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Sidney Park ?roposals for stage, housing should go forward The debate over Sidney Park continues. The "Save Sidney Park" movement wants a permanent tage built in the park, while, at the same time, it urges city eaders to reconsider their support for a housing development >lanned for public land next to the park. Supporters of the housing include developers and city lead:rs who want to lure more residents into downtown. A hearing will be held tonight before the Columbia City :i ?.'tU liAnac rvf laoHinn trv a ^nnctriifhuP mmnrn. ^UUllLll Willi lilt lltpto Ul ItUUUlg, IV/ U. vuiljuuvun/ vuiupu nise. The city has distributed flyers encouraging concerned esidents to attend the hearing. The whole debate seems silly since both projects would lave a positive effect on the city of Columbia if done right. Other than USC and a few neighborhoods which dot the >erimeter of downtown, such as Shandon and Five Points, here are a limited amount of people living in the center of Columbia. The national trend of the past 20 years is also evident in Columbia, where 75 percent of the metropolitan population is iving in the suburbs. A permanent stage in Sidney Park would also be an excelent addition to the park, bringing more concerts and enter- s ainment to the area. Anything to liven up downtown Columbia on the weekends is welcome. But concerts could bring additional noise to the area, mak- , ng it less conducive fof a quiet residential neighborhood. , And a concern of the Sidney Park supporters is that the tew residents will complain, eventually limiting the activities ' if the park. J This type of confrontation could be avoided if it is : iddressed beforehand. Many stadiums and parks in other :ities are in residential areas, and the residents accept it. i ^ootball games and rock concerts can be a part of the neigh- i lorhood's charm and will be if both plans go forward. Sidney Park is more of an attraction than a detraction for 1 he housing development. Rather than fight each other, city , eaders, developers, the "Save Sidney Park" movement and \ ither concerned groups should cooperate. j "" ? " J J it wnen oiuney rauv was upcncu iwu ycais agu, u woo leemed the centerpiece of Columbia's downtown revitalizaion. It seems absurd to limit the park's activities for a small j development which ultimately has the same goal of revitaliza;ion in mind. ' Budget accountability a must for state It seems more and more people are sending "messages" these days, and some are actually receiving them. 1 For example, representatives of the South Carolina legislature told I ^ | USC President John Palms they I ^ |& 1 would be "watching" campus administration to see how the bud- | 1 get crunch would be handled. And Palms passed on that message to ANN the faculty at the Jan. 15 meeting. w I N P H F I I Does that mean the legislature will finally get "in touch" with university business, what with all *nS itself the students, ana we that "watching?" are watching our pennies, oops, I Now this presents an intensely mean ?ur quarters, interesting situation. didn 1 create the problems The legislature has to rely on either, but we have to pay for the academic community for the them. expert testimony that informs and ^be question is, who s going to shapes budget policy. he watching the legislators to USC feeds the political system. make sure they do something right This testimony had to have 10 us out this mess? Are included a lot of clues, if not out- they going to be tightening their and-out warnings, over the years, bells t00? 0r do we have to keep that a serious economic downturn on supporting them in the style to was developing. which they ^ accustomed, while USC's budget crunch didn't they do whatever it is they have surprise anyone I know, except doing? perhaps the legislators. . Does this P^ess have to conGovernor Carroll Campbell tmue to be a one-way street? went on record last year as saying Accountability in education" is South Carolina had weathered the a c?ncfPt that was developed and recession applied some time ago, and it was But it didn't. Government had a hf'th>' one- Sin?re educators spent according to projected rushed l? trV 10 become more income, and the income didn't accounta e. n s a simuie process inai means come in. , .. . So the legislators were forced to you have t0 ac,ually produce some tell the u1iver?hy thefe" n? ?sul.s front the ?me spent doing enAU?Srth?? rat;ngKm0nKy- n 1. y?Early last year. The State ran a he ' i ey Wh series on government accountabilibe watching to see how the bC b , . , 14t,u . mess is cleaned up ty in which they said, The people Interesting, isn't it? That's like ?f South C^linaarepaymg fora biting the hand that feeds you. government that doesn t work Don't get me wrong. The legis- because the PeoP e ?re" ! lature didn't create the economic charge, the governor s not in crisis, but they didn't do anything char8e' and even the 0nCe to help either, until it was too late. Powerful legislature is not in So USC departments have had charge " to "watch" themselves and dig Finally, it seems, government into their own pockets to tighten officials are at least talking about their belts. Students are asked to beinS accountable. Sunday s State tighten their belts. Tuition has newspaper reported legislators are gone up. Lab fees have gone up. It making plans to make agency costs the same thing to audit a heads accountable, for example, class now as it does to register. ^or *he success or failure of their Parking meter fees have doubled, programs. and parking fines have increased That's not too much to ask. Do 66 percent. y?u suPP?se they got our mesSo far, we and the faculty are sa8e? absorbing the brunt of this crisis with these back-door taxes. Am Winc>< ;i is a staff wrtier for Legislators are watching the The Gamecock university, the university is watch n Banks, not v Getting credit way back when was ;imple ? all you had to do was ask. Of course, you usually had to ask iome seedy gangster, probably tamed "Snakes" or "Lefty," who vas perfectly willing to give you as ouch as you could carry. Of course, when you were unable o pay back his substantial "lender's 'ee," you were promptly relieved of your kneecaps. Well, welcome to the '90s. Today, getting credit is usually ouch more difficult. Banks process ind reprocess applications, require nu signers and make the lendee prove n( le can pay the money back, but thr loesn't need it in the first place, young adults struggling with jobs, ;redit card is something to be pr< iccomplishment. That is, unless you're a college stu< Did you ever wonder why studei targets of countless credit card promc they have little money, while adults have a difficult time? Buy a book from a university Chances are, the bag, and probabb itself, is stuffed with credit card appli Gay debate misses important points To the editor: President Bill Clinton was recently elected on the premise of change; apparently, his highest priority for change in America today is the issue of homosexuals in the military, not the deficit or a middle class tax cut. Regardless of one's stance on this issue, several points have yet to be discussed. Many Americans join the military for the great benefits available to them and their dependents: health care, housing, etc. If homosexuals are accepted as part of the military community, will the marriage between two people of the same sex constitute the same family unit as a heterosexual couple? Will they, and their presumably adopted children, awi. opuns nuirur Photo Editor Asst. Photo Editor Graphics Editor Asst. Graphics Editor Cartoonist Copy Editors Student Media Coordinator Production Manager Asst. Production Manager Advertising Manager Faculty Adviser Graduate Assistant Darkroom Technicians ^^??CTj ? endors, s L E E C L O N TZ merous co- shelling out )t only that of college s it he really CDs and Cir For many So why getting a screw up. :>ud of, an Yes, as h that little nil Jent. the applicati nts are the cent" or higl 'lions when terrible reali ; with jobs Mother "just wants bookstore. casjj comes / the book Nineteen cations. expensive h< uc given ine dainc ueucuia a* a nv/imal" family? Would a soldier object to having his child exposed to two lesbians with children living next door to them in on-post housing? Would the military's schools have to introduce a new curriculum to force the children with heterosexual parents to accept what they see as normal? The military has had one job and one job only throughout history, and NEWSROOM % 777-7726 P.O. BOX 85131 Editor in Chief Associate Editors Viewpoint Editor Copy Desk Chief News Editors Asst. News Editors Carolina! Editor Asst. Carolina! Editor Sports Editors vD( UNIVERSITY Patrii Lee Clontz, J.T. V Gordc Bria Jack Dunn, Melii Lea Clayton, Rochelle Y Jem Melind Nancy Salomonsky, Ti Rot Stephai Kel Grej Chris Chris Davis, Tho Jirr Rei E Bria Erin Galloway, Rika E that is to fight wars ai doing whatever it takes, testing ground for idiotic : neering programs.As this debate continue ber we as heterosexuals I tinct advantage over the 1 community: we can r whereas they can only rec Chi Chemistry : Race panelist s To the editor: This letter is a result forum held at the USC I held Jan. 25 to 27. I serve elist at the Open 1 Community Forum Tue noon. I made some com] that were provocative to embraced by many. My main contention w; one focusing on the race vidual when race is not factor in the decision or d hand is harmful to all in to society at large. In fac in very rare circumstance has any bearing at all on concern; however, race 1 to do with whether you th payments should be de{ ?TRr ...IT'S BIG60? I TUAN WETMOUGHi; BtlU Hi r? [( | Iff ? ? p " fefl * .. WMS hould peddle Walk across the Russell House Patio on any given day. Chances c are some group with a battery- c operated copier and a rack of two- a liter Pepsis are there, just dying to tj give you credit with their business. P Now, I ask you ? would you ^ lend yourself money? Speaking as someone who hardly lends money to people I have known since birth, I find it C difficult to believe that these c saints are only being kind by L their hard-earned funds to a bunch tudents who will only spend it on c cle K hot dogs anyway, do they do it? They hope you'll a a orrible as it sounds, they're hoping I imber that looks so insignificant on 3 on ? usually looking like "19 pericr ? will soon become a harsh and 1 ty to you. This equals big bucks for ^ Theresa Credit Card Company who 1 to help the student," and the excess out of your pocket. 1 percent makes for one hell of an 3t dog. 1 I BIB I ppilj il btcj i r* UJLUmAMAM id win by marital status and shouk It is not a asked about or considered, social engi- One of the main issues c at this forum was affirmati es, remem- based on race in reference nave a dis- admissions and other areas lomosexual argue that affirmative actioi eproduce, ed in many circumstances i ruit. a good purpose, I do que means by which it is adn arles Kopp My main objection to the a sophomore action programs as { designed is that they decid noobc vidual's need bv the irrelev ,Fv?i*o of race ThiS) (n effect> sa are a member of the targ you are an individual who of the race disadvantaged past and t .aw School need of assistance. :d as a pan- attempt to undo past Jniversity tage is a good and proper g sday after- ever> t0 assume that if you ments there y0U have had a disadvant; some, but ,s racist and inefficient. My proposal is to base a as that any- action program decisions of the indi- disadvantage. Thus, if you a relevant and grew up in a poor horn iscussion at Work during high scho volved and affected your GPA, your t, it is only WOuld merit affirmative act ?s that race i<- ? ? ii yuu wcic uiacK anu the issue ot went tQ a gQ(Xj prjvate pr ias nothing wj{^ au acjvantage mo: ink welfare huy, however, you would 1 pendent on hie for affirmative action itwrn M IIVVU OF SOUTH CAROLINA :k Villegas /agenheim The Gamecock is th< in Mantler South Carolina and is pi s^Tennen Wednesdays and Friday: Cillingbeck weekly during both sun lifer Fuller versity holidays and exai a Waldrop Opinions expressed m T^orsen or author and not those c nie Nevvlin The Board of Studen ly Johnson publisher of The Gamect gory Perez parent organization of T1 . Muldrow Change of address ^on correspondence should I I'^lcKe'uar1 The University of South < Laura Day Subscription rates a Jim Green Columbia, SC. The Gam nee Gibson Gf the University of Sout -"k Collins ^ent activity fees, n McGuire y lashimoto ri^WG&ER 1 YOUTMOUWr? I credit cards This is certainly not to look down on credit ards as an institution, but for freshman new to ampus with a minimum of financial guidance nd a maximum of new freedoms and tempta10ns, a $500 credit limit doesn't last long. Anyone who has seen students sitting in the lost office crying with a two-foot-long phone ill knows what I mean. Credit cards, when used responsibly, can be in extraordinary convenience and a handy way 0 buy what you want, but be careful you don't ;et caught in what American Express so eloluendy calls "revolving debt." Perhaps more importantly, don't get a credit aid from a firm you don't trust. In other words, get one from a bank, preferibly your own. If you don't have a bank iccount, you certainly don't need a credit card, f the bank won't give you one, there's probably 1 good reason. After all, they don't break kneecaps anymore; hey don't have to. They can ruin your credit. \nd while that may not scare you now, just wait mtil you want to buy a house. That hot dog won't taste very good five years rom now. jee Clontz is an Associate Editor of The Gamecock 1 not be of your race. These scenarios apply equally for any race. >f concern This approach seems to be much ive action more effective and efficient in severto hiring, al regards. First, it will distribute . While I money to those in genuine need of n is need- assistance, regardless of their race, ind serves This alone is a sufficient reason to :stion the implement this program. Second, it linistered. will diffuse, almost instantaneously, ffirmative any resentment felt by those people )resently who did not get affirmative action e an indi- because they were in the wrong ant factor racial group. Removal of this one ys if you idea from our campus and others et group, across America would be a welhas had a corned change and a step in the right hus is in direction. disadvan- Richard Lee Bolen ;oal; how- Law student are black. xk. l he btuclent Media Department ib me ~\e Gamecock. forms, subscriptions, requests and other ?e sent to The Gamecock, P.O. Box 85131, Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208. re $46 a year. First class postage paid at ecock is a registered student organization :h Carolina and is partially funded by stu f . The Gamecock will try to print all irmative letters received. Letters should be on actual , . ? ? . , , 200-250 words maximum. Full are black , , ., e and had name and professional title or year ol which and maj?r' ^ a stucJent, must be situation included along with an address and jon phone number. The Gamecock rich and reserves the right to edit for style, ep school possible libel or space limitations. ney could The Gamecock will not withhold )e ineligi- names under any circumstances. regardless I ADVERTISING 777-4249 COLUMBIA, SC 29208 b student newspaper of the University of ablished three times a week on Mondays, s during the fall and spring semesters and rimer sessions, with the exception of unimination periods. in The Gamecock are those of the editors )f the University of South Carolina, it Publications and Communications is the