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Ticket protest explained MR. FARRELL: We feel that The Gamecock did not state the facts accurately concerning the ticket protests. We were protesting the fact that we are forced into buying football and basketball tickets even if we do not desire to attend the games. Our purpose was not to insure that "students should get better seats in the stadium" or "the whole ticket should be issued." Our purpose was to protest the fact that the administration cotlects doubte revenues on tickets, first from the students who pay lor their tickets and do not pick them up, and secondly, from the sale of these tickets to outsiders. The administration has taken advantage of thousands os students in this manner. The ad ministration charges each student $12 per semester for athletic tickets whether he wants to attend the games or not. Many students never attend basketball or football games during their four years at Carolina. As a result, $96 is "donated" to athletics over a four year perid. We are not against the athletic programs at Carolina. We do not feel, however, that -they should be shoved down our throats. Thus, the residents of Maxcy Thornwell, organized as Progressive Students, decided that there was one way in which we could peacefully protest the fact that our property is being resold for the benefit of athletics. This was to pick up our tickets and tear them up. We resented the fact that some Coliseum workers displayed their STUDEN Tuesday - 5 P] RIB-EYE DINI Tender lulcy Rib-eye Baked Potato Tossed Salad Garlic Toast NO TIPPI FONDE 548 KNOX ) ...DRI -Lette, msapproval of our actions by their remarks of "go back North where you belong" and "this situation is mhealthy." We feel that the only hing unhealthy is that the students f Carolina let this practice of rorcing us to buy tickets go un checked. The Progressive Students will :ontinue these protests until some kind of optional athletic fee for tickets is introduced by the ad ministration: Currie Funk Joe Sharnoff Paul Gayron Steve Mitchell Jack R. McGregor F.J. Summer John N. Mesner Bill Baggett Ric Parr Edward B. Lehane Bob Hart Rick Bacons Gerald Silver Bob Keeler William Gray Jim McMillan Ron Stark John Long Barry Lash Mike Wingate Bryan Black Patrick Rannan Bobby Gibson Michael R. Truelove Charles Walker Brian Quinn Martin Quarles Mike Breeland Gregg Weatherly Craig Treiber Jack Mancino Stephen D. Lucas Tom Bain Michael Godwin Jim Harrison Joe Hills Joe Steege Lee Norton Rich Boujour Larry Fernandez [' NIGHT .q til Closing STE AK NTER NGf p flEA LBBOTT V E rs to theE Bob Shea Michael Honeycutt Bob Backlund Wairen Moise Gene Mathis Wendell Gains Jim Sampson Tim Ray Robert O'Connor John McIver Atheist answers believers MR. FARRELL: There is the little matter of T. W. Whacker III. I always like to discuss many things in my letters and it would be a pity if I were to use valuable space to carry on a dispute that cannot be resolved one way or the other to anybody's satisfaction. Unfortunately, in a perverse way of course, I don't thirk I'm going to be able to help myself- also I feel I owe it to Mr. M. C. Reid's eloquent answer to Whacker on my side of the question of God's existence. Now I would like to say this to T. W. Whacker III. Noting the shrill tone of your letter, Mr. Whacker, you seem to be very mortally afraid of the attacks of 20th Century atheism on your 13th Century soul. Doubtless your letter was inspired by something, a Heavenly Revelation perhaps, as it began with a point less insult,, wobbled and careened trying to avoid Reid's pertinent questions, and ended, ap propriately enough, with 'Hell fire'! You speak of God's existence with the surety of that man in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales' who had a sackful of holy relics fresh from the Holy Land to prove it (and incidently of course, to make a little mad money on the side). Quite frankly, Mr. Whacker, even though I continue getting gifts regularly once a year in varying volume, I quit believing in Santa Claus at about the age of twelve. Needless to say, religion followed soon after - deposited gently but firmly away with my other childhood fantasies, In cluding old copies of Humpty Dumpty, paper lanterns, and an old red, white, and blue Teddy Bear with one eye and a cobweb of chewing gum on its chest. You see, Mr. Whacker, I began to be all too aware of the human agent Involved behind the fantastic props set up not only by religion, but by nation states and ideologies in general. I must admit it was a great show and nice while It lasted - I mean being smohered in all the security that comes with patriotism and fundamentalism. Unfortunately, like Dorothy's dog in the 'Wizard of Oz' I pulled away the veil and found a man at the control panel. And so the sacraments turned sour In my mouth. I left the church. I'm not bitter Mr. Whacker, on the contrary, I'm quite relieved-I would be ashamed to admit being the product of such an Inept and clumsy god. If you'd like an education, Mr. Whacker- assuming there's some hope for you yet since you're much too strident to be a true believer - then I would suggest you read the following three books is the orgisr I give you; "Why I'm Not A ,ditor Christian," by Bertrand Russel; "African Genesis," by Audrey; and finally, "The Moral Society; An Alternative~To Death," by John David Garcia. Unless I've overrated your I.Q., you'll find them very enlightening. As I have said before, the question can he argued either way unsatisfactorily. There is no ultimate evidence except in death. But why is it so impossible or unacceptable to believe that there is anything more to the "soul" than the brain's psycho-motor, cognitive, and affective processes? Why is it so hard to accept the idea of non-being after the functions of the body cease? It is faith and faith alone that permits one to believe in anything as hard to pin down as religious dogma. If I were to die tomorrow I would sink into oblivion peacefully enough knowing that if God's future rested on Mr. Whacker's defense of it, logical or otherwise, then we atheists could rest content knowing that the world would soon by ours and man's freedom from bells', incense, magic words, Mysteries, and ghosts-Holy or otherwide, would be soon effected. Mr. Whacker, you and your faith remind me of the story of God and the flower in the field. Every day, as God had told it to, the flower would open and fling wide its petals toward the sun in greeting. It would follow the path of the sun absorbing all the loving warmth. And every day, at sunset, as God had warned it, the flower would curl itself up into a tight ball like a fist agsinst the cold and danger of the dark night. One day it had a thought. It wondered what it would be like to open its petals at night. And so, one very dark night, itt pushed aside one petal, then another, and finalty it unfurled itself in all its splendor to the dark and mysterious night. Im-. meidately a great big bug poundedi upon the flower. In the morning, when the sun rose over the rim of' the field, it saw the flower lying in the grass all limp and lifeless. Come, come, Mr. Whacker don't be frightened! It's ony a Jesuit's tale to frighten small children. As a matter of fact, Mr. Whacker, I'll take bets that you've already taken the first tiny steps towards becoming one of US; that you have secret doubts that are immediately suppressed every time the Pope makes an ass of himself or Bily Graham slurs a word. That's only the first step- the first signs! But you needn't worry needlessly. There's nothing you can do to stop it. It's irreversible. And one day, no matter how slow it is or how long it takes, you'll wake up in your room with the sun streaming in and the birds still singing outside and YOU'LL BE ONE OF US! Ah ha ha! Ah ha ha ha! AN ATHEIST!! AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! WAGNER HALSRLLE ROBERTS Price on life? MR. FARREL How can you put a price on a life? I say you can't but 1400 USC students have proved me wrong Out of 17,000 persons attending thc. university of South Carolina, 1400 believe that a pack of cigarettes or some food was, more importat than sacrificing the moneyfo te. future of ten chidren. W.U.S.C, under ta, com mendable efforts of Ed Turner and Joe Comeaux (and some help from others like Steve Glasser, Harry Hope, Rob Bigalke, Dorie Zuk, myself, and others) held a 96 hour marathon to raise money for LLITTLE U.S.C. They tried to raise all of the needed $1440 but failed to do so. They were forced to discontinue after obtaining only two-thirds of their goal through the donations of only 3000 of U.S.C.'s students. Only one-sixth of the campus populace cared enough to give; that is sickening. I would like publicly like to thank those who did donate their time and money on behalf of Ed and Joe. God bless you for your caring. To you others, I really don't know what to say to make you understand. If you would all only donate one single, slim dime, -we would have more than enough to readopt those children plus start a trust fund for their more distant future. It is never too late to start caring. If you don't have any money, ask a member of the in ternational committee if them is anything that you can do. In ternational Week is far from over. The donation of time is just as important as that of money. If you do have some extra coinage, throw it in the wishing well on the first floor of the Russell House, it may bring you, as well as others, good luck. In closing, I woud like to say this. December first is Carolina Cares Day and your help is once again needed. Under this program, your time is the most valuable commodity. We We need volun teers to go out and collect money clothing, toys, and food. Excuses Will be supplied by Dr. Jones for classes mimed and good will be supplied for those working be tween shifts. Here you have a chance to show that tins school does care about others, and all it costs is your time and efforts. If you are interested, please contact Steve Cannon or Barney Oliver in the student government office on the second floor of the Russell House as soon as possible. It will be greatly appreciated. By working together, we can't truly make this world a better place to live in, for everybody. SKIP HUGHES *UUuumemuuumasse Help us help you. Send a news tip Drawer A, campus raail. Organization Event _ _ _ _ Time____ Date______ Place .... '....mumae-u...8