The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 23, 1987, Page 6, Image 6
Viewpoint
6 Friday, January 23, 1987
Enough!
Student Government begins effon
to stop potential tuition increase
How much longer must USC students be scapegoats fc
this school's financial woes? Tuition has been raised fc
the past three years, and now wc are one of the most e>
pensive state schools in the Southeast.
The state Budget and Control Board has announced tha
USC would recieve a cut in full-formula funding in addi
a 1 r * ? ?1 1. . r ~ 1 1
lion 10 ii z..v) pcuciu Liu tuicctuy uikcii iiuiii uui uuugci
The funding cuts will cost USC more than $16 million the
will have to be made up by students. This is money we car
not afford to lose.
The state Department of Education, as a whole, expect
to lose $24.5 million this year. This is deplorable. Certair
ly, the state could find some way to spare the departmer
such an incredible loss. In the recent gubernatorial rac<
both candidates stressed the importance of education;
was their main platform. If the Budget and Control Boar
gets their budget cut, those campaign sentiments shall ha\
been in vain.
USC President James Holderman has said the universit
will probably not raise tuition again, despite th
devastating cut in money. But can we believe an ac
ministration that continually raises tuition? With the pr<
sent situation a tuition increase seems the most like!
possibility and we will be the victims.
It is time to stand up to the state, and to the university
and make sure a tuition increase does not occur. To d
this, Student Government has written a letter to be sent t
students, to be signed and sent to their legislator. Studei
Government has invested an incredible amount of time an
money in this effort to let those concerned know enough
enough.
Now is the perfect time for the students to become 01
solid, vociferous entity to oppose this possible increase.
Education should be of the highest priority to this stat
A strong system of higher education attracts industr
creates much-needed employment, and brings a certa
level of prestige. Blatantly cutting education revenues w
only further cripple the state and keep it from achieving tl
level of success it needs to prosper. The students will su
fer, their parents will suffer and the state as a whole w
suffer.
The state will spend more money this year on prisoi
than on higher education. This is ludicrous. Who's mo
important? Students or prisoners? USC must recieve tl
money it needs and it must be able to count on the state
leaders.
Also, if we allow tuition increases to be continual
heaped upon us, we will soon be priced out of a collej
education. USC is a state institution that is supposed l
serve the state, but if students are forced to go to other cc
leges out of state, or are forced out of an education, tl
state will suffer consequences as severe as those imposed t
any fiscal imbroglio.
Student Government deserves our full cooperation
this matter for the sake of the school and the state. If v
fail to do so we will have only ourselves to blame if tuitic
is increased in fiscal year 1987-88. The students are tl
most important nan of this university. If no one el
prevents another tuition increase, then it is the studen
who must take a stand tor themselves and make it knov
we will not be the ones who pay the next time around.
USC's Student Government deserves our sincerest coi
pliments on this worthwhile effort. They also need our he
to make sure the state Legislature hears our grievance ai
acts accordingly.
It's not too late to help. Before the budget pass
through the legislature it must pass a number of vario
committees. Meanwhile, students and faculty alike, ha
time to get together to persuade the legislature not to a
prove this budget cut.
fn the* cHifnr
, ? ? ~
Drugs making Morris wealthy
l o the editor: reads, "Mercury Morris is
USC's community reputation hostage in the state's intellige
as a center of perversion is well war on drug smugglers."
deserved, and continues with the The above is soothing for
1 recent publications on Mercury many drug users at USC. N
Morris, convicted drug cury Morris is not the first
trafficker. criminal to get wealthy from
T he large, encased bulletin lecture circuit. On analysis, m
board on the second floor of the of these people do not exp
Russell House, which is full of remorse for their crimes, c
Morris literature, should have remorse that they were convic
emphasized the evik of driUK Thf? Mrvrrk litprnl i ir#? cmnliac
I but the reverse is true. One displeasure with the laws that
headline reads, "The Railroading him behind bars.
of Mercury Morris" (poor baby,
a wheeler and dealer of a killer
substance given or sold to Robert F. Harre
children needs sympathy). I he community mem
first paragiaph ol another article 1986 gradi
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It y a. i vv u
Tell us what's on your mind. l etters must 1 here is a limit
be typed, double-spaced and no more than the same writer.
250 words. Include name, address and We reserve the
telephone number for verification. Names on outdated top
will not be withheld. Guest editorials are topics.
limited to 5(H) words. Indicate whether you Write to:
are a student, USC staff member, or com- Ciamecock, l)ra\
munity member in letters and editorials. Columbia, S.C.
3 IN THE GULAG
" BEFORE GORBACHEV
ie
y Fuprvhnrlv npprls a frier
ill
1C I arrived at Thornwcll Dormitory (it was a
f* dormitory back then, they've since turned it
ill into a residence hall) that first day of school,
loaded my stuff into the room and met my StenhPTl
roommate, Dave. " jj
_c It was my first day of college, and I was Ollilfovle
worried the rest of the guys would be jerks, or vJUllluyiC
le God forbid, might think I was a jerk. My
's worries were to cease though, when 1 met l
Jimmy. ... ....
}y Dave and 1 went down the hall after we ate ___
dinner, because we thought the music coming
from the room at the end of the hall might freshmen?"
mean a fellow resident. We were smart as Our nodding confiri
'1~ whips. his civil and moral d
le J knocked loudly on the door and when it "Grab a brew.
>y opened we saw a guy. He wasn't fat, he "I don't drink," I s
wasn't skinny. He looked neither tall nor If I saw today the lo?
j short. He might have appeared totally nor- night, I would know to
mal, except he had a beer "hugger" surgically three years. An idea w
vc attached to his hand. "You will when I'
>n Before we could say a word, he rushed us Heavily."
ie into the room and told us to "take a load He started his temp
sc off." He turned down the music and asked us and it continued. For
our names, then said his name was Jimmy, with beer. He used a
but to call him Butch. emotional and logical
* n 1 asked if it were a childhood nickname. tation job even Satan
He said no, that his friends called him It took him a while
Tl- Butch because he reminded them of not a heavy drinkei
>lp "masculine women." alcoholics who say the
[lcj One of those friends was in the room, and The drinking was ji
wc were told his name was Ken. but to call Thanks to limmv.
him Fetus. hard, I've made sai
cs Jimmy continued on, "You guys drivers look like Bapt
US
" Moral crisis raises stat
: The United States is in the middle of an ?? ???????
agonizing struggle of a liability insurance
crisis. The crisis has grown in the past few |
years with devastating increases in premiums
and declining coverage. VJJtJl0St
The crisis touches almost everyone: I . . ^
motorists (private car owners and taxi cabs), C^QltOIMclI
doctors, nurses, midwives, day care centers
one and many others. Just a few weeks ago a large gy Mahmoud
? - - Un?- r a vi U /Iritmrr in v~\l i t m Uio n/nnt
I ICC ll uiliuvi ui iaai tau uuvwia in vwiumiuiu wvih n ?
on strike protesting the exaggerated increase oaiem
the in their insurance premiums. Their liability in- L????????
1er- surance increased from about $1,200 to at
cx- least $3,000. The taxi drivers' protests that did damage to mt
the resulted in getting an out-of-state insurance have to suffer by pa
any company to cover the Columbia drivers for a premium because ther
ress more reasonable amount of money. drivers?
>nly One of the things that gave Gov. Carroll After Campbell settl
ted. Campbell the edge over his Democratic oppo- ly hope he lives up to
i/es nent Mike Daniel was Campbell's vow to help the insurance compani
put decrease the insurance premiums for good might be a good idea i
drivers. I have been driving in South Carolina follow the example of
for almost five years without a single traffic on strike until they ar
violation. The only time 1 filed a claim with While many blame t
. _ I ? r _ _ i 1. I .
ison my auio insurance company was a coupie ui ior neuig greeuy anu si
her, years ago when parts of South Carolina, in- there is another side
ia(e, eluding Columbia, were hit by a hail storm surance crisis is an ent
11 The Gamecc
Hdilor in Chief Assistant News 1-xJltors
i of two letters per month by Roni tteu Kayne Sherri Berry
rvmnsiKin^ r.auor urtrnuu uiyifi
right to stop printing letters Am? DelPo Viewpoint Editor
. , r C opy Desk Chief Ha Millard
lies o make room for new v\ :lf , . .. .....
Stephen Guilfoyle Money Editor
Assistant Copy Candy Barr
Viewpoint Editor, The Desk Chief Feature* Editor
ver A, Russell House, USC, Mona Peloquin Tamara Willis
29208. News flditor Assistant Features Kdllor
Paula Wethington Patrick Jean
... i > ii 11 ?i m mm ' ii i
t
in tbegwao
aftergdrwichev'
id like my buddy Butch ,
Thanks to Jimmy, and all the gals he put on
his wall, and a meager portion of his vast
r * 'p magazine collection, my naivete' about
uwomen quickly vanished. I may still be naive
1 ^ w y with them, but I've seen it all, or most of it.
i k * -'-j At 1r?nct thp onnH nartt
r. ... .
| Thanks to Jimmy and his love of sports, 1
1 no longer vomit when someone wants to talk
sports, and I am finally starting to learn the
j rules of football and basketball.
' Thanks to Jimmy, I learned the fine art of
the insult, though I have yet to attain his
mastery of it.
ned in his mind it was He taught me these and many other things
luty to get us drunk, like them, most of them seemingly negative.
But I came to USC three years ago a
aid. withdrawn, uptight kid, who barely had any
ok Jimmy gave me that friends. And as strange as it may sound, it
run and hide for about freed me to be able to cuss and to be cussed
as forming in his head, at, to insult and be insulted, to joke and be
m through with you. joked about.
My parents are a bit upset their studious ^
tation that very night, son has come back from school not just a col- w
a i;nor mp Innn ctiiHont Knt o cmorfocc r?/-vl lonn ctn^nnt
U JTVC4I) I IV ivuipivu lilt JUIU^lll , UUI U 3111(41 UIOJ Jl UUV.IH .
,11 his guile and wiles, They've learned to live with it, though,
appeals, doing a temp- because they know I know what I want, and
would envy. this wisecracker I've become is just the kind
, but 1 drink now. I'm of guy who'll get it. And Jimmy made me this
-, but I know many way, by example (a shining example) and deed
; same. and temptation.
ist the beginning. Everybody needs a friend like my buddy
I cuss so much and so Jimmy. He's the most exasperating son of a
ilors blush and truck bitch ever born, and he's the best friend a guy
ist preachers. could have.
r's insurance nrnmium
everyone blaming someone else. Some people
j blame lawyers who collect large fees when
their clients win. Some blame the courts that
make it too easy to win outrageously expenJF
A sive awards. Some blame activist judges who
^ embrace broader theories of strict liability.
Beyond these questions of fault lies a large
issue. It is, above all, a moral crisis. People
too often have no responsibility for their actions.
For example, a driver after getting
[ drunk at a night club runs a stop light, caus
jno f()f> rlc:ilh nf it n#?rlf?ctri?n Ic fhr> nrvirl<*n?
the fault of the bartender who served the A
my cars. Why should I drinks, or the establishment where the driver ^
ying a high insurance drinks, or is society somehow responsible for
e are so many reckless permitting and licensing drinking? Is it the
fault of the drunk driver? I am personally in
es in office, we certain- favor of the last suggestion.
his election promise. If It is the breakdown of moral responsibility
ies do not cooperate, it that is the root of the liability crisis. Explainf
the South Carolinians ing why liability insurance premiums in
the taxi drivers and go general have gone up, an insurance salesman
e listened to. said: "There are those good honest people
he insurance companies who make money the old- fashioned way ?
eeking too much profit, by hAKNINU it, and then there are those
to this issue. The in- who make money the new-fashioned way ?
angled web with almost by SUING!!
?ck I ;
Sports Editor llatebook Kdltor Director of Student Media ]
Jeff Shrewsbury Katherine Gilbert Hill Clements
Aiitiislanl ^tinrlk I'HItnr flrnnhlra Production
Wayne Washington Robb Lane C. L. Norris .
Photography Kdltor Comics Kdltor S. Ha
Jennifer Hteib Tracy Mixson Advertising Manager >
Assistant Photography Kdltor Adviser Margaret Michels J
Thomas Humphrey Bill Rogers Assistant Advertising Manager i
Jan Hodges J
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