A California man was recently charged with conspiracy and 70 counts of mail fraud for his hand in standardized test fraud. Using the three hour coastal time difference, the man allegedly had test takers copy down answers in New York City, then phone them across the country to California. The answers were encoded on pencils and used by test takers on the west coast. Over a period of three years dating back to June 1993, an estimated 200 to 300 students are believed to have participated in the scam. To date, only 12 students have been indicted. Standardized test fraud is becoming epidemic and it is no wonder 280 colleges across the nation no longer require the scores as entrance requirements. Purdue University still requires standardized testing, but considers the scores last among admissions requirements. Contrary to popular belief, extracurricular activities are not considered.

Cincinnati Roger Bacon HS star Eugene Land, who narrowed his list to Cincy and Xavier two weeks ago, announced for Cincy yesterday. Once considering a handful of Big Ten teams, they all quickly dropped off his list as he chose to stay close to home.