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-opinion A l_ _ I _ T a daa year Tor S^4-l I ' VI Al A biuuenib \iyilib In the best tradition of the Chinese New Year dedication, USC should have named the 1982-83 academic year the "Year of the Big Black Tread Mark." Students have been walked over, stomped upon and generally trampiea unaerneatn a nigner-tnan-average degree of USC-brand politics and bureaucratic ineptitude. Students have been walked over in the cases of next year's tuition increase and the ongoing Greene Street bore. Though the tuition boost has been realized for months, the Legislature has moved slowly enough so that IJSC President Tames HnlHerman and the hnard nf trustees probably won't release more than a ballpark figure until this summer ? after students have registered for next semester. The Greene Street issue elicits enough groans and vawns hv now tr> sneak for itself The term 1 'general trampling" fits best when thinking of next year's housing surcharge. The "surcharge" is a perfect example of the administration's fondness for euphemisms; it's no onetime "surcharge" when it's going to come back to bite again. And it most certainly will ? to quote Holderman himself 25: "I think we're kidding ourselves unless something changes dramatically ... that the surcharge isn't a recurring thing." But the tread marks have been really blackened by some real stomping. USC students have witnessed a new high in unfairness ? this year's attendance policy ? and a new low in incompetence ? this vear's Student Government. As responsibilities and financial commitment increase for the average student, USC's Faculty Senate decided to act like a giant middle school disciplinarian, and place further restrictions on student attendance. Attendance should not be required of tuition-paying adults. Finally, we have this year's Student Government, which in the midst of all this muck and mayhem boasts a successful program of discount movie tickets. a a i i xi - r ii ' oiuueiu uovcrnmeni nas enjoyeu me success 01 inis program so much, in fact, that it was the only thing mentioned recently in one of the organization's periodic l/4-page Gamecock advertisements (paid for, of course, by student activity fees). Not much else going on there to report, apparently. The travesty of justice surrounding SG presidential candidate Jim Doyle's appeal of the mismanaged SG elections has ended the "Year of the Big Black Tread Mark" on a predictable note. The in-politicking in the Doyle case has shown itself though the laughable decisions of Campus Court and the USC Supreme Court. In fact, Student Government's pride in selfperpetuation has been so obvious that at this year's Greek Week banquet April 15, SG President Ashley Abel told the assembled crowd: "There are people trying to buck the system now." Ironically, it's a system that could stand to be bucked. It's sad when even students are blackening the tread marks for their peers. Well within earshot of Abel's comment was USC's president, who will be the next to hear Doyle's appeal for a "fair and equitable" election. Perhaps next year can be the "Year of the Studenl Return Kick." That concept, though, will likely have the lifespan of the average New Year's resolution. ,? Gamecoc h? I Editor in Chief Richard Meyers Copy Desk Chief Ann Applegaie Photo Editor Michael Becker News Editor Chris Handal Copy Editors . . . David DeWitt, Mark Asst. Nows Editor Janet Edens Farme', Leigh Jones and Ralph W. Stice Asst. News Edit. Rachel Waterhouse Ent. Editor John Vaughan General Manager Ron Emloi assi. cm. couor Jim ?dii Hisuaie an manager unoa b. haines Sports Editor Johnny Boggs Business Manager . . . Jean Hatchel Asst. Sports Editor . Dennis Swit/er Production Mgr Mark McEwai Opinion Page Editor.... Leslie Kat/ Graduate Asst Wanda M. Hiti Wire Editor Leslie Potash Adviser Mark Ethridge Jr Newsroom 777-7181 Advertising 777 424 Business Office 777-3088 Production 777 283 The Gamecock welcomes letters and guest editorials. All letters and gues editorials must be typewritten, triple spaced on a 65 space line. Letters should be no longer than 300 words and guest editorials should be limitei to one newsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and gues editorials MUST be signed with the writer's name, telephone number, mailim address, class standing or faculty position and major. Pseudonyms are unac ceptable, but the writer's name may be withheld upon request if the circumstance 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. I wmmmmmmmmmmmmmammmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mam g ASHES?,ITVKI A BUT r DID HAVE SOT mmmvi\ i iiijirm Jotters. Jury of peer Editor: Since enrolling at USC I have thought Student Government was a inke and their last election reallv typifies how it is a joke. I voted for Jim (James Patrick) Doyle because he was honest in his campaign. He made Student Government out to be what it really is, nothing but a lot of benefits for the people who are in it and something + nrrt/%^ Ati o rnn i m a Tim LI Id I lUUIV^ 5UUU KJll a 1VOUU1V. J 1111 Doyle was a threat to the current Student Government and the people who were running for office in that he was independent and not a Holderman clone. Doyle was for improving one area of Student Government that almost everyone would agree needs improvement ? that is, getting a good spring concert. Gary U.S. Bonds doesn't quite fit that bill. Two years ago, the airplane club got $100,000 or so for a Budget critic Editor: I would like to reply to the letter wr senator in Wednesday's issue. For m Carolina, I always faulted the Gamecock information about Student Government, that happens. i It is a shame when the SG senators are the proper information about what ? Government. Because of another mistal [ dent Government's image is once again I in reierence 10 Matt ward s aueg; Government suffered no loss of funds, lei now. This year, even though Student G -w percent of the total student funds, the fu did get something correct) so 8 percent of I year, that would amount to a 20 percent Government; as much or more than groups. In reference to his remark about Sena informing him about the percentage beinj ! were to read his codifications he would si niiugauviia ; 2 Editor: Sen. Matt Ward's recent criticism of g the budgetary process at our university 3 certainly has merit. However, I feci a few points must be clarified. t Student Government does receive 8 percent of the student activity fee J fund. This amount was reduced from 1 10 percent received in the fiscal year EJ 1 QR 1 -ft") r#? n I n f? 1 ^o/iraoco rtf 4 "v 1 ?V11W11115 ? uvvi vaov ui jLi\j percent for fiscal year 1982-83. Due to the shrinking activity fee fund, Student Government's actual allocation will be even less for fiscal year 1983-84. Student Government ofJj ficer's stipends were also reduced in i\iriTTf\ur / win iunt_y y^"\. s should trj place; why can't we spend half that or less and get a top quality band for a change, where everybody can benefit. As far as Doyle's name being printed improperly on the ballot, I feel it did have an effect on the election. Whether or not that effect was enough to have caused a runoff, I don't know. When I looked for Doyle's name on the ballot I didn't see it at first glance. I had to look a second time and then I realized James Patrick Doyle was Jim Doyle. Some people may not have looked that second time and been in a hurry and decided not to vote. How many people could have done just that is impossible to estimate. This, coupled with other irregularities in the election ftherp are tnn manv to list^ did not oive ~ J ? / ? "v* O- " Jim Doyle a fair chance in the election. I don't think this election was held in a "fair, equitable and just manner" like the election code states. I think ;ism needs cl is established by tht ittf?n hv thp ctiirient in thp fs^natp *vfcv" ~ J " ' v "" M ost of my time at Another remark : for printing untrue stipends. Every ye* but now I know why Government wants the past four yeai : not even able to get stipends, because n joes on in Student these officers do ai re by someone, Stu- did have a remedy tarnished. stipends, maybe we ations tnai Muaent i leit at me cuspos. t him stand corrected In closing let me overnment did get 8 with Student Gove nds were less, (Ward they do for the stu< * less equals less. This but then no organi2 reduction to Student really look at Stud< some other student and the bad points good organization tor (Steve) Short not some faith to prov g able to change, if he ee that the percentage ?#'4'ma BVRN 7IVIII II VIII III! 1982-83 from 1981-82 levels. The reductions reflect an average decrease of 17 percent from 1981-82 levels. These reductions were proposed by the 1981-82 Finance Committee (chaired by Barry Gray) and were subsequently approved by the 1982-83 Senate. The SG budget is written and proposed by the Student Body Treasurer. The committee was not scheduled to review this budget until this past U/iirlnAcHai/ VUIIVJUUJ How can the committee make recommendations for cuts until the budget is reviewed? I believe Ward's ^p|l\JChK^Tr^ * prviv?^ i I 7 f SG appeal ' Jim Doyle deserves another election or runoff with Barry Gray. What I would really like to see happen (but we never will) is to have a trial with randomly selected students as the jury to try Doyle's case. I think the average Carolina student would feel Doyle deserves another election. But '# instead, his case was tried by people who were already in Student Government and partial against Doyle. These people will never allow "average students" to decide Doyle's fate because they know he deserves a fair election. Although this may seem like an attack on Student Government, it isn't. I just feel that Jim Doyle wasn't given a fair election and I think most people that go to USC would agree with me. Doug Vogel Business sophomore arifying ; Student Senate and can be changed by a (? that is appalling is that we should cut ir since I have been at USC, the Student to cut stipends and have been successful in rs. This vear I did not want to reduce lost people do not realize how much work nd they do deserve some compensation. I for a cutback, though, instead of cutting ! should cut the little more than $5,000 that U of the Senate. See if Ward likes that. say one thing, since I have been involved . rnment, I have realized all the good things * dents. They are-not a perfect organization, :ation is. In the future maybe people should ;nt Government and check out all the good before they talk about it and abuse it. It is a and only needs a little student help and e it. Chris Acquaviva SGA Treasurer sinformation criticism of the Finance Committee ^ and rne was unfounded, unnecessary and premature. If he had considered the cuts already made, he would have realized Student Government took cuts a year earlier than the rest of the school's organizations. Perhaps if Ward had initiated action on the Senate floor instead of posing sneak attacks on editorial nages he might have accomplished something _ worthwhile this year. So next time, Sen. Ward, please be sure of your facts ? it helps. Steve Short ; Student Senate Finance Committee