“Keep your eyes on your own paper.” How many times did we hear that command in elementary school above the sound of pencils busily scratching away on a timed math quiz or spelling test?

In the realm of college students, that statement has evolved to “No, you can’t steal that from the Internet.”

No matter how old we are, we just can’t help it. We are copycats.

Why would we know anything different? The world around us is constantly copying ideas.

It’s no wonder that students are not concerned that taking an article in the encyclopedia word for word and implementing it into their fascinating five-page seventh-grade English report about the export and import products of South American countries is plagiarism.

Never mind the fact that plagiarism is, oh you know, against the law.

Since Veishea and Princess Di have been hogging space in the papers lately, less room is left for the trivial news bytes that I so love to read. Now I have to depend on the word on the street (that is, random conversations overheard while riding the bus or in line for the ATM) to be in the know about such things.

So you can imagine my surprise when I was informed about the recent change in the fast food industry: the Big Mac’s patent has run out.

Gentlemen, start your engines, let the copying begin!

Burger King wasted no time in making their own look-alike sandwich with a really original name: Big King.

Come on, now. I’m more than a little disappointed in the creative staff at BK headquarters. Big King? They’re not only stealing MacDonald’s two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onion, on a sesame seed bun, but they can’t even come up with a unique title for it?

Being the gullible consumer that I am, I couldn’t help but let my stomach drag me over to the Burger King on Lincoln Way and order one at my earliest convenience.

It’s delicious, by the way.

However, while I was munching on what seemed to be an almost obscene amount of flame-broiled beef, my dinner companion kept expressing his disbelief that Burger King would stoop so low as to copy the Big Mac. He also voiced concern (more concern than I ever thought possible for a mere sandwich, actually) for the future of the Whopper.

Burger King had a good thing going with the Whopper. Why did they feel the need to keep up with the MacJones’ and copy the Big Mac? The Whopper fans must be feeling some tension about the whole ordeal. Confused, miffed, maybe even a little jealous?

The situation is kind of comparable to how the first kid in the family reacts when Mom comes home from the hospital with a new baby. “Who’s that? What do we need him for? We were fine before he came.”

The Whopper has a right to be upset. Burger King, Home of the Whopper, has suddenly invited the enemy on board.

Fast food restaurants, much like people, are afraid to be different.

They can’t be satisfied with what they have to offer; they must have what the other burger joints of the world have to stay competitive.

While I suppose this competition creates more products, better quality and so on, it also results in a lot of similar menus.

It seems to work well. People flock to the familiar and are comfortable with monotony.

Copying isn’t noticed if everyone is the same. I’m anticipating a bunch of “new” burgers to appear at some other locations of fine dining.

Start looking for the Big Dave at Wendy’s or even the Big Hardee.

Any one of them will be a good snack for those seventh-grade kids taking a break from their reports on South America.

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Joanne Roepke is a senior in journalism and mass communication from Aurora.