A prestigious Smith College honorary degree recipient was forced to surrender her award after being caught delivering a plagiarized commencement address that contained large sections lifted from other speeches without attribution.
Key Takeaways
- Musician Evelyn Harris returned her honorary degree from Smith College after admitting to plagiarizing significant portions of her May 18th commencement speech.
- College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton publicly called out the plagiarism, emphasizing the breach of academic integrity standards.
- Harris’ bandmates defended her actions, claiming her speech had been pre-approved by the college and suggesting the matter could have been handled privately.
- The controversy highlights the left’s double standards on academic integrity, with Harris’ defenders attempting to redefine plagiarism as a form of artistic expression.
- Smith College announced they would release a revised version of the commencement ceremony that presumably removes Harris’ plagiarized address.
Academic Dishonesty Exposed at Elite Liberal Arts College
In a stunning development that has rocked the academic community, renowned musician Evelyn Harris has surrendered her honorary degree from Smith College after being exposed for plagiarizing large portions of her commencement address. The Virginia musician was one of four honorary degree recipients at the May 18th graduation ceremony at the prestigious liberal arts college. The incident reveals the hypocrisy often present in elite academic institutions that preach integrity but fail to properly vet their honored speakers before putting them on stage.
“I must share with you, however, that it has come to our attention that one of our honorary degree recipients — musician Evelyn M. Harris — borrowed much of her speech to graduates and their families from the commencement speeches of others without the attribution typical of and central to the ideals of academic integrity,” said Sarah Willie-LeBreton, Smith College President.
College President Sarah Willie-LeBreton made the announcement in a community-wide email, revealing that Harris had “borrowed much of her speech” from other commencement addresses without proper attribution. This revelation is particularly ironic given that colleges like Smith are supposed to be bastions of original thought and academic integrity. The fact that no one at the institution bothered to check the speech’s originality before allowing Harris to deliver it raises serious questions about the college’s own commitment to the values it claims to uphold.
Liberal Excuses for Intellectual Theft
Following the exposure of Harris’ academic dishonesty, her bandmates from the Massachusetts soul group StompBoxTrio quickly came to her defense with explanations that would never be accepted from conservative figures or everyday students. They claimed that Harris’ speech had been pre-approved by Smith College officials and suggested that the matter could have been addressed privately rather than through public humiliation. This represents the typical double standard we see in academia today, where certain favored individuals are given special treatment while others face harsh consequences.
“In conversations about this after the event, Ms. Harris was forthcoming about her choices while also acknowledging that she sought to infuse the words of others with her own emotional valence,” said Sarah Willie-LeBreton, Smith College President.
Perhaps most troubling was the attempt by Harris’ defenders to redefine plagiarism entirely. They argued that in the arts, borrowing from others is common practice, comparing Harris’ speech plagiarism to musicians covering others’ songs. This absurd justification reveals the intellectual dishonesty that has infected our educational institutions. There is a world of difference between performing a cover song with proper attribution and passing off someone else’s words as your own in an academic setting.
Damage Control and Unanswered Questions
After the plagiarism was discovered, Harris voluntarily relinquished her honorary degree following discussions with college officials. President Willie-LeBreton announced that a revised version of the commencement ceremony highlights would be made available on the college’s website, presumably with Harris’ plagiarized speech removed or edited. This attempt at damage control comes too late to restore credibility to an event that should represent the pinnacle of academic achievement and integrity.
“With appreciation for the requirement of academic integrity so central to the values of Smith, Ms. Harris has chosen to relinquish her honorary degree,” said Sarah Willie-LeBreton, Smith College President.
Notably absent from the college’s statements is any explanation of how the plagiarism was discovered or specifically which sources were plagiarized. USA TODAY reportedly reached out to Harris for comment, but no response was provided. The college has also been tight-lipped about the details, raising questions about whether this is an isolated incident or representative of a broader problem. What’s clear is that if a conservative speaker had committed such a blatant violation, the media outrage would be deafening rather than the relative quiet we’ve seen surrounding Harris’ case.
