Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

yII "HEY, CABBIE, Hollings Visit Questionable 1o the Editor; On Wednesday, Feb. 13, the Student Senate of this university was honored by a most distinguished visitor,United States Senator Ernestrlollings The good Senator, reportedly here to visit his student daughter, was asked to say a few words by SGA Vice president Leigh Leventis The Senator, of course, consented. Satire Shortag4 USC Coi Another pressing shortage has struck the Carolina community, the toilet crisis. Many of our faith ful subscribers no doubt: felt the presence of this shortage waiting for tickets and attending the Notre Dame game. The cause for this shortage has been attributed to several factors. The recent increase in beer and cheap wine consumption, the gas shortage and the University Dining Service have all been suggested. Although many (those living and eating off-campus) have claimed ignorance of this shortage, the administration, as usual, was quick to act. Bathrooms in various buildings on campus have been cordoned off for faculty use only. Also quick to act was an irate group of student radicals who are organizing a sit-in in various restrooms around campus protesting this administrative action as well as the long-sitting occupation of the lower-floor 'bathrooms of the Russell House by the Gay Liberation Front. An angry spokesman for the GLF said, "We need the restroom a lot more than those guys do. We've got squatters rights. We've had priority on these restrooms for a lng time n.m," WHO WER 'TMOSE GUYS, ANYWA Our Mail All of which is very nice and spontaneous I'm sure and has nothing to do with all of the fren zied maneuvering going on behind the non-partisan facade of student government. It does concern me that the good Senator took the opportunity afforded by his 'casual' visit to such fine young Democratic friends as Rita McKinney as occasion for a political speech. The brief remarks of the presently unopposed Senate in cumbent became, somewhere along the line, a rather less than Strikes nmunity There have also been complaints about the inequity of toilet distribution. The state legistature has proportionately a large number, and it is rumored that Sol Blatt has 90 or more for his personal use. There have been a number of suggestions for the alleviation of this problem. W. E. Simmon suggests that persons with odd social security numbers be allowed to use campus facilities on odd numbered days, and those with even on ev.en numbered days. The University Library system has suggested that a scanning system for IDnumbers be installed in USC facilities to regulate their use. USC officials, however, op pose this plan because of its high cost. The SAC suggests that all toilets now in operation be should con verted to coin-use immediately , or the student activities fee should be increased to allow for more toilet installation and use. The YAF is opposed to any plan involving payment of any sort. One member said, "I don't see why I should have to pay for something I don't use."~ However, the SAC still urges that this be instituted as soon as possible and we couldn't agree. .more. non-partisan exposition of his views on Watergate, Vietnam, the poor and disadvantaged, the Republicans and the Democrats. I must admit myself puzzled as to why an incumbent of such strength feels it necessary to begin cam paigning so soon. I have an idea his purpose was to lend rather than gain strength. At any rate this incident raises some interesting questions. Is SGA, or rather the small clique who runs the machine, exempt from the rules and responsibilities that govern the rest of the Student Body? At some point this sort of thing ceases to be 1e posturing and resume building that most consider SGA to be and becomes serious political abuse. Frankl.' anything that deals in the area of $500,000 is to my mind no longer trivia. The vast majority of students who, indix idually or through their own stu" :t organizations desire to present a speaker to their fellow students are confronted with a mass of bureaucratic red tape. I can assure you that those students less favored than SGA by the beneficence of the Administration have to make sure that every 'i" is dotted and "t" crossed before gaining approval for their plans. There is also the question of using student money for political purposes. I have heard it said by some members of SGA that spending students involuntary contributions on such matters was perfectly all right as long as the candidates were the "right" sort who "were for the students". I assume this pre-supposes ur.animnity among our 20,000 member student body. I wonder just who is to determine what is "good" for thestudentsand who is the "right" sort of candidate? I wonder who Mr. Allen Ward and his friends have in mind? I wonder if my fellow students also view themselves as so incompetent that a cliquish junior grade political machine( has to make their politcal andl( economic decisions for them opinion "It is a newspaper's duty to print the news,and raise hell." --Wilbur F. Storey, The Chicago Times, 1861 Little Kid Politicians Once again, it's that time of year. The early spring, when all the little-boy (and girl) politicians get together in the often-abused travesty known as student government elections. And unfortunately, it is beginning to appear that in their quest for positions of dubious power, USC's status-seekers are going to follow somewhat the same trend that has plagued the elections for the last few years. Students at this school for too long have been inundated with a continuing series of oc currences that have reduced the elections to absurdity; everything from slanderous rumors to self-centered clowns seeking notoriety and attention. This year is no different. Rumors about various candidates have already started to fly. The Gamecock is preparing itself to be hit with an influx of lies designed by one candidate to 'politically' destroy another. Fabricated letters to the editor con cerning one candidate's alleged misdoings have always been a part of student elections and undoubtedly will remain. In the past, this has been condoned, not so much by choice as by a lack of action on the part of student agencies established to keep the elections on the level. Judging from what The Gamecock, has heard recently, the Elections Commission had better check out the rumors and, if they are untrue, burn the people responsible. Then, of course, there is the Bison party. It's rather difficult to take someone seriously who insists that his middle name is Bison or wears newspaper clippings dealing with the Hearst and Murphy kidnapings pinned to his shirt. He commented that the blue pinhead attaching the clippings matched the color of the shirt. Following this act is some guy in a ridiculous outfit and an altered student ID card calling himself Budman. When someone is willing to degrade himself that much for a little attention, he deserves it. He's not making a mockery of the system; he's making a fool of himself. So, here we sit. Surrounded by some people who insist upon slinging lies to win, and others who, in their futile attempts at veiled dissent, will become the laughing stock of the university before the week is out. Although Rita McKinney's Administration perhaps has beenUSCs most powerful in recent years, it still has suffered a great deal of verbal abuse that has been valid in many instances. But until little people cease playing political games at this low level, the system of student govern ment is never going to meet the expectations upon which it was originally built. Politics is a game for professionals and no one at this school has exhibited the desired professional qualities. All the amateurs do is screw up the system in their attempts to play a game at which many professionals cannot succeed. Meanwhile the student constituency, in its inimitable manner, sits back and laughs, uncnerned.