Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Studen1 Editor's note: The following was a speech given before the USC Student Senate Wednesday. The ,speaker was Robert Painter, chairman of the Senate Athletic Committee and a member of the Senate Rules Committee. The speech was given In rebuttal to an ,Mtorial printed In The Gamecock M&tion of Oct. 21 entitled, "Senate d change attitude." Space for kis column has been provided because the writer of the previous editorial, Bill Outlaw, is also a member of the student senate and has been accused of using The Gamecock's editorial page to espouse his own political con victions to the USC student body. The opinions expressed in this column are not shared by The Gamecock. Parts of the speech were edited with the author's approval due to space requirements. In the recent editorial, "Senate should change attitude," which appeared in the Oct. 21 issue of The Gamecock, gave an obviously prejudiced and one-sided view of what actually eventuates in this student senate. The editorial emphasizes the need for more senate concentration for passing LETTER Student attacks school spirit TO THE EDITOR: I have been at the University o South Carolina for a little over a year and am extremely disap pointed in the school spirit. I an mainly referring to the reaction ol the students to the football teat and Coach Paul F. Dietzel. I hav4 also heard all the criticism abou Coach Dietzel I care to hear. Coach Dietzel is a human being man with feelings, and a perso who inadvertantly makei mistakes, as we all do. Remem ber, there are other coaches undei him who also are to blame for ow losses, so don't put all the blame or Dietzel. It's possible that the othei coaches are as much or more ti blame than Dietzel. Another person you tend to picl on when the ball rolls the wronj way is Jeff Grantz. Maybe Jeff hai been built up too much; maybe he is as good as they say, but the othei teams know about him and they don't give him a chance to do toi much. I'll say about Jeff as I dk4 the coach-Jeff is a fine person anc also prone to make mistakes as al people do. Don't blame him for no holding the front line together, oi for something that isn't even in hii capacity as a quarterback. It may be embarrassing to see the Gamecocks lose, but think how the players feel. They really fee humiliated. So much hope was pu on them and they've let us down wouldn't yeu feel. humiliated?: have a class with six footbal players, and I know how they feel You "arm-chair coacheg" (those who are openly over critical anc think you can do as well as th4 coache or the players) have ai good a chance to play football as i "walk-on," as the scholarshli pinyar. Although some conk maeIt. others are not nliv.ulcan, Senator meaningful legislation and spend less time bickering and power grabbing. The Gamecock, which is sup posed to be a newspaper which reports news to students and is the only viable vehicle of com munication from the senate to students, should stop patting certain individuals on the back and print the news as it is. It was reported the senate should be a "checks and balances" senate in the operation of student govern ment . If The Gamecock would report the incidents that actually occur, then this function would obviously be served. Not once has The Gamecock printed the incident in which student funds were allegedly spent to support advertisement for a local restaurant. (This matter has sixce been resolved and clarified by the SGA-Ed.) Not once was it reported that the president, on two occasions, had to get up and defend his cabinet appointees because they failed to appear before the senate. Not once has it been printed a statute exists in the senate which requires students making SGA sponsored trips to submit a written report to the senate within two meetings after the trip was taken S... Sc) or mentally capable of par ticipating in such a. rugged, mentally exhausting game. But so many of our intellectual "arm I chair coaches" really aren't so i smart. In fact, they don't really - know what they're talking about i have you Sports Editors and I Assistant Sports Editors ever i really sat down and talked to Coach Dietzel, or are you just writing down things that you hear? The main gist of what I'm saying i is whether the Gamecocks are i winning or losing, they playing for I you-the student body-and you ought to back them up on either score. Put some spirit or soul into your cheers--emphasize your en. thusiasm-not your lack of it. Show some spirit, people-don't be quitters. Keep on behind the team -back them up and let them know you're behind them. They'll play a lot better if they know they have their school's support. CELIA JEAN (C.J.) TURNER Senator agrees with editorial TO THE EDITOR: In regard to the editorial in the Oct. 21 issue of The Gamecocil concerning this year's studen senate, I would like to praise the writer for his eye-opening ap. . praisal. Even though all of us senatori may not agree with all of his ap. praisals, he did doall of us the service of challenging a self analysis of each senator's con. tributions this year. This judgmenft, to the dismay of many often resulted in very critical and difficult to accept verdict. In every organization, from the good to the best. there is always the neofn gives resp4 and each individual taking these trips had to be asked to appear before the senate twice, and some did not report or make an ap pearance. Not once was it printed that there are individuals serving on com mittees who haven't been before the Senate Powers and Respon sibilities Committee (The Com mittee reviews all applicants for committees and then submits a resume to the senate and reports them out either favorably or un favorably-Ed.) much less con firmed by the entire senate. Not once was it printed that a member of the senate was threatened by an individual in high office; to use that office to ruin that individual politically because he stood up and voiced his opinion. The statement in the editorial saying an individual is accountable for funding after, not before, the fact is one of the most ridiculous statements I have ever heard. This has been the problem with the SGA in the past. For example, this past summer people took trips and spent money on worthless trips funded by the SGA (student money), and yet you hear nothing from them. Is this responsible goverment? iool spirit.. spark to initiate corrections and revisions of attitudes. Hopefully, this thought provoking article will not act as support for a barrier between senators and between senators and constituencies, but instead will have provided the wrist-slapping needed to encourage student senators to forget their over emphasized trivialities and biased attitudes and increase their productivity for tieir fellow students and this university. DEBBIE EASTERLIN (Editor's note: The author is a member of the student senate.) Homecoming response given TO THE EDITOR: I am very disillusioned that the Gamecock new paper has such an "apathetic" attitude. Eventhough Terry Dugas and Chuck Cromer may have attended the Homecoming Activities, their stubborn attitudes were not open to the new enlightening activities. These newly revised activities starting with the night of Gold, Cockfest, parade, and outdoor concert were great examples of USC's total student participation in a couple of years. The participation before and after homecoming was a step In the right direction! Therefore, I hope these reporters will get around their grudges and bad attitudes and join in the participation of an united student body, not an apathetic one. KAREN TUCKER Iamee.mIngeasurer.. cnse to ed: Another point in. question is the confirmation of Ray Snyder. Just because the senate wants him to appear before this body is not a direct slap to the president. The senate has the right to exercise this prerogative; it shows an individual must be able to defend his qualifications, reasoning and purpose for applying to four committees! What is his present position, is he a cabinet member or not? It has been long overdue for the senate to look into SGA practices. How can the senate get down to meaningful legislation when it must spend its time checking the executive branch. This is the only senate that has stood up and objected to malpractice of student trust; which finally put some control on SGA spending and has corrected practices and enforced statutes which have been ignored in the past. The real injustice is that we have been editorialized as slapping the president and that we have held up progressive legislation. We have spent our time on triviality; well, I agree in part a large portion of our time is spent checking the executive branch, but it seems .senator agi Campus Opinion 10n The Gamecock's The Gamecock welcomes lette be limited to a single subject and must be signed with. the write ether aliases wEl not be used, I withheld if circumstamces warrn identity of writers, please lmeled telephome number where you cs right to edit all letters, aet:for 4 lhitations. Addresi: Campus Calumbia 29266. GAMEB "It is a newspaper's duty te print tl DILL GRANT, I BiLL OUTLAW Eitorial Page Eiter October- 2 itorial each week another incident develops which we find ourselves questioning the intent of that branch. Until President Leventis and The Gamecock realize the senate will not tolerate the abuse of power or the malpractice of student trust and money; we cannot get down to serious legislation. I ask each of the senators here to get out and report to their con stituents what is going on and to stand up for what you feel! Don't be afraid of criticism and keep asking questions. We are finally giving some responsibility to the SGA. I ask President Leventis to come before the senate and give his ideas and proposals for new legislation. If an honest effort is made to present to the senate legislation which reflects the needs of the university; the senate will respond appropriately and will work to better the Carolina Community. When the executive and legislative branches decide to fulfill their responsibilities, and forget about their own wants and needs, then and only then can we fulfill the purpose of our elected positions. 6ees letter policy rM from readers. Letters should a maximum of 3k words. They rs true name. Pseudonyms er bnut the writer's abte will be *t. To assist us In verifying the Ie your mailing address and a in be reached. We reserve the. :emtemt. but to meet our space Opinion, Drawer A. USC, COCK" be mews, and raise hell." 'WILBUR F. STOREY ART FR ANK Advertising Manager L 1974