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Viewpoint ? 7. ^ Monday, November 17, 1986 ->rif ? r ' ~ i mi i H B niw . ^ ^ /X ' ? I K. ? - - - - Rock-a-bye-bye Last home game lacked crowd spirit because of ban placed on the band Students were told not to sway, and the band not to play, certain songs, that is. What most people wondered, though, was why. The Gamecock was told by administrators and engineers that the upper deck of Williams-Brice Stadium is perfectly safe, but students shouldn't bounce up and down on the deck because it makes other fans nervous. The lengths administrators went to to avoid swaying of the deck didn't do much more than lead students to suspect that the upper deck may really be dangerous. If the deck is truly safe, swaying should not be a cause for worry, and the band should be allowed to play what the students want. The students proved Saturday that they want "LouieLouie" and other rock songs that have been banned. During the Nebraska game the Carolina band played so enthusiastically that they inspired fans in the upper deck to Start hoopvinp Hlirino "I nilin-I r?llif? " Thp whnlp cor?tir\n ~ " ZD J O ? ? - - "o V*IW 4-/V/V41V. * ,,v " IIV/'V JWIIV" swayed noticeably, and since then the band has been told by administrators to tone down their music. They were finally even banned from playing anything with a rock beat at Saturday's game against Wake Forest. South Carolina state troopers were posted along the upper deck to check intentional swaying by fans. The swaying was a way for fans to show the Gamecocks their support through the close and unpredictable Nebraska game. The commotion was seen, heard and appreciated by the team. With Wake Forest being the last home game of the season, and resulting in the largest point spread, 48-21, it is a shame that students couldn't physically express their excitement in this victory with the help of the band. There was no excessive swaying in the upper deck, not even during the first half when the Gamecocks played so well. And finally, since the band couldn't play "LouieLouie," a portion of fans in the upper deck sang the song on their own. The administrators said "no swaying" because it makes other fans nervous and distracts them from enjoying the game. But having state troopers in the upper deck watching you during the entire game can be pretty distracting too. Should this worry really weigh so heavily in the decision to stifle the excitement of students who are so anxious to support their team? The situation should not have been handled so drastically, and it is surprising the crowd didn't react rebelliously and rock the area, causing mass arrests. Luckily for the administration, unnecessary arrests did not result. Should "the wave," another spirit-inspiring tool, be banned because it distracts from the game? After all, the Hailing arms may strike innocent bystanders. Certainly not. Or how about the boog-a-loo cheer, played by the band, during which the crowd makes quick movements with their hands and arms? Should it be banned for safety reasons? Might as well strap fans' arms to their sides so that they won't wave pom-poms and possibly poke a fellow fan in the eve The administrators may have a sound argument in trying to ease the worry of fans, but they should consider whether the fear is detrimental enough to arrest people. And students may wonder what will happen next year. Will Musak be the inspiration for safely calm, quiet fans? Maybe a compromise will be reached so that USC can have its spirited band back while not causing a major panic in the stands. But be confident that no matter how much Gamecock spirit is muffled, fans will find some way to support their Gamecocks. ^^^KjBWfr fliMffl^^Jw^KBWH^fr ifcvx^B Write us a letter Tell us what's on your mind. Letters must There is a limit of tv he typed, double-spaced and no more than the same writer. 250 words. Include name, address and We reserve the riuht telephone number for verification. Names on outdated topics t( will not be withheld. Ciuest editorials are topics. limited to 5(X) words. Indicate whether you Write to: View are a student, USC stall member, or com- Gamecock, Drawer A munity member in letters and editorials. Columbia, S.C. 292(W I f H h J ^ / D Changing the Hi I write this letter with slight ambivalence because it puts our so-called Homecoming Queen Kim Mangum in a position that may seemingly take away from the good person I hope she is, but other factors override any sympathy I have for the position Mangum has been put in. All five finalists for Homecoming queen were excellent. The purpose for the initial selection process is to ensure a certain kind of Homecoming queen, a Homecoming queen that has excellent academic standing, a great degree of campus involvement and integrity. The selection committee did a good job in that specific area, but annarentlv tliev didn't feci like it was good enough. The other part of the selection process seems to ensure a certain color of Homecoming queen. They illegally put in a formula that was unknown to Student Government, or the students, which took away the power of the students to ultimately decide which of the five qualified finalists would receive the title. Tracey Wat kins, you know her, she was the black finalist who received the majority of the vote, is not our Homecoming queen. This provision, in my opinion, was put in to decide the chances of a black winning. What other reason could there be? Last year, we had a Letters to the U #1 V O rt 41 n tuart Ari-j Ol Cilia upoci i^oild n, with ticket price must thin! To the editor: from a d We were shocked when told But then a that our 3-year-old would need a the heck, full-price ticket to attend the is totally ( Wake f orest game. It woul< Please inform the Gamecocks at someon that they missed an opportunity it fair to tl to have at least one appreciative the bill? Is spectator, in spite of their season. perienc< He would have thought they were something ?reat. And. after all. one of the if rh<? Huh rewards ball players receive is the you will adoration of kids who might one suspicious day follow in their footsteps. the t o I At least it used to be, until the l-8(X)-222kids were priced out of the will be ma stadium. will be chs people car Nichard Bird and tell tl Graduate student, English number b< 840. (A S Student angered assigned I with STAN bill rJSS After tli To the editor: a solutio Have you looked at your Maybe mc telephone bill lately? Was it really ed. In ad yours? Many people have gotten asking foi their bills and noticed that not all she shou of the calls were theirs. My bill social sec tor example consisted ot calls to placing th places like New York, Los be assure Angeles, and Stuttgart, Ariz. I do holder of not even know anyone in Stut- and soci [The ( Kditor in Chief vo letters per month by Linda Taylor Manning Kditor to stop printing letters John Boyeile > make room for new ,)e** ( f!'ef . Stephen (tuilfoyle Assistant Copy point Editor, The Desk Chief , Russell Mouse, USC, Wendy Eden i. News Kditor Muddy Moore I AN L> PLAYS THE LOW /^frr ' r ^ r^ ^ ~r. <-\ ^ ( f- . ^ * yx-w~- r ^ f r1 ameooming proce By Kerry Pearson black Homccoming queen and I was there when many of the white people displayed blatant racism. For some neonle. it mav havn been the reverse situation this year. Blacks and whites involved in racism are wrong, just like changing the method of the selection process of Homecoming queen is wrong, in a way that puts any black candidate at a distinct disadvantage to a white candidate because subjectivity increases dramatically. It is also wrong to lead the students to think that they have the last say when they do not. It is difficult enough to elect a black person to anything on this campus, but when we start - editor furthermore, if I did should coincide. Us Dt be foolish enough to system, they can easi 79 minutes in broad down a person using tl would I? Some neonle STAN numher With tl k that they arc calling number and matchin oggone "watts line." security number, you wi gain, they think "what guaranteed that all the I'm not paying." This yours. If this has hap mtragcous! you, don't get "hung-i J be nice to make calls long distance call that le else's expense, but is yours. le ones who have to pay Jo, and if you have ex- Val id this situation Freshman, politic can be done about it. t procedures are taken, Dofirldl" fllfif not be billed for the ntSdUtSI I III II iabout graffi ujiju, an investigation de, and the guilty dialer To the editor: trged. It is a shame that One morning, as I wa 1 just pick up the phone to my first class, 1 obs ie operator any STAN statement "Nuclear M iginning with the prefix Close" chalked on every TAN number is a sup- walkway 1 passed. Th secret I.D. number noon I was so infuriatei :o a person to record friends and 1 told a ^-distance phone calls policewoman to shoot billing). anyone with chalk in hi lis last bill, I thought of let my anger die down n to this problem. that most of the graft >re information is need- wash away during the i dition to the operator Wednesday morning 1 w r your s i /\in numoers iu:iu class ana opene< Id also request your Gamecock that some sti :urity number. While left on the floor. The fi c call, the operator can noted was a picture of a d that it is the true "Nuclear War How CI that STAN number if it the caption "An unkn< ial security number fiti artist makes student jamecock Assistant News Kditors Spurt* Kdltor Amy DelPo Jeff Shrewsbury Maria / rams Assistant Sports Editor Viewpoint Kdltor Wayne Washington Juliet Nader Photography Kdltor Money Kdltor Jennifer Steib Wendy Eden Assistant Photography Kdltor Features Kdltor Thomas Humphrey Paula Wethington Assistant Feature* Kdltor Kathryn Jeffries / STRING CHEER , o r ^ rr> ^ ' ' ' r C C c. ^ '" '^r r r~ c? C ( ? C. 2. ? . ~ ' X ( V /~ r r y /J\ ss was wrnnn doing it. they change the method. The black students specifically, and the white students in general, on this campus should stop at nothing to reclaim the ultimate power of choosing our Homecoming queen. If the black and white students on this campus can't agree on this common premise, then we are as ) ignorant as the people who changed the selection process. Mangum came to an Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity meeting and she really impressed my fraternity brothers and many other people, I'm sure because she seemed to have so much integrity. Mangum should use her integrity and give up her Homecoming title. When an organization does wrong, the integrity of the individuals in the organization as well as the organization as a whole becomes suspect and every person involved (directly or indirectly) must not embrace that wronRncss. If Kim Mangum does not give up her undue.;. title of Homecoming queen then she, too, becomes suspect because she will be embracing wrongness. 1 wonder how much integrity this Homecoming queen really has. I wonder X how much integrity we all really have. Kerry Pearson is a senior in international studies. ing this the possiblity of nuclear war in ily track the future." The nerve of this ic wrong paper to print the work of some ic STAN scum that went around trashing g social my campus. I cannot tolerate the 11 also be fact that this paper has the calls arc audacity to promote this sort of pened to thing. Why not have a caption jp" with reading "Some criminal trashes arc not our campus, let's kill him." All this paper is doing by printing this picture is instigating that per- J" lerle Reid son to do it again. What will hapul science pen now? Someone will sec that his work was published in the ||jg "Trashcock" and do it again. f! David Armstrong " Freshman, criminal justice s walking Speaker causes erved the b 'waifancl disappointment tat after- y\ J that my To the editor: * i passing I am outraged. I have never felt on sight a deeper sense of utter disapis hand. I pointment, disappointment in the realizing university and our educational iti would foundation as a whole. When I nf?vt rain i ccmm raA ? r?:n?. ui.i>.uh.i vu i ii en rvcv. amy 'ent to my Graham would be the speaker at \ up The this December's graduation udent had ceremony my first thought was ? rst thing I What is Holderman trying to wall with prove? lose" and First, let me clarify for the own graf- benefit of the "Establishment" s aware of See "Letters," page 3 f > Staff Artist Director of Student Media Robb Lane Bill Clements Datebook Kdltor Production Bobby Jones Mark Armstrong \ , Kickoff Kdltor Lewis Covington . \ John Hoyette Advertising Manager Advisor Margaret Michels Bill Rogers Assistant Advertising Manager (Graduate Assistant Jan Hodges Margaret Renkl ' ^ I