University of South Carolina Libraries
Regular readers of the Gamecock, within the past few months, have probably been noticing some announcements that have revealed quite a paradox in USC's planned construction of buildings. In the June 28 issue, Dave Macaulay, associate director of men's housing, was quoted as naving saia umj will not oe building another dormitory in Columbia because of a projected drop in enrollment. However, in the June 21 issue, Harold Brunton, vice president of operations, was quoted as he explained the university's plans to build an $8 l-million clone of the Business Administration building, already one of the largest academic buildings on campus. Question: if there will not be enough students on campus to fill another dorm, who is going to be filling this addition to the BA building ? On-campus housing creates an interesting, if not amusing or pathetic at times, picture at USC. The June 28 article informed us that Residential Life Services is turning to tne residents 01 On letters The GAMECOCK welcomes letters from its readers. Letters should be a maximum of 300 words and must be signed with the writer's correct name, telephone, mailing address, class standing and maior. Pseudonyms are unacceptable, but the writer's name may be withheld by request if circumstances warrant. We reserve the a.ij a i i i i i r rignt to eait letters ior space. Address letters to: Campus opinion, The GAMECOCK, Drawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C. 29208. Qamecock Founded 1 908 Tom Travis Editor in Chief Leigh Gfogan Copy Desk Chief Ron Stokes News Editor Brett Fnedlander Sports Editor David Baker Entertainment Editor Stephen McCormack Graphics Editor Brian Duncan Editorial Page Editor Janice Wood Graduate Assistant Jill Griffin Advertising Manager Fran George Production Manager ! Jon Clemmensen General Manager Sam Mr.Kee Business Manager Mark Ethridge Jr Adviser Newsroom 7 77 7181 Advertising >11 4?49 Business Office 777 3808 Solo reproduction rights granted to the Associated Press All other material contained herein may not he reprinted without the permission of the editor Opinions expressed in the Gamecock are those, if signed, of the writer and. if unsigned, of the senior editorial staff vv rty instec Columbia to shelter its students and asking three local motels, the Downtowner Motor Inn, Capito Terrace and the Carolina Inn, tc make special arrangements for the accommodation of some USC siuuems, wnose names are on mi infamous waiting list for on campus housing for this fall Perhaps some of those on the lisl should be holding out for tht Holiday Inn. Maybe these motels have con ference rooms and some othei community buildings have extrc space that could be used by th< College of Business Administratior just long enough to make sure the university really needs to spenc that $7.1 million (with the ad 1 (M :n: <_ u? UlUUIlcll .pi II1U1IUI1 IU UC LUUII 1UUICI by private investors) on that ad dition. Guest < In an effort to increase reade: input into future issues, th< Gamecock will offer a weekly nrvln *v\ n Knrfinninrf f Kto rnivi?vi/\tt LU1UU1I1 UCgllUUUg tlllD dUllUHCl Contributions from student and faculty on matters of in terest and concern t Gamecock readers ar welcomed and encouraged. Columns must be limited t one newsworthy subject am must be no more than fou typed pages. All columns mus be typewritten and tripl spaced on a 65-space line. A1 (%<x it. Y%A*ti/r/s i one huil - .7 r m oj ano \ But maybe the idea is that if the i new BA building isn't filled, it can 1 be converted into housing. ) There are a lot of maybe's in this j entire situation. Maybe the " enrollment will be down. Maybe a i dorm isn't a good investment for thnsp nrivatp inupctnr<: Muvhp thp .... V.W.WW. J ~ ~ university will get stuck paying for t an unoccupied dorm (a fear exj pressed to a Gamecock staff member by Richard Wertz, associate vice president for r Residential Life Services). i ? Well, let's add some maybe's. i Maybe national figures aren't i right for determining the number i oi young South Carolinians deciding whether to go to college, i In fact, Chip Gray, a USC spokesman, was quoted in the June 7 Gamecock as having projected a Columns r facts must be accurate. The e editorial page editor reserves / the right to reject any column for any reason and edit for s space, content, style and aci curacy. ! o e Columns must be signed with correct name, address, o telephone, major and class d standing or faculty position, r Address columns to: Guest t Column, The Gamecock, e Drawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C. 11 2920R I *V IN GAS LINES I rlnrnn fvyiy 1/ f t/v^ 7_ Q mer* 4.5 percent increase in enrollment for this fall. Maybe more than one-third of the students at the Columbia CrtlllJJUS Wctlil LU 11VC UIJ UdIll|JUd (there are approximately 7,000 housing spaces for a student body of more than 24,000 students). And maybe there are students who don t put their names on the waiting list, knowing there is little chance of getting one of the coveted spaces. Puttinf vnnr namp on a waitina O J w" w t, v..v...0 list to express interest in campus housing is not appealing at times. It's hardly worth the possibility of losing a $100 non-refundable deposit and being told to "hit the pavement" apartment hunting only, to have Residential Life Services then place them, binding them to pay rent in two places. With the university striving for academic excellence, and with private schools going broke or losing students because of high tuition rates, major state nnivorcitioc o ro rrrvi n rf t r\ Ko oL Ulllf VlUlilVU MI V tv/ MV at tractive. Someone in the USC system must have had a similar idea; a Gamecock story in the spring reported that studies were being conducted on the potential for dorms on some of the regional campuses. More USC students want oncampus housing. A typical evaluation of the housing matter is, "An apartment would be nice, Dui Deing on campus is mucn more convenient." Ik _ - _ C.VU^TUIM& SCREAMS As traumatic, stimulating, trying and rewarding as the rtnllooo uoarc art* pnnuonipnpp ic a CV/llV^V J VM1 MI VV*? VIUVI1VV ?u M wonderful thing. Living offcampus poses the transportation problem of being at the desired place at the desired time, and one thing USC definitely does not need is an increase in the number of commuter cars that need parking places. Such parking places are as scarce during the regular semesters as rooms for the 730th person at the tail end of the housing waiting list for the fall. Maybe the students who will attend classes in the big business addition will understand big husinpsR rpasnns fnr rnnctrnpHna V V V" one building for students who aren't supposed to be here for another building. n VJTUUU <JIC days gone forever If you can remember the good ole days when oil companies and gasqline stations held "gas wars" to lure you into their establishments, your best bet is for those memories to fail you. Those days are as far removed and incomprehensible as the age of the dinosaur. ' See Energy, page 7 gamecock^ ? v. t < J