The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 28, 1984, Page Page 6, Image 6
Page 6 ? September 28, 1984 Opinion THE GAMECOCK I
More money needed
for desegregation
If USC seems less crowded than it used to, it's
only because it is. Carolina's enrollment has
decreased steadily over the past few years, in a
trend university officials attribute to raised admissions
and progressions standards. Fewer people
make it in and fewer people stay in.
The ^me officials say the higher standards have
resulted in a generally better overall academic
climate and quality of student. They have some
statistics ? mostly Scholastic Aptitude Tests ? to
point to, but whether acdemics have improved
noticably is a decision that's up to each faculty
member and student.
With the overall enrollment figures is another set
of figures: minority enrollment. USC's black
enrollment hasn't increased greatly since last year.
But the university is much closer to meeting its goal
mandated by the state's five-year plan for
desegregating state-supported colleges and universities.
Now Gov. Richard Riley and Fred Sheheen,
the chairman of the state Commission on Higher
Education, are chiding USC and the other schools
for not progressing more toward desegregation.
USC, by 1985, is to have an enrollment in which
blacks make up 16.2 percent the figure now stands
at 15.1 percent. That's much better than some
other schools, such as Clemson (6.1 percent goal;
4.6 percent now), The Citadel (12.5' 5.3) and Francis
Marion (20; 12.2). Riley and Sheheen should
ease up on USC.
The federal government has become more inirr\1?ri3/4
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segregation are said to remain. Georgia and North
Carolina are among them. More fedral intervention
could be avoided in South Carolina if the schools'
plans can be accelerated. But, as many school officials
have very correctly pointed out, too many
black families in South Carolina lack the financial
resources to send their children to the larger, traditionally
white institutions. They still often send
them instead to the traditionally black colleges,
which usually have more affordable tuitions and
expenses.
The federal government should send more
scholarship money targeted for minorities. But, of
course, the federal government seems to not like
helping college students of any race as of late.
That leaves the state government to help out.
Sheheen has been barking for more monev from
the Budget and Control board; maybe the board
and the legislature should send it in the form of
funds for more minority scholarships.
Opus returns
Surprisingly, we haven't gotten any letters on
the subject (no bomb threats, chain letters or
obscene phone calls, either). Bloom County will
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??Gamecock
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To the Editor:
This is in regard to the coverage of
Bobbi Rossi's death. I never knew
Bobbi, but I know that those who lost
her have lost a dear, caring, sweet
friend. 1 feel that the amount of
coverage in The Gamecock has not
been professional and has bordered on
sensationalism. Those who loved Bobbi
surely want to remember her as she
lived, not how she died. The constant
repetition and emphasis of her death
by The Gamecock are not attempts to
cover noteworthy news, but to run a
tragic topic into the ground.
My roommate writes for The
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cover memorial services for Bobbi
Rossi. The staff suggested she take
Writer rebuts
To the Editor:
1 must take task with Stenhen
Slimp's latest theocratic opus in The
Gamecock Sept. 24, 1984, not only
because he is my best friend, but
because he has again raised a serious
issue, and has again erred in his judgement.
The first two-thirds of his
editorial is not worthy of comment.
Slimp has adequately pointed out the
fallacies (if not hypocrises) of his and
Reagan's opponents. Though he is correct
here, the issue is rather trivial since
one can hardly expect Democrats to be
clearheaded. Unfortunately, one cannot
expect much better of
Republicans, and in the final third of
his letter, Slimp overrates Reagan's
perspicacity.
At this point, Slimp makes a fatal
slip. He states; "...while the state must
not subsidize any particular faith, it
cannot realistically operate without
religion." This assertion is never
verified (execpt ex cathedra, and Mr.
Slimp should know better than that),
anu is intuitively aosura. n a state is
defined as a political body of individuals,
and politics as a code of
mutually affirmed rules of social con
Reagan's defic
As President Ronald Reagan wildly sv
overhead, the menacing federal deficit d
smoke billowing from its money-hungry
But wait! Our gallant hero in his batte
stumbled, his weapon merely grazing the
piercing instead his own protective coat
Not to worry, our valiant knight heal
What caused our hero to fall? What
ERKAN EIABA56Y, PLEASE..."
Letters
issi's death 'unp
notes or a tape recorder, and ask the
mourners nresrnt "how thr?v f>*?l "
How else could they feel? I refuse to
believe that the minute a reporter
receives a press pass he ceases to be a
human being. To exploit the emotions
of Bobbi's friends at such a heartrending
time is wrong. It promotes the
reputation of reporters as being morally
void of human compassion and serv
nig suicy iu aiuaci reauers. /\s a student
newspaper The Gamecock should
be encouraging responsible journalism,
not emulating those
newspapers nationwide that exploit
human tragedy.
As a student of journalism, 1 am embarrassed
and angry at The
Gamecock's, coverage of my fellow
earlier church-s
duct, there is no reason why there
could not be a nnn-thei?;tir ctatp in
which every individual agrees to act as
a social agent, only without regard to a
superhuman reality. Not only is this a
possibility, but it is an ideal one, not
because 1 think it is ideal for people to
suppress their religious activity, but
because 1 think people should severely
limit their political activity.
And in case one would not worry
about making this small concession to
\ 4 _ p i: ? ?
ivu . .sump, one snouia rememoer some
possibilities that lurk in the shadows.
For example, in a previous letter to
The Gamecock, Dec. 5, 1983, Mr.
Slimp seems to have no hesitation in
affirming our blue laws because he
thinks, "Our political system, as defined
in the Constitution, springs from a
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a blatant misrepresentation. From
this, Mr. Slimp concluded that repeal
of blue laws constitutes sacrilege. But
the problem with Mr. Slimp's argument
is it imposes one interpretation of
Christianity on all, regardless of their
political or religious views. It subverts
both Christians (for example, Seventhdav
Adventittcl anrl non.rhr!ct;?n<
vr?? v/in laiiaiid.
Intercampus
it swnrH sfahs n
vings a shining sword. of Sir Reagan as he
ragon grins defiantly, pieces?
1 jowls.
red Teflon armor has
?lr?ath?om#? hpact anH Sir Reagan merelv
jng. force his fingers into ;
s quickly. 8've a piece of a<
impeded the progress
irofessional'
student's death, and I apologize to
those who may have been hurt by it.
Please do not judge all of us because of
this, there are still many of us who
care.
Teoti Anderson
Journalism sophomore
Editor's note: Within the past week,
The Gamecock has attempted to provide
sensitive yet complete coverage of
these shocking circumstances. At no
point in time was a reporter instructed
to bring a tape recorder to a memorial
service, and no photographers took |
any pictures during the services. We
simply fulfilled the basic premise of
journalism: we covered the story.
;tate letter
One could carry Mr. Slimp's argument
to extreme and say that it is sacrilege to
allow atheists freedom from capital
punishment; of course, Mr. Slimp
would not promote this view, but the
moral oasc is identical.
As an avowed Christian, Mr. Slimp
should also know better than to make
any such political claims, for as St.
Paul says, "For we know that the
whole creation groaneth and travaileth
in pain together until now." And St.
John says, "For all that is in this world
is not of the Father, and the whole
world lieth in wickedness." The less
political institutions say about
religion, the less power they will have
(which is always gratifying), and the
less religion is likely to be corrupted.
The church, that is organized religion,
has proved to be almost universally
corrupt and corrupting in this world.
For the sake of both the political and
religious liberty of all people, one must
oppose any movement such as Mr.
Slimp makes so carelessly, as if it did
not possess great power to do great
evil.
Arthur L. Williams
Philosophy/religious studies senior
irad students
sought to chop the deficit dragon into
stumbled. Congress should right him,
a tight grip around his deficit sword and
Jvice: Next time, be more careful.
Indiana Daily Student
Indiana University