Morals for Your Story

Morals for your story: 5-2-11

This last summer I had an internship for a Petroleum Company. I had two different supervisors, depending on whether I was working in the office or in the oil field for the week. When I was working in the oil field, I heard rumors from “pumpers” that my supervisor had been selling old pipe from the field that belonged to the company as scrap metal and pocketing the cash. I never saw it done, and I didn’t know how valid the claims were. However, I learned this semester that an investigation is being done on the specific oil field I worked in focusing on missing equipment. I don’t know if this includes the pipe or not. I got to know my field supervisor very well and do not want to cause any unnecessary grief. Am I morally obligated to call the company and let them know the rumors I heard, or if they contact me, should I play dumb or tell them the claims that were made against my supervisor? How do I decide what to do?
–Play Dumb?

Morals for your story: 4-25-11

I am currently in the process of applying for a scholarship. However, when looking over the scholarship application, there is a section asking if I have a Facebook page or not. I know there is a committee that reviews these applications and will most likely browse my Facebook page if I answer yes. My Facebook, while not stooped in feces, is not necessarily “clean,” nor is it something I wish to have an outside group look at. I believe I should be allotted privacy, and therefore I want to answer “no,” informing them I do not use Facebook. Am I morally required to answer yes on this question, or can I employ a sort of vigilantism, and respond “no” on the grounds that I believe it wrong for them to ask it of me?
–Needs Money for College

Morals for your Story: 4-18-11

Two friends of mine are big sports fans. I am not. They both purchased season passes to their favorite team. However for the first game one of my friends was out of town. So he let me borrow his ticket to go with the friend that was still in town. I did and it was great fun, but what I didn’t expect was to win an iPod touch while there. Now technically I won this as the person occupying the seat. I know that neither my friend nor I own an iPod already. So, I’m torn as to whether I tell him I won it or just keep it for myself. Help.
–What’s an iPod Between Friends?

Morals for your story: 4-4-11

My roommate snores. As you might guess, this leads to many sleepless nights for me. I know we have lived in the same room for several months now, but it has just gotten to be too much. I even have tried to go to bed earlier to accommodate for the hours of sleep I lose per night. I wish I could say something to her, but she has made comments about how well she has been sleeping, and I would hate to ruin that. Should I confront her and jeopardize our friendship or stick to the earplugs while I sleep?
–Sleepless Roommate

Morals for your story: 3-21-11

I recently got a test back, and I was very happy with my score. While going through the test, though, I noticed some mistakes that the grader had missed. I really do not want grade to be diminished, but at the same time I do not want to be walking away with a score I didn’t earn. Should I bring the test to the teacher’s attention, and throw myself on his mercy with the possibility of him lowering the test grade? I could, also, just keep my grade and be happy with it. What is the moral thing to do?
–Test Results Aren’t Always Clearly Positive or Negative

Morals for your story: 2-28-11

Dilemma

I work for a small engineering firm in the Golden area and I have run into an ethical dilemma. I work as an intern and I am striving for a full time position at the firm when I graduate in May. I am currently assigned to work with a co-worker on a project that requires significant amounts of experimentation and report writing. The co-worker has been with the firm for several years and he is in a position to influence the owner about whether or not to hire me in May.

Morals for your story: 2-14-11

Dilemma

I need money. For a variety of reasons that will be boring for you to know: I need some. Bad. I know that sperm donation is an easy thing to do, not unpleasant from what my friends have told me. It seems like a good way to earn some extra cash. So, I’ve been thinking about donating eggs. This process is supposed to be somewhat miserable, but much better money than the sperm earn. I told my mom I was interested in doing it and she said something to the effect of, “Do you think your obligation to your offspring ends at fertilization? Your genetic code is your duty to preserve, protect, and help to progress in life. That just sounds irresponsible to me.”

I hadn’t thought of it that way at all. I just thought it could bring me money and help some people who can’t have children to have some. What do you think? Would donating eggs be heroic or ethically questionable?
–Wasted Eggs

Morals for your story: 2-7-11

I had just received an email stating that tuition would be due in just a few short days and that I needed to check my account on Trailhead. I proceeded to see what my balance was, and to my astonishment, I had a negative balance. At first I had thought that my parents had already paid it, so I called my dad to confirm the payment. He told me that nothing was paid for yet and that he still needed to write a check. I went back to Trailhead to see the details of how my schooling was being paid, for and I realized that I had a full tuition four year scholarship. I did not apply for the scholarship and I am not sure where the money is coming from. Am I taking a scholarship from someone who deserves it? Or is it fate for me to have this scholarship to help pay for school and lighten the load for my family?
-Concerned, but Happy

Morals for your story: 1-31-11

Dilemma

When I got accepted to Mines my grandfather offered to pay for my college tuition. He said an engineering degree is a worthwhile investment. He doesn’t think a marine biology degree is a worthwhile investment, though, so he’s not paying for my brother’s college tuition. The bad news is that I’ve decided I want to change my major. To physics.

Is it unethical not to tell him? Is there anything wrong with letting him see for himself on graduation day? Maybe he won’t come to graduation and he’ll never have to know. Or maybe I’m obligated to keep studying what he offered to pay for because life isn’t supposed to fun anyway or something like that.
–Physics Rebellion

Morals for your story: 1-24-11

Dilemma

Don’t worry; I don’t live in the dorms or in Mines Park.

Recently a friend was studying at my apartment. He noticed some bugs on my reclining chair and said they were bedbugs. As soon as I was convinced that he was right, which took about two minutes of a Google search, my friend helped me carry the chair to the alley. We could not lift it into the Dumpster, so we left it beside said Dumpster. My friend didn’t stay much longer, and he texted me on the way to his car to tell me that the chair was gone.

What should I do? Am I ethically obligated to put up a notice in my building to warn people that the recliner has bedbugs? Or do I let them alley-shop at their own risk?
–Recently Exterminated

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