The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 17, 1986, Page 2, Image 2
Viewpoint ?
7. ^ Monday, November 17, 1986
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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
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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.
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Write us a letter
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he typed, double-spaced and no more than the same writer.
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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
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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
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^ '" '^r r r~ c? C ( ? C.
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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