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GAMECOCK '"It is a newspaper's duty to prist the news, and raise bell." WILBUR F. STOREY BILL GRANT. Editor aiJ OUTLAW ART FRANK drhd Page Editor Advertising Manager Oct. 14, 1974 Activities ees: SAC and the SGA A bill was introduced in the USC Student Senate several weeks ago which, if passed by the senate, could completely restructure the Student Allocations Commission (SAC). SAC is the organization which appropriates student activities fees ($13.50 per student or ap proximately $400,000) paid each semester to campus organizations which meet the specified guidelines required by SAC to receive funds. The intent of the bill; the restructuring of SAC, is to provide a checks and balances system of the money which SAC allocates to campus organizations each year. Its intent is also to bring the appropriations of these funds back to the control of elected representatives (members of the student senate rather than appointed representatives representing different campus organizations). Some question does exist, however, as to whether the bill can feasibly accomplish the above stated purposes. There are three primary points in the bill which has caused con siderable dispute between the authors and supporters of the bill and present SAC members. The "heart" of the bill is to change the func tion of SAC from that of determining the appropriations of student funds to one of recommending to the student senate where the funds should go. Members of the SAC, as it now exists, serve on a continuing basis primarily because they need to be aware of how each organization applying for funds operates. The organizations submit their budgets for the coming year to SAC in the spring, at which time hearings are held by SAC to determine if the budget submitted by that organization is needed, and if so, how much it will receive. Many man hours are spent by SAC to determine who will receive what and how much it will get. The student senate has not in the past attended these hearings and most of its members probably will not do so in the future either. There is a constant turnover of personnel in the senate, most of whom are unconcerned about what organization gets how much money, yet this bill wants the senate to be.the final authority on the appropriations of funds when it (the student senate) has not had the background the members of SAC have. The idea of elected students determining the appropriation of student funds is a good one, but due to the constant turnover of personnel and the lackadiasical attitude of many, but not all, student senators, this portion of the bill cannot possibly ac complish its desired effect. Another point of the bill is to change the makeup of the persons serving on SAC. As previously mentioned, continuity and constant awareness of what is going on in each organization is needed by members serving on SAC. Presently, SAC is composed of two members representing the Board of Publications, three members representing University Union, four members appointed by the SGA President, the Treasurer of the student body and an appointed member from the Student Activities Advisory Council (SAAC). The proposed bill would have four members appointed by the SGA President, four members appointed by the student senate, the chairman of the Student Senate Finance Committee and the treasurer of the student body, who would automatically serve as chairman of SAC. SAC currently elects its chairman on a yearly basis in an election by its own members. Since the four appointees by the SGA President are subject to the approval of the student senate, there is no need for the senate to ap point four more members. A great portion of the money appropriated by SAC goes to the Board of Publications and to University Union and they should be entitled to have substantial input into the SAC ap propriations. There is no need to have both the SGA Treasurer and the chairman of the Student Senate Finance Committee on the SAC. The finance committee chairman already is overloaded with the SGA budget, which is 11 percent of the total student activities ffes. Another portion of the bill would allow student organizations raising their own revenue to retain the revenue raised within that organization. This Is good in theory because these organizations could use their own funds, rather than student funds to sustain themselves, but the problem arises that organizations could easily "misuse" their own funds while still receiving allocations from SAC. Implementation of a strict supervisory nature concerning the handling of clubs raising their own revenue would be mandatory if this provision of the bill is going to work as it is designed to do. The bill that has been introduced is a good one in theory, and its passage could vastly improve the scrutinization of funding allocations for clubs and give students more input into what is to be done with their money. The SAC and the student senate need to work together to accomplish this common goal; instead of working against one another in a political power struggle. More research and input is needed before this important bill is brought before the senate for a vote. WN LETTER: Military's function is to defend TO THE EDITOR: In response to Mr. Bob Osbourne's letter concerning ROTC on campus please allow. me, as a currently enrolled NROTC student, a short reply. First of all, if indeed the func tion of the military was to kill people as Mr. Osbourne states; Mr. Osbourne would undoubtedly not be around to write his en tertaining letter. However, the function of the military is to defend the country. Granted this is not always the case, few people (hopefully none) will agree that the military acted properly in the My Lai massacre. But, on the other hand, let us look at Mr. Osbourne's "people with a higher education." If they indeed do have "better solutions to human problems" why aren't they using them? Never mind, Mr. Osbourne, I'll answer this one unless you can show otherwise. I'm afraid to say that man is not a very rational being when it comes down to the final judgment. (Yes, you too, Mr. Osbourne.) You see, as has been proved time and time again, when it comes to having what one wants or having nothing at all, man will usually fight to get what he wants and other men will fight him to keep what they have from him. Simple, isn't it? Like you said, Mr Osbourne. We're here because we believe in this country and what it stands for even in horribly corrupt times such as these--and we want to protect it for ourselves and even you, Mr. Osbourne. I'm not saying the military- is great, or anything like that, it has its problems and let's pray these problems are never too great to handle. I'm just saying right now the military is necessary even if they never lift a finger against another human being (and I hope they don't). Why are they necessary? To let people know there are people in this country who would give their life to keep this country going and who believe in it enough to want to protect it so that it may grow and someday no longer need a military. Would that make you happy, Mr. Osbourne? RICHARD D. DOWLERY Send solution to USSR TO THE EDITOR: The purpose of this letter is to comment on the letter written by a Mr. Bob Osbourne, published in. the Sept. 30 edition of The Gamecock. He states in his letter that "the function of the military is to kill people" is the reason why people have and do oppose ROTC programs and other military institutions. I would like to direct my comments to Mr. Osbourne: Do you call raising the stan dard of living in many nations abroad since World War II "killing people?" Do you call engaging in search and rescue operationsannd in mercy. ... The militar Campus 0 0 Opinion missions, showing goodwill and promoting friendship with other nations "killing people?" And do you call supplying aid in times of national disasters "killing people?" These are some of the many tasks and functions the .military forces of the United States carry out in order to meet and uphold national objectives. They can hardly be termed as "killing people." I suppose, if you had your way, Mr. Osbourne, that you would do away with all military forces in this country, bacause as you put it so intellectually, their sole function is to "kill people." And where will you and 203,185,000 other Americans be when the Soviet Union launches its 1,618 intercontinental ballistic missiles? If the USSR were to launch one of its SS-9's, an ICBM with an explosive force of 25 megatons of TNT and capable of destroying a large city, the U.S. would be able to launch an an tiballistic missile which would destroy Russia's missilebefore it reached our country. However, if you had your way, Mr. Osbourne, we would all be dead in a matter of seconds. 4 I wish, Mr. Osbourne, that you would give to the USSR some of those (as you put it) "better solutions to human problems known full well by people with a higher education." We 203 million Americans would cer tainly appreciate it. A.M. Jeffords Why difference in book prices? TO TIlE EDITOR: How can the University of Georgia Bookstore sell their books cheaper than our Campus Bookstore? Last Saturday while in Athens for the game I had the opportunity to browse through the University of Georgia Bookstore. I decided to compare their prices with the prices we pay. Of the five courses I am taking, they had the identical textbooks for four of these courses. The prices ranged from one to two dollars cheaper.' Why do books cost more here than there? Lawrence D). Giuerry The Gamecock's .The Gamecock weleemes leti be limited to a single subject am must be signed with the writi other aliases will not be used, withheld If circumstances warr Identity of writers, please inch telephone number where youc right to edit all letters, noti for limitations. Address: Campus Columbia ZeMaa ...books e C Scoreboard needs repair job TO THE EDITOR: I wish to express my outrage on behalf of those exiles seated in the South . Stand of Williams-Brice Stadium. The best available seats issued to Freshmen and Sophomores is the end zone. For the past two games, the scoreboard opposite the South End Zone has been blacked out. Two weeks between games should have been ample time to fix the scoreboard. Looking over one's shoulder to find out the score tends to be both inconvenient and painful. I do hope that the stadium management makes an extra effort to repair this badly needed source of in formation. Robert C. Dries Students behavior "inexcusable" TO THE EDITOR: While sitting in the upstairs Russell House grill, a scene moved me to the extent that I had to tell someone. More averse to littering than to most things, I have always found leaving an empty cup on a table or just tossing a cigarette butt to the ground inexcusable. Today reinforced my values and has even made me more in tolerant of such slovenliness. I watched a blind student have lunch and when through, deposit the trash in a recepticle, even bothering to pick up a cup that had dropped. As superflous or insane as this might sound, I felt the scene~ to be a commentary on others behavior those who feel no guilt --and thusly do not care, or don't hesitate a moment to readily leave their tables a mess or impulsively deface the ground with an array of cans, papers, etc. If this one boy can have the thought and care to not litter, why is it that so many others ignore doing such a simple thing? NAME WITHHELD letter poucy ers from readers. Letters should a maximum of 300 words. They irs true name. Pseuons or but the writer's name wHil be mat. To assist us In verifying the ide your mailing address and a an be reached. We reserve the. centent, but to meet our space Opinien. Dr...,.. A, .USC