Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ISaifack I Serving USC Since 1903 J.T. Wagenheim, Editor in Chief Lee Clontz, Viewpoints Editor Editorial Board Wendy Hudson, Carson Henderson, Gordon Mantler, Nancy Salomonsky, Tony Santori Courage Faulkner's admittance to Citadel testimonial to changing times, new traditions Things were a little unusual in Charleston Thursday. A woman attended a day class at The Citadel. The world didn't end and the school didn't shut down. After months of controversy, the Supreme Court finally gave Shannon Faulkner the means to fulfill her right as a tax-paying citizen to attend a public school in South Carolina. Her widely publicized struggle to enter the traditionally single-sex military school has been met with strong opinions on both sides. Her detractors make unsubstantiated claims that her sole purpose is to make trouble, to break tradition. They argue that she never intended to attend The Citadel because she desired the education, but only because she wanted to see if she could. Faulkner's struggle echoes the sentiments of black students who were first allowed into The Citadel in the early 1960s. The Citadel has become no weaker for its inclusion of minorities, despite fears to the contrary 30 years ago. The primary argument used to explain why Faulkner should not be allowed into The Citadel is tradition, which says women are not allowed. There was a time when it was tradition not to let women vote. Or olvn property. Or go to school. Those arguments didn't hold up then and thev shouldn't be used now. A tax-paying woman has the right to the same educational opportuni- 1 ties as a man. If The Citadel were a private institution, it would be a i different story. But it is not. South Carolina taxpayers, men and women, pay the money to keep the school's doors open, and while that is the case, she should be allowed to take classes. Faulkner has shown tremendous courage in taking on a system which has fought her every step of the way. Even if the argument could be made that "she is only causing trouble," she has exposed a seriously discriminatory process and has shown remarkable resolve. ; Citadel officials claim that they will continue to fight her admittance to the school, while Faulkner is now looking to be accepted into the corps of cadets. Now that justice is behind her, she will, with any luck, be able to complete the job she started. ^ No one will argue that tradition is not an important part of The Citadel's proud heritage. However, if the school's administrators are , implying that the mere admission of a woman would destroy the school's long and prosperous history, then their lack of faith In the strength of the institution is perhaps the most striking aspect of the entire argument. Faulkner has a long and difficult road ahead of her, but Thursday she finally became a part of The Citadel and did her part in creating a new 1 tradition of her own. r Menstruation may have ' new purpose, theory says ' My mother said everything has ~ \ a purpose. And I agree with her. g \ But I never wondered why men- Jj|? j struation had to be messy and dis- ^ i ordered. It was just one of those I things which happened in the ifBk jjn 1 name of reproduction. Wm But now a biologist has theo- ( rized menstruation has a reason. MCIlSScl 161111611 , And that reason finds itself bewil- ?? dered and cast into an over- asst. carolina! whelming controversy in a male- EDITOR dominated scientific community. ? . . * Self-taught biologist Margie ^^periods are often ftofet said women s bodies do not fer when ^ ^ u exjs|s choH nfornc hntnne mnnthlv ? '"vu ""I"6!, V liJ Infections like gonorrhea and , because the egg released from the .. ... coorT, ? m . e~ e ... . n chlymidia seem to result from . ovaries has not fertilized. Rather, , . ~ . .. 1 u ? a v a ? sperm-bome infections, she said. , she contends the body is trying to KXT . . ? . 1 ir ru . u Nature has a reason for everynd itself of bacteria borne of sperm. .. n ? J n k aa thing. And menstruation seems By shedding the lining, the 6 . .. , . ? , i body saves itself from potentially ,0? ""f and disordered to be , harmful bacteria. She also says releSa,ed 10 J"st someth.ng that most mammals menstruate, which ?>">? fr?m ,he body when a , propels her interest with intensity ba^' doe?n land fury. There must be a reason. . ,1S micht not be t e Dr. William Boggs at the absolute one and might not be Thomson Student Health Center correct> but it does deserve consa(id, "No, you are not apt to have sideration. bacteria carried by sperm." Even if this theory is wrong, '< He ascribes himself to the s*udy ^ *s necessary ior the thought when a woman is men- sa^e women s health. In generstruating, pathways are open to al, health cannot be ignored. And infection and the body is more women s health remains the most susceptible to infection. mysterious because it is not studMost of the scientific commu- ied enough, nity say Profet's idea is ridicu- It shouldn't have to take just | loiis. Many say menstrual bleed- women to learn about women's , in,g actually intensifies some bodies. This is not a society built , infections like gonorrhea. by men alone. ] Boggs said Profet had to be Menstruation is not neat, completely off in her theory. Appropriate issues should not be "She's out in left field," he said, stapled and filed into a desk drawer But he admitted he was not famil- just because it is a woman's thing. ] iar with the theory enough to Keeping silent only seeks to ] comment extensively. encourage the suppression. But Dr. Janice Bacon, an assis- My mother was right, tant professor of OBGYN at the Everything does have a reason. i school of medicine, said Profet might be right. "Some of the bac- Melissa Tennen is asst. Carolina! teria get up (into the body) by editor of The Gamecock. "Owrr^ News: 777-7726 cJSSJSEL i^^nir rnri? Advertisin?:777-4249 LauraDay VL/U-I I ittU Ll\ FAX: 777-6482 Production Manager Student Media Russell House-USC* Columbia, SC 29208 Ass. Production Manager J.T. Wagenheim Tony Santori Darby Lackey Gregory Perez Editor in Chief Sports Editor Asst. News Production Asst. Lee Clontz David Mandrel! Melissa Tennen Brian McGuire f Viewpoints Editor Photo Editor As5t- P**M*s Graduate Asst. Carson Henderson Chris Muldrow Matt Hanley Renee Gibson Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor Assl Features Advertising Manager Gordon Mantler Nora Doyle Jimmy Debutts J, Taylor Rutland | Copy Desk Chief Asst. News Assl- Sporls _ Asst. Advertising Manager Wendy Hudson Nancy Salomonsky Paul Jon Boscacci Erik Collins News Editor Features Editor Cartoonist Faculty Adviser The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the Lattars Policy University of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semes- The Gamecock will try to print all letters received, ters, with the exception of university holidays and exam Letters should be 200-250 words and must include full periods. name, professional title or year and major if a student. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the Letters must be personally delivered by the author to editors or author and not those of the University of ^ Gamecock newsroom in Russell House room 321. South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications "N* Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not Student Media is its parent organization. be withheld under any circumstances. Viewpoii f TV\AaJK GO p. "Filing by phone is similar to man; This is just another Bitter weather l< Could somebody turn up the heat? This bitter weather that's sitting on Columbia ike a Frigidaire is really messing with my lerves. It's just not supposed to be this cold in he Palmetto State. Those little Carolina wrens nust be freezing their feathers off. People all over campus are bundling up in topes of fending off some of the chill, bu it's lot working like it should. It's said you should layer your clothes to sthy varm, and it seems to work fairly well. See, vhen you pull on long underwear, a T-shirt, two >airs of wool socks, a flannel shirt, jeans, boots, i sweater, gloves, a scarf (muffler, for you car >uffs), a hat and a 10-pound jacket you're so oaded down you can't waddle out the door, rhrough layering, you can guarantee you won't ;ver have to meet the frosty winds because you'll be stranded in your room: a fluffy ball of vool, Thinsulate and cotton. Of course, I always seem to miss a couple of .pots when I layer. The scarf might pull up :rom my neck a bit, or my ears won't be covered. Every negative degree focuses its power )n that tiny spot of exposed skin, stinging it iritK r\ nn/l hirninn if fori T' m Pr\m_ Willi V.UIU Oil LI IUIIIIU5 11 wllL/11 j Itu. 1 111 LUH1nonly known around campus as Cristoph, the ed-eared Beardman. It doesn't help that the heat isn't really workng very well in my apartment. I'm reluctant to eave the somewhat toasty comfort of my bed to >curry bare-cheeked to the shower, but I have to io to class every morning. The weather makes people do really weird >tuff, too. My Yankee friends, for instance, tend Writer confuses slron=-en r? j* stand UPfl Bobbltt discussion Typica the mark To the editor: his first ( It is refreshing to be reminded Lorena ju that our illustrious "editor in chief' gave that takes the time to educate himself wife? Jus on the pertinent issues before com- was?" Foi menting upon them. Undoubtedly, woman ir Mr. Wagenheim conducted thor- does whai ough research into battered day to da) women's syndrome before writing and famil; Monday's column. Surely, he bad, if sf pored over the latest volumes of she'll call feminist theory to discover who stop hittin women feel is an appropriate role destroying model. Thank goodness we over- won't bea victimized women have big, the cops Should Faulkr "I strongly object to it. Ther ,H| breaking tradition for tradi mk get aii cquai cuueauuu ai < no cause or reason for that.' B "Sexual discrimination nee It's a state-supported schc going there. I feel she shoi corps of cadets." its \ P FofL ^ fcusM WEEK. 7 &,rs a, 3eb. I y other high tech telephone services sucli example of the IRS working to make fil iads to numb ears, ?? m> cai Chris Muldrow ^ \sm so1 GRAPHICS EDITOR caj to start rambling on about how this cold is nothing, compared to the weather they saw over ^ break. Here's how a typical conversation with ? them sounds: cu Beardman: "Hey, Bob (a fictional Yankee). ^ It's mighty cold out here, isn't it?" ^ Bob, the fictional Yankee: "Actually, my rednecked compadre, this is like tropical paradise caj to me. Shoot, up in Jersey we have minus 300 QQ temperatures. Words would freeze before they'd reach the other person's ears. My mom would sa, have to wake me up, pry open my frozen jaw un with a crowbar, blowtorch some Tang for break- qq fast, and help me hook my car straight up to the frt power lines to get it started." Beardman: "So you're saying this isn't cold?" sjr n.U. UAU :- 1.. :.. ...Anflinr Kirn IK! o n, . . DUU: Wll, gULLiy vjiic, in wcrtuiu ui\.u 11113 a I pjj home we'd strip down to our BVDs, run out the an door and dance around singing 'Heat Wave.' In fact, I think I'll do that right now." en Beardman: "Are you lying, Bob?" sh< Bob, shedding his coat: "Absolutely not, my up fuzzy friend." su I guess chilly weather brings out the cold inside people too. I was washing my clothes Wednesday night, and apparently some frozen Ci soul needed some warm clothes, so they stole Gi lightened men like J.T. to can't get out because he ha* or our rights! money (he won't allow lly, Wagenheim misses work). She can't take the (by a long shot). While run (he sleeps with the key question is "Why didn't pocket). She can't escape st leave," mine is "Who this time he will find her ar - - - .. i- 1*11 i man tne ngnt to beat his out his promises 10 kui ner. ;t who did he think he Did you know, Mr. " your information, J.T., a enlightened" Wagenheir i an abusive reladonship more of these "weak and > she can to survive from ble" women are killed whei cut off from her friends to leave their abusers than y. When the beatings get other time? Oh, you mu: le still has the courage, skipped over that insigr the police to make him detail in your research, ig, kicking, punching and While I do not condone I ; her. If she's lucky, he cific action taken by t her with the phone once Bobbitt, who can say for s leave. She knows she they wouldn't have done tl ter have been admitted to e's a movement toward '^he S'KH tion's sake. She could dition, w mother school. There's | She shoul Bruce Ayling lational relations freshman ds to come to an end. "No, 1 d< >ol, and our money is plenty of ild be able to enter the cadet." Tamara Waddell IjBjkTj Criminal justice sophomore ~~zvl ^ ? sf F ^h ft ^ 6ft r^l ~<?vt Jy MP l ^ K ^mmk i A those 1 ^ frats are _ _ 9 ^ |AAAH^ i as checking on a bank balance, ing taxes easier." Donald Breihan State IRS District Director stolen clothes ' favorite sweater in the whole wide world. I i understand wanting my cool sweater, but : poor wretch also stole one of my socks and e of my gloves. Obviously there's some peri missing a hand and a foot hobbling around itpus, sporting some warm clothes and a trou:d conscience. If you happen to see this unfortunate soul saring my sweater (it's grey with cool burndy and green diamonds in a kinda' nice )ine design, but I digress), please give them a p of warm cocoa, directions to the nearest lvation Army clothing depository and a swift :k in the pants. Everyone from warmer climates I see around mpus is stunned by these temperatures. The Id has numbed both their minds and their >uths, so they kinda' mumble everything they y. These are the same people who shiver controllably in the middle of the scorching )lumbia summers, claiming a perpetual cold >nt sits on the Capital City. Their complaining would be annoying, but ice it sounds like "frumplin' frigi' sucki' lh," you can't really tell what they're saying yway. They say it's gonna' get warmer this weekd, though, so the complaints and weirdness ould end soon. Meanwhile, I'm gonna' layer i and bounce around my apartment like a mo wrestler in a snowsuit. Lord knows, I can t get out the door! hris Muldrow is graphics editor of The imecock. His column appears every Friday. ; all the thing under the alleged circumher to stances. Lorena Bobbin had a right car and to live free from John Bobbin's s in his violence. She had the right to make because a home with her husband as best id carry she could. He violated those rights. 1 And he will get away with these; I'm so violations as long as people like; n, that Wagenheim persist in a world of /ulnera- ignorance. The level of understand-i trying ing of domestic violence issues; at any will never increase if people don't; >t have stop asking how women can allow lificant themselves to remain victims and start asking why men persist in vicLhe spe- timizing. Lorena ure that Kris McVey ie same Law/MPER The Citadel? jld not be allowed to go. It's breaking trahich is a large part of Southern culture. !d let it stay as it has been." Kila Carroll Sports medicine sophomore ;>nT think that she should go. There are oilier schools where she can go to be a Anne Linstead Student personnel services graduate student