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Danger Balloon releases pose threat to small animals, marine life Sometimes, traditions need to be broken. The tradition of releasing balloons at the USC homecoming game each year may be carried on with the best of intentions in a rally of spirit, but there are some earth-dwellers that aren't so 1 happy to see the floating bubbles of gaiety. Many animals die each year from choking on deflated balloons, and people do care about these animals. This is not to say the people who release the balloons do not care about the animals, only that they may not understand the severity of the problem. When people see the balloons go off, the balloons are full of helium and go up, up, up into the sky. The sight is beautiful, exciting and intriguing. But the helium quickly escapes the balloons' thin walls, and the deflated piece of rubber falls to the ground ? often in places habitated by animals or in the ocean, where marine life can be affected. Many animals are attracted to the bright colors of deflated balloons and can end up inhaling them or trying to swallow them ? just as a small child can. Also, when the balloon reaches the water, it loses its color and becomes difficult for marine animals to see. The balloon can get lodged in the animals air tract and, no matter how hard the animal tries to breathe in, the expandable rubber traps the air and keeps the lungs from filling. Thus, the animal dies of suffocation. Are the lives of these animals worth only a few moments of human enjoyment? Why should they suffer because we can't find more humane ways to have fun? . This is not a "liberal" idea. It's something that many people from all walks of life and all political affiliations believe. The loss of any life ? animal, human, marine or otherwise ? is unnecessary if it can be prevented. So please, this year, find some other way to entertain the cheering fans at Williams-Brice Stadium ? and show that students at USC do care about the earth and its inhabitants. ^ fK&lMAVirr 0>m?> fr lour rorx-oitr^w The Gamecock f News: 777-7726 Advertising: 777-4249 Jeff Wilson Sharon Willamson Editor in Chief Managing Editor/Copy Desk Chief Lynn Gibson Elizabeth Lynch News Editor Carolina Life Editor DougAube Renee Meyer Sports Editor Photography Editor Kelly C. Thomas Viewpoints Editor Elizabeth Fox Sherri Tillman Assistant News Editor Assistant News Editor David Bowden Kathy Heberger Assistant Carolina Life Editor Assistant Carolina Life Editor Brant Long Julie Bouchillon Assistant Sports Editor Assistant Photography Editor saba vbbmf octavia wrtght Assistant Copy Desk Chief Assistant to the Editors Kristin Francis Erik Collins Graduate Assistant Faculty Adviser Ed Bonza Laura S. Day Director of Student Media Production Manager Ray Burgos Renee Gibson Assistant Production Manager Advertising Manager Kyle Berry Carolyn Griffin Assistant Advertising Manager Business Manager Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include full name, professional title if a USC employee or South Carolina resident, or year and major if a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel or in case of space limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under any circumstance. Out-of-state ft A friend of miine might not be coming back to USC next semester. Instead, he might have to go to a less expensive school back home in Pennsylvania because of a 15.4 percent increase in USC's out-of-state tuition. This past spring;, the state's lawmakers were in a frenzy trying to limit tuition increases at South Carolina's colleges and universities to 4.6 percent. Although the amendment to the state's budget requiring the tuition cap wasn't law but } rather an expressed concern, most colleges vol- ( untarily limited increases. ( However, the General Assembly fell short of ' asking for limits on tuition increases for out-of- ( state students, who make up roughly 20 percent 1 of USC's population,.. This past March, I covered the bill for The Gamecock when fonmer USC President James : Holderman said he didn't know what the out- ' come would be for non-residents. < I asked him if USC would go with the limit for resident students and in turn make up some ' of the difference by jacking up non-resident i fees. < "I think we ought not try to deal with that ] until we know what ihe ultimate outcome on ' the (tuition) cap," Holderman said. But as fate turned out, USC substantially in- 1 creased out-of-state fees by 15.4 percent or e LETTERS TO THE * *' Pamphlet not pr(! Y'; constitutional ovX0^ scenity," wl To the editor: peatedly stru< 1 I am a senior at "The l.JSC" and Supreme C01 am writing this letter to address tion of the li: yet another well-intentioned but si- given in the nister attempt by this institution to several of t trample the First Amendment nearly all r rights of its students. The odious even 0f som( development to which I am refer- an(j "approv ring comes in the form of a pam- listed on the phlet, which was prepared by the apy t^e ^efi USC Division of Student Affairs say that the under the authority of Vice Presi- Swers" to li dent of Student Affairs, Dennis leadership of Pruitt. The pamphlet purport;? to be ls not oniy n an innocent attempt to help stu- maie xhe pc dents differentiate between times execu "healthy" and "not so healthy" re- "doubts am ligious groups. I must emphasize known as he that I am an atheist, and, therefore, legendary pa have no fondness for any religion, tory 0f christ organized or otherwise. I do, how- t0 see t^e re] ever, have a profound respect for not "seem to the constitutionally guaranteed jn a der0gatc rights of all of my fellow citizens religious affil no matter how bizarre or nnis- 2) This d< guided I may believe their beliefs obnoxiously 1 KQ ' I V*n innna Viara in nrvt 11 uj uu. issuo is ihjl vmai ment clause does or does not constitute a "not pon jn provj( so healthy" religion but instead 0f Approval" what business a state supported rejigious and controlled university has in rear trying to make any such distinc- 3^ 3^ tion. Had this publication been r.he t^e constitut product of a private individual >or interference v organization it would have been jng t0 ^ little more than an amusement 10 approval on t me, but the fact that it was pro which it defi duced by a university office, usin g gUOusly) as "i tax dollars and employing the au - a stu(je thority of Pruitt and ultimately mand that th even the General Assembly oif mediately ant South Carolina makes it a grave from ^ pjaC( and unconscionable affront to the destroyed. I 1 First Amendment. The Gulch Crisis | A pyj m i\ \' '< ies drive stud ' V' ROBERT THOMAS HT'm i !>852 per year. House Speaker Bob Sheheen, D-Kershaw, vho helped to lead the push for the tuition in;rease cap, said in March that out-of-state stuients should be worried about tuition increases o offset the in-state tuition cap. He also said )ut-of-state students are valuable to the iniversity. I agree with Sheheen. Out-of-state students add an enormous imount of diversity to USC. At the same time, hey contribute greatly to the university community. For example, Student Government President Stephen Benjamin is from New York and forner football star Todd Ellis is from North Carolina. On this year's football team, only 29 players are from South Carolina while the other 59 are from everywhere but the Palmetto State. Half of The Gamecock's editors in chief in 989 and 1990 weren't from South Carolina ither. EDITOR ? ? ocument utilizes and public apology be mad< shockingly overbroad ministration of this uni "cult" similar to the pies of which should [ definitions of "ob- both The State and 1 tiich have been re- cock), and that signifia :k down by the U.S. taken to prevent such jrt. Careful observa- infraction from occur cc _ _>? r ^ SI 01 warning signs luiure. M;ch pamphlet reveals that hem are typical of SCC interdisciplina eligious groups and 5 of the more popular UiinteFS 4 ed" ones, which are AIW1 rear leaf. It is virtu- x nition of religion to IlUl 1111** VH y have "all the an- editor: ife's problems. The j am offended. I 1 the Catholic Church cane<i some pretty awfii lostly but exclusively fore> but to be called a '.rsecution (and some- Py Catherine Frisch in tion) of those with ^Sept 19) js offensive, d questions" (also bunters are dishonest, hi *etics) is virtually a selfish well, Ms. Frisc rt of the bloody his- WOuld like to know ianity. And I have yet out y0U ligious group that did Have you ever seen be perfect" or "speak ^ wild? Have you ev< >ry way" about other sjaughter house wh iationS. . "enrwmiirlrpt" rhirlr<?n? Dcument clearly and / , , , ,, violates the establish- and watched them blcf of the U.S. Constitu- "ave ^ fer seen < ? ling the State "Stamp because? of ?verP?PU. ' for the nine organ know what ? all about? Animals in t groups hsted on the ^ walk up ^ yQu m Ktument also violates relf do cam,pu^ . ional prohibition on , 1 ** ?"d \a "?'' ... . . . . do so. I obey all game 1 "th religion by bring- . . f , !hose6who le weight of state dis- fnd ' ,, 'no T". . ? |. . laws should be punished hose religious groups, thc S C W nes (somewha ambi- M>arjnc Reserves Depart not so healthy. forth regulations and s< nt and a citizen, I de- & . , . .... , preserve and protect wi is publication be 1m- f. . t , y w , the honors of overpopi 1 completely removed a ss of distribution and s urther demand that a Youf ala? we our food from a suj ents home There are many more examples of out-ofstate students' impact on USC, and it is unfortunate USC charges them much more than surrounding states charge their non-residents. USC charges out-of-state students $6,400 a year. The University of North Carolina charges $5,751.20, the University of Georgia charges $5,313, and the University of Tennessee charges $4,916 to out-of-state students. Part of the reason out-of-state fees are higher in South Carolina is because the state doesn't fund higher education at the same rate surrounding states do. That's unfortunate for resi aeni ana non-resiaeni stuaenis amce. South Carolina, which consistently ranks last in education in the nation and near the bottom when it comes to personal income, would greatly benefit from having as many collegeeducated people as possible, no matter where they're from. Higher non-resident fees than surrounding states won't attract good students; it will deter them. The new higher fees might already be having impact on USC's non-resident undergraduate enrollment. This fall there were fewer nonresident undergraduates than in the fall of 1989. It's time for USC to sit back and evaluate its escalating non-resident fees, which have increased over 55 percent in the past four years. Otherwise, USC might make itself unappealling to those who live outside of South Carolina. j by the ad- Where does that meat come from? versity (co- A "murderer" kills it at a slaughter appear in house. If you really love animals, rhe Game- then do something to try to imant steps be prove the conditions of the mila repulsive lions of animals that are stuffed ring in the into small cages and only released when it is time for them to be proiael Shaffer cessed. Please, Ms. Frisch, do not ry studies be s0 Quick t0 juftee 311 hunters as senior "murderers". Joe Trapp ire engineering junior erers Friends come lave been jn all COlOFS I things be"murderer" To the editor: her letter In response to Johnny Vo's letFrisch says ter on September 19th, I don't jartless and know why people pass judgment h, we hun- on others based on color. These a little ab- people are automatically eliminating a whole group of possible animals in friends. I personally don't know n visited a anyone who couldn't use another lere your friend. come from With the drive in America to 1 to death? eliminate discrimination in the er starving work force, it would benefit USC ation? Do students to shed their prejudices hunting is and go into the world with an open he wild do mind. Invariably, most of us will ' the squir- be working with people from varying cultures. Whether they be ashamed to from New York, Southern Califor egulations, nia, Japan, Africa, Russia or even break the Batesburg, South Carolina, every1.1 also put one should be judged by their perrildlife and sonal merits, not by their physical ment to set appearance. I believe that those jasons that people who adopt this attitude of Idlife from openness will have a large head ilation and start in life in the twenty-first century. hunters get Moore permarket. business sophomore