieval of information is not the same as wisdom, skill or craft. As long as schools keep trying to teach skill and craft, students can’t look that up.”

See SOCIAL MEDIA, Page 3A

Q-AND-A: KIDS THESE DAYS

PRITEN VORA THE DAILY ILLINI

Macie Stewart of Kids These Days performs at Unionfest 2012 in the Illini Union on Friday.

Kids These Days won’t put label on their unique sound, style BY STEVEN VAZQUEZ STAFF WRITER

MELISSA MCCABE THE DAILY ILLINI

Runners pass through a water station on Penssylvania Avenue during the Illinois Marathon on Saturday. Volunteers handed out plastic cups of water and Gatorade to the passing runners.

C-U hosts Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon Wind, rain and cold temperatures tested the determination of nearly 20,000 participants BY STEPHEN BOURBON STAFF WRITER

The cheers never stopped. The runners of the 2012 Christie Clinic Illinois Marathon started at 7:00 a.m. on a cold, wet morning on First Street and continued all day until 2:30 p.m. when the last runners crossed the 50-yard line of Memorial Stadium. “It felt great,” said Les Cotton, Champaign resident. “It was such a time commitment, training every day for 18 weeks.” Throughout the 26.2-mile course, spectators lined up on either side of the road, giving encouragement and cheers to friends and strangers alike. Even after entering Memorial Stadium, runners that already finished stayed and filled the sidelines of the course, pushing their fellow runners to make it the last 50 yards. In addition to the marathon, the weekend’s events also included a 10K run/walk, a 5K run, a half marathon, a youth run and

INSIDE

a wheelchair marathon. According to a press release, the 19,936 total entrants in the various events topped last year’s turnout by more than 1,300. The number of participants has increased every year, from 9,715 in 2009 to 14,700 in 2010 and 18,594 in 2011. The participants hailed from 48 states and represented 11 countries. Jason Lokwatom from Ngong Hills, Kenya, was the first to finish the marathon with a time of two hours, 22 minutes and 46 seconds and collected the $2,000 prize for being the first overall male. The highest-finishing female was Jackie Pirtle-Hall from St. Charles, Mo. She finished 11th overall and posted a time of two hours, 43 minute and 52 seconds, also earning $2,000 for the top finishing female. Both times surpassed last year’s winners by a wide margin; Lokwatom’s time was almost four minutes faster, while Pirtle-Hall’s time was over nine minutes faster. On a day of drizzling rain, 20-mile-per-hour winds and tem-

peratures in the 40s for much of the morning, Rachel Wright from Lincoln, Ill. said the last part of the marathon was the ultimate test of determination. “It was just great to have the accomplishment,” Wright said. “The last two miles were torture, but I made it.” For Cotton and Wright, this marked their first marathon, while other participants were veteran marathon runners. 55-year-old Barb Dumke, 55, of St. Louis, finished her 11th marathon Saturday. She joined a track club in St. Louis and got together with four of her friends and has been running ever since. “It’s really, really good to finish,” she said. “I’ve been in 11 marathons, and this one was just as fulfilling as the others.” Cotton, Wright and Dumke all said they planned to run another marathon in the future. “I’m not done,” Dumke said. “I’m going to keep running marathons as long as I can.”

Here to headline Unionfest, a production of the Illini Union Board, Kids These Days performed at the Illini Union on Friday. The sevenpiece band’s sound has been described as the fusion of blues, soul, hip-hop, funk More and yet more online: Visit styles. The DailyIllini. Daily Illicom for ni’s Steven an online Vazquez had review of the opporKids These tunity to sit Days’ down with performance some of the at Unionfest band memon Friday. bers to ask them about their status in signing a label and how they defi ne their music (or rather, why they don’t).

The Daily Illini: How did the band/collective come together? Nico Segal: We assembled

like Voltron!

Macie Stewart: (laughing) Yeah, half of us went to high school together at Whitney Young and then the other half of us kind of met through music programs throughout the city. It just kind of happened like that. DI: Have you been talking to any labels at all? Or are you just trying to focus on your own sound? Vic Mensa: Labels be holler-

MELISSA MCCABE THE DAILY ILLINI

Hillary Kogo, right, and Ronald Lavaire, of Urbana, pass through the intersection of Lincoln and Pennsylvania avenues during the Illinois Marathon on Saturday. Lavaire finished the half marathon in fifth place, and Kogo finished the full marathon in third place. More inside: Flip to Page 6A to see a photo

spread of the marathon’s participants and volunteers.

More online: Visit DailyIllini.com to view

a photo gallery from Saturday’s marathon.

ing at us man, you know, so shout out to them. We appreciate all their attention and stuff, but right now, we’re just trying to get our stuff together and put ourselves in a position where we feel we might be ready for that.

See KIDS, Page3A