| By Traci Cothran |
Two University of Kentucky students were arrested last week and charged with third-degree burglary for allegedly breaking into a professor’s office in the dead of night to steal an exam. The pair told police they entered the office via ceiling air ducts, and their teacher caught them upon returning to the office from a food break around 2 am.
While this does conjure up some cool images from Mission: Impossible, let’s not forget that these students now not only face a failing test grade, but college disciplinary action as well as legal proceedings . . . not to mention having to explain their actions to their parents. And I have to wonder, dear reader, wouldn’t it have been just as easy (and less perilous) to study for the final?
A quick look at UK’s library website shows a plethora of electronic reference materials available in 37 areas of study, including many Gale resources such as Opposing Viewpoints In Context and The Making of Modern Law (which might have been good to read before this caper was enacted). Is it possible these undergrads weren’t aware of this? This astounding wealth of information spans databases, e-journals, periodicals, vast book and ebook collections, and special collections. Did these students not realize how many of these resources are available 24/7—perfect for pulling all-nighters? Like many other college libraries, the University of Kentucky offers many studying and tutoring resources as well, making it pretty pain-free to get needed help.
Perhaps the takeaway here for students is to focus less on partying, and more on studying. Perhaps undergrads should spend fewer hours watching Tom Cruise movies. Or perhaps, just perhaps, they should log onto their library’s website and start exploring the abundance of factual information that is available at their fingertips. I think we can all agree that if these students had utilized these resources, they wouldn’t have been squirming through air ducts during prime sleeping hours, and facing possible jail time
Conclusion: Use Gale Resources. They’ll keep you out of the pen!*
*Not legally binding. We’re afraid no guarantees apply, but we’re pretty sure studying beats possible felonies every time!
About the Author
Traci Cothran is a manager in Gale’s Database Program and a history buff, so she can often be found watching videos from the early 1900s in Gale’s World History In Context.