Am I reading this wrong ??

[Jenny_Jackson]

If I'm reading this right, the Administration at Cambridge University is saddened that students are selling their essays but not too concerned that they are selling their asses?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article324017.ece

CAMBRIDGE University expressed shock today after a student newspaper said “cash-strapped” students are working as prostitutes, strippers and escorts.

The report - in Cambridge University student newspaper Varsity - also said a “plethora” of undergraduates were raising money by selling essays.

Dr Rob Wallach, secretary of the university’s senior tutors’ committee, said: “I was very concerned to read the report. Senior tutors would want to do everything they could to give support to students well before any found themselves in such a situation.”

And he said the university “strongly discouraged” students from selling essays.

Varsity said it spoke to one student who “admitted” spending her first year working as a £50-an-hour call girl.

“I did have a day job at the same time, but it just wasn’t paying enough,” she told the newspaper.

“I met other students who did it too. Once you’ve done it, it is tempting. If you need quick, easy money, it’s there.”

Varsity said it found another “cash-strapped” undergraduate who collected “up to £100 per dance” while working as a stripper.

The student told the newspaper: “It can be so degrading.

But, when I’m home, I’m not going to stack shelves at Morrison’s for £5.50 an hour when I could do this. There are the moments I really don’t want to do it, but it is certainly character building.

"My worst fear is dancing up there in front of someone I know, but everyone has to do it.”

The newspaper said one escort service claimed to have more than 400 Cambridge students and graduates - charging as much as £300 a date - on its books.

And the newspaper said the practice of selling essays was “widespread” at the university.

Staff at the university - which houses some of the brightest students in the world - raised eyebrows after spotting a headline on the Varsity website which said undergraduates were selling their “brains and bodies”.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Well, you know-- they aren't quite "selling" their bodies-- renting them for a bit.

But when you sell an essay-- that's a perversion of the collegeate process.

I can imagine however, that buying an essay from one cash-strapped student will make life easier for another student-- one who has a bit more money because of her stripping job-- but less time to actually study...

 

[trysail]

"People will swim through shit if you put a few bob in it."
-David Niven

 

[rgraham666]

Not news to me. I met a lot of university students working as strippers when I frequented strip joints.

 

[JPMMURPHY]

Agreed, the response of the Univesity is deplorable. And for some reason doesn't surprise me. But I believe the key here is 'quick and easy' as stated in the interview. I often feel the current generation has grown up on the 'quick and easy' and will find it very difficult after graduation when faced with the reality of real work in the real world.

But then I went to work in my father's service station at the age of 13. Keeping books, pumping gas and changing oil.

 

[Stella_Omega]

Agreed, the response of the Univesity is deplorable. And for some reason doesn't surprise me. But I believe the key here is 'quick and easy' as stated in the interview. I often feel the current generation has grown up on the 'quick and easy' and will find it very difficult after graduation when faced with the reality of real work in the real world.

But then I went to work in my father's service station at the age of 13. Keeping books, pumping gas and changing oil.

I know of exactly one gas station around here that has real live human being-type pumpers. Everywhere else it's self-service. If you want to get an oil-change you go to Jiffy Lube, or do it yourself in the Pep Boys parking lot.

So that's a career that's gone forever, unfortunately...

And of course, the other problem is that a student really should be devoting more time to studies. In these days of high rents and living costs, you can work double-full-time at a minimum-paying job to make the basics. To juggle the needs of your curriculum with the needsof your corpus will be detrimental to one or the other. And as that one student girl is learning, a service job is a service job no matter what the industry is-- character building!

 

[Iconoclast99]

If I'm reading this right, the Administration at Cambridge University is saddened that students are selling their essays but not too concerned that they are selling their asses?

I don't know about Cambridge specifically, but I do know that top colleges in the US, Ivy League schools in particular, have really strict rules about plagiarism and any form of cheating, which can get the student expelled or suspended if discovered. I think the university recognizes that it does not act in loco parentis for their mostly over-age-eighteen students and is mostly concerned about the thing that they are responsible for - education.

I'm sure the "educators" at a college like Oral Roberts University have a different take on this, but then again they have a different take on a lot of things.

Iconoclast
***Note to self - learn how to use the quote function properly

 

[JPMMURPHY]

(Chuckle) Guess I dated myself a little. The problem in the UK is student housing. In general terms, they have none. A friend of mine did her Doc at Cambridge a few years back and paid 600 pounds a month for a two room dump. Course, the dump aspect is part of college day lore, but the prices for housing in the UK are completely out of reach for a student. And as you pointed out Stella, the whole idea is learning. They shouldn't have to worry about putting a roof over their head.

 

[R. Richard]

It would appear the plagiarism is a major concern for the university. However, students renting their bodies is just a learning experience.

I always thought that the term 'academic whores' was just an expression.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

No, Jenny, you're not reading it right - or rather you're reading it the way a smartass young journo wants you to.

The poor Dr Wallach is clearly not media savvy -Oxford and Cambridge tutors/professors are in ivory towers and far less worldly-wise than their counterparts in Harvard Yard or Yale. Also, Cambridge - unlike most universities in the world - isn't itself responsible for student welfare. The students are members of 20 or so independent colleges with funny names and the university is just an umbrella organisation.

The poor guy is trying to express concern in a geeky, gauche way about the sex angle while probably feeling terribly embarrassed - but is on surer ground when it comes to plagiarism. If you take the 2 selective quotes, it reads to me as though in a naive way he cares but as an innocent has been shafted by the press.

Or perhaps I'm the naive one here.

 

[evanslily]

No, Jenny, you're not reading it right - or rather you're reading it the way a smartass young journo wants you to.

The poor Dr Wallach is clearly not media savvy -Oxford and Cambridge tutors/professors are in ivory towers and far less worldly-wise than their counterparts in Harvard Yard or Yale. Also, Cambridge - unlike most universities in the world - isn't itself responsible for student welfare. The students are members of 20 or so independent colleges with funny names and the university is just an umbrella organisation.

The poor guy is trying to express concern in a geeky, gauche way about the sex angle while probably feeling terribly embarrassed - but is on surer ground when it comes to plagiarism. If you take the 2 selective quotes, it reads to me as though in a naive way he cares but as an innocent has been shafted by the press.

Or perhaps I'm the naive one here.

I agree. I've actually met Rob Wallach--kind of weird to see his name here--and I find it hard to imagine he'd say anything quite so crass. But The Sun isn't exactly what you'd call a quality newspaper. Like Elf, I would imagine the journalist (if you can use that word for someone who writes for The Sun, LOL) picked just the choice words out of his interview with him.

 

[Stella_Omega]

It would appear the plagiarism is a major concern for the university. However, students renting their bodies is just a learning experience.

I always thought that the term 'academic whores' was just an expression.

Nope, it isn't.

But it refers to the selling of one's intellect, not of one's body.

 

[Weird Harold]

...I think the university recognizes that it does not act in loco parentis for their mostly over-age-eighteen students and is mostly concerned about the thing that they are responsible for - education.

I agree with this viewpoint; Buying essays cheats everyone involved and profits only the seller, "exotic" dancing, escorting, or blatant prostitution are (or should be) just an "honest days pay for an hones days work" -- with the emphasis on honest.

***Note to self - learn how to use the quote function properly

The quote button just adds the vBCode QUOTE tagsand copies the text; you removed the closing "/quote" tag when you cropped Jenny's post.

Another comon error is to delete one of the square brackes ([])that delimit the tags.

Help for the quote tags and other vBCode tags can be found in he botom left corner of each forum page in the Forum Rules box: http://forum.literotica.com/misc.php?do=bbcode

 

[gauchecritic]

Yeah, you're definitely reading it wrong Jen, due to the fact that it's apparently from a 'red top' (thanks evan).

This is making a headline from the an opposition viewpoint.

When I was at college I got a grant, FULL AND TOTAL, that paid for my lodgings, education, books and food. (quite a large portion of it went on beer obviously) but because I'd decided to seek a career in some further field that required extended education, society at the time had deemed it worthy and agreed to pay for that pursuit.

Here's where it gets political and overzealously anti-american.

The Thatch (80's government) decided that society would benefit by those that have would be better candidates for furtherance than those that have not and, in keeping with her 51st state mentality, effectively denied those of economically poor backgrounds further educational avenues by following the capitalist view that education should be paid by individuals rather than the society that would benefit from same.

Students in England today are penalised by birth (as per Conservative doctrine) rather than rewarded by talent or will, as provided by preceding generations.

Kids today have no option but to live raggedy or spend more time working than learning. What you have, to sell, makes no nevermind, be it essays, labour or body. This is the point that the rag wanted to cloud.

 

[Boxlicker101]

I agree with this viewpoint; Buying essays cheats everyone involved and profits only the seller, "exotic" dancing, escorting, or blatant prostitution are (or should be) just an "honest days pay for an hones days work" -- with the emphasis on honest.

I agree 100%, Weird One. There are three differences between working as an escort or call girl/boy and working as a dishwasher while attending college. The former is illegal, is easier work and pays more. Personally, I think the first difference should be eliminated, and either line of work should be equally legal, as long as certain legal requirements are met.

 

[keeblercrumb]

If I'm reading this right, the Administration at Cambridge University is saddened that students are selling their essays but not too concerned that they are selling their asses?

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article324017.ece

CAMBRIDGE University expressed shock today after a student newspaper said “cash-strapped” students are working as prostitutes, strippers and escorts.

The report - in Cambridge University student newspaper Varsity - also said a “plethora” of undergraduates were raising money by selling essays.

Dr Rob Wallach, secretary of the university’s senior tutors’ committee, said: “I was very concerned to read the report. Senior tutors would want to do everything they could to give support to students well before any found themselves in such a situation.”

And he said the university “strongly discouraged” students from selling essays.

....

I have not met the good Doctor, as evanslily as, (I have played tourist there) but as I read the quote he seems to be "very concerned" about the stripper/escort thing and wanting "the tutors to give support to students before the found themselves in such a situation". The selling essays part sounded like an afterthought. But whatever, that is just how I read it.

What surprised me the most, was the selling of essays at a University with the reputation of Cambridge.

I suppose it was happening, but I never heard of or saw any of this kind of thing back in the late 60's while attending a NY state University college... I did have a college friend who was a stripper... Her real name was Rose Fehr so I always assumed she was destined to be a stripper, despite being a chem major.

Now.... for the last 5 years or so, I have made the acquaintance of numerous university students here in the middle of Russia. I was kind of shocked to discover how rampant the selling/buying of essays was in the system. The stripper/escort thing was also common but that was of less surprise and, occasionally, the reason for my having made their acquaintance.

But what the hell, if they do it at Cambridge...... it must be okay for "Perm State". I should note the university system is basically free and students receive a very modest stipent as I understand it. But you still have to eat... and wear hot clothes and carry a cool cell phone.....

The last time I was in Moscow I checked to see if Lenin had rolled over but he hadn't.

Anyway.... that is the state of academic propriety in Russia.

-KC

 

[Stella_Omega]

I agree 100%, Weird One. There are three differences between working as an escort or call girl/boy and working as a dishwasher while attending college. The former is illegal, is easier work and pays more. Personally, I think the first difference should be eliminated, and either line of work should be equally legal, as long as certain legal requirements are met.

It's sort of easier work. Service jobs are service jobs.

 

[Boxlicker101]

It's sort of easier work. Service jobs are service jobs.

Depending on the circumstances, it's sometimes less unpleasant.

 

[Somme]

Money makes whores of us all.

Just saying.

 

[Iconoclast99]

I agree with this viewpoint; Buying essays cheats everyone involved and profits only the seller, "exotic" dancing, escorting, or blatant prostitution are (or should be) just an "honest days pay for an hones days work" -- with the emphasis on honest.

Where I live prostitution is not illegal but solicitation is, which allows the police to concentrate on the real problem of safety for sex trade workers. I feel uncomfortable with prostitution because of the safety problems for workers and because the majority who do it have emotional or substance abuse problems. As for the exploitation aspect I see many unhappy-looking wage slaves streaming to and from their office cubicle jobs each day and conclude that all of us are to a lesser or greater extent exploited by our jobs.

Thanks for the help on quotes. I'm slow, but trainable.

Iconoclast

 

[gauchecritic]

It's sort of easier work. Service jobs are service jobs.

but are service jobs servicing jobs?

 

[Stella_Omega]

but are service jobs servicing jobs?

Even customer service by phone will have you in tears sometimes!

You know me-- I can't keep my nose out of other people's business, and more than once I've ended up consoling some young person-- man OR woman-- who is trying to use a phone job as a way through college.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

I have not met the good Doctor, as evanslily as, (I have played tourist there) but as I read the quote he seems to be "very concerned" about the stripper/escort thing and wanting "the tutors to give support to students before the found themselves in such a situation". The selling essays part sounded like an afterthought. But whatever, that is just how I read it.

What surprised me the most, was the selling of essays at a University with the reputation of Cambridge.

-KC

The big problem, that all universities in the world are facing, is that it is perfectly legal to sell an essay - copyright is copyright - but it is completely illegal to use it without crediting sources - plagiarism.

 

[staciliv]

I worked my way through college at various jobs - a pizza place, convenience store, cleaning apartments, finally as a GTA. Unfortunately at the time I was so butt ugly nobody in their right mind would have paid me for sex or to strip for them (this was before several thousand dollars spent on orthodontics, skin treatments, implants, and hair and nails).

I worked my ass off, then had homework and classes, and it was no fun at all. I can honestly say if somebody had offerred me major bucks to strip I'd have been on it in a heartbeat. Prostitution is another story - the thought of diesase scares me, so probably not.

Point is, unless you've been a starving college student don't judge someone who takes that route to finance their education and a ticket to a better life. And as for Mr. Niven - it's easy to make off the cuff statements if you're a rich actor. Try being hungry for a few years; see how attractive that cesspool becomes!

 

[staciliv]

I agree with this viewpoint; Buying essays cheats everyone involved and profits only the seller.

I disagree. Having been through Engineering school - I should write, "survived" Engineering school - I could go on and on about the tricks college professors play in order to flunk otherwise qualified students and thereby improve their "pass/fail ratio".

I had one prof actually lie to the class about what would be on the final. Another one regularly showed up for class drunk, yet we were expected to know the material he didn't cover (his TA wrote the exams). I can't tell you how many times I finished an assignment early only to find out the prof changed it, so I had to redo the dang thing.

I was not a particularly attractive girl in those days; nevertheless I was often propositioned by instructors who offerred me a good grade if I'd "be nice", or threatened a bad one if I wasn't.

In college I was one of those "sellers" you refer to. I did homework and labs for other students. I never asked for money from anyone. Sometimes it was offerred; if so, I accepted.

My opinion, for what it's worth: Colleges are a mess of politics and favoritism. There's way too little actual instruction taking place. Qualified students fail every day because of poor teachers. The suicide rate among college students is higher than any other segment of the population.

And most students are only trying for a better life; that's why they're in college in the first place.

I'd say universities should clean out their own closets before they complain about academic dishonesty among their students.