The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, June 27, 1984, Page Page 4, Image 4
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Page 4 - June 27, 1984 ' * / 1 QpHIIOil THE GAMECOCK
Legislature needs
own drinking law
A \ / r^?r?L' D i ln\; nnnn rinninn t U Uill ? * 1- ?
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legal drinking age for beer and wine, said it would
"help save the lives of our young people." Riley's
concern, although sincere, may have been
misdirected.
Excessive use of alcohol does occur on campuses
and in high schools. But it also happens a lot closer
to the governor's office. In particular, it happens
on the foor of the statehouse. The soft drink cans
1 ! _ I _ A 1 J 1 _ J ^ _ - ^ *
on legislators ucsks aon i always coniain <^oKe, or
Sprite, or Dr. Pepper.
Because many USC students work as pages,
stories of alcohol abuse at the State House inundate
the campus. There's the one about a page, under 21
years old, sent to the liquor store and, after dropping
the right name, was sold bottles of Smirnoff
and Gilbert's with few or no questions asked.
And there's the one about the student aide who
plays bartender in downstairs rooms with liquor
provided by hopeful lobbyists. (Some of these aides
may drink while they mix, but somehow no one
seems to notice.)
And, of course, there's the rumor that the special
r i i i i i - t ? i ?
^unuay liquor license legislation supped oy only
because many legislators had overindulged.
These are less than perfect examples for
underage constituents ? constituents whom the
legislators seem so interested in protecting from the
evils of alcohol.
These are the men and women who decided that
an 18 year old may marry, sign legal contracts and
be drafted, but may not, cannot, and will not buy a
cold beer on a hot July day.
These are the same men and women who decided
last week to let 18-year olds work in bars they
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work and play, one might say.
The same guardians of morality also managed
to let die a resolution that would have prohibited
drinking on the floor.
Such behavior does nothing to convince
teenagers that drinking too much is socially unacceptable,
not to mention unhealthy.
But maybe legislators don't share Gov. Riley's
cuncern aooui young people. Maybe, as has been
suggested by other sources, the "sin bill" was only
a re-election ploy on behalf of these "gentle"men
and iigentle"women.
Or maybe, as in the case of the Sunday liquor
license, the legislators were not coherent enough to
realize how ridiculous raising the drinking age,
especially without a grandfather clause, must seem
when confronted by their examples.
Students should not be despondent, however,
horaiisp thprf U a wav to "hMn savp liv^c" r?f
our elected representatives.
Young people affected by the new laws should
express their concern about our legislators to Gov.
Riley ? perhaps a maximum drinking age is in
order.
Gamecock
Editor in Chief j
Leslie J. Ounson
News Editor Marisa Porto Copy Editor Herb Reeves
Asst. News Editor Hal Hewell General Manager Ron Emler
Entertain. Editor Robert O'Connor Ad Manager Ron Emler
Sports Editor Tracy Mixson Business Manager Carolyn Griffon
Oateline Editor Margarita Pate Production Mgr Mark McEwan
rnoto taiior urew rearson liraduate Asst Wanda M. Hite
Copy Editor Ann Farmer Adviser Mark Ethridge Jr.
Newsroom 7777181 Advertising 7774249
Business Office 777 3888 P/oduction 777 2833
The Gsmecock welcomes letters and guest editorials. All letters and guest editorials
must be typewritten, triple-spaced on a 65-space line.
Letters should 1)6 no longer than 300 words and guest editorials should be limited
to one nowsworthy subject no longer than four typed pages. Letters and guest
editorials MUST be signed with the writer's name, telephone number, mailing ad
H/a?? rla?? ?tanrfinn nr far.ultv nosition and maior. Psmirtnnvm* ar? nnarrantnhlo
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We reserve the right to edit guest editorials and letters. jj
f Address letters and columns to: Opinion Page Editor, Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, I
Columbia, S.C. 29208.
*
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Let
SG president neglic
To the Editor,
In the six years that I have been a student at USC, I have
oeen lorceci 10 watcn our student uo:yci nmeni move ever
deeper into the sphere of control of the university's administration.
Increasingly, SG has aligned itself with the
policies originating in the Osborne Building while growing
more insensitive to the needs and interests of the students that
it supposedly represents. SG President Glenn German's decision
to commit the student body to a $100,000 contribution to
the vniversity's Summit Fund symbolizes the final abandonment
of even the pretense of independent, representative student
government at USC.
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the administration and a necessary response to declining support
for the i niversity within the legislature, Mr. German's
proposal is fundamentally flawed. He has acted outside the
scope of his authority, severely compromised the relationship
between the students and the university and introduced a
divisive and unnecessary source of controversy to university
life.
Mr. German can point to no explicit or reasonably implied
authority to initiate this project, which is termed Student
Government's most important of the year. This places it well
ahead of controlling tuition costs or the issues mentioned
by the SG president in his recent campaign. The Student
Senate never voted on the proposal, nor were any of its committees
properly empowered to do so. No resolution, motion
or report was ever approved for action on this subject.
Its creation is the result of unilateralaction by the president,
taken without the approval of the senate or the student body.
It is a raw, unconstitutional usurpation of legislative power
taken while neither the senate not the campus court is capable
of doing anything about it. It could be an impeachable offense
and would be were not the final action on any such proposal to
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uii ricsiuciu noiucnnan s uesK.i ne action violates
Art. 2, Sect. 2 (1) and Art. 3, Sect 1 of the SG Constitution.
The $100,000 proposal severely compromises the relationship
between USC and its students. 11 possesses at least the appearance
of bribery and extortion. It is possible that soon
students and student organizations will be measured by the
tribute they lay at the administration's feet. Influence, prestige
and access to university resources may come at a price that
many individuals and clubs will be unable or unwilling to pay.
Inevitably, lists will be kept and used while the definition of
charity is awarded a new meaning. How voluntary can any
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Government that controls the funding and licensure of student
organizations and the contribution goes to an administrative
fund drive originated by the university's most
powerful officials, who control Student Government and the
entire university?
While I am sure that Mr. German acts from purely selfless
motives in this decision, it is impossible to ignore the terrific
personal advantages that will accrue to him when this enormous
amount of money is delivered to the administration. I
would be foolish, however, to believe that this single payment
will nprmanpnilv incur* nnn^inlli ~e 1? ?i ?
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toward Student Government or the student body at large. It is
quite probable that next year will demand an even bigger
-contribution.
As the amounts grow and USC's reliance uoon them in
creases proportionally, the probability that SG will have any
discretion in deciding to organize a fund drive will decline.
Likewise, as greater and greater amounts of money need to be
raised, the voluntary nature of the contributions is liable to
become increasingly compromised. Eventually, the Summit
Fund trick or treater will probably show up with a machine
gun and a tractor trailer.
M* IS^S
981Pjj^ j^ ^ TFr^nS'??!?' vv ?iljai
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ters
lent, student says
The university claims but two types of student organizations.
The largest group is neither Organized for or capable of
ceneratinc sienifirant rharitahlf* rnntrihntir*r?c fnllprtino
dues from hard pressed members to pay SG's mounting
revenue requirements and pay their ordinary expenses exhausts
their capacity to generate funds. Unable to pay the
costs of remaining in good standing with the university, they
will be forced to take the risks of not doing so. How great
those risks are will only be known when decisions on funding,
allocating space and block seating for athletic events are (
made.
The second, much smaller group, is composed primarily of
..ais.i Uinta tinu M)iuiiuci wno raise cnaruy money lor public
relations reasons. Most of these organizations are already
committed to a full schedule of charity events to benefit
retarded children, medical research or other charities. Faced
with this new, possibly necessary alternative, it is possible that
the children and other charities will go begging while interests
closer to home are serviced. Who is prepared to assert that this
fund is more important than cancer research or the needs of
v crippled children? With the administration and SG backing
the Summit Fund, 1 do not envy the position of the Heart
Association or March of Dimes. The greeks, perhaps the LSC
organization most susceptible to univeristy pressure, will be
force to make very difficult decisions. Who could blame them
for deciding to preserve their own interests? 11 would be the rational
decision.
This fund drive will divide the campus. Friction among student
organizations orginating in the funding process will creep
deeper as organizations that are able to raise the money incur
the suspicion and distrust of those who cannot or will not.
Every universitv decision will bp taintpH hv fo^r ?Wa? tho
major consideration is recorded somewhere in a Summit Fund
ledger book. The drive will become a referendum on both SG
and the administration with embarrassing results, no matter
what the outcome. The final result will be a USC more interested
in money and less interested in education than the one
that exists now. This $100,000, a mere drop in the Summit
Fund bucket, will be torrent enough to drown some of what
made USC great in the past.
William Hamilton
Third Year Law Student
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