The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 16, 1996, Page 7, Image 7
Tuesday, January 16,1996
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Serving (JSC
Wendy Hudson, Editor in Chief
i Tina Morgan, Brent Seeli
Edltorla
Chris Dixon, Martha Hotop, Karen Layne, 1
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Bad Greel
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Before the winter -?m
break, several USC ^EE3
students proved the few .
often affect the many. oes/J
Several Pi Kappa Phi clf
fraternity brothers were Greek i
on the Fraternity Quad
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rumble. A student suffered
their wrath as a brick was The act
thrown through his few will
window in hopes of image <
bringing out another
fraternity to fight. The
student wound up in the hospital
with a fractured skull, and he now
has a metal plate in his head. Pi
Kappa Phi's charter has been revoked,
and the matter has brought great
shame to the university since our
own Jerry Brewer, Director of Student
Life, is the national president.
Aside from the obvious
implications of their actions, including
possible jail time, it's imperative to
look at the incident in another light.
The innocent members of the
fraternity, who were not involved,
have lost their organization. What
happens when the issue of the Greek
village comes back into the arena of
discussion? Who will suffer then?
Actions have consequences. When
someone decides to blow off an exam,
they only hurt themselves. But when
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Student Media Russell House-USC* C
Wendy Hudson Robbie Meek
Editor in Chief Matt Pruitt
Ryan Wilson Sports Editors
Managing Editor Allison Williams
Tina Morgan Special Projects
Brent Seeiiger Ethan Myerson
Viewpoints Editors Graphics Editor
Martha Hotop Keith
Cece von Kolnitz Boudreaux
News Editors Karen Layne
Chris Dixon Deanna
Stephanie McLendon
Sonnenfeld Copy Desk
features Editors
7,he Gamecock is the student newspaper of the
University of South Carolina and is published Tuesday
?ugh Friday during the fall and spring semesters, with
exception of university holidays and exam periods.
?Pt nions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the
editors or author and not those of the University of
Carolina.
P* Board of Student Publications and Communications
J? toe publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of
Student Media is its parent organization.
A
5cock
Since 1908
Ryan Wilson, Managing Editor,
iger, Viewpoints Editors
I Board
Robbie Meek, Tyson Pettigrew, Matt Pruitt
1 Kolnitz, Robert Walton, Allison Williams
I I O N
I
c apples
re bunch
??-i you join a fraternity or
sorority (or any
. organization) you
ater mty represent something
nt mar larger than yourself.
image at Whether you wear
Greek letters or garnet
aQd black, your actions
reflect on 27,000 other
ions of a people.
affect the So, is this
of many. incident important? It
is. As fraternity
brothers, they represent
their national charter and the values
of the university. Because they Med
to see this, we all suffer.
It may not be fair, but that's why
the Greek system uses a rush period,
a time to pick those who will uphold
what is precious to a group of people.
It may be fun and an honor, but it
I 1 _
also nas responsmmty.
As university students, haven't
we risen above the junior high days
of picking fights? Haven't we learned
to think before we act?
As the semester begins its uphill
climb to the warm days of summer,
we need to be aware of what this
could signify. It could be a simple
case of bored people looking for some
action, or it could be representative
of the slipping away of moral ground
and the decline of higher education.
>
> SOUTH CAROLINA
: would WUSC 90.5
: you to listen?
tive. REM, U2, Blues Traveler, stuff
l
sing freshman
9
ian
q they should play R&B, rap and have
how, something to get me up."
lior
i had (a radio station) They'd have to
7."
Aght
udies senior
s: 777-7726
ertising: 777-4249
l! 777-6482 Chris Carroll
olumbia, SC 29208 ofSwd^Mcdu
_ Laura Day
Tyson Pettigrew Creative Director
Robert Walton jeff A. Breaux
Photo Editors Art Director
Adam Snyder Sue McDonald
Jennifer Stanley jjm Speelmon
Asst. News Graduate Assistant
Lucy Arnold Marilyn Edwards
Dipka Taylor
Bhambhani Marketing Director
Asst. Features Er|k Collins
Achim Hunt Faculty Advisor
Online Editor
Letters Policy
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.
<
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
"This campus needs pari
sion, this construction
i
Flights was
As an aspiring journalist, I, like
many others, have come to believe that
the cornerstone to true investigative
journalism is the Freedom of
Information Act.
Created to further the media's role
as the "watchdog on government," the
South Carolina FOI is summed up as
follows: "(The FOD is aimed at having
the public's business conducted in an
open and public manner so that citizens
shall be advised of the performances
of public officials and of public policy."
In a nutshell, this means any
business of a public or government
group operating for the benefit of a
public body shall be open to public
record. "Public record" includes all
books, papers, maps, photographs,
cards, tapes, etc. that are in possession
of that public body (with a few
exceptions, of course).
Recently, the Los Angeles Times
took advantage of the trusty FOI to
expose U.S. Secretary of Energy Hazel
OTjeary blowing taxpayer dollars on
overseas travel. In an admirable job
of investigative reporting, the Times
reported that over the past three years,
(XLeary has made at least 16 foreign
trips that cost millions of dollars.
Overseas?
Now, I'm not a whiz with
government, but I have always believed
that the secretary of energy for the
United States of America usually travels
around and takes care of the energy
responsibilities in - GASP! - United
States of America! After examining
the logic of (TLeary and company, I've
come to realize I've been badly
misinformed all these years, but I
should have known better.
You gracious taxpayers should be
happy to know that, at your expense,
OLeary chartered a luxury jet to South
SG president
Let me begin by welcoming you
back to another semester here at USC,
and although we started out freezing
last week, I'm sure the usually mild
South Carolina winter will prevail.
Some of you might have had some
problems with your heating system if
you live on campus. If you live in
Preston, you were most likely burning
up because they had the heat turned
up so high, or maybe you live in
DeSaussure where it was 50 degrees
in your apartment a few days ago.
Hopefully, your problems have been
remedied, and you are settled in to
start learning.
This article leaves me with 43 days
left in office. While the regularly
scheduled committee meetings, dropins,
receptions and classes will still be
attended, and the letters, memos and
responses will still be written, this will
also be a time to tie up some loose ends
and make way for an energetic and
newly formed administration to begin
work.
There have been some new
developments in and around campus
over the Christmas break I'd like to
let you in on. Sometime in the
immediate future, work will begin on
improvements to Blossom Garage.
$250,000 has been set aside to put in
new lighting, paint the interior and
install emergency response systems.
Hopefully, these improvements will
bring Blossom up to par with the other
garages on campus.
The Capital Campaign Committee
PINT
king. Since engineering it
obviously needs to be di
needs to realize this."
\arbn Speight, mechanical engineering junior
;te taxpaye:
Africa Why an ~
entire jet, you
ask? Oh, well, ML ..
4-1
x 11 x s. nil! BIGHAM
provide USC
with much
needed scholarship monies, allow for
endowed professors and department
chairs, and also allow for funds for
several capital projects.
As far as Student Government goes,
elections are almost upon us, and I
invite any of you who are interested
in running for an office to do so. SG
elections are always a fun time of year,
and I expect this year to be no different
I also ask those of you who have no
interest in running to please keep in
mind that you can vote in the elections.
SG's power to affect administrative
decisions to benefit students comes
from the students themselves. If the
student body does not vote, then SG
has little power. As I tell you this now,
I ask vou to keep it in mind until
elections are held Feb. 15.
Because this is my last semester
here, you will probably realize as my
articles progress throughout the
semester, I will become more and more
nostalgic and perhaps even wax
eloquent a few times. I hope I can have
a positive affect on the university in
the remaining month and a half that
aiie neeueu uue
entire plane Igfillf
for the 51
federal
employees and 1 "
68 influential ., - MJl
citizens that
went along for
the ride.
For those keeping track, that cost
taxpayers the small sum of $560,000,
but that's not even the amusing part.
The thing that appears odd to me is
I've yet to hear of any American nuclear
plants in South Africa.
But wait! It gets worse!
The jet also was used to fly OLeaiy
and her flock of people to China and
Pakistan, and, the last time I checked,
there were no American nuclear plants
in those countries, either.
On the same jet, OLeaiy journeyed
to Costa Rica to sign a "greenhouse
gas agreement" with the country's
government. The far-fetched purpose
aside, Fm sure you all will be pleased
to know O'Leary brought along 14
assistants for the five-day "signing."
Now, I can sort of understand
O'Leary might have some trouble
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deciding un wmcii uue ui x<* wmua w
sign her name in, but FIVE DAYS?
Call me crazy, but I assume most people
outside of Clemson can put a John
Hancock on paper in fewer than five
days.
And it gets worse. CLeary sent a
five-person squadron to attend the
United Nations Fourth World
Conference on Women. Ever since I
was informed of this decision by our
great secretary, I've been trying my
hardest to figure the resemblances
gives campuj
has met _
numerous
establish its
priorities for
campaign.
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s
wV>
V
\
I
s
c
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. I
Ui
i a needs-driven profes>ne.
The student body
ft
rs' money
between women and energy. They have
about as much alike as our government
is credible.
Fa- explanations from sane political
powers-that-be, I state the following
facts with my tongue planted firmly
in cheek.
Consider the words of our very own
Vice President A1 Gore, who quickly
defended CLeary's spending. "There's
nobody in the Cabinet who has done
a better job of cutting costs, of
eliminating wastes," he said. Oh yeah?
What's that say about the rest of the
cabinet?
of fka
U U111111 g UUI C 1JU. OVl/lliUg ab bUW
critics, a White House spokesman said
for every $1 that CLeary spends on
travel, she generates $1,000 in new
business.
If indeed that's the case, folks, then
America is headed for the biggest
economic boom in history. The claim
by the spokesman means that for the
South Africa journey alone, more than
half a billion dollars were created
through business deals. With the
combined worth of all of her trips, our
country will climb out of debt - all of
this thanks to OTeary.
Many of you might be wondering
if O'Leary was disciplined for her
expensive, extravagant jaunts overseas.
Not so, says Mike McCuny, the White
House press secretary. In the Mowing,
designed to dispel rumors of deary's
punishment, McCurry issued the
following statement: "The president
believes she's been doing a superb job
as secretary of energy."
And as far as the government's
interest, ability and determination to
cut the federal budget, that, my friends,
says it all.
> overview
I serve you as president, but I look
forward to seeing some fresh feces that
will be ready to work diligently.
I will also spend a lot of time
thanking the people whohave meant
so much to me since I have been here.
1 could never manic everyone, dul must
of you know who you are. There's the
student senator who always comes by
to offer an encouraging word or just
say hello, the administrator who never
says, "it can't be donelout rather, "this
is the best place to start", two parents
who said you can be whatever you
want to be but never expected anything,
the little sister who has been the best
friend and inspiration anyone could
know, the cabinet member who defends
you wheti no one else will, the sorority
sister who stands beside you no matter
what, the freshman council member
who cranes to you for advice, the student
who stops you in the Grand
Marketplace to tell you you've done a
good job, and people like Miss Pat who
always ask how your day is going, and
genuinely care.
Hopefully, the cold weather will
soon pass and lead into the famous,
or in some cases, infamous, Carolina
spring. When midterms hit, and you're
sick of schoolwork, just remember,
warm weather and all that goes along
with it is right around the corner. I
hope you have a successful semester
and ask you to continue to make a
difference.
7
Southerner
offers tips
for snow fun
Welcome
back, folks, from
a wonderful
I?fW Christmastime
vacation. If yours
was half as good
as mine, you had
a pretty darn
STEWART
However,
HiSiUiMiyHH some of South
Carolina got what many of us would like
to see and what some of us are here to
avoid: snow.
South Carolinians are funny when
it comes to snow, especially us Low
Country folks. When it comes, it's an
event you date your life by.
We Summerton (pop. 975) folks are
no strangers to snow. Snow to us is like
one of those cousins who comes to town
every 10 or 11 years, stays long enough
to ruin your plans, and leaves, not craning
back for another 10 or 11 years.
But man, does that cousin cause a
lot of trouble. When Old Man Winter
brings snow to town, Summerton shuts
down.
I have Southernly Deficient friends
(used to call them Yankees, but my New
Year's resolution was to be more politically
correct) who are used to seeing snow
every year. They tell me that if you don't
have to dig yourself out of your house,
it ain't a snow.
D-.i. 0 _i.??
DUt ill oummci tun, i/iiat o uuv wic
case. As soon as the first flake of winter
hits the ground, whether some friends
come with it or not, it's time to board up
the town.
Even if President Clinton, Pope-John
Paul and the cast of "The Dukes of
Hazzard" came to town on the same day,
there wouldn't be so many closings.
Most times, if either Joe Pinner, who
does weather at WIS-TV, or Charlie Hall,
the weatherman at WCSC-TV in
Charleston, says there's gonna be snow,
most town's folks pull out the shovels.
But if Joe and Charlie agree there's gonna
be snow, LOOK OUT!
Fm sure by now all of you Yankees
(heck, nobody sticks with their resolutions
for too long) are laughing your heads off.
And why not? I agree we act silly.
But you have to understand why.
You see, we Summerton folks are used
to hot weather. Our hot season runs from
about Valentine's Day to Thanksgiving.
And that's only considering 70 degrees
and above as hot.
Why do you think the town is called
Summerton? It gets so hot there the
Devil rents out rooms at the Summerton
Hotel when Hell gets full.
The last time we had snow in
Summerton was in 1989, two days before
Christmas. It was enough to last for a
couple days so naturally, we found ways
to have fUn in it.
The first thing we had to do was figure
out how to have fun with it. Because it
doesn't snow enough to justify investing
in a snowmobile or a sled, we had to
settle for hooking waterskis and a
hydroslide to the back of a four-wheeler.
And it was fun, sliding down the
streets of Summerton behind a fourwheeler
on a hydroslide. That is, until
we found out the pavement doesn't get
any softer in the snow.
And because it is likely that Columbia
will get some snow this season, here are
some more ways to have fun with the
little bit of snow we get.
1. Make a snow midget.
2. Have a snowball fight. It will have to
De snort one, tnougn, necause it taxes
most of the snow on the ground to make
a snowball.
3.Make a snow/mud angel (Be sure you
wear old clothes when you do that one,
though.)
4. Make snow ice cream. (Except, make
sure you aren't near a toxic waste site
or a hog farm when you do that one.)
5. Create a pool to guess how many state
offices are closed.
Seeing as we are probably going to
get snow, I'm gonna just get ready for
it. And when it comes, I'm chartering
rides on my hydroslide. Read The
Gamecock for more details.
Letters to the Editor
Reader responses
are welcome.
Letters should be
between 200 and
250 words and
should be delivered
personally to The
Gamecock, Russell
House room 333.