The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 09, 1992, Page 3, Image 3
; V
Mars
Manned mission to red planet
next stop for human exploration
As we commemorate the 500th anniversary of Columbus' voyage
to America, whether you see it as the age of discovery or the
memorial of a vanquished hemisphere, Columbus day reminds us
of the adventure and need for discovery that remains in our society.
For America, the frontier that once made our nation grow is
gone. There is little left on our own planet to explore, except the
coldest parts of Antartica and the deepest parts of the ocean. But
none of these places holds as much promise as outer space.
And the next logical step for humans' space exploration is a
manned mission to Mars.
There have been many proposals on how we could achieve this
and in what time frame. NASA scientists don't see us getting there
? at least by conventional means ? until 30 years into the next
century.
Other scientists have proposed an accelerated program. Instead
of building an entire Mars spacecraft in space, as has been proposed,
two parts of a ship would be launched separately and assembled
in orbit. This method would be much easier given new realizations
of the difficulties of orbital construction. The plan would
require a new generation of nuclear-powered rockets to boost the
two heavy payloads. But once in space and assembled, the ship
woukl be smaller and less costly than the aircraft-carrier-sized ship
proposed by NASA.
Another creative solution to the time frame and cost questions
the alternative plan propose would be to send machinery up a year
in advance to create return fuel out of the carbon dioxide in the
Martian atmosphere. This advance craft would also take food,
water, shelter and equipment for the Mars crew with it. But there is
one drawback to the plan. The crew would have to remain on Mars
for a full year to collect the remaining fuel for the return trip, and
for Mars to be close enough to the Earth.
If this plan was endorsed, it would bring a manned mission to
Mars 15-20 years ahead of schedule.
Opinion on the Mars mission is mixed, much like the opinions
over Columbus day. After the Challenger disaster, NASA and
America began to question the value of the space program, and it
hurt our adventerous spirit.
The time has come to recapture our lost spirit of adventure. The
optimism of the early 1960's reached an all-time high when the
astronauts landed on the moon. A landing on Mars would spur
optimism into a pessimistic generation, and restore the value of
NASA and the space program.
A multinational mission to Mars would be a major symbol of
world cooperation. To see people achieve a goal by putting aside
racial, religious, and political differences is a hope shared by all
people.
A mission to Mars is not just a symbolic gesture to instill hope
in our generation, but it is a wise investment for our future.
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Editor in Chief Greg Rickabaugh
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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
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Gamecock will not withold names under any
c'rcumstances.
I
iewpo:
Columbus represeni
Why this interest in Columbus? Previous cent
have mirrored the temper of the time. In the 19th ceni
viewed as distinctively romantic and progressive
"rugged individualist."
Today, Columbus is seen as a representative, in Ro
of "every evil that Western individualism, capitalism,
nialism, and 'Eurocentrism' have visited on any part
last five hundred years." In contrast, the native s
encountered are now commonly portrayed as having
nious paradise.
Essentially, the debate over Columbus represents o
the legacy and direction of Western culture. Man;
under the umbrella of "multiculturalism" reject the
outright. Some environmentalists see, with Kirkpal
against the species as Europe's preoccupation as a cul
If we are to criticize Western culture, we must lo<
American life as well. Native life was characterized b;
The Taino tribe, the first people Columbus met, hai
tern with serfs at the bottom. The Caribs, another Q
larly raided other tribe for sacrificial victims and con
ticed cannibalism: because the Caribs were, in Gi
words, "literally eatins the Arawaks ur>." many /
Columbus as a heavenly deliverer.
The ritual sacrifices of the Aztecs is well known
open, hearts dug out, priests not allowed to wash oft
of bodies rolled down the temple steps. The blood-thi
Aztecs, Iroquois, and other tribes prompted their vk
Europeans (who abhorred the human sacrifices) in
inclined them to embrace Christianity.
\Tai* urot-o nnti\7o nonnloe pnfirplv "IrinH" tn n;
I^V/1 WV1V/ liauvv pvupivo vrnn vi; iv??.v> iv ...
American tribes employed slash-and-burn met
Northeastern woodlands tribes overhunted and had l
mately every ten years.
Many Americans today, feeling alienated from or
native life as less individualistic, less materialistic, tl
society. They look back to a supposed Utopia for fufil
But we cannot return to what is fundamentally a ;
native societies, nor would many of us want to. Inst
that our criticisms stem from our Western freedom <
restore a sense of community and wholeness from oui
Columbus may again serve as the messenger of ci
inspiration in 1992.
Young Ame
Students should
Three dollars, meter violation; $5.00, back-in
parking; $20.00, parking sticker.
If you drive a car and attend USC, I'd bet my
last $7.00 (six of which will be used to pay two r?
parking tickets?meter violation) that this column
will sound very familiar.
If you read last week's edition of The (
Gamecock, you probably noticed a letter to the
prtifnr artrtressino a mainr nrnhlem at I ISC: lim
ited parking. So I took the time to clear up some
of the reasons why solutions have not been d<
addressed to this problem. c:
Let me begin by saying, and forgive me if I ^
am being too blunt, I AM SICK OF HEARING 01
ABOUT THE PARKING PROBLEM AT USC! tc
People, if the problem's that bad then walk. Cl
Ride a bike, catch the bus, but don't drive if you
don't want to suffer the consequences. b'
I am a resident of Patterson Hall. Too often I B
hear echoing in the halls, "Attention all resi- n
dents and visitors, please move your car if you 'c
are illegally parked or your car will be towed." d
And too often I have watched people take
their precious time and walk ? not run ? to G
their vehicles to move them. Then they illegally ni
park their car someplace else. Same park, differ- |r
ent location. But can you blame them? They're *r
probably used to it.
I can recall the first time I moved into I
Patterson and discovered I would have a prob- sl
lem finding a parking space every day. I remem- I
ber thinking to myself, "Why do we have meters h
in front of our dorm?" I mean they say make 0
yourself at home. Well, I don't have a meter in
front of my garage. n
So being the inquisitve person I am, I called n
up Parking and Vehicle Services at USC and t(
asked. My answer? Turnover. In fact, turnover sl
was a popular answer for many of my questions.
The reason why we have meters in front of
our dorms is so we can have turnover, which c
means in more common terms everybody gets a
turn , t r\nrl'inn I
luiu ai |70IAIU^.
/ "SA
BBA \\<f'' VMV ?
Bush needs to !e!nng
answer questions lhil,s much l!
1 campaign
r*. ., ... edge of arm
To the editor: Bush's case)
I am curious as to how you slan(J .
could print such an unintelligent . If it is n
and unsubstantiated piece ot writ- waste Ume dis
ing. I am referring to the commen- . f ,,
tary on Bill Clinton (October 5th). draft_dodoino
To be perfectly honest, I do not should ^
care much for any of the choices C()ino tQ ask (
we have this election year; howev- ? 1 'neP(1
er, much of the commentary Mr. eush
Dobson wrote about Mr. Clinton was tQ dj.
does not make much sense. . did
I would like 10 begin with my leaisla|ion 10 ,
own opinion on Bill Clinton s per
ints
:ross
ts West New Worlc
ennial celebrations Discovery, hmm? What
ury, Columbus was American Indian. Not to a E
, the proto-typical so called "New World."
To discover: "To be first
bert Royal's words, nary says. In ,our case, let's
industrialism, coio- wnne man uoes wnen ne got
of the world in the session of it, by any means
ocieties Columbus slaves taken from Africa (v
; lived in a harmo- what happened all over the P
in Brazil?
ur own debate over What can we learn from i
y campus activists, cruelty, racism, slavery, and
legacy of the West Africans) does not reflect pr
rick. Sale, "waning history of the "Discovery" is
ture." same mistakes...(Can we say
ok closely at native population of Brazil is black
y war and torture. liament counts less than ten i
d a social caste sys- But why should we care si
iribbean tribe, regu- "The Last of the Mohicans''
cubines. They prac- peared. (Speaking of the Mo
uillermo Cespedes' they belong to this nation).
\.rawaks welcomed life is in full revival.
Since the whole philoso
? chests being slit Indian is based on die fundei
' the gore, hundreds that we have to turn to then
rsty practices of the ronment? But will we? We
:tims to employ the should we respect the advic
internecine wars or extinct.
What does it mean when \
ature. Some South daughter of the Apache mt
hods, while some fought them to keep his lai
o move on approxi- mere belonging to the white
It is time for all this to ch.
te another, envision lished by European people c
lan our own secular whole world, where some ci
lment. Some people try to justify
misrepresentation of the cruelty of the Incas in tl
ead, we must admit of all, the fact Europeans nt
)f thought, and then gest they are aware their a<
r heritage's depth. Secondly, since violations ol
iltural reflection and possession of other people's
look within its own borders
? Cecilia Kirk
rica's Foundation
investigate nark
O JL
caj
sti
frc
thi
The tear is it there weren't any meters, stu- lo
mts would park there for a week at a time. I co
in understand that. I hardly move my car until ^
le weekend. This would make it difficult for ?n
ther students to have parking spaces for visi- s{,
>rs or dates, and so on. Not that it's not diffi- ^
jit now.
And in case you are wondering, why not ^
nild visitor parking lots or more lots period?
ecause, people, it costs money. How much ;
toney? A lot. If you're wondering how much a
)t is, tuition, meter tickets, and parking stickers a!
on't cover it.
It cost $3 million to build the Senate Street ia
raiage. That is just one garage. Note that 1,200
ew parking spaces have been added this year, m
lcluding the Carolina Plaza. This is the largest
lcrease of parking spaces in 10 years.
Parking is just as expensive as it is a problem. ON
hat's why if you drive, it is best that you buy a
icker. Granted, I don't have one, but I'm busy. Pr
11 get one soon. Eventually. Or maybe I don't yc
ave one because I've been thinking like many di
f you.
Why buy a sticker when you still have to put n(
loney in the meter? It is turnover and meter
jgulation, people. So everyone else gets a turn m
) park, especially the people who don't have Vc
tickers. isi
I know that's not the best reason, but neither
? getting a $3.00 ticket, because you were in
lass and your quarter ran out in the meter. ar
Also please, by all means, don't be like me.
)on't let your tickets build up. They'll tow your
iJTilrlriri
10 cares? If he were out of the war, including yc
e truth about some- children?
nore relevant to his If you ask me, both cai
for example, knowl- are just as guilty.
s sales to Iran (in I am also a little confuse
1 could under- Mr. Dobson's tax questit
ou would want the said if the tax money tak<
ot relevant, then why the rich remained with the
cussing it? they could utilize it inuc
gations on vnnton s emcientiy. loukj you
, I do agree that he same thing for every tax pa;
he truth. If you are izen, rich or poor? Non
Minton, however, then want to see the money v
I some answers from being taken away by the
same time Clinton ment, but I also do not war
afted, Mr. President, one class of people bene
support government another. Perhaps, if our 1
ceep selected children debt had not increased fro
Fire
I not discovered
if we call it invasion?...shocking? Not to an
trazilian Indian, and not to any native of U
to find out, see or know about"...the dictiorewrite
the definition: what a European, <
:s into someone else's country and takes po
urith th^ hpln nl' tnnc r\f millir\nc nf Hl't
I Willi Ull lll/l|J l/l HIIO l/l miniV/no V/i I./1UV .
/ho made discoveries of their own). Isn't it
unericas? In the United States, the Carribean
t? That a commemoration and celebration ui
the extermination of millions (of Indians and
ogress made by humanity. That learning hrue
necessary if we don't want to go on with the
we have learned when over 50 percent of the
or of mixed races, and yet the Brazilian parlercent
black, mixed, or Indian members?)
nee the Indians are an extinct people (witnev
')? But are they? Well, they have not disaphicans,
1,400 Indians in North America claim
Even more significant, their spiritual way < t
iphy and spiritual way of life of the American
nental respect for Mother Earth, isn't it ironic
i to learn how to behave with our own env idon't
even respect the place we live in, why
:e of people that we consider inferior, if not
leople are still sending hate mail to the gran t
idicine man Geronimo one century alter i u
id? It says that a lot of people believe their
race enables them to do anything they please,
ange. It is time we realize the standards estab>ver
the last four centuries do not apply to the
vilizaiions date back more than 3,000 years.
/ the invasion of the Americas by referring to
leir religious rites (e.g. human sacrifice). Tit 4
ied to rationalize their ancestors' actions su ctions
were not limited to mere "discoven
f human rights are a reason to invade and t; e
countries, maybe the Western world ought to
before others "discover" them.
? Cecile Saintigny
French Graduate student
;ing problems
r if you have tickles exceeding $50.00.
Princirlpr unnrcplf liir-L-v At enmp cnllpu
idents with stickers aren't allowed to park in
)nt of a meter. At some colleges sludeni
;n't allowed to park at all if they're a freshin
or sophomore. They aren't allowed to hau
/ehicle period until their junior year.
Yep, parking at USC doesn't get any belter
in this. We're lucky enough to have parking
ts set aside for commuting students. (>t
urse, students who live on campus aren't
owed to park overnight ? while it sits there
lpty and parking lots in front of the dorms
ly overcrowded with illegally parked cai
ill there is a logical explanation for this.
What is it? Wait until you hear this one. It's
2 most reasonable answer yet. Security. That
;ht folks.
If the lots for off-campus students were open
night and students who live on campus weic
lowed to park there overnight, USC would
ive to increase security. You know, those gu>
at cruise all night in the new police cars an
ake sure we're okay. They're sort of like thos.
lys who put those neat looking yellow pieces
paper on your car, reminding you not to p;uk
'er the line ($5.00 violation).
Well, the best solution I have for the parkin"
oblem at USC is if you feel it is that bad, then
>u, the student, should do something about it. 1
d.
I called and asked questions about it. At least
>w I know the reason why die parking situa
>n is so bad at USC. It is obvious we ha\e
ore students with cars than parking lots 01
irking spaces. It is also obvious the problem
n't getting better ? it's getting worse.
So what should you do?
Do what I do. Keep a quarter handy, p;uk it
id walk.
)ur own billion to $330 billion, none of us
would have to worry about taxes,
ididates Finally, I must ask what this
condom distribution in
d about Washington, D.C. is all about.
>ns. He What does this have to do with
m from Clinton? Maybe I missed soniem,
then thing, but I did not know this was a
h more crucial national issue,
say the I would, however, like to hear a
ying cit- little more from all three candi
e of us dates, and we will all get tin
ve earn chance in the upcominmg debates
sovern- Until then, I hope Mr. Dobson\
it to see columns are better thought out.
fit over
national Jennifer (Jai \e\
m $150 Exercise science senior