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Negligen I ISC. hnnnrc w W f IWIIl/l U too little, thr Monday was a historical first ? the nation honored slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. with a national holiday, one of the highest honors America can offer. But most students at USC observed this historical first by sitting in classes and collecting syllabi because USC officials obviously didn't deem the first national holiday named for a Diick man important enough to c\*se the campus. Yet it was here, in the South, where Martin Luther King Jr. tried to right the racial injustices of the nation. It was also in the South where he was arrested time and time again for what he believed in. And, it was here in the South where he was assassinated because somebody didn't agree with his dream. All over the nation King's birthday was honored with speeches and parades. Many states, Georgia, for example, floCpH Hnvun Iinivprcifior TT .1 wuirvi J111V3 ailU other public schools. The federal government even felt the event was important enough to close post offices for the day. USC, on the other hand, Duncan's d Quick, ome In response to a flood of calls and letters ? two, to be exact, if " VOIl don't rnnnl y ~ ? ?V.t V vvuill kliv Tt 1 V/l>5 ' number who thought this was Andy's Deli ? here are some more USCniglets, those words that don't exist around our campus but should. These are inspired, as I said before, by Rich Hall and the good folks from HBO's "Not Necessarily the News." If you think of any we haven't included, please send them in. They'll come in handy on those increasingly frequent zerolumnar days. larsonate: to show a friend or acquaintance a "Far Side" cartoon you thought wildly funny, only to have them blink and look at von utranoplv liquordate: to remove all traces of alcoholic beverages from your dorm room before your parents, who were in Columbia for a funeral and decided to drop in for a visit, make it upstairs from the lobby. rnishole: to enroll in the wrong class because you didn't fill in the correct little ovals on the application form. Morlock whimsy: the odd puffs of smoke that seep from manhole covers in the Gibbes Green area. nonotice: a publicity flier that stays on the wall for weeks or months after the advertised event has come and gone. numble: to awaken at 7:50 a.m., decide that any chance of making your 8 a.m. class is shot anyway, and go back to sleep confident that it's not your fault and that you did the best you could given the circumstances. omegadrag: the last pull on your cigarette in the hallway before you crush it out and wearily follow your professor into the classroom. opustilarian: one who picks up The Gamecock only to read "Bloom County" and then casts it aside. (Adj.: opustilary) The Gamecock needs your < press your likes and dislikes by ter to the editor. Letters must betyped, double a maximum length of 300 word include the writer's name, addre number and where the writer c? for verification. Letters should also include writer is a student, staff or member. Guest editorials must t King's birthday ee days too late brought guest speaker Yolanda King, the daughter of the slain civil rights leader, to the Russell House ballroom last night, but this gathering was three days too late ? Thursday was not King's birthday, it was not the national holiday noting his birthday, it was not even the day he was assassinated. Since USC's purpose is supposedly to better the Carolina Community, isn't it ironic that they cannot devote even one day to recognize a man who spent his entire life trying to better the lives of others? If the university can close the campus for labor, a holiday which isn't half as important as King's birthday, they should be able to do the same for this new holiday - a holi day that celebrates peace and the dream of equality, not only of the races but of the sexes and religions as well. But maybe closing down campus and cancelling classes was too much to ask of a university located in the capital of one of ten states that looked the other way on this notable occasion and neglected to declare King's birthday a state holiday. lictionary: I i yuuragi Wk ' :"tt -*w mBt "W*. Andy Duncan oreganate: to bite down on a clot of undissolved spices hidden within a food item at the Russell House Cafeteria, causing the taste to remain in your mouth for days. permuscub: the indestructible bit of computerized price tag that remains on every book purchased at the University Bookstore and can't be removed without rnuiuaung tne cover. pizziot: a patron who stands in line 20 minutes at the Gamecock snack bar for a turkey melt, only to have the cashier say, "Sorry, this line is for Wild Pizza only." puster: the poster you hate but can't do anything about because your roommate hung it up on his side of the dorm room. raptoon: the universally despised classmate who hangs on every word of the lecture, interjects his own comments throughout class and hangs around afterward to shoot the breeze with the professor. zerolumnar: of or pertaining to a Gamecock column written when the author had absolutely run out of original ideas. r TV",? i ' opinions. Ex- 500 words and th writing a let- ture. Photos cam The Gamecock -spaced, with letters a month 1 Is. They must will only be witl :ss, telephone and pseudonyms in be reached The Gamecock letters and guest e whether the returned. Send community Gamecock, Draw be limited to umbia, S.C. 2920 View f4 .V. ?, ,1. (Mi Letters to Bookstore rule: 'blatant sexism' To the editor: The USC campus bookstore has recently implemented a new policy that requires all patrons to leave shoulderbags in the lockers provided at the store entrances. The definition of a "shoulderbag" appears to depend, however, on whether or not the customer is male or female. This is a blatant case of sexism. In recent weeks I, a male USC student, have entered this establishment and been "requested" to leave my bag at the entrap, numerous female customers have walked by me with their "purses" securely on their shoulders. Mv shonlderhao rnntainc m?/ personal effects such as contact lenses, eyeglasses, wallet and comb and is functionally equivalent to our society's definition of a purse. Why, then, should I be required to leave my personal effects at the entrance when any female entering the store with a "purse" larger or smaller than my "shoulderbag" goes unnoticed. Are my personal belongings any less important to me than a woman's? Am I more likely to smuggle merchandise out of the bookstore because I am male? I find these insinuations personally insulting. If this university wishes to reflect its professed high standards of racial and sexual equality it had better start cleaning up its own backyard. Until that happens, I will be taking my business elsewhere. Gary Brewer Anthropology, graduate student Hospital thanks Student Senate To the editor: This letter is written to express my deep gratitude toward the Student Senate. This body, for the third consecutive year, took time out from their daily activities and provided a Christmas party for the patients at G. Werber Bryan Psychiatric le writer may submit a pic- s lot be returned. will print no more than two >y the same writer. Names hiheld by special exception are not allowed. - reserves the right to edit ditorials. Letters will not be letters to: Editor, The cr A, Russell House, Col8. point MECOCKhhmhhb the editor Hospital. Through conversation and dance, the senators filled a void in the lives of people who were confined to the hospital during this most holy and joyous season. Words cannot express how grateful the staff and patients were for their efforts. We shall long remember their generosity. The student body of USC should take pride in their selection of this caring group of senators, for they have ventured beyond the realm of campus nnlitirc anH fn1fill??H ?> rw....Vw M..v? i uii invu m tuililllllment to serve needy persons. My own pride in them is immeasurable. 1 would hope that nr Uw<?Mtir?'lJSC fon^y'WoukUjoin me in saluting th^b(4<gt $?nAiflu for a job well done. James Starnes Director of Volunteer Services Abortion letter seiisauunaiism I would like to introduce to Mr. Zilinsky the topic of rational argument, because it is certainly not evident in his Jan. 20 letter he is acquainted with this novel feature of the human mind. It may be recalled by the careful reader that Mr. Zilinsky addressed the controversial subject of abortion, a subiect on which I hold no opinion. I thought perhaps Mr. Zilinsky could enlighten me on the subject with some tremendous new insight, but the only question he raised in my mind was, "How is he getting through law school without rational thought?" It may also be recalled by the careful reader that Mr. Zilinsky relied heavily on sensationalism. He used such phrases as "rip the child to shreds." The only sound premise on which he bases his argument is the fetus is "uncontestably alive". If Mr. Zilinsky is indeed against killing beings that are uncontestably alive, I must congratulate him on his devotion to vegetarianism, for cows arp aitn uncontestably alive. I wonder if Mr. Zilinsky wishes all persons to be vegetarians in light of this fact? What I would like to know is what philosophical argument Mr. Zilinsky uses to justify his opinions. I arn sure it must be a beautiful argument for Mr. ZilinEditor in Chief Marisa J. Porto Managing Editor Gregg Lasky I Copy I>esk Chief Linda Taylor Assistant Copy Desk Chief Buddy Moore News Editor Juliet Nader Assistant News Editors Cart Dawson Bob Kudelka ?KpJ^T Thfc Re(rigerf is coming* sky to believe all people should believe as he does. To my knowledge, both of the major philosophical schools I have seen used in arguments about abortion support it. It is certainly utilitarian to be able to dispose of, excuse me, I mean slaughter, unwanted fetuses; most Kantians hold that a fetus is not a person with full moral rights and therefore has no right to life. There are many complexities to these arguments, and it is not my purpose to discuss them here. I can only say that among these schools of thought the arguments for abortion seem to win out over . U ? U1L dlgUllKMUS dgdlllSl. _z1* -Jt # _ " " Paul Cooley Undergraduate, psychology President Ronald Reagan w*. m sui too costly, endangers lives To the editor: During most of last semester the local College Republicans were rallying on the pages of The Gamecock to support President Reagan's Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI). On Nov. 4, I responded to Ms. Janice Kraft's letter of Oct. 28, and I offered sobering statistics that proved SDI would not work as it has been conceived by its designers and proponents. I also pointed out that climatological studies have indicated that there is a high probability of a global ecological disaster that would accompany the failure of such an antiballistic missile defense system. Ms. Kraft and all other SDI supporters have Business Editor Maria Fratus Viewpoint Editor Lynn Cusick Spotlight Editor Mary Jo Miller Assistant Spotlight Editor Ed Chambliss Sports Editor John Boyette Assistant Sports Editor Jeff Shrewsbury * Friday, January 24, 1986 itpr> failed to respond to these points. Frankly, I was not surprised because the Reagan administration has tried to ignore these same facts and statistics that have been drawn from their own statements and reports. Ms. Kraft argued in a Dec. 6 _ v letter that SDI would protect us w from thermonuclear terroristic attacks by nations such as Libya. Apparently she does not realize that missiles are not necessary to deliver nuclear warheads; terrorists have done some of their 'best' work in trucks. In short, SDI will not protect us from nuclear terrorism either. In another letter by Mr. Donald Weaver on Dec. 9, SDI was defended as "a hope that will make nuclear war a distant memory." A recent feature article in Scientific American magazine explained that it will be impossible to develop an effective computerized command and control system for the SDI network of defenses. Unfortunately, the local College Republicans, like the president himself, remain intoxicated ^ by charismatic dreams of salvation from the current nuclear threat. Their continued support for SDI requires them to don the armor of invincible ignorance in oraer 10 neglect the sobering facts. President Reagan's military programs have doubled the national debt during his tenure in office. The projected costs of the SDI system is at least a trillion dollars. Therefore, if he is suecessful in implementing SDI, he will assure that his successor triples the debt if he does not do so himself. Such a program of irresponsible military spending coupled with the erosion of domestic programs is leading the uuiiuii mio an impending economic crisis, and all for the sake of a destabilizing illusion of strategic security. I believe that I have a solution to the SDI question and another problem of serious concern. Last ^ year's news media was full of reports about espionage and national security leaks. All documents requiring secrecy and all plans for SDI should be filed with the Nixon White House tapes; then we could feel secure that they would never be seen or heard of again. 1 VII) JdWIVdVJll Geography Teaching and Research assistant Photography Editor I Ray Gronberg Assistant Photography Editor j Sean Kee/er ; Adviser Bill Rogers Director Bill Clements Production Lewis Covington Mark Armstrong ^ Advertising Manager ^ Margaret Michels 1