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9 *t5aifficock Serving USC Since 1908 J.T. Wagenheim, Editor in Chief Shayla Stutts, Viewpoints Editor fc EDITORIAL BOARD Jay King, Gordon Mantler, Rob Rodusky, Lee Clontz, Carson Henderson Decisions Sparky Woods' reluctance to take risks indication USC should find new coach There comes a time in a person's life when he must make a decision and not think about the negative consequences that may come of it. Someone who must make such a decision in the near future is Athletics Director Mike McGee. He should make the decision to fire | Coach Sparky Woods. While the 4-7 record speaks volumes as to why Woods should be dismissed, it is not the only reason. The play calling was downright pathetic at times. You cannot win games without taking a few chances. How many times did we see pitch to runningback Brandon Bennett right, pitch to Bennett left? We are not suggesting triple reverses on every down, but those kinds of plays keep opposing players and coaches guessing. It does not seem like Woods has what it takes to motivate his players to the next level In 1QQ? it seemed like the nlavers were nlavino the final six games more for themselves and not because of Woods' coaching. How many times are we going to hear we lost because of injuries and a lack of maturity? It is up to the coach to get the players ready in case they have to step in and play. I Many people think Woods should stay because he is a nice guy who deserves another year. If that is the case, Mike Ditka would have been gone after his first game. Being nice does not win games. The future of the football program depends on whether Woods stays. How many high school recruits will come to a school that is not looking to go anywhere but down? A new coach will bring in new blood and rejuvenate the program. McGee did a great job bringing in super basketball coach Eddie Fogler. Surely, he can do the same for football. Woods is a great person, and we wish him the best in the future. However, it is time for a changing of the guard. The choice is yours McGee. All you have to do is go out and do it. _ Spirit important part of Gamecock athletics Spirit. J ~^3Sk~. ^ At USC football games, it is iH Hp] something that varies as much EH HJ as the team's momentum. Spirit pHiM reaches its peak when the fog VF a begins to billow and the last ! I nptes qf."^001" are.played and - L #J| the football .team bursts onto the |:H^H^pfl|H It reaches its low point when Hi! the team starts to lose in the fourth quarter and all of the fans start to leave. In between, the amount of good idea, spirit comes and goes, depend- But for those people who just ing on how good the plays are, want to get back to the car to * if we are ahead or behind or the eat the tailgating leftovers or emotional level of the team. who give up on the team whenIn short, at USC, we are fair- ever it gets down by a field goal weather fans as good as they or a touchdown, there is no come. excuse for leavine earlv. When the team is good, the We need team spirit. To get fans are the best. They are that, we need to start with decked out totally in garnet and school spirit. Loyalty is an black, cheering at the top of important part of building that their lungs and attentive to spirit. It has been said that true every play. USC fans are the most loyal in When the team is losing, the the country. We all need to fans are the worst. Silence falls develop that type of loyalty, across the stands, the fans With Eddie Fogler coming to ^ become still and before long take over the Gamecock basket they start filing out of the ball team, we have the chance stands. of becoming a competitive When USC plays on televi- team. But the coach and the sion, it is embarrassing to us to team can only do so much, have the camera scan the stadi- It is up to us, both as students um when there are seven min- and as fans, to provide some utes left in the fourth quarter emotional support and momenand the bleachers are half-emp- turn for the team. We need to be ty. at the games, cheering at the top We only had one dramatic of our lungs. We need to be last-minute win this season; that supportive of team efforts even was in the first game against if the team does not win every Georgia. Because our team has game. a tendency to lose steam in the This basketball season is the second half is no reason to leave perfect opportunity for us to the minute we start to lose. redeem ourselves for our fairI understand about how heavy weather football behavior. We tralfic can be and how crowded can start over as fans and start a it is trying to walk out of the tradition of loyalty and support, stadium. For those fans who have small children or who are Wendy Hudson is a staff elderly, leaving early may be a writer for The Gamecock. ? The Gamecock will try to print all letters received. Letters should be 200-250 words and must include full name, professional title or year and major if a student. Letters must be personally delivered by the author to The Gamecock newsroom in Russell House room 321. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for style, possible libel or space limitations. Names * will not be withheld under any circumstances. VlEWPCB Do you think Spa ^ Wfb * "He needs to be evaluated "He on his decision making con and on his record. When goo< things are going well dur- coul ing a game, he makes bad sive decisions." we't Aaron Dawkins Media arts senior - Job search brings Frustration: How can you describe it? What, you may ask, am I frustrated about? My current gripe is one every college student can identify with sometimes: unemployment. I am not talking about a casual, part-time, now-I-can-buy-more-beer kind of job, but a career. You know, the "c" word. I have spent four years and thousands of dollars (OK, Mom and Dad spent thousands) at this university. Who knows how many hours I have spent studying, reading, researching and writing, and for what? A good education, a degree in journalism and a sense of accomplishment. Yeah, yeah, I know all that, but ultimately, the purpose of college is to prepare us for the real world. If I have held up my end of the bar gain, why don't I have a job, the happy ending to my years of work? Everyone says the economy is rotten, all the good jobs are filled by materialistic, cutthroat Sports fans join Rid'"8 th< r J new. There i team bandwagons distinction 1 To the editor others with One definition of bandwagon is w omever 1S to shift one'# support to the winning side. I am not sure if this phenomenon can be aptly displayed in any area more than sports. U.S. ACS Whichever team seems to be on p top, there is always a surge of sup- racial} c port behind it. To the edi So-called fans of winning teams As the c come out of the woodworks to Amnestv It -J -show their undying support and USC, I am c loyalty. I am sure these winning conceptions teams really appreciate the support recent Car* but would have appreciated it more group is not when they were losing. ty in the Uni We have all witnessed the recent Of the 22: resuscitation of the Atlanta Braves, to death by I have noticed a growing amount of since 1976, supporters. Where have all these dant was jut diehard fans been all these years? I black man. I commend the true Braves fans, cent of the faithful through thick and thin. row in this c The bandwagon rolls through the We think football season as much as it does penalty is rai in baseball. I have my favorite other reason; teams for each sport. I have been is wrong. It an avid supporter of each of my imprisonmer teams, win or lose. Apparently, per executioi many are not as loyal as I am. keep an inn JTS rky Woods should ren should finish out his "At the first sign tract. He's done a ble, the fans sere 1 job recruiting. If we coach replacer d get rid of the offen- would be premt line instead of him, the university to 1 be doing all right." this just because say so." Jennifer Webb Sociology senior Charles Govern: internationi frustration, disap yuppies and the people of our generation a shafted. Wonderful! Thanks for the good news. Giv me encouragement and something to hope for. Perhaps the problem is my chosen field. Tt arena of journalism is over-crowded and unde paid, subject to changing attitudes and dem< graphics of our society. Forgive me for choosir something I liked, something that I could t happy doing. Maybe I will never make a million dollars, am not saying I want to. People tell me you cai not expect to graduate and step into a lofty pos ! bandwagon is nothing years. And remembe is always going to be a five to the death pens between true fans and case is life impris' fickle connections to means no parole. Th winning. native, and it is cheaj Eric Holcombe The United Stati Journalism junior Western democracy ?u~ n.. L uic ucaui penally ot iL citizens and on minoi itn penalty We do not oniy ac vnpncivP offenders lives. W XpeilM for the victims, but tor: citizens by governme o-coordinator of the dQn despicable. 1 iternational group at venting violent crim oncerned with the mis- munities is very impc displayed in the most s0 what have yoi Dlina Spectator. Our vent vi0|ent crime racist; the death penal- penalty does nothing ted States is. Please join us ir ) American citizens put abolish the death p their own government wbere. only one white defended guilty of killing a . Sociolc Hacks make up 40 perVK people on death ^ ^ this says that the death 0\clusiVC 2 :ist, but there are many > that the death penalty To the editor: costs more than life I have a question i it. That is, $3.2 million SGA senate's debate n, or enough money to ing bill for Greek or late in prison for 240 is written on the bvV VEAW-fo&Ot* EAA/S. THERE'LL J AVAlUSiE PAi NEARTH?IWIVERS HAPPi Tuttneft f? ? (lain football coach? i of trou- "He should be allowed to am for a' finish his contract, but if nent. It he's not doing better after mire for that, then he should be dive into fired." the fans ^ Teesna Venning Accounting freshman Renton ment and al studies graduate A A _ 1 _ poinimeni 10 graas tion. All I am looking for is a way to support myself with enough money for more than Oodles of Noodles and a cockroach infested rattrap to live in. What will I do after my graduation in December? Move home with Mom and Dad, re most likely. Do not get me wrong, I love them, But I do not relish the idea of living off of them e any longer than I have to. I will keep looking for a job, writing to every ie newspaper, magazine and publishing company r* in North America. I will get their standard reply: > "Thanks for your interest in our publication, ig Sorry, kid, we aren't hiring now. It's the econo>e my." There is always grad school. I . l- Tara Potzler is production i- assistant for The Gatnecock. LKJHHHIHn :r, the alterna- Student Treasurers Manual that ilty in a capital "Each student organization that has onment. That been registered for 12 full months ere is an alter- may apply for funds unless the )er- organization is a social fraternity or es is the last sorority, a political organization, a that still uses reiigious group or a residence hall ith on its own government." Ivocate for the 1 guess any olher group lhat . . excludes members based on race, 6 care deeply the killing of reliSion' wealth or creed may aPP*y nK for rptHhn for Public funds 35 wel1- Maybe we (Ve think pre- ??S?i to give the College e in our com- Republicans money to have a pub>rtant, also. bc function that will get support for. j done to pre- lbe nexl presidential election. Or* ? The death we could give money to the Baptist to deter it. Student Union the next time it: i the fight to sponsors a soup kitchen at a home-. tenalty every- less shelter. Or maybe next Halloween,, we could give Preston; Paul Cantrell money to help promote its haunted* >gy sophomore house. Oops! I forgot. All those organizations do not promote activities open to the student body. Maybe 1 ;roups certain codes were meant to be broken for certain organizations, while concerning the other organizations are denied anyupon a fund- thing from the SGA. ganizations. It Jennifer Dougherty hf?f?W in ihp Pnlilicul CAninr ?KW6 jg 1 iTH. llPsf <*U-K*oms, ;; I I I I ^ \CK, t't> loMZ V