The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 20, 1989, Page 4, Image 4

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Lose Louie? (JSC bans song to calm decks, but is that the real reason? Where is "Louie, Louie?" The famous and fun 1960s garbled rock-n-roll song by the Kingsmen is no where to be found. There used to be a time when the swaying, steady-beat tune could be heard at the Carolina football and basketball games. It used to get the crowd going. But not anymore. The song has been banned from the football games. Neither the USC band or the visiting bands are supposed to play it. And the reason given for this is the same line the administration and directors of Williams-Brice always give when they want something fun for the students banned: They say we can't play the song because the stadium will sway. Why are they so concerned about the stadium swaying? Every vAQr Anmnoorc onH HAcirmorc nnmA in ir\ inonAAt tV*a unnnr HoaLc r\f JVU1 V/U^111VV/I O U11U UV/Ol^il^lO V/U111V/ ill IU lliopwi UiC U^p^/1 UC/VIVO Ui Williams-Brice, and every year they find it to be structurally sound. The stadium is designed to sway, they say. And if the stadium is structurally sound, then why worry about it swaying? If there is even the slightest chance of something horrific happening while people are standing on the upper decks, then USC should close them down. If they're sound, they're sound, but if they're not, tell us. One big reason USC won't even discuss closing the upper decks down is money. Williams-Brice only seats about 50,000 without them. They would never close 25,000 seats. And besides, they say the stadium is safe. Well. . .is it, or isn't it? If it is, they should stop banning songs or fun things like the low-brass cheer that they say sways the stadium. If it's safe, so what if it sways? The banning of these songs is wrong because USC has no valid reason for it ? other than the fact some higher-ups might not like the songs. "Louie, Louie" is still considered a controversial song because the lyrics are almost, if not completely, obscure. Some people say the words are pornographic, while others say there are no words. Is it possible USC administrators, alumni and big-bucks boosters are just offended at what people tell them might be in the song? The stadium-swaying excuse might very well be a smoke screen laid down to cover the adminstrators' censorship and moral interdiction of students' fun. If the stadium is safe, which it is said to be by everyone, then let the powers that be give a better reason for banning songs. tiUfr. U*,r | The Gamecock Editor in Chief Assistant Photography Editor WAYNE WASHINGTON JULIE BOUCHILLON Managing Editor Viewpoint Editor HAL MILLARD JEFF SHREWSBURY Copy Desk Chief Datebook Editor KATHY BLACKWELL JAN PHILLIPS Assistant Copy Desk Chief Comics/Graphics Editor ROBYN THOMPSON ROB LANE News Editor Graduate Assistant KELLY THOMAS KRISTIN FRANCIS Assistant News Editors Gamecock Adviser D. R. HAYNES rrjr COLLINS JEFF WILSON Director of Student Media Carolina Life Editor ED BONZA ROBERT THOMAS Production Manager Assistant Carolina Life Editor LAURA S. DAY LYNN GIBSON Assistant Production Manager Sports Editor RAY BURGOS CHRIS SILVESTRI . . 4. . Advertising Manager Assistant Sports Editor MARGARET MICHELS BRANT LONG Assistant Advertising Manager ^?togra?hy Editor JEFFREY B. THOMPSON 111UUI LU1T Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at a maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer should include full name, professional title if an employee with USC or Columbia resident, or year and major if a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent. Guest editorials should not exceed 500 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for style or possible libel. The Gamecock will not withhold names under any circumstance. i Homecoming I was at the Portfo lio magazine office, 1 and the Homecoming Commission had a i meeting on the third ] floor of Russell House, 1 not far from where the 'fw **} < Portfolio office is. Seems these able * y commissioners didn't have enough chairs and f were roaming around USC Student Media /f \ looking for more. i We were wrapping c, I things up in the office, otCptien and they asked if they Onilfnvlp ! could borrow some of 1 J I mm We have four stacking chairs. We said, "Sure." These seemingly nice people could < BORROW the chairs, on the condition that they return them when they were done. 1 The little blonde in shorts chirped a cheerful, < "OK." The next day, the chairs were nowhere to be i seen. ] So, if you see anyone smiling a dumb smile i and saying, "Hi, I'm with the Homecoming Commission," call in a Delta Force Anti- i Parking near ? ^ end is expensive aiio?? Cause w< To the editor: That s Since I arrived at USC things closed have been pretty good. The only Hail to question that keeps running Fair and frien through my head is, "Why do I In Caroli spend almost as much money on So raise i parking tickets as I do on tuition?" Restrict i My answer, the only one that USC stic comes to mind, is that it is because Cocks there are 26,000 students and not Hey let's even half that many parking The Ro spaces. I could walk a mile to come here class every day and chance walk- The figh ing in the dark back from my 8:15 the way. p.m. class, but for some reason I value myself a little more than that to do something so dangerous. The university needs to consider C 1*1 Til that a lot of people live far away and need to drive to class. They al low more faculty parking than stu- in got dent parking. It amazes me every time I think that I have to pay $1 .. to a meter to park my car every 10JJr v? * day, when I paid $20 for a parking . u r sticker. through the Maybe if the parking department Pf ?ett*nf w( of this university cared a little U^..stu.1"^sp; more about the students who pay strategics y < thousands of dollars a year to go to P f wallcin8 USC and not $15 paridng tickets, in*? ,a ,&uy we (the students) would get ample s ? su? parking instead of hassles about nim mutter, parking next to the "yellow curb." . V Ayers Ligon nearest spnnk Art freshman through the g> Wake up g ize the green: Writer revises USC fight song To the editor: With all these new changes and f Qncj policies at USC, I feel it's only * fair that I contribute by revising c%v*fk f|? the words of our beloved fight C |J\ song: Hey let's give a cheer to the editor: It's Todd Ellis's last year This letter Evolution theme could rerrorism Strike Force, get Stallone or Chuck Morris, but protect your chairs. Speaking of homecoming, this year's theme is "The Ultimate Spirit of Carolina," and the x>ster is designed so that the The and the first letters of Ultimate, Spirit and Carolina are big ind outlined so it looks like a THE USC poster. The Ultimate Spirit of Carolina ? I don't know what it means, but it obviously implies that this year we will have more spirit than we have ever had or will ever have. I had a good idea for a theme, and I was going to offer it to the commission, but they got a headstart on me and came up with their own. Ana 11 is Kina 01 uea to so it's not something you can put on hold for next year. Two years ago for homecoming, we paid tiomage to the anniversary of that celebrated American institution, Walt Disney World. The Wonderful World of Carolina, they :alled it. And I was in a magazine shop, and I noticed that another celebrated American institution was :elebrating its 20th anniversary. How about using homecoming to celebrate Penthouse's leaving of the teenage years? Maybe we can wait and have a big party when Penthouse is old enough to drink. But no. It would be better this year. I can see it now, showings of Caligula in the Russell litor ppointment soon will Gore's letter on parkii that the parking situatk illy cares if we lose pUS js totally ridiculou did he pick on Capston< i still tailgate ^ They have every rigl why the Rocket s there. It's not their fai school took away < our leaders of Mike spaces. Residents of Ca ds Columbia Hall have tc na Morals have we every student on this < the tuition parking spaces. For Mr. visitation formation (and you cai ;ks it to us again, Go one), it's by the grace you ever get a space b] ; give a cheer Hall, lling Stones can't I lived in Capstone la have very distinct me ting Gamecocks lead walking all the way fro seum because there wei L. Smith ing spaces. Accounting senior So, next time Mr. G publicly about parking ; Iflpi*^ not out specific s,tudents? Knows wnai ne s iaiK 1 a Maybe next time he 3CI SDOlS biking it to class. Moil Marketing/Managen hat every time I walk ^ , _ rhe Horseshoe I end H^Ch VIOl 5t by trying to dodge tinklers someone has limed at every possi- "do IlUl I C route? Today I ran in a wheelchair ? To the editor: >posed to do? I heard This is in response This school is nuts." Washington's editorial i he got blasted by the Gamecock. Once a ier. At least I can cut Washington doesn't see rass. his facts straight rounds people. I real- First off, Washingtor s need to be green at to have a passion for ra i students don't have tensions on this campus est campaign dealing v, Heather Gurney cent trouble in Virginia Advertising senior has gone too far. W noted that "no one kno # how the violence got st tone-ites though that may be true the issue. The questii jople too "Why did d Last year during Gree were numerous reports is in reply to David ism in the hotels (brokei be Penthouse House Theater ? it was produced by Bob Guccione, publisher of Penthouse, you know, and starred many Penthouse Pets. We could have a seminar on sexual problems with Xaviera "Call Me Madam" Hollander. The Gamecock could sponsor a letter-writing contest, but it would have to relax the rule against anonymity. I can see it now. "To the editor. I never thought those letters were true until I had an experience recently that changed my mind. I was sneaking my girlfriend into Douglas dorm, past the barbed wire fences and gun towers. The searchlights almost got us 20 times, and we were just walking across the street from the Circle K. Needless to say, all this had our adrenalin pumping pretty hard." And so on. And just think about what the homecoming floats would look like. The mind boggles. i Anyway, it's just an idea. But it probably wouldn't work out. Bob or Xaviera probably wouldn't come to a university that doesn't sell Penthouse in its bookstore, but does sell its main competition ? Playboy (plus things like Playboy's Girls of Summer) and Playgirl. It's amazing the things you see when you're standing in a line of 30 people so you can pay an outrageously marked up price for a used textbook. "V* 1 lg. I agree stolen door knobs, walls spray >n on cam- painted) where the students were s, but why staying. Also several reports of i residents? disturbance of the peace and vantit to park dalism along the strip (the highway jit that the along the waterfront) :ommuter The mayor of Virginia Beach ipstone and decided the city would not sponsor > fight like Greekfest this year. This meant campus for tjiat woui(j not be an organGore s in- ixed event for the students to partin ?Sr ciPate in-She had every ri8ht t0 do r, , . 1 this if she felt her city was in dano urn m ger; however, her failure to inform st year and 1116 schools of her decision meant otn /4anfo n rr t/\ oKaiii fcm0nes 01 oiuuuiio nviv gumg iu oiiun m the coli- UP anyway. Panicking, the mayor -e no park- calls upon the National Guard to help with the students. The Naore whines tional Guard showed up two days and singles before the students did. What were I hope he the students supposed to do when ing about, confronted with men dressed for should try war? Run and hide? Not when you feel you didn't do anything wrong, ra Roberts Washington also stated that tent junior "news reports said no one knew who started the trouble." I believe IpnPP ^ if any?ne looked at the situaICllCC ^oii they would see that it was a J0| combination of people. First and iCltll foremost it was the greeks. They should have realized that their actions (setting aside the fact that to Wayne what they were doing was illegal) n Sept. 6's would have an impact on what gain Mr. would or would not happen years m to have down the road. Secondly, the city officials have to accept a big i continues chunk of the blame. If they had ising racial just handled things a little more >. This lat- like professionals and a little less 'ith the re- like children none of this would Beach, Va. have happened, ashington I have to agree with Washingws exactly ton's brother when he said that the arted." Al- trouble happens every year, be;, that isn't cause I also live in Virginia (Noron should folk). However, it was not a racial le violence problem, it was poor judgement on tKa r\ort r\f tKa tvJAnln in uiv pail ui mv 111 viicugv. ;kfest there of vandal- Becky Huntley 1 windows, History junior