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6THE GAMECOCK Wednesday, June 9, 2004 VIEWPOINTS IN OUR OPINION Reagan mourned Former President Ronald Reagan was considered by many to be the most popular president since John F. Kennedy. The nation acknowledged this fact with nearly 52,000 people paying their respects at Monday’s casket viewing and also with the declaration of Friday . as a National Day of Mourning for the former president. USC acknowledged Reagan when he received an honorary doctor of laws degree Sept. 20,1983. Around 9,000 people turned out on the Horseshoe for the event. Reagan’s passing brings accolades for his service to the nation, even transcending the election year’s partisan lines. Former President Jimmy Carter commended Reagan for being very worthy of the nickname “The Great Communicator.” On the local level, Attorney General Henry McMaster feels that Reagan “made us all better Americans.” Gov. Mark Sanford stated that Reagan shaped and will continue to shape generations of American leaders. The Gipper may be gone, but he is not forgotten. Gamecock.Corrections In Wednesday’s News, Chuck Sanders should have been identi fied as the vice president and chief operating officer at South Carolina’s Student Loan Corporation. In Wednesday’s Mix, Alison Martlew’s name was misspelled. The Gamecock regrets the errors. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK STAFF Editor in Chief Steven Van Harer News Editor Michael LaForgia Viewpoints Editor Paige Haggard The Mix Editor Megan Treacy Sports Editor Brad Senkiw Photo Editor Melissa Wallace Page Designers Erin Cline, Chaz McCarthy Copy Editors Tracy Bealer, Joel Wallace STUDENT MEDIA Director Scott Lindenberg Faculty Advisor Erik Collins Advertising Manager Sarah Scarborough Creative Director Susan King Business Manager Carolyn Griffin Classified Manager Sherry F. Holmes Ad Rep Jesica Johnson Production Manager Patrick Bergen TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock 1400 Greene St. Columbia, S.C. 29208 Advertising: 777-388? Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Viewpoints: gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu The Mix: gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu Sports: gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu Online: www.dailygamecock.com Newsroom: 777-7726 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. One free 1 copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for one dollar each from the Department of Student Media. XlL MiSS SeoRSe. He WAS A SUP0RB FALX-0UY...OH, IJA6AH CIA DIRECTOR. ESpec/ALLY siNce He FFNAU.Y LEARMeD HOW To cornecr THe DcTS. CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Choose your level of interest PAIGE HAGGARD GAMECOCKOPINIONS@GWM.SC.EDU as an instructor oi tsngnsn tut and 102 at USC, I naturally get a lot of students who aren’t exactly excited by taking yet another English course. Some of those students believe there isn’t any thing new to learn about English; others think that I, personally, as a teacher, have nothing to teach them. The most quotable of those students, posted at TeacherReview.com, says, “Not only is she ugly, but she’s also a bitch.” Granted, ranting about that sort of student might be cathartic for me, but it wouldn’t be productive overall. Why? In a twisted sense, these malcontents are content — they enjoy being grouches. Or I could spend this column talking about a second group I’ve encountered. I’ll dub them “slid ers” since they’ve modified the “Fight Club” motto: Instead of, “To let that which truly doesn't matter slide,” they believe, ‘To let that which doesn't interest them slide.” When asked a question, they like to rely on, “I don’t know.” When given a chance to select an essay topic, they choose something “easy” rather than in teresting. Consequently, they find it hard to muster the energy to work on the topic. l ve pretty mucn oecome z,en about them. I figure it’s their right as Americans to waste their time and tuition on being bored. There is a third group, those that rise to the top. I guess that makes them the “cream.” They take up my challenges in class, not just to write better but also to have fun with the class—life’s too short to be bored or to be av erage. This doesn’t mean they all write masterpieces, nor do their sides hurt from laughing. However, they do try to write their best, and they can find things that intrigue them. Upon reflection, I think I’ve had more cream than sliders or grouches. Quite frankly, I don’t think these groups are just for English classes; they hold true for all classes. Since I am an English teacher. I’ll remind you of two fa mous quotes that are quite apro pos. Hamlet affirms, “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so,” and in “Paradise Lost,” Satan eloquent ly echoes those thoughts: “The mind is its own place, and in it self can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.” Grouch, slider or cream—the choice is yours. Haggard is a third-year MFA student. 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