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Quote, Unquote “I have no plans to be a college coach again." Eddie Fogler, Former USC head basketball coach Monday, March 19, 2001 Che Gamecock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 Brock Vergakis 'Editor in Chief Brandon Larrabee University Editor Erin O’Neal Spotlight Editor Kyle Almond Sports Editor Brad Walters Design Editor Cristy Infinger Asst. University Editor . Valerie Matchette City & State Editor Amanda Silva Spotlight Editor Martha Wright Copy Desk Chief Charles Prashaw Asst. City & State Editor Aubrey Fitzloff Asst. Viewpoints Editor Carolina Productions deserves a fee increase While much has been made of university officials’ pro posed tuition increase to make up for a cut to the university’s budget, another proposed increase in student activity fees is attracting little attention. Carolina Pro ductions has proposed that student activity fees be increased $7.89, to $13. This one is just as worthy as the administration’s proposed increase, if not more so. Students should support the increase irr fees. Unlike the added tuition the university is considering, students will actually be able to see the benefits of the extra money they’re paying. And the money will be controlled by students, increasing the potential that it will be spent on something students care about instead of the newest addition to USC that administrators assure us will be the next step on the never-ending road to the AAU. It will cause only a minimal increase in the cost of attending USC — especially in light of President John Palms’ comments that tuition could skyrocket if the budget cuts are approved — while greatly improving the quality of programming the organi zations are able to attract to the university. In one of its more intelligent moves this year, student senate passed a resolution supporting the increase, but not without op position. One of the opponents, Sen. Doug Wilson, said CP didn’t spend the money they had well enough. “The programs that they put on, a lot of students are not in terested in,” he said. “The money that they’re getting — what are they spending it on?” Wilson obviously misses the purpose of the fee increase. It’s true that few students are interested in the majority of the pro grams put on by CP. But with additional revenue, CP, which has one of the lowest per capita budgets of similar organizations at SEC institutions, could begin to offer programs that students ac tually care about. That said, CP must take steps to assure students that it won’t squander the extra funding. The organization should give students tangible examples of the kinds of improved programming they could attract with the extra funds and how those programs could bring additional students and area residents to the events. We’re confident CP can do this. And if the organization can make an equally strong case to the board of trustees, it will likely approve CP’s request for extra funding. At least, they ought to. Because they’ll doubtlessly ap prove tuition increases for their own pet projects, they should approve a minuscule increase for something that might make a difference in how much students enjoy their time at USC. About Us The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University of Soyth 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. 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Call 777-7726 for more information. l Tte Gamecock Ann Marie Miani Travis Lynn Jennie Moore Sean Rayford Katie Smith Photo Editors Mark Yates Mackenzie Clements Page Designers Jason Harmon Betsy Baugh Crystal Boyles Sara McLaulin Ashley Melton Community Affairs Copy Editors Stuocmt Media Erik Collins Carolyn Griffin Faculty Adviser Business Manager Ellen Parsons Sarah Sims Director of Advertising Manager Student Media _ Jannell Deyo SS.'SL, Kera Khalil Sean De Luna Denise Levereaux Todd Hooks Nicole Russell Melanie Hutto Advertising Staff Emilie Moca Martin Salisbury Sherry F. Holmes Creative Services Classified Manager Social Issues Shootings are a chilling reality Brandon Larrabee is a third-year student in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Send responses to gamecockviewpoints ©hotmail.com. Another school shooting, and a nation left to wonder why. A nation left to deal with the most horrifying, the most in explicable question in human history: why are kids killing each other? It is a bone chilling question to ask. It is a question that defies comprehension, not in attempts to find an answer, but because it has to be asked at all. After Jonesboro, Littleton and Conyers, we thought it was finished. We thought the problem had moved to the adults — Buckhead, Hawaii, Whkefield. We heard names of businesses — no less painful in the loss of human life, but less painful as far as who was doing the shooting. But once again, we are hearing the names of schools — Santana High the most recent entry in an ever-growing list. This comes after we have foiled so many attempts, stopped so many would be shooters. So what went wrong this time? Did we let our guard down? Are we dealing with the horrifying consequences of our own laziness? But there are underlying causes; there are reasons the cliild in California reached for a gun and used it to kill classmates. The “reasons” are many, the talking heads say: gun laws are too weak, parents aren’t involved enough, children are too immersed in the culture of Quake, Eminem and Hannibal. We’ve been there before, had all the debates and done notliing. We considered strengthening gun laws, but the gun lobby was too strong. And we’ve all Heard the unreasonable proposals for the other “solutions”: parenting licenses, censoring games and music, enforcing laws that have never been enforced and probably never will be. And now, the psychologists are saying we need to monitor children. Instead of metal detectors, we need “mental detectore,” one expert suggested recently. This, after millions of dollaR in counseling and the hiring of extra teachers, extra administratoR, extra counselors. But these shootings are a sign of rot — something that is eating our culture and consuming our children. It is something that cannot, that will not be solved by polemics and one-dimensional solutions. We’ve tried them all; all have failed. Surely, part of it lies in our approach. We spend time and energy on teaching our kids, but not protecting them; on condemning the “culture of death” without finding why kids are drawn to it; on keeping guns away from kids without discovering why they’re reaching for them. I don’t know what the solution is. This column is written more for catharsis than to offer my own answers to the problem. Maybe the solution is a combination of what the pundits suggest. Maybe it’s something else entirely. But I admit my ignorance as to how we can stop this plague. No, I don’t know what the solution is. I just pray there is one. ‘The “reasons” are many, the talking heads say: gun laws are too weak; parents aren’t involved enough; children are too immersed in the culture of Quake, Eminem and Hannibal.’ Letters Praising of Fogler has been out of line To the Editor. Let’s talk about how great our bas ketball team is and how loyal they are to the school. I just read that Travis Kraft, Chuck Eidson, Calvin Clemmons, Tony Kitchings and Rolando Howell are con templating transferring now that Eddie Fogler has been fired by the school. This shows a lot of class. What exactly did any of them bring to the table this season to make them feel their leaving will re duce our basketball program to shambles? Eddie Fogler has been praised too much since he was fired. What did he do for USC basketball in eight years? He took us to the NCAA tournament, but we lost to Cop pin State in the first round. He won a regular-season bfcC title, but he was only seven games over .500 when we fired his ass. It’s true that sometimes fans have ex pectations that are too high, but I don’t think expecting our team to be in the top half of the SEC and making an NCAA tour nament berth every other year is too much to ask. USC has said that within five years it wants all of the athletics programs in the Top 25, and I think firing Eddie Fogler was a step in the right direction. We lost too many close games this year, and the team looked like it had no motivation. I love USC, but I hate the way every one seems to be backing Fogler and our “wonderful” basketball program. Josh Terry First-year Student College of Journalism and Mass Communications l Palms needs reality check on crime To the Editor. After finding Dun Duke on Pickens Street, I became very aware of safety is sues on campus. I received overwhelming support from students, campus organiza tions, faculty, even the governor’s office. The only office that didn’t show immedi ate support, or any support at all, for that matter, is the office of the president. For weeks, my repeated calls result ed in rude and abrasive receptionists who pawned me off on other ill-equipped departments. None of my messages to the president’s office has been returned. I can’t count how many times I heard, “The president is busy and has an overwhelming responsibility. He does not have time to deal with indi vidual students directly.” Well, here s my response. 1 know we have a budget problem. I know the pres ident has a vast amount of responsibility. But he’s also responsible for each and every one of the students here. When someone calls him with a gen uine concern, he should find some way to see that his or her concern is at least heard. Had he, or anyone in his office,'tak en the time to do that, he would have learned that all I wanted to do was help this school fix its safety problems. I was n’t trying to inconvenience him or cause any friction. What disgusts me more than his lack of response to his students is his lack of common courtesy. Dan Duke has been comatose for 93 days. President Palms’ only response has been to trivialize safety issues in the pa per by saying that the crime rate hasn’t in I creased, only the severity. Is this supposed to be some sort of comfort? Personally, I would rather attend a school with a million acts of vandalism than one incident of armed robbery. Dan Duke w s severely injured and left for dead on our campus. This is hard ly trivial. His family has received no let ters or phone calls from Dr. Palms or any one in his office. Our president can’t be so busy that he can’t take five minutes to tell someone to check on the status of a student who was seriously injured on his campus. Is there not some secretary, even a jan itor, in his office who could make a phone call or send a “get well soon” card? The Dukes and I consider the manner in which President Palms has handled this situation as a direct slap in the face. So Dr. Palms, with all due respect, this is my way of showing you the same cour tesy you have shown to Dan’s family and me. Heather West Second-year Student College of Liberal Arts Stereotypes Marriage doesn’t change identity Martha Wright is a third-year student in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Send response to gamecockviewpoints 0hotmail.com. A doctor’s wife. For me, this little phrase is like a kick in the kidneys. It’s an instant stereotype that reeks of high heels, house dresses, faux pearls and bridge clubs. Of minivans, triangle-shaped egg salad sand wiches and Tup perware parties. Of white gloves, white fences and white neighbor nood. It encapsulates everything I never want to do or to be. And yet, it always conies from people who mean well. First- and second-hand friends offering congratulations on my recent marriage, or strangers who ask, “Oh, what does your husband do?” I launch into half-truths and pray they don’t inquire further lie’s a student (a radiology intern at a Florida hospital) or a photographer (he loves his camera). I have to build rapport with strangers before I divulge my husband’s career, lest dollar signs pop into their eyes. Hardly has disclosure of his title failed to elicit a giddy, “A doctor’s wife! Well, aren’t you lucky?” Lucky. I have a ready response: “I am lucky — to have married him, not his career.” I swallowed long ago my first instinct: to tell them that it was kind of an accident. I always thought I would marry a poet, a painter, a novelist, a musician. Doctors were people who batted around your tonsils with tongue depressors — bourgeois, snooty Republican-types who poke and prod for profit. That’s what I thought until Arif, a medical student, joined my college-level Odyssey of the Mind team during my freshman year. He’s good, generous, gregarious and socially conscious. Our first date was to listen to Spike Lee speak at the Koger Center. Not once did I spot a tongue depressor. Arif and I dated for a little more than a year, were engaged for a little less than a year and were married in early 2001.1 kept my last name. And that s why I think doctor s wife” is such an unfortunate compliment. It reduces two people to a cash cow and the wife of a cash cow. There is, of course, no such animal as “a doctor’s husband.” Men are never asked to identify themselves by their wives’ accomplishments. Calling me a “doctor’s wife” strips me and Arif of our individuality and robs us of our identities. Pity telemarketers who ask for “Dr. or Mrs. Kidwai,” or worse yet, the possessive form: “Dr. Kidwai and his wife.” Doesn’t it sound like “Dr. Kidwai and his car” or “Dr. Kidwai and his telephone”? Usually, as a faithful disciple of the “sticks and stones” credo, words ping right off my bull-proof vest. But there’s something in “doctor’s wife” — some nuance of possessiveness — that rankles. Arif doesn’t think his job has higher status than the journalism career I’ve chosen. But to others, he is his job. And that, in so many ways, is dead wrong. Arif didn’t stop being Arif when he was graduated from medical school. And I didn’t stop being Martha Wright just because I married him. Have something to say? Send letters to the editor to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com or visit www.dailygamecock.com - —*---1*