The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 28, 1994, Page 3, Image 3
"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
_ !> >?'