How long do you think a "culture of cheating" will survive if it's punished severely? Not very long. That's part of the point.
Ed: not that "it was easy" is anywhere near an excuse. Not letting yourself be pulled into something you 100% know is wrong is one of the most basic forms of moral self-restraint. If you can't handle that in its most black-and-white form, to say nothing of the gray areas you'll encounter anywhere less sheltered than a college classroom, you can still take the consequences right in the face and no one should feel the slightest pity, much less make excuses.
Ed: not that "it was easy" is anywhere near an excuse. Not letting yourself be pulled into something you 100% know is wrong is one of the most basic forms of moral self-restraint. If you can't handle that in its most black-and-white form, to say nothing of the gray areas you'll encounter anywhere less sheltered than a college classroom, you can still take the consequences right in the face and no one should feel the slightest pity, much less make excuses.