Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Clear I BY JIM BLAIR This article concerns an article in the Feb. 17 of The State entitled "Rapid Transit Considered." Basically this article reveals the possibility of a $25 million rapid transit system for USC. and such niceties as an experimentally closed Green Street and an eventually closed campus. Mind you: These are improvements promised within a decade's time! It is just such thinking that has lefl our campus in its present mess! I am not satisfied that m} university is suggesting solutiom in 1984 for the dilemma of 1974! 'Pour C - -Awa EL [)ut Bu The cobwebs of governmental bureaucracy must be cleared! Today is the time for the resolution of today's problems. We, as students, voiced our concern against growth at any cost. We wanted planned growth and thus progress. Marilyn Johnston spoke rightly against rapid transit as being a waste of taxpayer's money for our relatively small campus. Present distances do not warrant a $25 million people mover' I dare say that if the campus was closed to traffic. one could cross the campus more easily, more speedily, and much more safely than at present. The idea of closing streets, oncrete r We Go' Studen Sprir - Feb. 25, Can~ ECTIONS - March 4, Ebl * March 6, 1st - March 8, 2n - April 2. Ina reaucra PAGE 4 Mon. March 4 eliminating on-campus p,rt1Tig, and creating a closed, pedestrian campus is not new. USC traffic is swollen by those searching for parking places, buildings and coeds. Cars parked tightly on side streets create unbelievable safety hazards at intersections. The situation worsens and vet answers lay before our officials. Why are they not implemented? Twenty BY EILEEN BERLIN The area behind McKissick Library between Barnwell, Hamilton. Sloan. LeConte. and Davis Colleges is known as Gibbes Green. It has become apparent this scenic, grassy, tree-scattered area is about to undergo a change in life. Our pal Hal has masterminded another "Beautify Carolina'' scheme to bring Palm Beach a little closer to all of our hearts. Yes, gang. for only a couple of million dollars you too can trot through a --oncrete and brick mall surrounded with various exotic shrubbery. And for only a few more dollars and a little begging, maybe we can have our very own Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor's, and Gimbels. t GoveI ig Liedi ipaign Starts ~ct on Run-Off d Run-Off Ligura ion atic Cc five million for an unnecessary unwanted people mover in 1984 bu nothing for the solutions in 1974 I support the financially an( chronologically responsibli solution of some of USC's basi< problems through: 1) a closei campus, 2) peripheral parkinj garages in order to preservi arable land from destruction b; wasteful parking lots, 3) thes, garages to be instituted graduall, to accompany a phasing out c parking lots and closing of road: 4i renovation of closed roads an lots into arable land for studer commons and-or estheticall conceived university buildings. .rhaps a short history lesson is necessary to bring you up to date. Once upon a time the land was plentiful and the grass was so green that cows could be seen grazing there daily. The many trees shaded our weary heads from the sunlight and the brick walkways carried our minds and bodies into the hallowed halls of higher learning. Yes, our very own yellow brick road took us into our special land of Oz. And were we afraid of lions, tigers. bears. and the wicked witch of the west? Au contraire, mon frere. We were but happy little munchkins on our way to see Glenda, the good witch of the north. And then one day the skies parted and from the heavens a voice was heard throughout the land. It was my pal, your pal, our pal Hal, the messiah of the rnmen L0ns bwebs Simplistic as these ideas may t appear--others have suggested them before and no action has been taken. This is an alternative--an outcry-- against the fiscal waste and sporadic, unesthetic growth j which I have witnessed both as a taxpayer and a student. This is a plea to those of you who are outraged to call to account all those who have failed to respond to today's challenges. Write, talk, f complain--even if you oppose my ideas and support another policy at least let someone know that! t Taxpayers whose money is y squandered, USC students whose school is victim: Respond!! construction workers and the man who single-handedly keeps the concrete people in prosperous business. And the voice spoke unto us and said: Let there be a mall. And let the mall be made of concrete and brick. And let us build a 40-foot wide sidewalk so that the whole world can beat a path to our door. And let the grass and trees be gone This is my first and only commandment. And the people rejoiced And so, with a quick flick of the wrist, one of the last spacious spots at USC vanished into the sunset. And his cry could be heard throughout the land: When the school"s in trouble, I don't move slow. It's pour that concrete and away we go. t *