Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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The Total cost Dear Mr. Stepp: There are approximately 13,000 students in this school. I'm sure that a certain 4-letter word would be objectionable to most, if not all, of the female part of that multitude, also to some of the male. The real issue here, however, is; should the newspaper that belongs to the students be subject to cen sorship by the administration? The case in question here, a 4-letter word. (Will the rallying call of the anti-censor faction be "remember the F-"?) I believe that some of what goes into print should be left to the discretion of the administration. After all the hullabaloo about it's being our paper, the school does, in the final analysis, give us the facilities to construct said paper. The anti-censor group will inevitably argue, "We pay tuition and fees." True, but these only cover about one-third the cost of a college education. To have the teachers and classrooms we pay for is our right, the rest is privilege. Leo A. Bloschock JohnCameronDale Unconstitutional Dear Mr. Stepp: The right to freedom of press and reedom of speech are guaranteed o us through the Bill of Rights as ontained in the U.S. Constitution. hese Rights are essential to the preservation of democracy. Without these basic rights Democracy would be just an empty word. Freedom of press and freedom of speech have been challenged here at Carolina. The Gamecock "censorship" is an infringement on our right to freedom of_ press The Gamecock should not be a "University organ" but rather a separate entity existing to report news objectively and to bring contrasting opinions to the students through editorials and through letters to the editor sec tion. The right of freedom of speech has been tampered with. During the recent "anti-war" rally, Mrs. DeLee was not allowed to speak because she "was not registered to speak." What is the purpose of this policy? The only purpose I can see, and maybe I'm wrong, is that some speakers might give the University a bad name or give the students something different to think about. Some organization, such as student government, could establish a "Hyde Park Corner" patterned after the original Hyde Park where a person may speak on any subject any any time. In closing let me add just one cliche, "Keep the faith baby." Jim Campbell Unnecessary Dear Mr. Stepp: When I first read your righteous cries of "Freedom of the Press", I was inclined to be in sympathy with your position, for I have worked on school publications before, and I know what it is to have a story censored. But after reading the story in question, I feel that your reaction was totallly unreasonable. Had the content of the story been changed, it would be one thing. However, the idea of the story was gotten across, and in good taste. You claimed that The Gamecock wanted to show the situation as it really was, to get down to the real nitty-gritty. Gathering from your editorial, the only thing censored was the exchange of niceties between "the fuzz" and some students. The way the story ap peared in the paper, I feel that there was no doubt in anyone's mind as to the actual conversation. You felt that you would spice up the story with some four letter words. Dr. Jones was right in his decision to censor the story. Steven B. Chesser Revelation? Dear Mr. St.pp: One student commends your decision to delete the questionable word from Mr. Ball's story of a night spent with a campus policeman. At the beginning of your' ex planatory "Editorial Report" you say that The Gamecock was going to tell its readers "what really goes on around campus." Did you think that one unpleasant word would be a breath-catching revelation of a profound, unsuspected truth of university life in the raw? Anyone will know what the dashes represent. The ad ministration has not censored a readsr's imnaginative response to Ube blipuedeot phrase; the facts studen The issue The situation: The Gamecock submitted to its printer a story containing two mentions of a slang, four-letter word. President Jones learned of the story and very strongly suggested that dashes replace the last three letters. Jones felt a duty to prevent vulgarity; The Gamecock felt the in terference and implied threats (or "warnings") were improper. The situation was explained in detail in Wednesday's paper. The reaction: By press time, The Gamecock had received 11 letters on the subject, six generally supporting Jones, five generally supporting The Gamecock. Ten are printed below; the eleventh, supporting the paper, contained words and references which The Gamecock elected not to publish. The letters are printed in alphabetical order. have not been emended; and aesthetic preferences hate not been insulted. Cannaught Coyne Censorship Dear Mr. Stepp: As a student of Carolina, I wish to comment on President Jones' statement as printed in the Sept. 24 Gamecock. Whether or not to actually print a certain word is, of course, not the question. The question is: who decides that a word or group of words is obscene? President Jones stated, "No one can contend that limiting the use of certain words not used in ordinary society by common consent is censorship," and "Where language is offensive by common understanding..." I feel that it is censorship when President Jones, Dean Witten and a few others make up the "com mon consent" and the "common understanding" and leave the other twelve thousand of us out. President Jones contends that "The Gamecock is a Upiversity organ and not a press whose very existence depends on public ac ceptance." Now, we could print ten thousand copies of The Gamecock, but if no Thi 1211 Coill The bui SAV limit en 1211 COL (%2 Stock Opposite COLUJ Preeniesa a,. ts reac one but President Jones and Dean Witten read them, we really would not have a newspaper, would we? President Jones says that The Gamecock is a student newspaper. He says that its policies concerning "good taste" are up to the editors - then he says that he "will go all the way" to punish those responsible if his policies are not followed. That is censorship. Walter C. Hilderman Poor taste Dear Mr. Stepp: I feel that the printing of a 4 letter word (even in a deleted form) in the headline story on the front page of the Wednesday, Sept. 24 issue of The Gamecock was in very poor taste. I hardly see where the "nitty gritty" was needed to understand this particular situation. Surely the age-old occurrence of a group of mischievous college men with ideas of a panty raid is a situation that can easily be understood without printing a vulgar word that is irrelevant to the comprehension of the situation to begin with. I, also, feel that your rebellious attitude toward censorship by the administration is unfounded. What makes you think that The Gamecock is above reproach? Even the national television net works practice censorship, and more than one program has been taken off the air in the past year due to this process. Censorship is a necessary device in all means of public communication, and the display of poor judgement as to the printability of 4-letter words by the staff of The Gamecock emphasizes the need for censorship of it. My respect for the ad ministration in general and President Jones in particular has risen considerably due to their commendable and straightforward action on this issue, and I hope that some sort of definite system of censorship can be set up for The Gamecock. It might save much confusion and even the respec tability of this school's student newspaper. George Patrick Graffiti Dear Mr. Stepp: I wholeheartedly support Dr. Jones' statement and believe good Who ppe a new home ego Street - ~gers are bigger at Burger CUT ALONG OfTED LINE I to a custome' LEGE V4v CUT ALONQ QQOTTE LIME Otions taste excludes use of 4-letter words which usually are published only on rest room walls. If you are so preoccupied with such a vulgar vocabulary I suggest you move your office to the first floor men's room in the Russell House. Hal Stein ...BY AND FOR Dear Mr. Stepp: We heartily object to the cen sorship of Wednesday's Gamecock. The administration, and particularly Dr. Jones, exerted open, clumsy, and heavy handed pressure on the four student editors to alter their reporting (there was no issue of opinion involved) to concur with the least controversial language politically acceptable in this state. This is a clear abridgement of freedom of the press, and inimical to the students. We sympathize with Dr. Jones' political difficulties and admire the acute antennae which alerted him to all controversy. However, honest and uncensored reporting of events is vital to the integrity of any newspaper. We do not wish to sacrifice The Gamecock to possible political sensitivities. Each Gamecock expressly states: "The Gamecock is published by and for the students of the University of South Carolina...The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration, the faculty, or the student body as a whole." It is financed by student fees and advertisements, not by state ap propriations. It is not dependent on University money, nor is the University legally responsible for the opinions It prints. Therefore, Dr. Jones' statement, "The Gamecock is a University organ," is true only in a very narrow sense: statements in The Gamecock can embarrass the University before the legislators who fund and manipulate other activities of the University itself. If there exist legislators and administrators who prefer to pvetend that certain USC students and certain USC security officers do not use intense Anglo-Saxon -expletives when under pressure, (Continued on Page 3) r has Block from U.S.C.) EN YOU Buy A URGER tru@ WHOPPUWt H T HIS COUPON 00 AFTER SEPTEMBER 30~ rnmm-mnmr==--a Editorial In the was the Honest self-examination can be healthy, even when conducted under the stress and strain of controversy. The Gamecock has been compelled by a recent incident to sincerely reappraise itself and the service it renders. We think that, in many ways, the incident has re-emphasized our need to serve the students and the entire University in the fairest way possible. We think we acted properly in calling for student views on the issue. Without belaboring any points, we offer the following sequence of thoughts and reflections: ---The Gamecock is interested in the best interests of this school and its students. We will not allow this newspaper to be overtaken with vulgarity and offensiveness. Believe that. ---We did not intend to be vulgar. We were making no power play. We felt use of a certain word would best convey what pressures, tensions and outright obscenity a , campus policeman experiences. We thought you should know that. We may well have been wrong. ---We were prepared to be held ac countable for our act. ---The main issue is this: The matter of stopping our presses, interfering with our publication, and intimidating The Gamecock. That is prior cen sorship. ---Obscenity and vulgarity are inexcusable and deplorable, but are also indefinable. President Jones may be right in considering our article HEDR "Distincti THEY'RE E TODAY' SHAPE I MEN'S SUITS Shape is today's number 1 style plus deeper vents, slightly wider lapels, livelier patterns and brighter colors. Enjoy these proper fitting suits in the finest of fabrics. Choose From: 6-Button Double Breasted Suits 2-Button Shaped Suits 3-Button Traditional With Vest from $; 3-Butto window SHIRTS Long sleeves with French Cuffs In deep shades and stripes. Arrow-..from $7.50. E agle-....from $9.00. 718 Salud. Ave 0 0 beginning word vulgar; but he may be wrong. He acted, however, on his opinion. Our contention is that this is dangerous. Is it proper, we ask, for one man -- regardless of who he is and what his motives--to act as arbiter in place of the duly constituted editorial staff? ---We do not feel we were necessarily right in printing a 4-letter word; we do not feel we were necessarily wrong. We feel all student organizations have the right to make their own mistakes without the opinion of an ad ministrator superceding them. We feel the separation of the administration from student publications is sacred. ---We do not at all question the President's motives. He acted as he thought was right; for that we admire him. We have talked with him, and we hope and believe there are not hard feelings between him and The Gamecock. ---We feel there is a basic question here: Should the administration in terfere with The Gamecock, regar dless of the administration's motives; or should the administration allow the paper to pursue what may or may not be an imprudent course? We hope with the help of students, administrators and the Board of Publications and Communications, we can receive a clearer definition of our relationship with the administration, of if and when it should interfere with printing the paper. ---We sincerely hope we haven't been offensive. We, as is President Jones, are pursuing what we feel is right. We think that is fair. .ICSju. e Men's Wear" ERE S lur Colorful Collection of Sport Coats n Traditional. .. --. .. .. ... .. ..from $50. n Blazer..--...---. -. .. .. .. ....from $50. n Double Breasted Blazers. .. .. .. .from $50. nShapedCoats.--....... ..... ..from$50. Slacks .$15 to $25 from solids, stripes, glen plaids, checks, and panes by Hubbard Beris and Coventry Square. TIES by Resilio 4 inch widths from $4.50 UC K'S .Five Polit Village L - 2-4838