In Response to "The Shadow Scholar"

Is it okay to say that this guy is kind of my hero? Probably not, but I'll say it anyway.
While I do understand, that the English department might find the idea of creating an independent study around editing a novel laughable, I believe that they should have at least considered it. Some of the teachers I've had would be willing to tackle such a task. if even one student is willing to go that extra mile, it reflects well on the teachers and teaching community as a whole. It might also inspire other students to follow in the student's footsteps.
That being said, cheating is still wrong, and the education system is not entirely to blame for this phenomenon. The American sense of entitlement goes a long way to support this kind of behavior. "I deserve to graduate, because I'm in school, and I paid for this."
WRONG.
You (the archetypal "you") paid for a chance to succeed and work your tail off. If you didn't do that, you "deserve" to flip burgers or better yet switch places with a kid in Africa or Indonesia who works harder than you but will NEVER have the opportunities you have.
(Wo)Man up and buckle down.