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-opinion Loan repayments fair for everyone Philadelphia students who failed to repay their loans for college found their cars being towed last week as part of Pennsylvania's crackdown on student loan defaulters. /^Il 1 ? A- - 1 i - " ^nances are wnen any siuaeni signs ior a loan, he doesn't want to think about repaying it. But repay it he must. Student loans have an interest rate of 5 percent and can be repaid in monthly installments, beginning six months after graduation. But mimr otiirlonfc -foil f/-? rorvoir ft. AO Irvono inukij oLuuv/iiuj iait iw icpaj uicoc luano. For USC students who don't repay their loans, money from their tax refunds can be withheld. The S.C. Tax Commission returned $119,651.42 to the university in 1980 from tax refunds of students who did not repay their loans. Every applicant for a state iob is asked whether he has defaulted on a student loan. The state will not hire anyone who owes money on a college loan. The USC student loan default rate is decreasing, but it is far from being acceptable. There should be no loan defaults. The university's default rate is 7.73 percent, compared to the national default rate of 11.95 percent. The figures do speak well for Student L.oan Accounting, us<J s aepartment in cnarge 01 student loans. Student Loan Accounting has taken steps to educate students on the importance of repaying loans. A general assembly meeting for borrowers is held at the beginning of each semester to explain the loans and their requirements. Before a student graduates, he must set up a schedule for repaying the loan. Students going into the armed forces, Peace Corps or post-graduate work may defer their loans. Also, students unable to find employment atter graduation may postpone their loan repayments. Steps are being taken to help students repay their loans in as many ways as possible, but students must also make some attempt to help themselves. In a recent CBS newscast, it was reported that the monev owed on student loans is enough to f ? ~"CT" give every college student $1,000 a year. It would be a lot easier on all college students if they had an extra $1,000 a year. Students receiving loans must be aware of their obligations. After college, students are allowed a six-month grace period to establish themselves in a job and to put their finances in order. Monthly payments are minimal compared to the benefits received from loans. With the cuts to student financial aid under the Reagan administration, a student who receives a loan is blessed. Repaying that loan will ensure tomorrow's students that same opportunity. Not repaying a loan hurts everyone, including the student at fault. , Gamecock? , Editor-in-Chief Richard Meyers Copy Desk Chief David DeWitt Opinion Page Editor Vicfei Jinnette News Kditor John Braun Wire Editor Sydne Waller Asst. News Kditor JeffDraine Photo Kditor Mike Fisher Asst. News Kditor. . . Forrest Urown (Jeneral Manager Ron Em/er Ent. Editor John Vaughan Adviser Mark Ethridge, Jr. Asst. Ent. Editor Chris Handal Ad Manager Linda S.Haines Sports Editor Torn Coyne Business Manager . . . Jean Hatchell Asst. Sports Kditor. . Dennis Switzer Production Manager Mark McEwan Newsroom /77-718I Advertising 777 1249 Business Office 777-3HH8 Production 777 2833 The Gamecock welcomes letters and guest editorials. All letters I guest editorials must be typewritten, triple spaced on a 65 space line. Letters should be no longer than 300 words and guest editorials t> iould be umuea io one newswonny suojeci no longer man Jour typed pages. Letters and guest editorials MUST be signed with the writer's name, telephone number, mailing address, class standing or faculty position and major. Pseudonyms are unacceptable, bui the writer's name may be withheld upon request if the circumstances warrant We reserve the right to edit guest editorials and letters. Address letters and columns to: Opinion Page Editor, Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, Columbia. S.C 29208. -Setters^ EZmlrl I IG1U I CdCI VI Editor: Imagine this. You set up a big grudge-match softball game with another department or that rival frat. You call the physical education center and reserve a field, and tell everybody the time, day and field for the game. Come Saturday you all grab your gloves, hats, balls and bats and head for the game. You meet the other team on the walkwav and rinsrpnri to the field. So next you set down the bases and play ball, right? Wrong! The lacrosse club is there practicing for their upcoming match; 20 guys are playing soccer; and the men's rugby team is stretching out before its scrimmage. But you have reserved the field, so by rights, it is yours... WELL, THE lacrosse club says they reserved the field for that time slot. i ne soccer players say that the field is Local residents about stolen pia Editor: Last night, a group of college student* utjauuiui porcn plants. By the time my and out of the door, the students were gor This happens to us every year arou begin. We assume the plants are use rooms, sorority and fraternity houses or Although these students have our pla mem to Know how much hurt they ere those beautiful plants. IT TAKES a tremendous amount of < make plants healthy and beautiful, and great deal of time taking care of them. ( was taken was purchased three year nothing more than a sprout. I can't tel husband was of that plant, and now it's g , have seen how heartsick he was when h< anH rlifspnuprwl it u/oc imnnn ~~ ? . ?v " uo UUIU115 me iiuaaiu{ So whoever took our plants, I hope yoi for them as much as we did. It will he caused by this thoughtless act. Charninri fnr a w Editor: I would like to make some comments concerning a statement about a fee for allergy shots. This statement appeared in the Friday, Sept. 10 issue of the Gamecock by a senior nursing major. She seemed to think that paying for allergy shots was outrageous because no notice of it happening was given and because they have been free in the past. Her statement was, "They , should've let us know. I don't think PS^ *v h^X itions cause a soccer field (as evidenced by the soccer goals) and should be used as such. The ruebv club (hov arp th#?v t/ */ " * y ever BIG fellas!) says they've had that field reserved at that time every Saturday for the past three years, sort or a perpetual reservation. There you have it: three groups, each having "reserved the field," and one group with self-proclaimed squatters' rights. Stalemate. You've already wasted 15 minutes trying to talk everybody else into leaving anu "proving" you've reserved the field will take at least another 15. That leaves time for maybe three innings. A simple change in the system could remedy this and similar situations. Under this suggested system, a person could reserve a field over the teleohone (7-3lRfi hptwopn 1 r> m or?ri , ?wv1> x^v/al jl p.m. u11u 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) and later pick up a form listing field, date, time and name of reserving upset Organiz | lltS Editor: Due to an orgs Chinese Student i student organizal . . . . Student Handboo i stole several of our Commission full husband got dressed Association as ie' organization at ( regrets the error nd the time classes mistake, d to decorate dorm apartments. _____ nts, I would like for ated when they took r|Onf1C Editor: :are and devotion to with eVery schoc my husband spent a and all of the stud( )ne of the plants that i^st. s ago when it was This year the m< 1 you how proud my as pOSSjble in repoi [one. I wish you could Gamecock} WUSC 3 got out on the porch rp^e jnvitation to ge 1 ? Dissatisfaction h about the style of tl i love them and care can only say if you lp ease the pain you way it is being pul involved. Peggy Crewe illergy shots re that it's fair. We pay so much into the school anyway." My comment to her and others who might think the same way is YES - we uo pay a 101 into uie scnool, but YHS we also get a "heck" of a lot more out of it than any cost such as this forwarded to the students could possibly attempt to cover. Charging for allergy shots was, in my opinion, the most fair alternative the Thomson Student Health Center 1 College Press Service confusion m group from the equipment window. In addition to this, a covered sign or placard similar to the "Today at the Union" sign at the Russell House could be placed at each field. A typed list of that day's activities could be put up each morning (the weekend Hot u? _..i ' Hoi v.uuiu ux; pui up taie rnaay atternoon). THIS WOULD not only help eliminate confusion but would also publicize that day's intramural games and be immediate confirmation for teams wondering if they liave tound the correct field for their games. The reservation form system seems to work well for handball/squash/racquetball courts. Whv not try something similar for athletic field reservations? Mark T. Zaranski Chemistry graduate student ational oversight inizational or typographical error, the Association was omitted from the list of tions in the 1982 Carolina Connections n. 111b UIUUUIU Ul gained null Liltcuaillg ly recognizes the Chinese Student a viable and functioning student Carolina. The Dean of Student Affairs . Thank you for letting us correct our Jerry T. Brewer Assistant to the Dean of Student Affairs is improve paper )1 year comes changes. For the Gamecock anf ~L- ? * * ** 11 tm. mcuid, nit? ciianges nave Deen ior me idia are trying to involve as many people *ting campus activities, either through the -FM, Portfolio or the Garnet and Black. it involved has been extended. as been expressed by at least one student le Gamecock. To him or any complainer, I i don't like what is being published or the Wished, try doing something about it-get Beverly Simmons Journalism junior asonable had, and that we should not get in such a routine as to think every year upon lemming lO UbU tilings Will be exactly like they were in past years. It's time to realize that things change with time, and that life, even at college, isn't a "free ride." We all must contribute our fair share to this university for the many fine services it renders us. Barbara Jo Swart* Marine gcionce freshman