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Viewpoint Vote Students must elect a government sympathetic to issues, concerns A majority of USC students are apathetic, in part because of the lack of representation by their elected government. Every student election brings promises from student politicians to fight for lower tuition, parking solutions and better student representation in USC's administration. Despite the politicians' yearly claim of improvement, the issues that students insist receive attention are never fully addressed. Now is the time to demand and implement change. The powei to vote is an incredible responsibility and must be used to its potential. It is ineffective when only 10 percent of the student bod) votes, which has been the case in the last several elections. Candidates must address relevant problems that have been present for generations, yet go unsolved. Parking is not a problem on campus, it's an epidemic that hasn't been cured because of lackadaisical pressure. The new parking garage on Senate Street is a move in the righ direction, but what's the next step? Deciding is an example of hov students and their leaders must collaborate to find a solution. W< can no longer vote a candidate into office unless he or she has ; long-term vision that provides answers. Students must also vote for leaders who will make a consciou: effort to fight for more higher education funding. We must have a leader who can stand up to the state Legislature and USC administration. Change only comes from pressure, and il tuition is to stop rising, voters must put pressure on the candidates We must have leaders who are not worried about confronting USC President John Palms and telling him students don't want the Carolina Plaza Hotel. We can no longer afford leaders who put their interests ahead o students. We must demand a change for better representation. "Ml, IF I WERE PRESIPENX f? VO SOMETHING ABOUT THESE THINGS QTC nQrl^inrr or otherwise find a wav to 7 * O cars parked just one day ^Pr*OrirlnF*\7 ICCI l p week, the world would t jCV/UHUui J IddllC cleaner and friendlier. As it addiction of some adversely To the editor: well-being of all. I have zero sympathy for the vehicle Maybe I'm just another i operators who whine about a paucity of freak, but I feel sure I'll parking spaces, on campus, or else- measure of solidarity amon where. A more valid complaint could you less desensitized hoofe be made about the cacaphony and clists. Is there anybody ou stench produced by all this fume- sides me who'd love to W2 belching machinery, to the psycholigi- morning, look outside, anc cal detriment of even the most desensi- some maverick trees had tized pedestrian or cyclist. Moreover, spmng up overnight through many drivers seem to regard those on ing asphalt, or read in the hi foot or bicycle as second-class citizens, a huge tax was to be levied < as if the power at their control justifies to finance the constructic them in depriving non-drivers of their paths and a modernized rail right-of-way. France or Japan? There is definitely a redneck syn- Pipe dreams? For sure, drome on this campus, and in the na- they'll approach reality wf tion at large, that glorifies burning fos- cans start worrying more 2 sil fuels and says to hell with the envi- thing and less about parkin ronment. If more people would carpool manding that our "environm Question: At what ag II ^ 'l^il > aHUHjl IVkUS Wm mi Jack Pettit Tye I Music major Polit "By sixth grade because "The that's when kids start to be- fowl come aware of their whei sexuality." aboii ; tionj it's b ^ros I Government ac t Recently, Student Government has com v under fire for being ineffective, useless an * far too political. j We must realize any governmental bod is ineffective and slow to a point. Studer Government is no different than the Sout s Carolina legislature or the U.S. Congress. Student Government has addressed issue that concern the entire campus. And 90 pei cent of the students cannot complain aboi ? representation when they did not eve bother to vote last spring. It is difficult to accomplish many eartl t shattering things during one year, especial! at USC. Student Government has achieve many little victories toward a more progre: sive and livable university society, f Most students feel Carolina's tuition too high, thanks to the economy and 01 backward-thinking legislators. Student Got ernment has tried to combat tuition ii creases through a broad letter-writing can paign, which will continue until progress made. Student Government will institute an a< visement critique form in February, a fir step in trying to improve the questionab advisement at USC. Last fall, a race relations forum was he by Student Government after the issue < ethnicity arose on campus. With the thre Student gover Enter the mysterious world of Studen Government, the inner workings: a 30-mi nute debate over semantic word meaning* i.e.: handicapable, introduction of phony le gislation as a joke and back-seat stance against the elitest USC administration. What is Student Government? The ideal: A group of students, electe by the entire student body, to forcefully, ac curately represent students' concerns to th administration. An institution in which fu ture leaders can practice and refine neces sary skills. The reality: A group of students, electee by one in 10 members of the student bod> who handcuff themselves to powerlessnes and conduct useless government in the mos prudent manner. Student Government is viewed as a prac tice ground for real government. And that' the problem. It shouldn't be political. Wh are candidates trying to imitate politicians their games, their system, their corruption? There should be no mudslinging. Stu dents have basically the same concerns. W are Democrats and Republicans in the oul side world, we are students at USC. W If you have an you would like to see addressed drop it in a Suggestion Box or Call Th keep their dent" start paying more than lip s out of the to his election promises. >e quieter, David \ is, the auto Graduate st affects the Cross Fire 'aving ecog'some'of raises questioi rs and cyt there be- To the editor: ike up one I have just a few questions I find that dress to Shelley Magee about h< arrogantly cle on pro-choice, unsuspect- 1. You say you are not pro-ab salines that Does this make you anti-abortion on gasoline 2. Would you say that stealing >n of bike drunk driving, murder etc. are system a la dealing with morality? If so, v you say government shouldn't but maybe lowed to legislate morality? len Ameri- 3. If the fetus is, as you sa ibout brea- alive, and is, as you say, part ig, and de- mother, are you saying that the ental presi- is not alive or just part of the mo ie do you think sex education si Edwards Blanca Carles ical Science major Spanish major >y should have it by about "About ninth gr th grade because that's they do it any n they become curious 'a*e to help anyl it things. If they're ques3 can be soothed, then >etter for everyone. s Firc^ Idresses concerns e of a polarized campus, Student Government d stepped in to bring racial tensions to the forefront, where we can deal with it openly y and progressively. it Parking seems to be a perpetual problem, h and that is natural. Any large university in a congested area experiences this. <s Student Government has fought for stur dents' parking rights steadfastly the past it two years. We no longer have to pay $3 n during coliseum events if we have a class. A new parking garage is being built, and i- existing lots have been made safer, y The charge that Student Government d does not stand up to the administration is 5- unfounded. ?..:~i .i.. OIUUC1U VJUVC1II1I1CIII piutcMcu viuicnuy is after the administration "borrowed" ir $100,000 from student funds, without any type of consultation or discussion, i- Our government is limited because the y administration has the final word. The stuis dent president does not have a vote on the Board of Trustees. But without Student Government, the st students would have no organized voice to le represent them to the administration. Id - Gordon Mantler 3f Gordon Mantler is a news editor for The at Gamecock. J nment impotent it just want someone to inspire us to unite i- and, in the spirit of activism, make a >, difference. And we want someone with fangs, who s will look John Palms and state lawmakers in the eyes and say NO, we don't accept that, this is what we want, and if you don't d give it to us, you will be out of a job. Nanby-panby politicking has no place e here. Save it, if you must, for the outside i- arena. Simply put, Student Government lacks the intensity and willingness to make real d change. It's the student leaders' mentality that causes the administration to not take s them seriously. It seems epidemic in stu;t dent governments to get locked into believing they ire not equal. A little arrogance, a little confidence and s a lot of passion is what we want from Stuy dent Government. Only with those qualities >, will USC's student leadership serve its true purpose. e - Eric Ward Eric Ward is editor in chief for The e Gamecock. Issue or question in Cross Fire or USC Voices, Please >e Gamecock Newsroom at 777-7726. i ervice 4. When you say the fetus is only alive when it can survive outside the 'assar womb, are you saying that our parents udent have a right to kill us until we are moved out of the house and selfsupporting? 5. You said the following in your column: "When we let the state step in and start making choices about our values for us, we will be watching the ? ...l* l ~c i:r_ luunuauun upun which uur way 01 nie to ad- is based crumble beneath our feet. And ir arti- we may be unable to claw out of the pit into which we would fall." onion. Are you talking about abortion, or i? slavery? 5, rape, 6. Finally, when you say government issues has no place in your home, are you /hy do saying that you are the exception? be al- Shelley Magee, I think maybe you should think through your ideas and ly, not make sure they are logical before you of the write. mother John C. Troutman Jr. ther? Theology senior hould be taught in schools? Ik "* Wyatt Urmey Advertising/Public Relations major ade because if later, it's too "It should be taught gradually thing." over time, not in any one particular grade, so it's not like some kind of forbidden fruit." Carolina Shuttle deserves thanks - Shelley Magee The Carolina Shuttle has somehow developed a pretty bad reputation on this campus. Because of some negative publicity, much of which has actually come from this newspaper, there are a lot of students walking around with some misconceptions about this student service. I think it's time to try and give them a fair shake. Last week I was riding on a very full shuttle headed from the nursing building to the coliseum. Everyone was packed on like sardines* trying to get to class on time. I was standing at the front of the bus holding the railing on the ceiling. As we tried to cross the intersection at Blossom and Pickens streets, a jKjsife, jerk in a red sports car ran a light and cut off the shuttle, which was almost in the intersection. My back was turned ( fg x to the window, and I was not % paying attention until I heard people start screaming. I turned around to see what was happening, and in that cr\lit OAr?r\nH nnt rvnlx/ HiH thp Hri\/Af manatYA tn uiui oyyiiv Jwv/iiU) nut wi11 y uiu uiv un? vi utuiiugv iw stop the bus, but helped keep me from going through the front windshield. Then he stood up, made sure everyone was all right, and wrote down the license number on the car, which I was able to see as the car was going up the hill on Pickens Street. He calmed everyone down and finished the route, and everyone got off the bus safely. J The driver took the whole incident in stride as part of his job. No one thanked him. But if he hadn't made an almost impossible stop and had hit the car instead, there would have been many people who, no doubt, would have been plenty quick to sue him. One driver said that everyday he drives, someone runs a light or ignores a stop sign. If the shuttle * didn't have good, responsible drivers, there would have been more than one minor accident tost year. The Carolina Shuttle faces one blow after another each time the budget is cut. The service does the best it can with what they have. Shuttle employees do not cut the number of buses running. That is the fault of the university. If you want more buses, don't complain about the shuttle system, write a letter to Dr. Palms and tell him that everyday you ride the route to the coliseum, or wherever you go, it's unsafe on the buses because 50 people have to cram into it to get to their class on time. Have you ever tried walking from the coliseum to the BA Building in 15 minutes, Dr. Palms? We need more buses. The lack of buses is not only a strain on the riders but also on drivers. The driver who reacted so responsibly should not have had to deal with an overcrowded bus and fight city traffic at the same time. The Carolina Shuttle is a service we should appreciate. The shuttle employees are doing as much as they can with as little as they've got. And on a personal note from everyone who forgot to mention it that day, including myself, thank you, Sean. IGamecock Editor in Chief Eric Ward Managing Editor Tige Watts Copy Desk Chief Kathy Heberger Asst. Copy Desk Chief Jennifer Jablonski Viewpoint Editor Shelley Magee News Editors...Patrick Villegas/Gordon Mantler Asst. News Editor Kim Everitt Carolina! Editor Greg Rickabaugh Asst. Carolina! Editor Lee Clontz Graphics Editor Ryan Sims Photography Editor Virginia Marshall Asst. Photography Editor Eric Glenn Sports Editor Ben Breazeale Asst. Sports Editor Chad Bray Faculty Adviser Erik Collins Asst. Advertising Manager Melissa Owenby Asst. Classified Manager Amy Taylor The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be 200-250 words. Full name and professional title, or year and major if a student, must be included along with address and phone number. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit letters for style, possible libel or space limitations. The Gamecock will not withhold names under any circumstances.