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Quote, Unquote ‘Higher education is an investment that pays benefits to the state and individuals.’ Douglas Woodward, USC business professor Ww (Bamecock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 Brock Vergakis Editor in Chief Clayton Kale Viewpoints Editor Erin O’Neal Spotlight Editor Kyle Almond Sports Editor Brad Walters Design Editor Brandon Larrabee University Editor Amanda Silva Spotlight Editor Valerie Matchette City & State Editor Martha Wright Copy Desk Chief Police collaboration could reduce crime An increase in crime has plagued the Five Points area in the past week, and university and city officials are taking an active role to combat it. Already, the State Law Enforcement Division has agreed to join city and university police in patrolling areas where a rash of homicides and armed robberies has taken place. Last week, two people were shot in Five Points in an attempted carjacking and a separate robbery, and two USC students have been robbed in the past week on Greene Street between campus and Five Points. Today, USC President John Palms and Director of Law Enforcement and Safety Ernie Ellis will meet with Columbia Police Chief Charles Austin and Mayor Bob Coble to discuss what can be done about the recent rash of crimes. We hope the dialogue will produce real solutions to prevent future crimes from plaguing an area that for years has seen more than its fair share. From what we’ve seen, the crime problem can’t be curbed until two things are don J. First, the city must install a better system of lighting along Greene Street and throughout suspect areas of Five Points. Secondly, patrols between campus and Five Points must increase. There’s nothing wrong with ticketing ille gally parked cars or busting parties, but spending too much time worrying about those things won’t prevent someone else from getting robbed. Search for Six unlikely to speak at bicentennial series The university is inviting six celebrities to celebrate USC’s bicentennial. Students voted online for the candidates, who represent various areas of society. The winners are Leeza Gibbons, a USC College of Journalism alumna; movie director Steven Spielberg; South Carolinian author Pat Conroy; Secretary of State Colin Powell; Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama; and philanthropist Dr. Patch Adams. The organizers of the lecture came up with a grand idea. Who wouldn’t want to have the Dalai Lama visit USC? However, it’s unlikely more than two of the candidates selected will actually appear on campus. Gibbons and Conroy — who both have connections with the state and the university — should feel ob ligated to participate, but it’s almost certain that the other candi dates are either too busy or too far away to get here, especially on such short notice. While The Gamecock applauds the idea and hopes each of the six will be able to speak at USC, the original list of candidates should have been limited to public figures and alumni who would be realistically accessible. The committee in charge of the series says replacements won’t be invited to take the place of those who don’t show. It’s hoped that as many of the speakers as possible will come, but don’t expect to see Secretary Powell on campus anytime soon. About Us The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semesters and nine times during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is the newspaper's parent organization. The Gamecock is supported in part by student activities fees. Adoress The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29208 Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Student Media Area code 803 Advertising 777-3888 Classified 777-1184 Fax 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Gamecock Area code 803-777-7726 Editor in Chief gamecockeditordhotmail.com University Desk gamecockudeskdhotmail.com City/State Desk gamecockcitydeskdhotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpointsdhotmail.com Spotlight gamecockspotI ightdhot mai I .com Sports gamecocksportsdhotmail.com •Online www.dailygamecock.com Submbsion Policy Letters to the editor or guest columns are welcome from all members of the Carolina community. Letters should be 250-300 words. Guest columns should be an opinion piece of about 600 words. Both must include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. Handwritten submissions must be personally delivered to Russell House room 333. E-mail submissions must include telephone number f for confirmation and should be e-mailed to j gamecockviewpointsdhotmail.com. < The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, \ style and space. Anonymous letter, will not be published. Photos are required for gipst columnists , and can be provided by the submitter. TwCUmkcock Travis Lynn Charles Prashaw Sean Rayford Asst. City/State Editor Photo Editors Betsy Baugh Mackenzie Clements Community Affairs Jason Harmon Ann Marie Miani Ashley Melton Jennie Moore Kenley Young Katie Smith Copy Editors Page Designers . m mm m mmmm i Erik Collins Carolyn Griffin Faculty Adviser Business Manager Ellen Parsons Sarah Sims Director of Advertising Manager Student Media _ Jannell Deyo SSJSL, Kera Khalil Sean De Luna Denise Levereaux Todd Hooks Njco|e Russe|| Melanie Hutto Advertising Staff Emilie Moca Martin Salisbury Sherry F. Holmes Creative Services Classified Manager Only two letters to the editor per student will be rinted in a semester. Staff columns take priority over uest columns, unless the guest columnist offers expertise n a subject, or if the subject’s relevance is limited by me. Guest columns and letters may be‘ submitted by -mail to gamecockviewpoints©hotmail.com. Call 777-7726 for more information. The aspiring novelist, part one I am a print _ journalism major. I am an English writing minor. My book shelves are filled with novels, some great and some not-so great, “how Michaei Kbit to” books about isathirdyear writing novels journalism major and grammar and ... t style handbooks. Reach him at I'm enrolled in a gamecockviewpoints creative writing @hotniaii.com. class and a fiction workshop. As you might have guessed, I love writing. I love reading. Basically, I love words and all the semi-magical things I can do with them, from taking a reader to a far off land to slay a dragon and save a princess, to merely entertaining the reader for a few moments, or just amusing myself. The last reason is why you’re stuck reading my columns here each week. For some time, my love for words has been the driving force in my dream of being a great novelist. When I was in high school, I attempted my first novel. It was a horror/comedy about a serial killer in a New Jersey town much like my own. All my friends loved it, and my teachers encouraged me to keep going with it. I thought it was the great beginning to an even greater career. Just a few years later, I look back at it as no more than 50,000 words of pure, unadulterated crap. Live and learn, I suppose. There are several problems facing aspiring young novelists. For starters, it’s just plain hard to write a novel. You’re basically writing a story that goes on for 60,000 to 100,000 words and 300 pages. You need character development and the introductions of new supporting characters as well as continuous actions to keep the plot rolling along. The hardest part of the whole thing — for me anyway — was trying to remember what I had my characters doing and how they were acting in Chapter 1 so that their actions in Chapter 10 wouldn’t seem entirely contradictory. Now let’s imagine that one does get published. There are three scenarios that can follow. The first, and most common, is that no one besides your immediate family and the friends you give free copies to will read your novel — ever! The second scenario is that your novel will be a best-seller comparable to a Tom Clancy or Stephen King novel, and you’ll make tons of money when you ink the movie deal. The problem here, while you’ll attain fame and fortune, is that no literary critics or academics will give you an ounce of respect — ever! For some writers, money is the most important factor and the opinions of critics don’t matter. For others money means little, and the craft is all important. The third scenario is that your novel will receive literary praise from true critics and academics worldwide. Your novel might not top The New York Times Best-Seller List, but it will sell at a steady pace for years long after the Oprah Winfrey book-of-the week is forgotten. It will be read in college classrooms around the world. It will be studied and dissected in great detail. You will go down as one of the great literary masters of all time, and a style will be named after you. The only problem is that none of this will happen until long after you’re dead. You’ll spend your life living day to-day on the checks you get for writing the scripts to adult films, causing you to loathe yourself, as many great writers do. You’ll end up a penniless drunk and be found dead in a gutter, alley or abandoned cracker factory. But that will just add to your lore as a literary giant and serve as the poignant close to your biography. If it’s any consolation, your great grandchildren will reap the benefits of the brilliance that went unnoticed in your lifetime. Looking back at the novel I wrote in high school, I can’t help but think I did a little something right. Whs it a best seller? Of course not. Whs it a literary masterpiece? No, it wasn’t even close. Yet, while only a dozen friends or so ever read my novel, I must say that it did serve a purpose. Not only did my few readers get some enjoyment out of it, but I enjoyed writing it as well. I also learned a great deal about writing ■ a novel and am now working on a second. To be continued in Part Two. Letters University president’s goals not lofty enough To the Editor. When I was a student at USC from ’87 to ’91, there was a very dynamic univer sity president by the name of James Holderman. He was a master at raising money for the university and had a vision to make USC into an elite university. To that end, he set a lofty goal that he wanted USC to be in the top 10 in every field it was involved in by the bicentennial celebration. That’s right — be one of the 10 best schools in journalism, business, humanities, sports, fundraising and all the rest. When Dr. Palms took over in ’91, this goal to be great was never spoken of again. It is a shame, and I think the university has suffered because of it. Holderman knew we could do better as a university and asked students, faculty and alumni to give it their all. He set the bar high and would not stand for the status quo. I often wonder if Holderman could have achieved his goal if he had stayed on the past 10 years? I have to believe we would be a lot closer to greatness than under the current narrow-minded leadership. James L Beigmann 1991 USC Graduate Her block’s Cartoon "ITS INOUSII/E-PART H4STOP0H, PAW ElEPWlT, PART P0HKEY TAIL” I want to know what you’re thinking. There are some things you can’t hide. I want to know what you’re thinking. Tell us what’s on your mind: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com -t Bookstore Prices Racketeering has infiltrated university’s bookstores As we all know, it’s the first week of classes, - x Jiana n s time to purchase all those textbooks we’ll be using. The other day, I was trying to find a scooter mechan ics’manual for my engineering class. I went to several bookstores and, of | course, they were all out of the scooter manuals. Finally I happened upon this one Dooxsiore wmcn seemea ro nave every book that anyone would ever want. Much to my chagrin, I knew I would have to buy the manual here. I had to have this manual because we have a test on how to reduce the friction between scooter wheels and varying surfaces this week, and without the manual, I am nothing. So, not having been to this bookstore since being ripped off there as a freshman, I proceeded cautiously into this unfamiliar territory. As I walked in, I chuckled when I noticed they still sell exam blue books for 23 cents. I guess the Wfcnker Bros, (the company that owns the bookstore) need to make their bread somehow. When 1 was walking in the back to look for my manual, I noticed that a door with an “employees only” sign on it was slightly ajar. I also heard a faint noise coming from behind the door. My curiosity got the better of me, and I peeked my head in the door to see whether anything interesting was happening. Believe me, there was. There was this gaunt, haggard-looking freshman dangling in the middle of the room. The only thing keeping him up were ropes running up to the ceiling, tied around his arms. He was down to his boxers and undershirt, and was dirty, sweaty and bloodied. auuueiuy, mis uig, meaii-iuuMiig fellow came in from a side door and walked - up to the barely-conscious freshman. He smacked the freshman across the face with the back of his hand and spit on the ground in disgust. “You think you can come in here and just return a textbook because you found the same textbook $50 cheaper at some other bookstore? Huh?” The big man was obviously angry and continued his tirade as the whimpering freshman quivered with fear. “This joint ain’t owned anymore by those Wanker Bros, who just jack up the prices because they’re Wankers. This operation is just a front for the Fromaggio family to launder money and look legitimate. We didn’t come down from Capicola, N.J., to buy this bookstore so we can supply cheap books to unwitting students. There are outrageous prices and » no refunds for a reason. We do it because we can.” When I realized that this bookstore wasn’t owned by the Wankers anymore, but by the infamous Fromaggio Family, I immediately ran out of the store and proceeded directly to President Palms’ residence to inform him. When I got to his house, he gestured for me to come in, offered me aglass of red wine and told me to help myself to the spaghetti on the stove. He was watching The Godfather saga and U1V11CU IIIC IU Ml UUWI1. I told him about the Fromaggio family’s takeover of the bookstore, but he just laughed at me. I was shocked at his reaction and asked him whether he was going to do anything about it. He told me he wasn’t going to do a thing because he and the Fromaggios had a deal worked out where the university would collect 50 percent of the bookstore’s profits. With the inflated profits, the university and the Fromaggios would each be in the black and no harm would be done. I then told him about the hapless fresh man 1 saw getting tortured in the back room. “Those crazy freshmen,” he said as puffed his Cuban cigar, “always trying to save the world. Sometimes we have to take some precautionary steps to make sure the business stays our little secret. You’re a good kid, right? I’m sure you’ll be able to keep our little secret safe, eh?” He then tucked a fifty dollar bill in my pocket. So I guess that’s why the bookstore is such a ripoff. It’s time for the Columbia ' Police to halt this corruption and stop book store racketeering. Nathan White s a fourth-year listory and political science major. Reach him at ;amecockviewpoi nts 9hotmail.com.