The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 28, 1992, Page 4, Image 4
4
>^ ^Profess?
Profile I
HMmnnV
IjXyiflytiyjQjg A
USC English professor Amittai e;
Aviram believes that evervone has
ra responsibility to their society. ^
Aviram fulfills his responsibilities p
by bringing diversity to the ^
Carolina community. n
Aviram, 35, has taught at USC S)
since 1984. Since then, there has Cl
only been one course on the books
for African-American literature, p
and Aviram thought there needed S(
to be another. So instead of wait- S(
ing for someone to do something l
about it, he originated a special t<
section of Selected Topics in n
Literature on African-American Ci
poetry.
"One-third of South Carolina's t>
population is black. It's very o
important uiat we reneci mat in ti
our curriculum." A
Aviram said students who take
African-American Literature and e
develop an interest in the topic had A
no other classes to take that would a
build on that interest ? until now. y
He said the class opened doors for t(
students who had never enjoyed
literature before. "It would be a L
shame to close those doors," he a
said.
Aviram is opening doors for the F
gay community as well. He was F
co-advisor for the Gay and *
Lesbian Student Association for F
two years, and places ads in The
Gamecock supporting gay and jj
bisexual students during Coming
> tt r i_
uui weeK.
Q
"It's important for students to
know that some of their professors ^
are gay ... there are gay people in n
every walk of life," Aviram said. s
He has been "out of the closet" ^
to his family and friends since age v
fifteen. He had a relationship with b
a woman while he was in college k
at Columbia University, with li
whom he has a fifteen-year-old h
son. v
Aviram "came out" again when
he was in graduate school at Yale g
University, where he made friend- s
ships with famous gay scholars. v
Aviram is a member of the n
Some of Grc
'EheCE
Zaro
(
Professor Amittai Aviram
tay/Lesbian Studies division of
te Modern Languages
association, and has written on
ay themes and authors, such as
/'alt Whitman, Countee Cullen,
udre Lorde and Allen Ginsberg.
Aviram has had some negative
uperiences as a result of being
pen about his sexuality. When he
'as GLSA co-advisor, he put his
hone number in the Gamecock to
How students to call him if they
eeded someone to talk to. He
Don received harassing phone
alls from students.
After he placed an ad in the
aper on Coming Out Day one
smester, according to Aviram,
ome students in his American
Iterature class became arguamenitive
in class discussions and
lade homophobic remarks, like
ailing Walt Whitman a "queer."
"The majority of students have
een very fair and mature. I think
n the whole, it has been a posive
experience coming out,"
iviram said.
Much of Aviram's musical taints
stems from his childhood,
iviram's father was from Israel,
nd the family moved there for a
ear from their small New York
>wn when Aviram was eight.
Aviram learned how to speak
lebrew at home, and used his
bilities in foreign languages to
sarn Spanish,
rench, German,
,atin, Greek, "The bi
talian and Old sure that
nglish.
Aviram's teaching
tother taught that stu(
im to play the
iano. His family Clenly QTQ
ouldn't take a maoninn
IIIUUI IIIIM
iano with them .. .
/hen they that W6T6
loved to Israel, to them"
o he learned
ow to play the
iolin. Aviram All
uilt on his
nowledge of piano and violin to
2arn viola and to teach himself
ow to play classical guitar and
iola.
Aviram sang in college choral
roups and for two years of his
tay at Columbia University, he
/as an English and music double
lajor.
indma's ol<
~He
Be,
^ Have yoi
truth there is
always heard
Seems like
pharmacy al
say when yo
basketball.
I The advic
homemade i
starve a feve:
and eat a lot <
V 'V Believe it
iJjr"! been right all
m The saying
' is left from t
people practi
I tern based on
\ / Digestion
stomach. A
I ?7* r\ ) elevate body
Vu)(I / )J more. This h<
Reducing l
supposed to
stomach lov
fever.
Of course,
Il ^ ~
Wfa ~ I
m liMr m. f M3m>>
IS
Aviram's interest in AfricanAmerican
litemture stems from his
long-standing interest in the the
"continuum of dance, music and
poetry." The rhythmic quality
African-American poetry is important
in African-American culture
because of its relation to music
and dance, he said.
In his poetry class, Aviram has
pointed out the similarities in the
beats of slave work songs and the
rhythm of pick axes falling. He
teaches his students how to read
poetry for deeper meaning. He
challenges his students to make
poetry speak to them.
"The biggest pleasure that I get
from teaching is finding that students
suddenly
are able to find
ggest plea- meaning in
I get from
is finding ing to them,"
Jents sud-Avirrsaid
Aviram
dblG tO find takes responin
things ""''y for hi,*
,., . society is still
mystifying yet another
way. He rides
-PrnfpQQor bicycle to
rruiei>s>ur work each day
littai Aviram from home
about a mile
and a trparhprnns hill awav from
campus ior environmental reasons.
"The environment comes first. I
wish everybody did that," Aviram
said.
There are other advantages to
riding a bike, according to
Aviram. He doesn't have to look
I remedies r
7 7 11131 ?
aith die;;;
at #' be lin
I Pec
i ever wondered how much every
tr\ thncp nlH u/ivpt' talPQ vnil r\f r\rc
IV U1VOV V/AV? " * ' vu y VM vi VIL
when you got sick? Th<
i those Golden Agers in the C, sc
ways had something cute to preve
ur nose was dribbling like a Ch
made
e usually took the form of have
remedies like: feed a cold, In
r, or take plenty of vitamin C chick
of chicken soup. mucu
or not, Grandma may have showi
along. hot li
; "Feed a cold, starve a fever," but c
he time of Hippocrates, when benef
ced humoral medicine, a sys- Pei
hot and cold remedies. woult
of food causes heat in the Of
heavy meal can significantly and f
r temoerature for an hour or of flu
rat was thought ends colds. Karlc
the amount of food taken in is at th
keep the temperature of the Cente
/ and therefore counteract a sent
Draw
the drawback to this theory is be an
lamecock
lina!
^ ^
W s&?
| '[WffBlf^. i?'. .M^Wro':.
/* ,~'- !> ,! i* 1 'J
JmB
for a parking space and riding is
good exercise.
Aviram is a vegetarian, describing
himself as a "loose vegan,"
meaning that he eats mostly vegetables
and grains, only occasionally
eating dairy products.
Aviram, an advisor for the
Honors College, helps the student
society as well. He said that he
enjoys being able to help those
very smart students who don't feel
compatible with other students and
haven't had anyone to share their
ideas with.
Because students have named
him as someone who contributed
to their success, Aviram has been
cited twice by the Dean of
Students for excellence in teaching.
Aviram is the recipient of several
awards, such as teaching fellowships
for Cornell and Yale
University. He graduated Magna
Cum Laude from Columbia
University, and is a member of Phi
Beta Kappa.
Aviram published articles on
gay studies in literature, AfricanAmerican
literature and poetry
theory. He has also published
poems and has a book of poetry
under review.
His book of poetry theory has
been accepted and is due to be
published in the spring by the
University of Michigan Press.
In the past, Aviram has considered
taking other jobs that pay
more than his, like opening a business
or being a lawyer. But he has
since changed his mind.
"I'd like to be a teacher for the
rest of my life," he said.
eally work
ne must be careful to have a balance*
) fight off infection,
amin C has been a popular cold rem
or years. Researchers believe it ma;
iked to fighting off illness, but takinj
s vitamin C can cause liver damage.
>ple need only 250 mg of vitamin (
day ? the equivalent of two glasse
inge juice.
; human body does not store vitamii
i excess amounts are not helpful ii
nting a cold.
icken soup has been called "home
penicillin," and its positive effect
recently been proven,
a study, volunteers who drank he
en soup had a 33 percent increase ii
s flow. Those who drank cold wate
sd an extreme decrease. Drinking an
iquid would increase mucus contem
hicken soup shows some additions
its in clearing nasal passages,
haps other soups with strong aroma
1 provide the same benefit,
course, the best advice during col
lu season is to eat right, drink plent
ids, and see your doctor.
[ Fulmer is a peer sexuality educato
e Open Door Health and Wellnes
>.r. Health-related questions should b
to the Gamecock, Attn: Lee Clont:
'er A, Russell House. Questions ma
swered in a future column.
f
?
Damaged J
to be repla
By SEAN MCGUINNESS
Staff Writer
At Senate and Park streets lies a
historical landmark which has
served Columbia since 1950.
For 42 years, the Station One
firehouse has fought fires in
Columbia and on the USC campus,
often putting out residence hall
fires and initiating fire safety
inspections.
"It's a nice, well-built building,
but the foundation wasn't set
right...the building is settling,"
Assistant Fire Chief Bradley
Anderson said.
Lately, the firehouse has been
struggling with complicated staff
needs, company expansion and
building detoriation, which makes
the firehouse unsafe to live and
work in.
Last year, the heating pipes
broke and portable heating units, a
fire hazard, had to be used to warm
the rooms.
"We don't advocate the use of
portables, but we didn't have that
much of a choice," Anderson said.
They recently switched to window
units which provide heating and air
conditioning.
onH Co 11 on KrtpUc
v^i aiiu laiiuii uhva.o VCU pv^t
the firestation walls, floors and
ceilings like a spider's web.
Anderson said the station is considering
making the work areas a
hard-hat zone.
In the lobby, there is a large
plaster crack in the ceiling where
an engineer put his foot through as
he was walking on the floor above.
Three years ago, a firefighter
scalded more than 80 percent of his
body when he was opening the
valve of a gas-fired boiler. The
accident forced him to retire and
the boiler was changed.
Two weeks ago, Anderson said
they had their annual sewage back^1
went from
house to house,
getting any food or
clothes they would
giyeme.ThenI
handed it all nnttn
A?WAJI%?W % MW WMLM V W V
needy people in
the neighborhood.
-Jack Powell
Salisbury, MD
?
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Wednesday, October 28, 1992
i rehouse
ced in '93
up which played havoc with the
bathrooms. The female bathroom
has decayed so badly that men and
woman are forced to share the
same restroom.
Anderson said the building's
location is inconvenient.
"We are too close to and cut off
by the Congaree River," Anderson
! j ^ r
saiu. we get very rew responses
to the west, and the building is not
effectively placed."
Columbia City Council has
approved the building of a new
firehouse within the next year.
Anderson said relocation will
improve fire-prevention coverage,
and a series of studies will provide
information as to the best location.
Fire Chief John Jansen said he is
looking forward to the new building.
"The trucks are getting heavier
and that causes stress on the building,"
Jansen said. "We'll be able to
provide better coverage in the new
building."
When the new building is constructed,
ventilation shafts will be
installed in the garage to carry
away diesel exhaust. The current
station lacks these vents.
Anderson said the building's
original planners never anticipated
the need for secretarial staff, logistics,
a classroom or a training
bureau which occupy the obscure
corners of the station.
The staff members are spread
out over different rooms in the station
which separates and keeps
them from effectively communicatinrt
nritK r\tbDr A nHarorvn pniH
iii? wiui ^aui uuiu, nnuuiouii ocuu.
"The building will probably have
to be demolished after we move
out. It's too much of a hazard,"
Anderson said.
Jansen said he expects the new
firehouse to be completed by late
1993.
?Jock Powell is one of the little answers
to the big problems lacing every community
in America. And because there
are more people than problems, things
will get done. All you have to do is
something. Do anything.
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