FAITH...SHAKEN AND STIRRED

Sunday, February 26. 2006

FAITH...SHAKEN AND STIRRED

I don't have much time to blog this week, as something major has come up in my life.

Let's just say that the past week has been full of surprises that have tested my faith in the integrity of a certain individual I once respected. I've made the choice not to destroy this person, and I've taken on the responsibility to set things right.

This has meant a lot of late nights, but I'm close to a solution. I've pinpointed where the person in question followed a wrong lead, and a few more days of research should lead to honest findings...I hope.

Even so, I won't be able to regard this person with the same esteem I had before, but then he'll never again see me as just another freshman, either. I guess that's a part of growing up; finding that one's idols are just people after all.

Funny...in my whole life only one authority figure has never let me down: Dad. Make that two: Dad and Kell.

Posted by Lindesfarne at 13:55 | Comments (8) | Trackbacks (0)

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I know how you feel...I pretty much worshipped the leader of my Pack, till one day she suddenly turned round and did something so spiteful to one of the other junior Packmembers(who was also my best friend). After that I suddenly saw how horrible she was being. She was unjust, really, and attention-seeking and dishonest and not fit to lead...She's still in charge(I couldn't unseat her)so me and my best friend left the Pack. We're feeling shaky and alone, but also a lot better for being away from her.

You should be grateful, though, that you have a cool and honourable dad and stepmum. Two really good authority figures is more than most people get, ever.

I'm kind of surprised that you didn't destroy this cheat, if you could have. But I guess that's the species gap again. You just aren't as vicious as me...which is probably good for you!

#1 Agla on 2006-02-27 03:41 (Reply)

I wish my parents had not let me down. This goes well beyond your feelings of anguish about a figure you formerly held in high esteem. This also goes toward scientific honesty, something you have always held dear. If this person has falsified these records, he may falsify others to get the results he wants. For the good of science, you must expose him, or lose some of your own integrity in the process. Correcting his mistakes will only solve this one problem, it does nothing to avoid it arising in the future. It's like date-rape, until one girl breaks her silence, the predator will not be exposed and punished like he should be. This person made the mistake and needs to accept the responsibility for it. I hope you will ultimately do the right thing. I know how hard this will be for you, but ultimately it will result in a much better situation. Remember this also, if this comes to light in the future, all of your future work may be called into question since you did not expose fraud when you found it. I hope you reconsider your decision.

#2 William on 2006-02-27 11:38 (Reply)

Welcome to the Real World, Lindy. You've just learned one of Life's Great Lessons: Sooner or later, cracks tend to show up in the feet of clay of even our most worshipped idols. I also must agree with William when he says that you need to expose Prof. Antlerhead's fraud -- and the sooner the better! While it's true that his sloppy "research" would probably have been exposed for what it is under any good peer-review system (and even moreso when others actually tried to replicate his results), it would only be after wasting precious time, grant/donation money (which doesn't grow on trees, but usually comes out of taxes and the pockets of donors who expect legitimate results) and resources and giving a bad name to the science of Genetics overall. (As well as, as William points out, tainting your name in the process!)

#3 Reynard on 2006-02-27 16:08 (Reply)

As a teacher, I'm really torn! I must agree that falsified data, like plagiarism has to be strictly punished or the whole integrity of academic life collapses. On the other hand, destroying the life and career of a popular and effective teacher prevents all the legitimate good he could still do in the classroom. I'd probably take a middle course: Your leverage could force Prof to retire from independent research while continuing to teach. He could even claim age and fatigue caused the unfortunate "error" of failing to give you credit, and give that as the reason for reducing his workload. This punishes his dishonesty, but casts no scandal on science generally. Lousy luck that you had to deal with something like this in your stressful first semester, but I did mention the possibility in my comment when you were first invited to be a research assistant. Sometimes it's crummy to be right.

#4 MiserMike on 2006-02-28 15:42 (Reply)

Way to go Lindesfarne!

Glad to see you got this professor by the antlers;-)

And what a perfect way to twist the screws...mandating credit (Well deserved too!).

I can see who will take over the chair of the science department at your university when you graduate.

Bravo!

#5 J.J. on 2006-03-01 03:12 (Reply)

One wonders at the qualifications of all of the other student assistants (who are upperclassmen!) if they failed to notice this fraud? (Or did they notice and just were afraid to act?)

#6 TGIF on 2006-03-01 20:06 (Reply)

I have never been disappointed by my parents either, but then again, being from Singapore, I have never been disappointed by most authority figures in my life before.

Maybe it's because I'm from such a closed society. It must be terrible to have your faith in authority so scarred.

#7 Selphie Trabia on 2006-04-02 21:02 (Reply)

Hi...i'd like to dwell more on some of your last statements: "I guess that's a part of growing up; finding that one's idols are just people after all."

There's a danger in looking up to people because nobody really is perfect except for God Himself. I'm inspired by so many people but i have to check that i'm inspired by the good things they do and not be drawn to their faults and struggles.

i'm a college teacher as well as a discipler/small group leader, and i really regret the times that "my bad side" shows

sure, i'm not perfect, but especially in dealing with new Christians and/or the younger generation i don't want to influence them in the wrong way (even if i didn't mean to). i felt so guilty and condemned about this one time and i was comforted by a friend who said, "that's why we need God, because we can't do it alone." such a simple statement, yet so profound and it really spoke to my heart then.

whether or not we're in positions of authority, we get to influence each other. i hope you continue to positively influence those around you especially in terms of integrity

but of course the most effective way to do this is to preserve your relationships with those who are less than perfect (like we all are)

God sustain us always!!

#8 teci (Link) on 2006-04-14 08:07 (Reply)

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