The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 30, 1982, Page 4, Image 4
_editorials?
Fans' bad conduct
tarnishes baseball
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asked Tiger officials for permission not to
schedule games at USC's Sarge Frye Field
because of the conduct of a group of fans behind
the third base dugout.
Clemson's coach is known for complaining,
and if his was the only complaint there would be
little cause for concern. But others have
criticized the baseball fans at USC.
When Florida State played at USC this past
year, the fans abused the visitors enough to
cause the FSU coach to refuse to bring his team
back to Sarge Frye Field.
The 19R2 NCAA F!a stern Regional Rasehall
Tournament, held at USC, was a tremendous
success?except for the conduct of the fans
behind third base. Citadel coach Chal Port
criticized the fans for their abusive language.
North Carolina's coach echoed Port's sentiments.
It is clear from the scope of complaints that
these fans behind the third base dugout are a
problem. The problem, however, is not confined
to USC. Fan misconduct, unfortunately, is a
trend spreading through college sports.
It is especially sad that this trend has tainted
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big-money problems of college football and
basketball. One must not forget that these
athletes are students and young men who are on
the field trying to do their best.
The problem is one of perception. If opposing
fans abuse use athletes, the complaints are
thunderous. But when USC's opponents express
concern over mistreatment, fans scoff at the
accusations.
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dugout detract from the sport and tarnish the
school's reputation. There has and always will be
a place for good-natured razzing, and* it can
make the game more enjoyable. But foul and
abusive language must not be tolerated.
USC officials, as well as officials at other
schools, should make an effort to control rowdy
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a minority that is growing.
Suspension policy
raises standards
More than a thousand students will not be
returning to USC's Columbia campus in fall. The
new deficit-point system has taken its toll and
1,126 have been suspended for one year.
This two-year-old system is a vast improvement
over the old one, which required a
student to pass at least 50 percent of courses
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continue to go to USC with no hope of graduation.
Such useless labor was a waste of the student's
time and money.
Under the deficit-point system, it is easier for
students to know when they are in academic
trouble.
A GPR less than 2.0 is trouble.
The deficit-point system improves the
university's academic standards, and this
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CAflAf A r r-r
WhWU:!
letters
Liberal art:
By John Van Dalen^
In these less then idealistic
times for college students,
Dractical concerns about inh
prospects and economic
security have temporarily
clouded the horizons for the
humanities and liberal arts
as disciplines in which
students choose to pursue
degrees.
Apprehension in this day
and age is understandable,
given the present recession
and wnnnmir wops nlns thp
rapidly changing nature of'
the workplace in American
society. Great numbers of
students, however, still
persist in thinking that a
college degree
automatically unlocks the
door to a comfortable and
secure future, regardless of
what the news confronts
them with every day.
Almost any degree in the
1950s and 1960s guaranteed
THE right job, or so we grew
up to believe. Today, though,
there are so many more
people with college degrees
that employability has,
unfortunately, come to hinge
more on specialization of
knowledge.
THE ISSUE is enormously
complex, but fundamentally
it provokes an examination
of a question: what does or
should constitute a
traditional college education
in the arts and sciences as
we approach the year 2000?
Despite years of sluggish
economic conditions since
1973, there has nevertheless
been an explosion in the
electronics and computer
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technology fields. This has
created untapped markets
for individuals skilled in and
prepared for jobs in an increasingly
high technology
work environment. Much of
this technology involves
eliminating routine and
repetitious jobs that can be
done through automation
and robotics. This is a
change we can take advantage
of, observers note,
because it will open up or
create more jobs which rely
on interpersonal communication,
creative
solutions to social problems,
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time, and matters dealing in
general with improving the
quality of life as opposed to
increased consumptions, per
capita, of goods and services.
The workplace can be
humanized and technology
can play a decisive role. But
will the institutions of higher
learning have prepared
students as completely as I
possible for the significant I
chances that lie ahead?
Unfortunately, the rush to
become "employable" has
meant brushing aside the
importance of studies in the
humanities because they are,.
to many students today, not
"relevant" or careeroriented.
It was reported
recently that enrollment in
graduate courses in the
humanities has precipitously
declined since 1972.
The irony, of course, is
that the liberal arts are
being devalued in society at
a time when there has never
been more of a need for
broa dly - educa ted persons.
Highly trained but
o
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ary part of
guest editorial
specialized cadres of
workers who have very little
exposure to history,
literature, political science,
art, philosophy, theology and
me liKe will ultimately De at
a disadvantage.
IN AN EFFORT to confront
the demands of highly
motivated and pragmatic
students who equate
education only with jobs,
many small and large
colleges and universities
may be tempted to succumb
to tha cnoiol f
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motivating this attitude and
become increasingly ambivalent
about their broad
educational requirements.
This should be vigorously
resisted.
Forty years ago Jacques
? Grwno
Editor-in-*
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Jean Hatchcll Jerry Br
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The Gamecock welcomes letters and (
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Letters should be no longer than 300 1
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Address letters and columns to: Edito
A, USC, Columbia. S C. 29208.
J ARE CREATE
(IHCMdCWW;
education
Maritain said this about the
aim of education: "It is to
guide man in the evolving
dynamism through which he
shapes himself as a human
person ? armed with
knowledge, strength of
judgment, and moral virtues-while
at the same time
conveying to him the
spiritual neniage 01 me
nation and the civilization in
which he is involved, and
preserving in this way the
century old achievements of
generations." With this kind
of foundation, the graduates
of our schools and universities
can make more
enlightened, less superficial
J ? i '
uecisions aooui meir tuture
careers or life's work.
The author is John Van
Dalen, a College of
Education graduate student
at USC.
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