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Viewpoint 6 ^ Friday, February 20, 1987 GAMECOCK Pathetic More students should have gone to the SG tuition increase rally If full-formula funding is not granted to USC this year, who is to blame? If we have to pay more money in fees or tuition in the near future, who is to blame? Is it Holderman? No. Is it the state legislature? Partly. Is it the students? Definitely. On Wednesday, the students of USC were supposed to raise a ruckus about full-formula funding and a possible tuition increase. We were supposed to march in a great multitude and lay the gauntlet down in front of the legislators to show them our deep concern and our utter disgust at the mere mention that more money would be siphoned from our pockets. Instead, about 200 students had to do the work for over 20,000 students who had more 'important' things to do. There are obvious exceptions. Classes and jobs are more important than marching. Some people might not have known about the march. But for those who knew about it anu nau notmng worthwhile to do, there is absolutely no excuse. We needed you and you weren't there. The students who were there ? and they should be thanked ? tried very hard to compensate for the embarrassingly low numbers. They chanted, they hollered and they jeered at the system. They thought they mattered. They did. But it could have been so much more. This was a golden opportunity to show the legislators and the administration that the students of USC give a damn. It's obvious we don't give a hoot. The size of the group as seen on the television news was pathetic. It was more of a cluster than a crowd. Despite the exhortations of Rep. Tim Rogers, DRichland, outside on the State House steps, the legislators inside could have cared less about the whole episode. When students were invited into the State House balcony to view (he action down on the floor,the legislators barely noticed them. Rep. Rogers asked the students to stand to be recognized by the legislators. The lepklatnrc annian^i _ ^ u MJ/piWUUVU, then turned around and got back to the business at hand, which was leaning back in their chairs while the Speaker of the House rattled on in a monotonous Southern drawl, spouting inconsequential drivel. A day that, began with high hopes ended listlessly,and it's our fault. If there had been 1,500 people instead of 200 things might have been a little different. But we'll never know. It's obvious the legislators are not worried ? if they ever were ? about the big, bad USC students who wanted to wreck their insipid budget plans. Clearly, the stage is set for more money to be squeezed out of us in the future. In spite of the gloomy predictions, there is still some hope. Students have a chance to write to their representative or senator. Out-of-state students who would suffer greatly from a tuition increase can write to the governor or the lieutenant governor. Also, students may talk personally with their representative or senator if they feel a letter won't do the trick. If you care, you'll do something. If you don't care, don't gripe and moan when they raise tuition or fees, because it will bo vnnr fnnlt Vr?n u;nn'f .v?v..i. * WW VII i uuvv, lliv^ D ? 11 1.1 1 at" tion ot knowing you gave your best effort. Because you didn't give any. --- mm attwio TO HYLM UP THC RttfTY ^ ^ |(lj ' ;j 'j L !!?/! ?u* I ^ / 5 J g rnYU MOMS (W? * I Write" us a letter Tell us what's on your mind. Letters must There is a limit of tw be typed, double-spaced and no more than the same writer. 250 words. Include name, address and We reserve the right telephone number for verification. Names on outdated topics to will not be withheld. Guest editorials are topics. limited to 500 words. Indicate whether you Write to: Viewj: are a student, USC staff member, or com- Gamecock, Drawer A, munity member in letters and editorials. Columbia, S.C. 29208 l ^ TJl ^ fc'Y TTf Will the lasl Dr. Juinp. thp rl Well, 1 rcscued Dr. Juice, and being slightly disillusioned with column writing, I'm letting him write today's, and I might work up something important for Monday. But try not to die this time, Doc. Hello my friends, how do you do? I've come to talk to all of you. First I'll talk of (JSC. Pretty cool subject, don 7 you agree? We've made the news in a very big way, we're in it now almost every day. Across the state they are raising a clamor, the ethics committee has mentioned the slammer. Our prez has made both enemies and friends, his expense accounts are without ends. The board, it backs him, the pressure ne'er cracks him. The board won 7 drop him, the press can 7 stop him. Do we spank him or thank him ? Do vi't' hate him or portrait him ? Despite all the info the Prez has withheld, this Dr. Juice, he wishes him well. But let's hope this is all over soon, 'cause all this talk makes him look like a loon. / think now we should talk about tuition increases, they come all the time, they come without ceases. The students go to rallies, with all of their pal lies, but no one will harken, and our hopes they darken. But the students must learn that they have to yell, Letters to the Minimum wage btS r historical ( law is unfair amPic. i-0 Jimmy Cai To the editor: Study Co There is a distressing common- ihat, for ev tary concerning the minimum in the mi wage in the Friday, Feb. 13 edi- responding tion of The Gamecock. In the decrease ir commentary, the author manages During tl to affirm and deny the "validity" minimum of economic theory, and to sup- the unemp port discrimination by law. and black The author does acknowledge greatly, the fact that the minimum wage The aut causes higher unemployment in the minimi certain groups, especially blacks it is ? ur and teenagers, and that it hurts because it small business firms. Yet, the another ? commentary goes on to say the worker ov< minimum wage rate should be re- skilled wc tained and increased. Is the mines the author for sound or unsound dividual, social and economic policy? The negotiate i inherent dichotomy on this posi- himself an tion can best be illustrated by a governmer simple example. I hope I A business, at this time, cannot sider his p< hire a low-skilled worker whose abolition services are not worth more than, minimum sav. $2.<>0 an hour Cnnvfriiienr ly, a worker willing to provide services at a rate of $2.50 an hour cannot work. Why? Because the government says "all people Ppapc employed must receive wages of UCJOi S3.35 an hour." The business loses, in the form of less produc- IS 1101 tivity, because it can not profitably afford to hire as many To the edi workers as it would like. The Now th laborer loses because (A) instead election c< of having $2.50 an hour, he has more year no money at all, and (B) instead campaigni of gaining valuable experience, is not a | 11 The ( hdilor in Chief o letters per month by Koni Bea Kuyne Muhhk'hk Editor to stop printing letters Amy DelPo make room for new Assistant Copy joint Editor, The l>r<tk Chief Russell House, USC, Andy Bechiel News Kdltor Paula Wethington 4 t ; one out of Beimt plgagg^turn off 1theShij liyming hack, tel I ! Stephen Guilfoyle Dr. Juice raise some Coin, heck, raise some hell. Don'( let them screw us without a fight. Take on the boss, punch out his light! But it must be left up to you. Call up Houser and ask what to do. So now we move on to another topic, which one should I choose, which one do I pick? How 'bout, of all things, I discuss the pope, I'm going to meet him, I surely do hope. The pope is coming to visit us here, let's all be friendly, let's buy him a beer. We'll all throw down with the pontiff of Rome, give him some memories to take back home. Too bad he can't go cruisin' for dames, the chicks dig a cat who's got two names. That's the real meaning of the ecumenical year ? cool times, groov' tunes and drinking some beer. editor / idle time. the return of the milit sioned studies and Two weeks ago he in lata reinforce this ex- bill in the U.S. Senate r instance, President require a two year milii rter's Minimum Wage of essentially all hi mmission determined graduates (and those o ery 10 percent increase college would have to nimum wage, a cor- we graduate). He was l 1 to 2.5 percent defensive about his i teenage jobs results. week at a Midlands le 1950s, when the College "town meetin wage rate increased, ding to the February is loyment rates for white State, his reasoning is teenagers increased all-volunteer military American" and min hor should recognize represented in too Lim waue law for what nnmhcrc Tn mo . ifair. It discriminates, aspect of this whole i favors one group over Pentagon (and the c< the employed, skilled Republicans such as :r the unemployed, un- who almost everyone )rker. It also under- being far too hawkish < freedom of the in- do not even want a re because he can not draft because they ar i contract favorable to content with the curre d the employer, due to quality of U.S. forces, it interference. Anyway, if you wo the author will recon- write Sen. Rollings ^sition and support the your views on this mat of the discriminatory dress is the following: J wage law. F. Rollings; Senai Building; Washingt Tracey C. Green 20511. Accounting, junior (iarry itime draft Poli,ical ! f npprlprl ~ii hiji.. t ..ww?vu ivui can iviu r:sc?. Hoiiings' re- crazy terro impaign is over tor six s, he has been recently To the editor: ng for something that I wish to address yoi scrpetual compromise: cartoon that was print jramecoek . Assistant News Kditors Sports Kdltor Sherri Berry Jeff Shrewsbury Brendu Myth Assistant Sports Kdltor Viewpoint Editor Wayne Washington Ha! Millard Photography Kdltor money r.onor / nomas riumpnrey Candy Itarr Assistant Photography Kdlt< Kcutures Kditor Jennifer Steib Tumuru Willis Assistant Features Kdltor Patrick Jean I lis all students > And one last matter, that happened here before, I feel a sickness striking to my very core. Writing poetry for papers, it strikes me ill, and it never seems to be a simple chill. I've got (he shakes, my body it quakes. I think I am facing my end. Say, bro, will you be my friend? Now I'm sure that I am going to die, but don't feel sad, don't you cry. I'm just a fantasy, a character you see? I can always return if there's need of me. And to avoid the plot hole that first brought me back, I'll include a death certificate, written by a fellow hack. So, goodbye to all, I've got to go. Don't cry for me, don 7 you feel low. THUMP Doc? Doc? Damn it, not again. Wc just got rid of the smell from tlie last time. What's that note on his chcst? "I'm really not just merely dead, I'm really most sincerely dead." It must be his death certificate. I wonder if it's valid, because it rips off "The Wizard of Oz"? But, his death has helped me get over my disillusionment with column writing. Even though I'm constantly getting letters and being approached by jerks who say they think my column sucks, at least it hasn't killed me, so I must be doing something right. Yeah, that's the ticket. ary draft. Friday edition. It involved a car- A troduced a toon of a dollar bill with the that would words "In Allah Wc Trust" tary service printed across the top. As a gh school Muslim, this lack of respect and if us still in knowledge offends me. serve after First, believe it or not, there put on the are millions of Muslims in the view last world. Of these, only a fraction Technical of a percent are terrorists. It is g." Accor- the duty of the media to be in;sue of The formed in order to better inform, the current but nonetheless, you people peris "un- sist in blasting millions of people orities are for the actions of one. I have large of never, in all my years here in the nost ironic United States, seen a headline ssue is the that reads "Christian blows up jnservative McDonalds," yet every time a Reagan), Muslim commits a similar act his accuses of religion is the most prominent )n defense, fact in the story. turn to the I am a Muslim, and I have never e perfectly blown-up anyone or even connt size and sidercd it, yet, every time a terrorist act occurs, I am used as an uld like to outlet for people's frustrations, to express Islam is a religion of peace, and ter, his ad- most of us are very peaceful pcoien. Ernest pie. It is the duty of the media to ^ ic umcc explain this and to stop convincon D.C. ing people that we are a bunch of terrorist-fanatics who go around blowing-up everything in sight. Malphrus It's about time that the media >ophomore stop blaming Islam for the acts of a few and stop degrading Islam to people whose only source of inSHmS formation is the media. Kcally, . why didn't someone write "Funrists damentalist Christian sells out country" in relation to Reagan's part in the whole affair? i about the Shariffa Abdullah-Carlo ed in your English student Graphics Kditor Director of Student Media Robb l.ane Hill Clements Datebook Kditor Graduate Assistant Katherine Gilbert Mary Anne Itanich Comics Kditor Production Tracy Mixson Chuck Norris >r Wire Kditor Son Ha Gillian Smith Advertising Manager Adviser Margaret Michels Bill Rogers Assistant Advertising Manager Jan Hodges I