The principal at the small Clinton School for Writers and Artists is in trouble for allegedly reciting David Foster Wallace's famous commencement speech during the school's graduation without attribution, the Daily News reports. In the music biz, that's considered "sampling," but in the stuffy academic community they call it "plagiarism." During Friday's commencement, Joseph Anderson quoted at length from the late great Wallace's address, which was originally given at Kenyon College in 2005 and made Time magazine's Top 10 Commencement Speeches list. But as every great writer will tell ya, if you're gonna steal, steal from the best! Unfortunately for Mr. Anderson, the DOE doesn't see it that way.
City Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott said in a statement, "We do not tolerate plagiarism in our schools. We teach our students the importance of integrity in their work, so to have this allegation about one of our principals is very concerning." An investigation has been launched into what Anderson explained as an "oversight," which was noticed by one parent at the commencement. In Anderson's statement, he says, "I thought I had stated in my commencement speech that I was sharing a story I had read. ... It was not my intention to mislead my school community."
The Clinton School for Writers and Artists' website describes the institution as a place for students with "a passion for visual arts, performing arts, and/or writing." Outside the school yesterday, some of the young writers were angered and disillusioned. "We're a school for writers and artists. It's kind of ironic that he can't write it," astute eighth-grader Marcus Cook told the News. "If you do that in college and high school, you can get kicked out."