The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 26, 1990, Page 4, Image 4
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
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The Gamecock
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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