The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 12, 1973, Page Page 6, Image 6
771/5 WEEKA RRSCHACH 7ESr:
/F E/ PE G7AM4 AND 2 POR C"%%, YOI'RE S4NE
Press Secretaries Needed
For Student Organizations
Most USC students are suffering from the delusion the The Gamecock
function is to serve as a publicity organ for various clubs ai
organizations.
Every time a club has a weekend convention in Irmo, S. C., a membW
of that club will come into the Gamecock offices armed with pictures 4
installation of new officers at the Irmo Hilton and say, "We want this :
The Gamecock because we need the publicity and all the students ai
interested." As if all the students would be interested in a club whos
members have specialized interests and who do not compose even on
tenth of one per cent of the student body.
This does not imply that The Gamecock is not interested in club news
meetings, but we do wish students would not take it as a personal insu
when an article is not run in the paper.
There are several criteria that must be met before an article can I
run. Naturally these criteria are subjective and even vary from oi
edition to the next depending on the amount of space in the newspape
Unfortunately standards are relaxed when more pages must be fille
Thus some articles are run which would not ordinarily run or which o
tained more space than they deserved like the story "Clothing DriN
Begins Greek Week."
There is little justification for the relaxation of rules, but it has bet
necessary upon occasion considering the fact that the staff has dwindh
from approximately 15 full-time reporters at the beginning of ti
semester to four full-time reporters now.
We think the subjective criteria employed are fair for the most pal
Most of the students, at least in the editorial positions of the newspape
have had several journalism courses and while they are not y
professionals, they are a little more experienced than the averai
student in judging the newsworthiness of an article.
Newsworthiness is determined by how many students will be affect4
byr the article. For instance senate meetings are covered each Wednesda
because The Gamecock Is the only tie most students have with ti
government that represents them.
Timeliness Is also a factor since events that happen a week befoi
publication are seldom of interest at the time of publication. Spas
limitations, as mentioned above, also have an effect.
The Gamecock appreciates the interest students show in bringli
articles by and makes every effort to announce meetings In Its nev
briefs cohmnn.
The best course for an organization which thinks it Is not getting enoui
news coverage Is to elect a press secretary who will be the only memb4
of that organization to have contact with The Gamecoc
This way the press secretary will have some idea of what will be used i
the paper and thus will eliminate work for himself and hopefully make h
organization more aware of the newspaper's resnpniiis.
--- opinions
Summer job
$2,500 Disa
By Ernie Kastner
Gamecock Staff Writer
Tuesday night I went to a group interview for a
summer job. The ad placed in "The Gamecock" last
week said the job was for $200 per week.
$200 is a lot of money so I was interested in just
how a person could make this money in one sum
mer. I was pretty sure it was some kind of sales job.
I was right.
When I called the number given by the ad I
reached an answering service. The woman an
swering took my name, phone number, grade and
address and told me that some one would be in touch
with me.
A few days later I received a phone call from a
man telling me the time and the meeting place. The
last thing the man told me was that he would save a
place for me at the meeting. I took this to mean he
was expecting a big crowd.
I arrived at the meeting place about ten minutes
early. There were two or three guys lounging
around and a couple of girls. The girls left before the
meeting got started. Maybe they knew what was
going to happen.
By the time things got rolling there were at the
most 10 guys there including myself. I did not
consider this a very big crowd.
The man in charge started the meeting off by
giving us a questionnaire to fill out. While we were
filling out these information gathering devices he
went into his routine.
He told us he represented one of the largest
companies in the world and told us about other big
companies they owned. This was all very fine but
this told me nothing about the job itself.
s Then looking at us with a disarming smile he went
I on to tell us that we, as college students, were in the
upper seven per cent of the nation's population as
far as education goes. Of course, this caused many
r heads to swell. Suddenly he brought us down to
f earth by telling us that in experience and in dealing
I with people we ranked very low. Everyone there
? was quickly knocked out of the top ten.
By now I was sure that this was a sales job but I
wondered when they would get around to telling us
poor gullible inexperienced college kids.
r We handed in the questionnaires and the man
t called on a student who had worked last summer to
come up and give us a testimony. It seems this guy
had made over $5,000 last summer and I am sure
L this impressed many people.
D
As this student was giving his testimony the main
man called one of our members outside. This guy
never returned. I assumed that the leader had been
Simpressed with the guy's questionnaire and had
quickly sent him to a personal interview somewhere
'Blackboard' Pun
BY THE NATIONAL WILDLIFE "Rather than
FEDERATION reprimand'," NW]
An Interior Department decision Director Lou Clapi
torenew all public grazing would better be ca
privileges of a convicted Colorado encouragement' as
ieagle killer with only a if the Interior Depa
"reprimand" has been labeled by to continue to allow~
e the National Wildlife Federation, our wildlife."
as "less punishment than writing 'I In the letter
will not do it again' 10 times on a Clapper said, Ac
a blackboard". Whitaker stated th
The Federation's sharp criticism to act sternly In th
came in response to Acting Interior this mere slap on
Secretary John Whitaker's example of his st4
i reluctance to bar usage of over Clapper added, "thi
a 60,000 acres of publc lands to Dean think of the othe
Visintainer, a Craig, Colo., sheep Administration de
rancher who has pleaded guilty to ding wildlife conse
) the helicopter slayings of five Clapper assur
r golden eagles. On March 29, In- National Wildlife Fe
.terior announced that Visintainer's take "every con
grazing privileges were to be step" to overtui
renewed and a "letter of decision.
reprimand" was sent to the sheep While It has been
rancher. thaw f.., a,. s.. .
ppointment
else in the building.
Back to the student testimonial; he finally told us
that we would indeed be door-to-door salesmen.
Then, with clockwork precision, the leader took
the stand again. With his own self-confidence
coming out in every word he told us that the people
who got this job would make on the average of $2,500
for a summer's work.
By the way, the student assistant had told us that
we would be attempting to sell a set of books and
matching records for pre-school children. There
were five books and five records. The price of the
books was $40. At the time, I thought nobody would
pay that much money for those books, but I was
sure our hosts would try to convince us otherwise.
The man went on telling us about the experience
we would get doing this and the value it would have
when we went out into the cold world of the college
graduate.
He then gave us back the questionnaires asking us
to fill out the back of them. This part resembled an
application as it asked for references and other
things that all employers want from prospective
employes.
Suddenly and without prior knowledge I was
called out into the hall by the student assistant. This
was it, I was going to be sent somewhere for a
personal and private interview. The student told me
that he could tell I was not interested in what was
going on and thanked me for coming. In other
words, he was asking me to leave. I guess my false
enthusiasm was not convincing.
For me, the chance of a lifetime was over. I saw
the $200 flying away and I was sure I would lose at
least fifteen minutes sleep over it. I left the
showroom and went home.
Some people probably could make $2,500 selling
those books and like doing it. I guess they have that
old door-to-door drive. However I still don't think
those books are worth $40.
I hesitate to question the sincerity of the men
involved in this undertaking. But the event I wit
nessed Tuesday night was staged. It moved so well
that at times I thought I was in the theater. And
when I go to the theater I expect to see fiction.
Secondly, is there really a pressing need to send
thousands of college students out to harass people
door-to-door. What does a door-to-door salesman
contribute to anyone. I do not know one person who
is glad to see one of these guys come to their door. I
have even been told at my house to not answer the
door when they show up. Maybe there is a need for
door-to-door salesmen. I don't think so.
ishment Given
aC 'etratof the Interior Department, in March
h osatio 1972, proposed regulations to
erchar'ged te stiffen the ties between grazing
ite ao 'letof lsicenses and laws concerning
itmnw los oin conservation or protection of
tmnisgig natural resources, including
open season on eagles. However, issuance of the
toVsnan regultions has been held up by
Loti sinal, Iterior pending completion of
atn ecrtar work on an urlated chemical
ese cases." "If "Ther isn 'oialrao h
the wrist is an thee wo glaoca resoul why
irn discipline," hand-in-han,u lapons arud.g
eIr forhdde to though the necessary Interior
cisionsrthcomi- regulations regarding eagle killing
ciaton ''ar hve been ready for well over a
ed at thetar now, the agency continues to
aderation would "The Visintainer Incident Is
cevbe lega going to happen again," Clapper
'n Whitake added, "and unless the Interior
Department ceases Its foot
clearly against dragging, once again the killers
o shoot eagles, are going to be reard."