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"IB Servirtf Lee Gontz, Editor in Grief Edit Keith Boudreaux, L Jimmy De Home Swe Violence makes inn prompts questions < With the recent firing oi a rude awakening. No 1 that violence is everywh Far too often people cite New pies of unsafe havens of crime. A a city doesn't have to be the biggi tions. Guns and drugs aren't Iocj hit a lot closer to home, as violena would like or like to admit. It's blindingly obvious that st that something must be done to the problem, even the causes of it Thus, the debates ensue. And wl little has been done to alleviate t The increasingly violent Ami ment's and the nation's attentioi ward passage, the Crime Bill fir this stab at the problem is certa hang all its hopes of becoming a just not that easy. Certainly gun control is a mea tial solution to the problem. Tho gun control is needed in this trig imagine that anyone would object strictions on people with outstar where the country is desperate f that can't be disregarded altogetl Even the best of these remedi fix-it attempts at a complex, deep cause of the shootings and stabbi] er to see what's really behind all t what it sees. 'Easy way < purpose of ftmLEE CLONTZ '^lT Editor in Chief College is supposed to be man things: a chance to grow, a chanc to learn, a chance to become th people we are to become, right Scary thought A recent issue of U.S. News an World Report ranked the nation' colleges (sorry, USC is still a thir tier school) and addressed some < the problems with our higher edi cation system. The gist of the art cle was that more students are i 4-ViAt*nmr fVion Atrat* nafrtfA T'm nr WICI opjr i/JLiaii CTCI UC1U1 C. X 111 1X1 sure of exactly what this meant but it is definitely not good. Certainly, a major part of th problem is students ourselves. Mor people than ever are entering col lege, many of whom simply aren ready for it. College just seems preferable alternative to getting job. Nothing is more celebrated tha the high school dropout who learn the value of education, works hare comes to college and becomes a gres success. Unfortunately, the mor typical story is the person wh breezes through high school becaus it is dumbed up for those who can handle it, then comes to college, pa] ties for four years, never studies and comes out with zero legitimat experience and a grade point avei age that tells an employer that he/she is above average. Looking at the list of the top 2i universities, with Harvard, Prince ton, Yale, MIT and Stanford firm ly seated as the top five, there's on thing they have in common tha USC doesn't have: a reputation fo academic rigor. True, USC doe have some terrific programs, but i is still seen as a "party school" ii many ways. The typical argument respond ing to that criticism is that USC is ultimately, a state school. Thus, i needs to be easier to give people wh areTorced to go to a state school i fair shot. After all, the attitude c many students is, "If I wanted aj academically rigorous education, F< have gone to Harvard." Even assuming that is the case USC, with its lower standards, i still only graduating 61 percent c its student body, as opposed to th "TSaffcotk s Student Media Russell House-USO Lee Clontz Jimmy DeButts Editor in Chief Sports Editor Susan Goodwin Kim Truett Viewpoints Editor Photo Editor Steven C. Burritt Gabriel Madden Copy Desk Chief Graphics Editor Keith Boudreaux Erin Galloway News Editor Asst. News Lupe Eyde Robert Wertz Features Editor Asst. News The Gamecock is the student newspaper of th University of South Carolina and is published Monday Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring seme ten, with the exception of university holidays and exai periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of tl editors or author and not those of the University < South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Ccmmunicatioi is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department i Sludent Media is its parent organisation. ) The Mask t use Since 1908 ' Susan Goodwin, Viewpoints Editor orlal Board ape Eyde, Steven C. Burritt, Butts, Kim Truett /\4 XX /\0 vi liuiiiv; oads into campus life, of problem, solutions f gunshots at the Russell House comes onger can students ignore the obvious lere. Even in Columbia, S.C. ' York and Washington, D.C. as exams has been proved over and over again, est to have its fair share of criminal acil oddities of large urban centers. They e becomes more mainstream than many )mething is wrong with this trend and stop it. Unfortunately the solutions to ., aren't as prominent as the symptoms, len all the soap-box talks are finished, he situation. erica that is emerging got the governn this summer. After a stormy trek totally made it through Congress. While inly a step forward, the country can't kinder, gentler nation on one law. It's sure that needs to be looked at as a parugh many are against it, some form of ger-happy society. Besides, it's hard to ; to the Brady Law provision placing relding criminal convictions. In a period 'or solutions, gun control is a measure ler. es aren't cures. They are merely quickly rooted problem. To truly discover the ngs, society is going to have to dig deepthe violent hoopla, even if it doesn't like >ut' devalues college previously mentioned Ivy League schools, which average in the mid90 percent. Professors, too, cannot forget their duty to their students. Make the subject matter seem interesting, and chances are students will ^ find it interesting. Nothing is as ine spiring as a genuine enthusiasm. ? A group freshman reading of Pat Conroy's "The Water is Wide" was , a great step toward building a sense , of intellectual community among , our underclassmen. ^ Perhaps the most insidious prob} lem is the lowering of standards, }' not only with USC, but across the board. The SAT has been restrucn tured to compensate for uniformly lower scores and with calculators 3' for that pesky math. University professors, and even employers, are e simply learning to expect less. j6 There's even an odious service in Columbia which, for a nominal fee, will supply students with the a easiest faculty member teaching a a given class. Not the most interesting or educated faculty member, n but the one that gives the most A's. ? And we're calling this an edu? cation? The mostly rhetorical question e to ask the student who would uti? liTP anr?Vi narvi^an ia wtiv />nmo fn f college at all? The unspoken answer is, "If I can come here, have fun, pay a few J> thousand dollars and get a degree f with only a little effort, I'm going to do it." As frustrating as that is to deal 5 with, there is a certain logic to it If a school is going to spoon-feed you, why not take it? l~ Because it makes your degree ? worthless. If you haven't earned it, it will do you no good in the end. The business world has already t been affected. At the firm I worked ^ at in New York this summer, the search for competence was constant I All the claims about how difficult it is to find a job were negated by ? my realization that the jobs are there ? it's competent graduates who are hard to find, r What is competence? People with 1 a little experience. People who can ] write, speak, compute, use fax machines and think. The problem is people who think are becoming a minority, and it's a shame. s r Lee Clontz is a journalism '1 ^ e senior. His column appears every other Wednesday. (3hi is Carroll sws: 777-7726 Director of Student Media ivertising: 777-4249 Laura Day VXl 777-6482 Creative Director Columbia, SC 29208 Jim Green Aft Director Wendy Hudson Gregory Perez Asst. Copy Desk Production Asst. Tanja Kropf Elizabeth Thomas Asst. Copy Desk Adv. Graduate Asst. Allison Williams Renee Gibson Asst. Features Marketing Director Ryan Wilson Chris Wood Asst. Sports Asst. Advertising Manager Jason Jeflers Erik Collins Cartoonist Faculty Advisor >e Letters Policy y, 5. The Gamecock will try to print all letters received, m Letters should be 200-250 words and must include full name, professional title or year and major if a student, e Letters must be personally delivered by the author to The Gamecock newsroom in Russell House room 321. B The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for of style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not be wifibeld under any circumstances. Gamecock VIEWP f "7 ( Foi V QUOTEUNQUOTE "Taneyhill can mah Mid-term es I was sitting in my Western Civ class the squares on the ceiling, when my pre Smith, announced that our midterm quickly approaching. "The MIDTERM exam?" I sputtered we have our midterm exam if I haven' ished my Christmas shopping yet?" "Ashley," Dr. Smith sighed,"because semester-long class, the midterms are i not December. Our final is in Decembe After doing some quick math (okay, it twenty minutes and a whole sheet of no per), I realized that this meant we'd hi exam times during ONE school year! "Wait a minute ? I thought we didn ams in college," I said, attempting to co "Unfortunately," he smiled as he dro] proportionately large stack of papers o with a thud, "we do, and this is what y study." By this point, I was extremelj "Does this harroen in everv class?" T to Kim, who sits next to me. "Does what?" she asked, looking up New York Times, which she reads ever ing Dr. Smith's lectures on "Post-Absoluti Around Hie Scientific Part Of Louis XVI Over France." LETTERS Beasley neei Having surveyed the political climate in these Midlands of South Carolina after a four-month hiatus, I was pleased to find that the wise electorate of this state has selected so virtuous a man as David Beasley to run for its highest state office. Having heard Mr. Beasley speak on this campus some years ago on his faith in the lord and his belief in the sagacity of politician to carry out God's will, I can sense real moral reform on the political horizon that will leave all those satanic liberals running for cover. With a man of Beasley's unyielding faith and commitment to justice, I believe he will be able to return South Carolina to its traditional "Godly" family values. He will deal a blow to all the radical lefties who want to take our rebel flag from atop our statehouse and take our Bibles out of our schools. The radical communist left should prepare for a man who will work to have the Confederate flag placed on every public building, not just the state Further, Beasley will be a potent Is society mo B"I think it depends talking about. If yoi say no. Street viol< things that are com "Yeah. The media < on serial killers. Ju I ^9 iSlAITC wpa |1| I ^Tjb Wodnosdaj fits 0ALOW* TWIT I! fc BOTH HIJ SAPPY, (ClfiiALi as uim AC l >y ftS of cias \ NO.. 3 fjjj PTpPI -i. ie things happen. We're going to IJRn hoaH fnnthall Lams pop up 3, counting ifessor, Dr. Iexam was A! . "How can L_ * t even fin "Exams." I said. "I mea ! it's only a can drop all of my classes 1 n October, somehow contract the 24-h r." at me the way she does e\ took about bring my Economics book itebook pa- So that evening, I chosi ave FOUR brary and study for my ex go. Especially not my room 'thave ex- N forcibly drag me there, nfuse him. "Come on, Ashley," she < pped a dis- bad! If you tilt your head n my desk hard, and imagine eating ou need to with hot fudge and sprinkle r alarmed. 3111 will l??k almost fun!" whispered Although I couldn't qui to large, expensive textbe > from The bring my spoon, y day dur- "Let's sit here," Mary s sm In And sma^ treble in the corner." 7T>0 d0 "How are we supposed ^ and quiet?!" I asked. "And rlad tn hrinrf U.VU l/U K/1U1^ force in helping to put all those radical homosexuals back in the closet where they belong. No other candidate even dares to protect the children of South Carolina the way the noble Beasley will. In fact, I envision a bill which will make spiritual education in the infallible words of the Bible compulsory to all schoolchildren. And he will do it over the protests of traitors like the ACLU. On this very campus Beasley could make his most noble gains. He can return this campus, and this state, to prohibition. We will have no more hedonistic keg parties where Satan's will is carried out. Along these lines our new governor could stop licentious coeds, clad in skimpy attire like shorts, from engaging in fornication. Under Beasley, man will resume his traditional role as the legal head of the family and woman will be put back to her traditional role as wife and homemak er. With God's will, and the sanction of the voting public in November, South Carolina and Governor Beasley will re violent toda] on what aspect of violence you're fre talking racial violence, I would snce, yes. Break-ins, burglaries, imon to us, our parents never had Rochelle Brown Journalism graduate student capitalizes on violence. We thrive st look at the O.J. Simpscn case." Charlie Creiner Media arts sophomore ft September 28, 1994 > KNOWN ""N tlltHffl \ Ml* Atoffcl J sia." y "7 6?f.. /Hi ? LI BOCTW'S t. f f \ * do a great job in our kicking coach Brad Scott * sooner th; brary is ~ ahead ai 5HLEY BALL "Ashi Columnist twelve!" ___| "Well "Why in, there isn't any way I * e' for one day, is there? Or A T T ? our flu?" She just looked ^the rery time I accidentally in m( to class. n e to go to the Cooper Li- any am. NO ONE made me rals?d mate, Mary. She did not , and New irooned. "It won't be that ?*tJ to the side, squint real , all the Heavenly Hash lXes' is you want, then the ex- ?n. ite see anything related st he^ >oks as being fun, I did y &et question. aid, pointing towards a a^rea<^It looks nice and quiet." to meet guys if it's nice 1 anyway, I think the limoral chai be able to make these important idea reality. Jeffrey C. Turbil 1994 alumnu Lack of concern taints USC memories I guess being a human being thes days doesn't look important enoug on the college resume. I was appalled the other day whe I read the Sept. 23 issue of the Game code and saw a letter to the editor aboi an injured woman who needed her fe low students' ? her fellow human be ings' ? help and was ignored. It is ur derstandable (which it shouldn't be in today's pragmatic and often egc centric society to run into a perso: here or there who lacks ruth, but i has been determined that not just on person but several people passed Mi Yardley that day completely indiffei ent to her situation. What's going on During the two years I attende USC, I never would have thought some thing like that would have happenec Whenever I describe USC to my ne> j than it was c STd say so. People materialistic. The regard for other p B "Yes, because evei anger are similar, HKr olent such as gun ? r?-? I J L I ______________________ J V) L*v I I fCH4?L\ ? CQtfUNC^J \ ^ ! %Sl L \ i W I <&* ( ^ "wr- If 'J I I ; game and be smart." ?** <1 1 an expected i I about to close. So we should probably go! id leave," I added hopefully, ey, you KNOW the library's open until; Mary cried. , not today." I said knowingly. , what's today?" she asked. "Never mind, /en WANT to know!" onal Ignore Your Exam Schedule Day ?1 libraries close early!" I grinned. "Are you; >od for a pizza?" Mary just rolled her eyes.; ext day in class, Dr. Smith asked us if we questions about our exam. A lot of people; eir hands. e exam going to cover the works of Galileo ton discrediting the Aristotelian-Ptolemaic,' he universe and assuring the acceptance" pernican-Keplerian view?" asked Chris. ' Dr. Smith answered, smiling, we take the exam in groups?" I asked, he answered, not exactly smiling. But at vasn't giving me the puzzled glance I uaurom my Economics professor when I ask a , I was feeling better about that old exam Ashley BaU, is a journalism freshman. Her column appears every Wednesday. lges to state is friends, Fm always very proud of the splendid qualities I found in the school tt and its people. However, now Fm not s sure what to think. I've gone to school in New York City a little over a year now, and my thoughts often return to my old cam5 pus. I had put USC up on a pedestal. A sort of safe haven for the soul. I took e great comfort in my memories, h But, I wonder. What will Ms. Yardley say? What will she remember when n her days here at USC have passed? j- To Ms. Yardley, I certainly want to it apologize. 1- To those people who neglected her, i- all I have to say is: Maybe we will nevi er actually know who you are. Maybe 0 we can't actually physically make you >- sorry. But, if there is one thing I've n learned in my short time on Earth it it is that what goes around, comes around, e So, one day when that gold platter you s. probably think you deserve doesn't come your way, don't be surprised of ? your misfortune and unhappiness. Afd ter all, you've earned it. L 1. Kristin Wilkins v NYU film & television junior 50 years ago? want things faster. They are more y don't have any values. There's no eople." Charay Linstrom Physics freshman i though I think our frustration and our tools for expression are more vis, knives and bombs." Marcia Baker Education graduate student _ !> >?'