University of South Carolina Libraries
1 Wednesday, December 4, 1991 Greeks /Tr/?^n)Thi /V/j/7i*/Tf/7/5C ia Dur L/r uy uut/j rKUfin^/t, gives others bad image of system It has been almost two weeks since Sigma Chi's Derby Days have been over. For those who do not know what Derby Days are, it is Sigma Chi fraternity's week long fund-raiser for its philanthropy. But it is not a typical fund-raiser, in fact, it is like a big mixer in disguise. How you ask? Because 10 sororities spend the week kissing up to Sigma Chi's to earn points towards winning Derby Days. The winning sorority gets its name on a check to Sigma Chi's philanthropy. Big deal. Why don't sororities worry about donating money to their own philanthropy instead of Sigma Chi's? In addition to the winning sorority's check, they donate their own check with the money raised from cover charges at various events. However, Sigma Chi hardly deserves credit for most of Derby Days because many times their members merely attend and/ or drink at the events while the sororities put in the effort and money. Yet Sigma Chi gets the recognition and an ego trip with girls falling over them all week. Furthermore, the events are degrading, pitting sorority against sorority, promoting aicuuui onu oic sometimes utsicicaa. rui example, oner event is called "Sorority Feud" based on "Family Feud." Alcohol was easily accessible to those underage. The survey asked tasteless questions regarding sex, certain parts of one's anatomy and even about other fraternities. Non-Greeks in the audience probably see Greeks as a bunch of drunken perverts who do nothing positive for USC. Although this is not true, events such as these make it hard to believe. On the other hand, sororities are to blame as well. They allow themselves to be degraded by participating in certain Derby Days events. It is ridiculous to see how far some sorority women will go to make Sigma Chi's laugh by making fools of themselves all for a "Smile Card" to turn in for a few points. The survey questions from "Sorority Feud" were based on the answers of sorority members; therefore, they are partly responsible for publicly subjecting themselves to answer humiliating questions. Another degrading and completely superficial event is the "Derby Darling," in which a sorority woman's picture is displayed ?? " nr\A noroaroVtv oro on/TMirOCTAii tft Hmn mnnpv in thp. hat of Ull a nai uiiu paoovioiyj UIV/ vnvv/ui u^vv* iv %*?v^ ?? ?their favorite candidate. It is superficial in that the only criteria for those who do not know the candidate is her looks. Their names or qualifications (GPR or other activities) are not even mentioned. Surely participating in events that take away from one's dignity does not conform to the ideals that many organizations were founded upon. Therefore, sororities need to take a stand for themselves and Sigma Chi needs to change Derby Days to reflect those ideals and standards of Greeks. IGAMECOCK News: 777-7726 Advertising: 777-4249 Chris Silvestri Editor in Chief David Bowden Brant Long Managing Editor/Viewpoint Editor Copy Desk Chief Tige Watts Tracey Davis News Editor Carolina Life Editor Aaron Sheinin Teddy Lepp Sports Editor Photography Editor Patrick Villegas Gordon Mantler Asst. News Editor Asst. News Editor Amy Barcomb Rich Taylor Asst. Carolina Life Editor Asst. Sports Editor Virginia Marshall Greg Rickabaugh Asst. Copy Desk Chief Asst. Photography Editor Wayne Williams Eric Glenn Comics Editor wj britt Darkroom Technician Staff Cartoonist . Renee a. Gibson Laura s. Da\ * ****** 1*1 . / ? D J 1/ AS51. meaia Coor.l/iavernsing. Manager r ruuueuon manager Stacie Lewis Ray Burgos Asst. Advertising Manager Asst. Production Manager Erik Collins Carolyn Griffin Faculty Adviser lara chapman Business Manager Asst. Classified Manager Letters Policy: The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be, at maxlmun, 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 nurrber are required with all letters sent. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possihle libel or in case of spaoe limitations. The newspaper will not withhold names under any circvmstance. pliafoarahliarc m/antafl Sain valuable experience in news, sports or* feature photography working for The Gamecoci Call 777-7726 or visit RHUU 321. t - - VIEWPO ' i^mki Is! Carolina Shut As a journalist, I pick up on a lot of things that go on at this university: the attitudes, the complaints, the opinions. I guess you could say I'm just your average nosy reporter. But what seems to have unset me and a large majority of the students the most this semester f has been the Shuttlecock system, or the Carolina Shuttle (as they have named it in order to give it a new look). I'm not talking about the accident yesterday tc where a driver side-swiped a service truck. I'm o] not talking about the drivers who don't wear p their seatbelts, or the drivers who prop their j, legs up and drive like maniacs. I'm not even p talking about the music selection of reggae or 0 country that is played in the buses. . What I am talking about is the disorganiza- j. tion of the shuttle system this year. With the p new name "Carolina Shuttle" should come the p new slogan "We'll get you there, it just may y ' take a while" or even "Ride at your own g caution." I was not here last year, but I can tell you the ^ system now is not safe, or efficient. I hate to think that my money goes to support this organization or what they call a service. s I don't ride the shuttle bus every day (Thank a - God), but I have noticed a few problems. t< 1 Hnfpl nnrrhas The Carolina Plaza Hotel, formerly the Radisson, may soon change hands again. Who's buying it, you ask? An oil tycoon, one of the Rockefellers, Japan? No, although at the price of $3.95 million you could logically assume very few other people could afford it. Hang on to your hats folks, the budgetcutting, tuition- raising University of South Carolina has put in the bid to buy the hotel. t What for? Why office space, of course, silly. s Wow. Four million dollars worth of office space. s But wait ? where is the four (pardon me, b 3.95) million dollars coming from? Well, the t news desk was told that it is carry-over funds. \ Why should the university tie up $4 million in c tuition for a building fund when they cutting t f ~ LET! -11 i ? Honor society i national me i ? that if we coi irresponsible ^ stop i M office and pi tK/? * after the ind To the editor: ? . The three principles that Gamma t Beta Phi honor society prides itself N fe on are Service, Scholarship and H]i ' . Pharartpr tkaco nrin^mioc ch^niH action and ~could not ati be upheld m all aspects of dieir work X nH?7 ;' Gamma Beta ^ ? Phi has not acted responsibly or .f with any shred of character in this t . ! ^0ut u 10 P^k up t situation. tt /? I received an invitation to join an n?rs 0 ( Gamma Beta Phi in early October. en in?' I was extremely excited about this 0? Friday, prospect and decided to accept letter in my < their invitation. I turned in my in- Summer Smi i formation card and dues check Jetter said P; Oct. 15, which was the deadline in the hospit given at the informational meeting, ceived my c I was hesitant to mail the check die deadline ' because I was afraid that it 9ct* ^ (C01 ~ wouldn't be received on time. So, given at th I took the check to the office of Patsy not be Patsy Tanner. At the office, I m?r would i a if t m\r rhprlf in nip 11 1 diiuuiu tuin in 111 j ? r? Gamma Beta Phi initiation dues she could J check here or should I mail it I members at t was told that it was fine to turn it welcome to in at the office. . maintained a I never received a formal invita- First of al tion for the induction Nov. 21. I entire situati called to inquire about this and I was suppo J was told that the invitations had am more ira 'INT WHAT KINP Of QUESTION PTMATP PAVAFTER WY ' 1 " />! <? \T9 Wt you people Possess EVEN A ??/N7ULA OF tie rife with ] ?r Greg Rickabaugh | l J; II il For example, there has not been one sign as > where the shuttle buses stop. The times of peration listed on last year's map (which still smains at the Nursing Building stop) said it is i operation until 6 p.m. To find where the ickup is at The Hoseshoe, you must depend on ther students to point it out. I was waiting at a stop in front of The lorseshoe Monday, when this small shuttle bus ulls up with 37 people on board. Half of the eople were standing up in the aisle and near le door. Sounds like one of those "Aren't you lad you used Dial" days. I asked the driver on the bus, "I guess you ad to take that one pretty slow, huh?" "No, I sure didn't. I'm late for a class," he aid with a smile. He then switched with nother driver who would soon travel off-route ^ D/v\1 (tho CKnf_ U UIKC 111111 1U UK/ muttll x UU1 ^nuviv uiv uuur e by USC wa Shelley Magee >ack on classes, professors and student ervices? It strikes me as really strange that the univerity would be slashing back what they already lave while acquiring something new. With all he debts that Holderman acquired for USC, vhy are we buying a new building? As a stulent I can think of a thousand other uses for hat money. Can you imagine how many schoERS TO THE EDI mailed. At the infor- the situation was han meting, we were told the irresponsible and iildn't make the indue- way this situation wa: )y the Honors College know that this is not i ck up the information tion that I care to be p; n/tfi/xrt T Ci??v% /nmnntrrohnn oK/miI/1 tr? uv^livjii. i s^an^u juiir uiganuiauwu onuuiu uv , the president of bers and prospective m Phi, several times on respect. However, one ask her about the in- cially think that this w let her know that I of an honor society. :end because I had to getting the answering En t said to leave your will be attending and he information at the ;ge if you will not be ? UUjo , Nov. 22,1 received a US0 th6SH ;ampus mail box from th dated Nov. 20. The To the editor: atsy Tanner had been In response to Davi al and she had not re- Gridiron Gripes in t :heck. Summer stated Gamecock, we would for new members was to point out his immati itrary to the deadline ing to his comments r e meeting) and had ing the Dallas Cowbc ">? Cum thp Pnu/hnvc ar*> vnm sC/U llUdpiUliiL^U) UUI11" w?v vvn ww^u maw j wui have received my their performance at ;nty of time. She said this past Sunday cle not accept any new that Mr. Bowden's c< this point, but I was they were "immature' join next semester if I what premature. The f 3.5 GPA. Aikman went down 1, I'm angry about the second half, the obn on because I did what the rivalry and the ovc sed to do. However, I of a game of this magi te at the way in which the Cowboys obvious 2 MARIO-MAKEUP YOUR MINP. problems tlecock office is). And most recently, yesterday, the driver was joking with a friend about the small accident that had just occurred near Carolina Coliseum. After the small accident, I got on a bus and heard the driver and a friend joking about the incident. Not only were they joking about the driver, but they were dismissing the accident as "just a scratch." They went on to ask for the necessity of the new Express route which stops at Columbia Hall and Capstone (which many people fought hard to get). And again they laughed about one of the drivers and how "goofy" he was. Lastly, the driver said he had been having problems with the transmission. Fluid had been dripping out of the bus, and he pointed to where it had spilled on the road where he had been before. Maybe I'm getting too concerned, and maybe these variety of problems aren't that bad. After all, they haven't closed any doors on people and dragged them along like they did last year. But it seems to me they need to get their act together, get these buses in good running order and come back next semester ready to project that new image they have sought this semester. ste of monev - ^ larships those kind of bucks could create? And the students are not the only people who are less than thrilled with the idea. A professor made an observation that made a lot of sense, also. He said, "Why would I want a new office when I haven't had a pay raise in four years?" Seems like a valid question to me. And the four million just to buy the hotel is not going to be the only cost It's a hotel, not an office building. That means massive reconstruction to make it an efficient office building. I wonder how many millions that process will cost. Of course, I'm sure they could leave a couple floors alone and use them as a place to entertain the VIP guests that come for a visit Gee, are you sure buying this place wasn't HolHprman's idftfl? TOR i< i nn i itiiMiiriii .i r mil III ..II idled. After tain their composure, which shows thoughtless the maturity Mr. Bowden said they 5 handled, I lacked. an organiza- It may seem that we are atart of. Every tempting to glorify the Cowboys, jat its mem- but that is far from our intentions, embers with We merely hope to show Mr. would espe- Bowden's lack of consistency deould be true monstrated in a five-day period:' The bulk of our argument lies in Lori Crowe the fact that Mr. Bowden in the iglish junior Nov. 13 Gamecock said the Cowboys will help represent the NFC East in the playoffs and stated fVlYlC <<either the Cowboys, Giants or Ea^ gles will beat (the Redskins)." T* oKmilrl olfA kn nAtoH tkof Mr j 1 m|| ^ 11 i)""uiu auu uv nv/ivu uui nU. U1 tlu Bowden picked the Cowboys over the Giants in the Pickem's Panel of the same issue. After the Cowid Bowden's toys' loss to the Giants, Mr. Bowhe Nov. 18 den hashed the Cowboys, calling gladly like them "t0? immature to be contenmity pertain- ders at ^ P?int in time." He then nade regard- excludes the Cowboys from the list tys. Granted, ?f teams with a shot to defeat the lg; however, Redskins. It doesn't take a rocket Washington scientist to conclude that Mr. Bowarly reveals den *s extremely indecisive in his amment that opinions. ' was some- In future issues, we suggest that act that Troy he spend less time trying to make early in the a name for himself and more time oxious fans, devoted to his thoughts. 'rail pressure Brian Dignan tiitude shows Stewart Doreen ly can main- Journalism sophomores J