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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, December 6, 2002 5 SOUNDOFF TTT^TTTTI/^V VTmO ONLINEPOLL Create message boards at I B-^ ® / fl—J fl fl fl Do you think all residence halls tyww.dailygamecock.com or fl ■']%/%/ fl fl B I L should be nonsmoking? send letters to the editor to BBJWW I \ W 1 Ik/ YES-1UKE FRESH AIR 74% gamecockuiewpoints@hotmail.com —I■-■ ^ f ▼ —V-/ — L- 1 M r%—/ NO, SECOND-HAND SMOKE IS GOOD 18% DOESNT HOUSING KNOW BEST? 8% IN OUR OPINION Cancellation unnecessary On Wednesday, USC made a hasty decision to cancel classes. Anticipating the forecasted icy weather, the university determined that the weather would prove too high a safety risk for USC students. Although the concern for students is admirable, the university rushed its decision during one of the most critical times of the semester. A few years ago, severe weather conditions threatened student safety and USC resumed classes It’s worrisome that t0°soon’which ?ut USC canceled students and professors at classes out Of risk.The university wasn’t concern for its cautious enough that year, students, but had no but this year, it has jumped trouble letting the the gun. women’s basketball It would be dangerous for game go on as Students to drive home if scheduled, the university waited too long to cancel classes. But that doesn’t mean it should assume the worst and shut things down because it’s cold outside; a balance must be found. It’s worrisome that the university canceled all classes out of concern for its students and faculty, but had no trouble allowing the women’s basketball game yesterday evening to go on as scheduled. Though fans could choose whether to risk the roads to travel to a sporting event, players and coaches could not. USC did act in students’ interests yesterday; there is no doubt about that. But the quickness of its decision is questionable. The decision to cancel classes the week before final exams is serious; many students would have used that class time to better prepare. Gamecock Quotables “You can talk about education, economy and business and health, but if the streets aren’t safe enough to go to work, go to school, go to the doctor, what have you got?” ROBERT STEWART STATE LAW ENFORCEMENT DIVISION CHIEF, ON BUDGET CUTS “I don't know what these Northern kids think of us when there's a chance of a freeze and they call everything off. It's ridiculous.” BENJAMIN MORRISON THIRD-YEAR EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT, ON USC’S CANCELLING SCHOOL “I am hoping that students will see the great benefits of this change, want to see it pass and vote for it.” BROOKE VICKERY ELECTIONS COMMISIONER, ON TRYING TO CHANGE THE ELECTIONS DATE “I really didn’t know until there were about seven minutes left in the second half. My teammates were telling me how many points I had and how many I needed to get into the record books.” JOCELYN PENN use FORWARD, ON SCORING A CAREER HIGH AND RECORD-TYING 50 POINTS AGAINST WOFFORD GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us atgamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Editor in Chief CONTACT INFORMATION Mary Hartney _ Offices on third floor of the Russell House. News Editor Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com Adam Beam News Desk: gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Asst. News Editor The Mix: gamecockmixeditor@hotmaii.com Emma Ritch Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com Online: www.dailygamecock.com ■ Viewpoints Editor Public Affairs: gckpublicaffairs@hotmail.com Chris Foy Newsroom: 777-7726 Editor's Office: 777-3914 Asst. Viewpoints Editor ctiiiscmT lUICniA Erin O’Neal olUUtlil IVICUIH The Gamecock is the Faculty Adviser student newspaper of The Mix Editors grjk Collins the University of Justin Bajan, ' South Carolina and is Charles Tomlinson Director of Student published Monday. Media Wednesday and Friday Sports Editor Fllen Parsons during the fall and Kyle Almond spring semesters and Creative Director nine times during the Asst. Sports Editor Susan King summer with the Matt Rothenberg exception of Business Manager university holidays Photo Editor Carolyn Griffin and exam periods. Candi Hauglum Opinions expressed in Advertising Manager The Gamecock are Head Designer Sarah Scarborough those of the ed,tors or Katie Smith author and not those Classified Manager of the University of Page Designers Sherry F. Holmes South Carolina. The Samantha Hall, Julia Board of Student Knetzer, Sarah McLaulin, Creative Services Publications and Shawn Rourk. David Derek Goode, Communications is Stagg Earl Jones, the publisher of The Sean O’Meara, Gamecock. The Copy Desk Chief Anastasia Oppert Department of Jill Martin Melanie Roberts Student Media is the newspaper's parent Copy Editors Advertising Staff organization. The Jennie Duggan, Tricia Adam Bourgoin, Gamecock is Ridgway, Holly Totherow, Justin Chappell, supported in part by Karen Vaught Bianca Knowles, student activities Denise Levereaux, fees. One free copy Online Editor Jacqueline Rice. per reader. Additional Bessam Khadraoui Stacey Todd copies may be purchased for one Community Affairs dollar each from the Kiran Shah Department of TO PLACE AN AD Student Media. The Gamecock ^ Advertising: 777-3888 1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184 Columbia. S.C. 29208 Fax: 777-6482 CQoo(^ To &£ AVVep To v.5, CuRRetocy 7^ mV CoJvre&fztT ( look AS OooO Th6 geA^STvpf, WHAT V T(Pfl£? Y°^ 6^5 (. >_ CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Bikers are coming to town 1 j GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM It’s time to trade in the books and buy a hog. When I was 18,1 unknowingly went to Myrtle Beach during bik er week. I vowed never to speak of the horrible incident again, hut something I saw in the news re cently stirred up old memories, and I decided to reflect. A big biker rally might be coming to Columbia next year. When I heard the news, I in stinctively hid my money and taped a sign on my front door reading “NO METH HERE.” But maybe Myrtle Beach was an isolated incident. I’ll never forget any of it, though. The midgets in burlap sacks, the bro ken bottles of Pabst Blue Ribbon, the 300-pound women, and my frantic sprint down Ocean Boulevard with two hogs manned by drunken crank deal ers rumbling behind me are all memories burned in my mind like the dragon tattoo on Zeke’s forearm. That weekend, I learned the hard way that going into a biker bar at 2 a.m. and asking for di rections to a golf course while wearing khakis and a collared shirt under a nice sweater is nev er a good idea. “Excuse me, sir, can you tell us how to get to Arrowhead Country Club?” “How ’bout I break this beer bottle over your head, college boy?” “I see by the tattoo on your forehead that your name is Hell Wolf. Well, Mr. Wolf, we don’t . want trouble, we were just...” “Hey, Zeke, this boy just tipped over your bike. Let’s get him.” Before I could convince them I did nothing of the sort, the midgets were flying. We man aged to dodge the first few, but my friend Richard took one right on the head. He was down, but there was nothing we could do for him. We were lucky to get out of town alive. But that’s behind me, and now it’s time to plan ahead for when the biker rally comes here. I’ve decided I can’t beat them, so I’m going to join them. The biggest problem will be the bike. I don’t have a Harley Davidson, but I do have a Mongoose 21-speed from Wal-Mart. Maybe if I pedal up to them wearing a leather jacket and a tattoo on my arm of a naked woman leaning against a bloody dagger, they’ll accept me as one of their own. Telling them a few jokes will be a sure way to break the ice: What’s the difference between a Hoover vacuum cleaner and a Harley? The placement of the dirt bag. I’m not sure what they’ll make me do for initiation, but I hope it will involve eating cheesecake and watching reruns of “The Simpsons.” I aced my last politi cal-philosophy test, and I’m sure biker-gang initiations pale in comparison to writing essays about Plato and Aristotle. It would be great if they gave me a really cool biker name like Rides With Broken Tailbone, or Mac And Cheese Phil. I would also be happy with something a little tougher, like Roadkiller, Asphalt Kicker or Kitten Eater. Either way, getting into a biker gang will be a welcomed change of pace. I’ll be like the bounty hunter from “Raising Arizona.” Watch out, ladies. Watson is a fourth-year print journalism student. IN YOUR OPINION Dance team should dress for weather As a lifelong South Carolina resident, I was lucky enough to get some tickets to the Carolina-Clemson game at the last minute. Although it was very cold, despite about three layers of clothes, my husband and I enjoyed the game — that is, until I saw what USC’s dance team was wearing. Dressed in skin-tight, back less, sleeveless halter tops, the 20 or so girls “warmed up” near our seats for halftime. Despite the 30-degree weather, these women were wearing next to nothing and freezing. They huddled in groups and shivered, and some coughed and sneezed, no doubt fighting off colds. These women were sacrific ing their health and comfort to look sexy. The sad part is that no one looks sexy when her nose is running, she has chill bumps all over her arms, and her face and ears are red from the cold. I have a hard time thinking their chosen outfits were crucial to the perfor mance. Instead, trying to fulfill soci ety's and their own expecta tions about their entertain ment value, the members of USC’s dance team chose to sub jugate themselves to one of the oldest sexist values — women are best when pushed up, sucked in, half naked and stupid. And that's what their outfits were — stupid. ERIN JAMES PREDMORE OOl.'.WSKUNf; (MiADI'ATK STI DKXT. rXIVKHSITY OF OEOHIMA T Graduate proud of students’ charity Being a recent graduate of USC, I understand how hard it is to volunteer your time to someone else while you have papers and exams to worry about. More than 30 USC students, however, dedicated their time to helping our students at Epworth Children's Home. The University 101 classes, specifi cally those of Mary Hipp and Ed Dickey, have made a pro found impact tutoring the kids at our school. They have self lessly given inspiration and compassion to our kids, who thrive off kindness. Thank you for seeing the need and not the cause. You make me proud to be a USC graduate. HEIDI VAUGHN SITE COORDINATOR FOR EPWORTII CHILDREN'S HOME COMMI NITIES AND SCHOOLS OF THE MIDLANDS BSA shouldn’t push sexual conformity I am disappointed in The Gamecock. I remember my un dergraduate years at USC, when The Gamecock’s Viewpoints editor did not feel the need, as Chris Foy appar ently does, to write blatantly bigoted and homophobic columns to stir up resentment among his readership. He has, at any rate, missed the point that what is legal is not neces sarily just. The Boy Scouts have the le gal right to exclude gays and atheists and possibly other groups as well. They rnight have the legal right to exclude boys who wear their hair long or otherwise do not fit the model of “clean living” as laid down by the upper-class Englishman Lord Baden-Powell. I suspect, howev er, that few people in this coun try agree with BSA that all gay men are dirty child molesters, or who sympathize with BSA’s ex clusionary policies. • I contend that our society has outgrown Baden-Powell’s antique model of puritanical sexual poli tics. I see BSA’s condemnation of homosexuality as an attempt to enforce sexual conformity upon the boys within its ranks. Sexuality (to the extent that it does not harm others) is a matter of individual identity, and BSA should keep its hands off the sex uality issue by simply remaining silent and allowing a boy’s family and faith to shape his identity in that regard. One related issue: Jonathan Frost’s whiny letter complaining about Dr. Woliver and other “left wing feminists” who attack “any thing they don’t agree with” struck me as plainly anti-demo cratic. If we are to have a mean ingful debate in this country about what kind of social change is worthwhile, opposing groups must voice their opinions. The fact that Mr. Frost does not agree with Dr. Woliver is hardly a rea son why her feminist theory class should not voice its opinion of Mr. Foy’s column. Let the debate continue. ROBERT PAUL DAVIS KIKST-VKAB LAW STL'IlLA'T Submission Policy Letters to the editor should be less than 300 words and include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. E-mail letters to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. , I Letters will be edited. Anonymous letters will not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for more information. Illegal aliens need a chance CLAYTON KALE GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM J Land of opportunity and non-English speakers. . It’s a fact that many school dis tricts in South Carolina have cre ated a position known as an ESL teacher. English-as-a-second-lai> guage classes are intended for the children of immigrants who don’t speak English in their homes. While English isn’t the official language of the United States, it’$ an essential tool for someone to have to get a job in this country, at least a job in the top percentile of wages. “This is our country” and " “We’re becoming the minority” are common refrains of the xeno phobe. People shouldn’t worry that their children’s American history classes will be taught in Spanish or that Sergio Troncoso will be taught instead of Fitzgerald or Shakespeare. As the son of a high-schooj English teacher, I’ve observed that summer reading lists are be coming more diverse in writers’ backgrounds and nationalities, but Hamlet’s place in the English curriculum is as safe as a2 + b2 = c2 is in geometry. What is more problematic than an increase in the number of students in our public-school system who don’t • speak English is the attitude of xenophobia itself. Notions of our country and “we” being the minority are tinged with racism and short; sightedness. Racist because “we” carries with it the connotation that America is a white country! which it is not and never was, no matter how American history has been romanticized. (Yes, the reigns of power are generally held by men with white faces. But this is more of an economic factor than a racial one.) It’s shortsighted because, be! fore America was America, it wasn’t America. I realize it sounds like I stole a line from Yogi Berra; But consider that, before America became a powerhouse, it consisted of pockets of Spanish settlers! German settlers, Dutch settlers, - English settlers, French settlers! slaves brought from Africa — and why did all these settlers come t<) America (except, perhaps, for the slaves in bondage)? Because they were seeking something better than the conditions of life in their homelands. A new job, a place where they could worship without the silly rules of the pope or the hypocrisy of the Anglican Church, a place where there was enough room to grow enough potatoes to feed a large family. They were seeking', as the cliche goes, a land of opj portunity. And now, some 30Q years removed, have we not proven that America is a land of opportunity? a place wnere tne naggea Dicks of all cultures can call home? A country where 4 Methodist is equal to a pagan urn der the law? A place where all children receive the best educa tion they can based on the amount of tax dollars collected? A place where people can come and work and provide for their families? ; Consider this: If every new im; migrant were capable of discussing the finer points of “The Sound and the Fury” during tea at Harvard, 1 promise that Harvard would be even more competitive. Even the more “menial” service-industry jobs afford a life superior to the one back home for some immigrants: I, for one, am proud that America is still seen as the land of opportu nity by much of the world. Fori when it is not, we know our day iii the sun has passed. Kale is a fifth-year print journalism student.