Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Changes Surprise presidential selection could be best for university Conventional wisdom said the next president of USC would either Interim President Art Smith or College of Charleston Pre dent Harry Lightsey. Yet in an interesting move, the Board Tmstees made an unconventional (but hopefully wise) choice electing John Palms. Palms, president of Georgia State University, has an interest resume that includes a doctorate in nuclear physics. It is said t he is a great communicator, and it is this quality that impres: the board. The University of South Carolina under James Holderman mi tremendous strides during the '80s. USC gained prestige for expanding international programs and for new buildings such the Swearingcn Engineering Building and the Koger Center. However, after the controversial end to the Holderman rei and the taciturn caretaking of Smith, perhaps the board felt tha is time for a fresh outlook from a man who has had no immedi relation with USC. A great communicator is just what is needed to restore strenj in the presidential office. USC requires a leader who can defenc against the various critics who have surfaced in the past few ye ? a vocal champion who will placate the media. Hopefully, Palms is ready to deal with pressing univers issues such as ever-increasing tuition, the persistent crime probli and the controversy over faculty pay increases. Another issue that Palms might want to address is the lack secrecy in the Board of Trustees that allowed his selection to leaked to the press before it was announced to the faculty a administration. ROLL CALL The Gamecock News: 777-7726 Advertising: 777-424 Tr . r T? * 1 m/H?|-'? ? n rw? IvA I Hi DLAUIVVVE,LL kobyn I HUMl'SUIN Editor in Chief Managing Editor Jennifer Jablonski David bowden Copy Desk Chief Viewpoint Editor Lucy Soto Kathy Heberger News Editor Carolina Life Editor Steve Johnson Renee Meyer Sports Editor Photography Editor Aaron Sheinin Tige Watt; Assistant News Editor Assistant News Edito Octavia Wright Patrick Villega: Assistant Carolina Life Editor Assistant Sports Edito Chris Silvestri Julie Bouchillop Assistant Copy Desk Chief Assistant Photography Edito Eric Glenn Darkroom Lab Technician Kristin Francis Erik Collin; Graduate Assistant Eacuity Advise n-v n ^-v*Trf a ? a * m * n rv tsurNAA LAUKA J). DAl Director of Student Media Production Manage, Ray Burgos renee Gibso> Assistant Production Manager Advertising Managei Kyle Berry Carolyn Griffi> Assistant Advertising Manager Business Managei Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters shoulc be, at maximum, 250 to 300 words long. The writer must include full name, pro fessional title if a USC employee or South Carolina resident, or year and major i a student. An address and phone number are required with all letters sent. Tht Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel or in case o space limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under an^ circumstance. nf Trau.1 Kt/K" iniy ii/ir ^2 by TO TAKEiwrf OS xOv rv^i ^ v ^DKhBK# I e L \ I?, , \\ < v/t iO - \ -i \i jji- \1 >/ . President for President Bush is about to make a decision affecting the lives of 360,000 American troops. When one considers the friends and families of those troops and the Iraqi civilians who will suffer, it is not being melodramatic to say that the fates of millions of people are dependent on the president's actions tomorrow. There is no doubt in my mind that Bush will go through with his promise to attack Iraq. The scary thing is that he said he would attack even ' if Congress had not authorized the use of force as they did Saturday. The Congress buckled under because it has been swept up in the same anti-Iraq hysteria that its constituency has. It is depressing that Congress would ignore the actual issues of the _ crisis and give Bush their unthinking support. Congress proves that image is everything in the modern world. I am sure many individual members ignored their conscience and went along with the President so they would be seen by the public as team-players instead of partisan 9 back-stabbers that hurt the country in her time of crisis. It is terrifying that the President of the United States can engage American forces in combat with no hindrance from the federal legislature. The War Powers Act isn't worth the paper it is printed on. Earlier in the Persian Gulf debate, I was angered by a Congress that seemed to be weakening America's public position by publicly criticizing Bush's actions. Now, with the deadline approaching (and 5 what a grim word that has turned out to be), I i Students shou a r_ a iew years ago, the Black Faculty and Professional Staff Association at USC reflected on the fact that ours is the first generation to celebrate the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. ^ Few generations are accorded that privilege r because very few individuals have had national T holidays named in their honor. The association r was aware that what our generation does ? how we celebrate the holiday ? will no doubt determine how the holiday will be celebrated for decades to come; the rituals we establish now wili characterize the holiday in perpetuity. In reflecting upon just how the holiday should be celebrated, we remembered that in ~ King's "Drum Major Instinct" sermon, he talked about how he would like to be rememf bered. His desire was to be remembered as a ? man who tried to help somebody. Taking its { cue from that sermon, the association initiated a Help Somebody Campaign. The MLK Help Somebody Campaign calls f ess Begins piSCUSSi tKe Cufrexrt Crisis. t^H i. VF r%\\^B fT- W i ik ^Krs, Ar\M Jy > V ,^t r\ \ n ces nation to b 5 DAVID BOWDEN J y&j j i have come to realize we need as much rancor- 1 ous, partisan debate as possible before we as a ^ nation take that final steD. * 1 Some complain .about the endless press 11 coverage, the endless political posturing as our f: leaders vacillate on what to do. I think twice ! that the coverage and debate would be better than the U.S. blazing into another foreign land S with dubious objectives. For all the ridiculous comparisons between ^ the Persian Gulf and Vietnam, that is the one " reasonable similarity: American troops could 11 once again die for a foreign policy objective r< that is murky if not totally obscure. If the reason is oil, prices will still go up if ^ Saudi Arabian oil installations are destroyed. If the liberation of Kuwait is the issue, won't the mass casualities involved nullify any humanitarian goal? The Gulf situation could unfortunately bear ^ closer resemblance to the Korean War than Vietnam. In Korea, the United States led n another "international coalition" that ended up c being a thinly veiled U.S. expeditionary force. f America took the brunt of allied casualities and ^ expenses. . a This does not mean that Hussein's outrage P Id honor holida ? 1 p tl O'NEAL SMALLS s J i Guest Columnist b tl upon each person to celebrate the King Holiday q by helping somebody. The idea is that on the jr holiday, each person would volunteer his or her u time to help someone in the name of King. It could be a neighbor, one's grandmother, a needy friend, a person in a retirement or nurs- 2 ing home, or the like. s Likewise, one could volunteer his time g through a church or other charitable organiza- i tions. Some might wish to help all day, or just a r half day or perhaps just an hour. This would be ? a far more meaningful and appropriate way to r spend the day; using the holiday primarily for y watching ball games or shopping does not I HOO A $?OT. J >e global cop ihould go unpunished. Iraq's brutality deserves nternational attention, and Iraq is hardly makng a clean get away. NBC News estimated that he embargo was costing Iraq $500 million a lay in lost oil revenues. Faced with such ecolomic hardships, common sense would suggest hat the collapse of Hussein's regime is nevitable. Unfortunately, the United States is characterstically impatient. Rushing into things is an American tradition and so is letting our allies ake advantage of us. Persian Gulf oil is far less mportant to us than our allies (particularly Ja>an), yet we pay the costs, in dollars and maybe ives. The American people have resigned themelves to the fact that we will go to war and are nw ilict rniintincr minntar Tt.n .' ~ " w MIV IIUUUIV/O. ? llt> VUllIIg ublic should not be so outraged at the govemlent if we do end up losing thousands of troops i the sands of Iraq because the public is just as ^sponsible as Bush and the Congress. Bush did not declare martial law. Congress is ot a House of Lords. If the public got outraged y sending troops into the Gulf five months go, we wouldn't be on the brink of war right ow. Of that, I am sure. The United States should resign its position s Policeman to the World. Where in the United fations Charter does it say American troops >ust always be the first to rush to the defense if the weak? For all of the talk of an allied orce in Saudi Arabia, the cold hard fact is that L will be primarily American soldiers fighting nd dying. Let us hope it will be as few as ossibie. y with service romole that great cause to which King gave te last full measure of his devotion. For the January 1990 holiday, the Help omebody Campaign was adopted by several JSC campus organizations, including Student iovernment. Students, faculty and staff memers were encouraged to volunteer their services irough several charitable organizations that reuested help. We are all deeply grateful for the iterest and participation of each member of the niversity community. The Martin Luther King Jr. holiday is on Jan. 1, 1991, one week after students return for the econd semester. We request that all student organizations as well as individuals begin now to dentify persons to help on the holiday. You are equested to locate a person or a charitable or;anization to help and make the necessary arangements. For information on the campaign, ou may call Karen Irick, chairwoman of the lelp Somebody Committee at 777-6793.