The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 01, 1988, Page 3, Image 3
Viewpoint
Monday, February 1, 1988 THE GAMECOCK 3
Visitation
Trustee's comments
lack of respect for si
To listen to state Rep. Michael Fair, R-Greenv
nf thf RnnrH r*f TriiQfppc vmi wmilH think rnllpop
pack of crazed, sex-starved beasts who can't live
of the opposite sex nearby without losing control
cience flies to the wind, compelling them to jumi
at the first chance. Clearly, Fair misunderstand
relationships and wants to make his moral code
In a letter to Board Chairman Othniel Wienges
1987, Fair mentions the danger of sexually transn
saying, "I wonder how much help it would be
housing policies with these things in mind." He
tion to dorm floors above ground floor should t
the same sex and that coed dorms should be elimi
^ The State that he saw "no practical reason for allc
sex visitation to take place."
By the time we reach college, most of us pr
sound idea of how we want to carry on as adults. 1
Fair thinks that separating us from each other
help foment the correct moral conscience he thir
developed yet. Does he really think separating
reduce the cases of sexual diseases? Does he real!
too weak to put up with the temptation of living n
ones ? the men and women of USC?
For those of us who choose to be sexually ac
rangements have very little to do with our choic<
us who choose not to be, separating us even furthi
posite sex will do little to strengthen what Fair se<
fiber, a fiber to be woven from his loom. Such
merely protect us from choices we will have to ma
place to learn about ourselves.
? Perhaps Fair has missed the point about visita
coed dorms. Visitation rights allow students tc
right to spend time together with their favorite pai
not. Our dorms are not some youth hostels whe
guidance; these are, at least for now, our homes,
we should have the right to use them as we pleas
don't interfere with others. USC's sign-in
augmented by additional security funded with $1
6.7 Dercent increase in housinsz fees this fall, nrr
safety. Let the students decide if the visitors hap
or female and what goes on when they get togetl
Pruitt, vice president of student affairs, said
Fair's letter, "We've found the best influence 01
treat them as adults." We appreciate Pruitt's re:
Pruitt was also correct when he said, "There
false assumption that if there are coed dormitorie
tare sexually promiscuous. And I don't know th
evidence that that is the case." But Fair believes >
of being around one another too long without be
ly corrupt. We're sorry he thinks so little of us.
Li" rt 1 * n 1 r /> ? 1 O i-v a M r\ n m <4 4 t? < * * 4 t? /%/< a . mma *
i an aisu iaii5 iu uuuciMditu uiai incac uuuii:
tionships between the sexes. Segregation leads to ]
separated parties are robbed of opportunities to ii
dorms, students learn to respect members of th
and develop mutual understanding, as well as rel
are not sexual. This is the "practical reason" f
Fair cannot see.
The representative should worry less about
guiding our behavior. Our rights as adults, our r
to conduct our own affairs in our own homes
terference, demand that we ask Fair to spend his t
his own affairs and let us get to know one anothe
^ We're all bound to learn a great deal in the pro
- The
Gamecc
: ' ... . - . ..... : - -
Kditor in Chief Photography Ed
JEFF SHREWSBURY BRIAN SAULS
\.m i Assistant Phitnc
iTiNHHKiiig ivuiiur (
I STEPHEN OUILFOYLE KEITH JONES
j C-opy Desk Chief Senior Reporter
ANDY BECHTEL MARY PEARSOf*
; Assistant Copy Desk Chief Datebook Kdltoi
EILEEN ROSS JENNY SHARPE
& News Editor Graphics Editor
TODD HINES TROY TAGUE
Assistant News Editors Comics Editor
TONY MORENO TRACY MIXSON
WCDTI IWt. A
i ? v/iii, rm YI.TCI
Viewpoint Editor BILL ROGERS
F'ETE MACKEV Graduate Assisti
Features Editor KAREN ADDY
PATRICK JEAN Acting Director
S Assistant Features Kditor Media/Advertisi
KELLY MARSHALL MARGARET MI<
Sports Editor Production
WAYNE WASHINGTON CHUCK NORRIS
Assistant Sports Editor SON HA
I JIM STUCKEY Assistant Advert
f MELISSA HEND
I
I*l(cn Policy: Thi (irnnnotk ?1U <r> la prtal klleri r?diH l?tMr? ikonU b?, *1 a niilni
<??ariaH tfcoaM Ml ?K?fd *0* wofrfi. tlHKI llw rlflrt lo Mil Ml?n lot U>W of psiiibk tltxl
itMl tm4*f H) tirtfnM??:?.
display _____
tudents
ille, a member lVjWfiL
students are a ^
with members
as moral cons3
into the sack
s the value of
ours. . ?x??
dated Dec. 11, r
litted diseases, ??r w
to review our
believes visita- ^^ait in, i11
>e restricted to WiT ^
nated. He told
>wing opposite T
obably have a & '
Jnfortunately,
will somehow
iks we haven't [ UV
to
y think wc are HSHnfln
ear those other HHnHjLVvHU^
ice. College is a
> exercise their
rtner, sexual or w-7-0
re we need his fc\
and as adults. Jm3JL1' JL i
e as long as we
policy to be Board of Trustees' Executiv
I?"* nnn f met Thursday in the Faculty House.
IZ3,UUU ij"om 3 been to a Board meeting before and Y
)tects students the Faculty House only once before
pen to be male uncomfortable.
her. As Dennis I was dressed in a suit so new the p
in response to coat ^a^n t even been cut ?Pen- ^
. . report on a meeting of USC's top doj
1 S U entS IS to of Trustees and President James Hoi
spect. high an authority as USC has.
seems to be a So instead of waiting around outsi<
:s then students room on the second floor, I was wail
iat there is any " thc den on the first.
ji/e'rp inranahlP 1 Th? den 15 ^here-l}^ bar l*'~
nc re incapable An(j as j stootj arounci uncomft
coming sexual- den, I watched the bartender do his
ding is always fascinating. You ki
> improve rela- martini, shaken not stirred," a
prejudice as the bartender chat - tell me your woes
, So I watched.
lteract. in coed ^ncj a J-CW mjnutes before the m
le opposite sex begin, some orders started coming
lationships that ordered a Miller Lite, and the rest w
'or coed dorms drinks.
A wine list was sitting on a table ir
, . I just turned one page, but it seemed
US and about a bottle listed for about $30.
ight to privacy, This struck me funny. I was
without his in- meeting because Trustee Michael Fa
Lime counseling
Bible s st?
As a child, 1 was always encoi
grandmother to read the Bible, ai
scorn me if 1 questioned its contents
jfiap' 4 claimed that the stories of Adam an
arc anc* Moses' parting of the F
absolutely true.
Well, my grandmother is deceasec
would probably roll over in her gra
| that I no longer believed these stor
* having become an independent, ana
\ tional thinker.
I' J My grandmother ? bless her soul
jrj ^^ ft be upset with the United States Su
C ^)| 1987 ruling that struck down a Lou
Jtffhijf} required the teaching of "creatio
ffijy public schools alongside evolution
liftitSfff It decision restricts religious fundam
B8tHSKy (i promoting their beliefs in public clas
KPUMllUi j?J! that it would be a violation of the
' pjrst Amendment.
Although the court has dealt a <
Louisiana's religious right, many
religious and non-religious, remain
so-called conflict between "creatioi
kdJtC. evolution, which first became far
Scopes "Monkey" trial of 1925.
The Bible's creation story, whi
hkhnbhuhh Genesis, creates problems and ques1
readers and has resulted in heated
jtor among fundamentalists, acada
politicians.
;raphy Editor Fundamentalists believe Genesis
count of how the universe was crea
grandmother believed. Acadameci.
i
ifjetters tc
Store's policy
needs changes
?' ^u<*en* To the editor:
wg Manager , know ,,rn no( the firs( t0 have m
^HELS book bag stolen from the Universit
Bookstore, and I'm probably not g(
ing to be the last. This problem mu:
hf? IimikIIivI hrffpr
Manager It's bad enough we, the students c
USC, have 10 pay so much for boo^
and get next to nothing back whe
jmxomo? >,*.io., <.?.? returning these books. But havin
Ih* (r*m*xOtk ?ttl not wHIihok!
your book bag full of books, pen
pencils, calculators and oth<
iculty House, bar i
e Committee ??????????????????? <
Never having <p, m,
laving been in
\ I was a bit . 1
>ockets on the Stcohen
Vnd I was to r* '\c i * ^
gs. The Board vjuilroyle x
derman arc as i^?? /
ie the meeting g I
ting around in '
srtably in the
stuff. Barten- representative, had written a letter saying he had
low, "Vodka problems with USC's alcohol policy, with regards
nd "friendly to advertisements.
, mate." Ads.
And the bartender asked me if 1 would like to
leeting was to have a drink. I was tempted to say, "Look, I'm a
in. Someone student, and I am having a 'two-drink' lunch with
ere just mixed the boys in the Board."
But I didn't want to be part of that hypocrisy,
i the den. And There are the ones who sit in the Faculty House,
lib-** i -u i i
lift.*, waa uiuci ujj 5vj111 v uiiiiis.^ auu lUiiLU ailU lUllMUH iciters
saying, "We shouldn't give students bad ideas
covering this by having these awful ads all over campus."
ir, also a state Apparently, the esteemed representative Fair imory
of creationism
iraged by my ' ~ )
nd she would
. She fervently
d Eve, Noah's
(ed Sea were f 1 i
r
I now, but she "T >
ies to be true, '
? would also |g^? f$k BE ,
preme Court's lifiiljl Hla SaKfil
isiana law that ( - 4
n science" in
i. The court's
entalists from cians, however, tend to accept the theory of evolusrooms,
ruling tion as the leading account of man's origin, as do
constitution's most intelligent people.
The story of Adam and Eve is not meant to be
severe blow to interpreted literally a.id should not be considered a
people, both factual account or a good scientific theory of the
baffled by the universe's origin. There is no historical evidence
i science" and that Adam and five ever existed; therefore, any
nous with the argument to install Biblical creation in public
classrooms as part of science curriculums is
ch appears in absurd.
tions lor many
public debate Not only is there no historical evidence to supmecians
and port the Bible's creation account, but also Genesis
presents two distinctively different accounts of
is a factual ac- creation, providing a further reason to question a
ted, just as my literal interpretation of Genesis.
ins and politi- It is useless to interpret Genesis literally. By do
'>
) the editor
-' ' -
valuable things stolen is just not can wait an extra tw
right. minutes to have their b
What about these so-called instead of having the
| "security guards?" What are they target for anyone to tak
getting paid tor.' Most ot the time I ine students to nring tnt
see these so-called "security guards" the exit and entrance tern
iy reading magazines, looking at stop the problem wi
y clothing and doing other things ex- mistakenly taking the
)- ccpt what they should be getting paid Even if my bag was i
st for. doesn't matter. This is
I think that students should have a that shouldn't happen,
>f right to carry their bags inside the students, have rights, to<
cs bookstore. At all other stores I go in- To those who might d
n to, I may carry my bag, and they what I've said, I know tl
ig check it as I leave. I don't see women lockers there, but 1) if
s, leaving their purses at the front. Why enough 2) they are not b
;r should anyone else? I think everyone suppose you don't have
t
reveals much
plies, students will see an ad and have no choice but
to get drunk. Students, you see, are not people.
"Kids" is the operative word in his letter.
"Kids" (us) can't be trusted to ignore such an ad
if we want to ignore it. And thanks to people who
think as Fair does, this state adopted a brutally unfair,
reactionary and paranoid law, a distrusting
piece of legislation designed to make those considered
adults by any other legal measure ? the
right to vote, the requirement to register for a non
existent draft and others ? the scapegoats in an
emerging war against drunk drivers. Why?
Because the guys who sit in the State House and 7"
consider legislation over a 10-drink lunch think to
teach us responsibility by completely denying us a
right we once held.
But never did they think to perhaps teach by example.
Could they give up these "two-drink" lunches?
Why doesn't the state make it illegal for
everyone to drink, or the university cease to serve
and sell alcohol everywhere on campus? You can't
send a clearer message than that.
But how much do you want to bet this state and
the university aren't really interested in clear
messages? That's why the university continues to
flaunt its drinking privileges in front of the
thousands of students who can't drink by
operating the Faculty House, which houses the
most exclusive bar on campus.
not scientific
ing so, you place yourself in a position that is impossible
to defend intelligently. Instead, one can
spare themselves this frustration by accepting
Genesis for what it really is ? a myth ? and then
by proceeding to understand its meaning and
value.
Regardless of people's religion, they should not
he iroiihled bv science or the fact of evolution.
Unless, however, like religious fundamentalists,
they seek to go beyond the boundaries of religion
into the boundaries of science. The same holds true
for scientists; they should not be troubled by
religion.
No correlation or conflict exists between religion
and science; each discipline has its own concerns.
In the case of evolution, science is concerned with
the origin of life, while the Bible's creation story is
concerned with how one should live. The experts
agree.
"Science and religion make different claims
about reality because they ask fundamentally difr
a: ti ?i r ? i n:uu ~u~
iereni questions ... i lie cictmis ui mc diuic auuui
creation are religious, not scientific," says Carl
Evans, associate professor of religious studies at
use.
The teaching or acceptance of evolution does not
make one an atheist or any less religious. Those
who truly understand the message' of Genesis
would know that what is least important is whether
it is a true story.
America has enough legitimate issues that
deserve the concern of our brightest minds, so I
wish fundamentalists would end their attempt to
put creationism over religion.
- *.
a nr thrpp opffino rhanop fr/\m thp r?mnlnuppc 'if
v v" vv v,,M,,c>v vi" i,,v v...|/.vVw.?
ags checked the University Bookstore is like trybags
a free ing to get into Green's if you're
;e. Enabling younger than 21. Even if they give
Mr bags past you change, they look at you as if
ninals would you've killed their parents,
th students Lockers aren't the solution to this
wrong nag. problem. I he solution is simple ? lei
mistaken, it not only the students, but anyone
a problem who enters the store earry their book
and we, as bags into the store. I really hope the
o. bookstores (USC and South Carolina
lisagree with BookStore)do something about this
hat there are problem.
lere are not
ig enough 3) Chris (iennarelli
a quarter ? Business sophomore