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2 , Quality will not fall with new schedule TZZZZST 1 ofthe^ohod year always ftfMM brings an end to certain events, happenings and regular occurances. The semester isn't even halfway over, and already we are seeing the end of a tradition: the Friday issue of The Gamecock. Beginning next week, The Gamecock will publish Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; we are discontinuing our Friday edition because of budget shortages. Our commitment to covering stories that are important to the Carolina Community will not diminsh, however. The four-day-a-week venture was a test from the start. The Gamecock staff was willing to take the challenge and has done a remarkable job. Everyone has done their best to make the experiment work. But now, we will focus on continuing to produce high-quality articles that interest and excite you, the students, faculty and staff. You will see your newspaper increase in size during the three days we publish. ** ? r?nai iYianjr ui uui uppuuciibo \xcai v/i imaginary) will be glad to see us drop a day, because it will give them a chance. In their eyes, it will prove that we were always the lowly rag they made us out to be. Others can finally take a breath and be thankful that their phone might be ringing a little less now that we are not in the racks as much. Make sure you take another deep breath after that because we are still here, and we are still going to bring the best and the worst of the Carolina Community into the classrooms, residence halls and caietenas ot tms campus in me fashion that we have done during our tenure with The Gamecock. Rest assured that we will not back off from the hard-hitting stories, the issues that directly affect your pocketbook and the controversies that are important. If you have any story ideas, tips or hints, please call us or stop by our office in room 333 of the Russell House. We try to be a voice for you, the Carolina Community member. If we can answer any questions for you or help your organization in any way, give us a call at 777-3914. We'll see you Tuesday. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR BGLA colun In reference to Tommy Touchbenys column in The Gamecock Feb. 14,1 must say I am not surprised by his usual confusion. As an openly gay staff member at USC, I'm acquainted with members of BGLA, or GLSA as it is also known. Not only have members of BGLA gone out of their way to make me feel welcome here at USC, but in my contact with them, I've noticed nothing but scrupulous attempts to avoid any sort of political activity. As an organization, they neither support nor endorse political candidates or parties. They do promote an ooen exchange of ideas through their work with the speakers bureau and do endeavor to make bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgendered and transsexual students feel welcome to this campus. No one, on even a moment's rational consideration, could consider these activities political. Touchberry, were he ever to research his columns, might be interested to know that there are even Republicans among the BGLA membership. While an OpEd page is specifically for the voicing of opinions, how difficult it is to take seriously the opinions of a writer who hasn't researched his subject. One also wonders why, if Touchbeny is so sure that his funds are being incorrectly appropriated, he doesn't take serious legal action to stop the university rather than sending letters to politicians. After all, if his letters are as poorly considered as his column, they doubtless have little impact on anyone, other than a moment's distraction, not unlike when I used to find myself accidentally reading the comic strip "Nancy" in the Sunday funny papers. William B. Adams Assistant Managing Editor University of South Carolina Press Columnist has "sexual hangups," not public I wish to respond to several remarks in Tommy Touchberry's column on collectivism, which ran on Feb. 14. The Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Association is not a political group; it specifically refrains from political activity and furthermore welcomes all university students ? including Mr. Touchberry 1 I lOMWNfr A *' - "1 QUOTE, UNQUOTE "I've been inv Act mean I'm pretty darn mad. Fm so sick of ribbon campaigns I could scream. It seems every time I turn around, some mass-media figurehead is wearing another ribbon endorsing another obscure cause. I thought they ran out of colors for those things. Apparently I was wrong. Now even world-wide-web sites wear ribbons. Blue ones. It seems the blue-ribbon campaign was designed to protest the virtually inevitable passage ofthe by a huge majority in both houses of Congress. This act, which regulates several mass media (telephone, cable TV and the Internet), if signed by the president, will end the laissez-faire era of the Internet and probably cripple some serious cybersurfers and obscene callers. ? ? pii x ?>ecuon ouz or uns act, appropriately entitled the "Communications Decency Act of 1996," is the most damaging portion. Here are some of its provisions: 1) It will be illegal to transmit "any comment, request... in poorly co ? to its meetings and activities. The statistics presented in the article (70% of students who do not condone homosexuality, 5% of students served by the BGLA) are unsubstantiated. Moreover, Mr. Touchberry does not discern between orientation and choice; he seems to feel that the very act of being gay or bisexual is a political statement. His views on homosexuality and sexuality in general reflect a distorted version of Christian theology that reviles the flesh. Yet he does not explore the cultural influences that foster these biases, preferring instead to presume an intimate and authoritative knowledge of God's law. Tommy Touchbeny, in compulsively and consistently simplifying moral issues into neat binary categories (right and wrong, soul and flesh, straight and gay), has transformed not-thinking into a high art. The column in question declares war on the BGLA (and art and public schooling) in the name of democracy. (Ironically, the concept of public schooling, a system based on equal access and opportunity, seems to represent the highest ideal of democracy.) But the underlying premise?that Mr. Touchberrys sexual hangups accurately represent the needs of the populace at large?is exactly the kind of oppression from which the Bill of Rights was designed to protect the citizens. Mr. Touchberry has the red, white and blue right to be repulsed by anything he wishes. He does not have the right to oppose these bigoted and unexamined values on society. He certainly does not have the right to malign a legitimate student organization for the purpose of promoting his own skewed political agenda. Amy Harris English senior Fraternity shares heritage with Nazis I am writing in response to the letters written on Feb. 14 about Kappa Alpha Fraternity and their "Civil War garb" as they delivered invitations to a dance. All of this "Heritage" as it were seems ridiculous! /IEWP ^ & W\ n ' olved in SG and I'm not going 1 just because I might lose." Patrick Wright, SG presidential runoff candidate s doom for image...which brent kn is obscene, seeliqer th< lewd, QnEEESi th< lascivious... with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten , i a! n stc or narass anoiner person. 2) Anyone who "uses an interactive 311 computer service" to make available wt "offensive" sexual material to minors th< will be fined or imprisoned. (Note: to Virtually all web sites on the Internet, profane or otherwise, are available to ?d anyone possessing the proper ^ equipment.) 3) Anyone who takes measures to prevent the access of minors to se potentially "offensive" material will not be penalized. ea 4) Anyone who "makes or causes the telephone of another repeatedly fe< or continuously to ring with intent to ^ Viqt*qcci onw nororvn af flio rallorJ numhpr'' . may face federal charges. There's more to it, including interesting plans to regulate violence on cable TV, but it is basically just another censorship act - guaranteed te to strip us of rights most of us didn't th nsidered, rese I am neither Northern nor Southern, an I am German. I find it sad that the Civil BC War seems to be relived every day here edi in the Southeast. I have been up North, net and most just know about it but don't ga; think about it one way or the other, an History and Heritage are a wondrous th thing, Iritis not something to be shoved coi in someone's face. I find that at least as once a day I will see a confederatre flag An or hear the cry of Yankee go home. Is an this the "Heritage" wished to be an portrayed? Is America not part of your heritage also? ho The uniforms seemed to be another "pc way of reliving the Civil War and wi remembering a horrible time in American ho history. Maybe all the fraternity members coi were doing was delivering dance al invitations, however, they could have wi flontlomon" without, t.hp liv uniforms. The Confederate uniform ev means basically what the Nazi uniform k i means in Germany. The Nazi uniforms ha are also part of my heritage, and those in< uniforms also lost a war. The Civil War id uniforms shouldn't be forgotten because "si they stood for something, but they should to not be displayed proudly. In very similar th ways, the Confederate and Nazi uniforms di represent persecution. be The next time those uniforms or the co Confederate flag are displayed, stop to ui think. They might have had something gr to do with state rights, but they had mostly to do with slavery. Maybe this p? situation should be treated like the Nazi (v, uniforms in Germany. Those uniforms ? held more offense than heritage and of should not be paraded as they were, vi fu Brian Gniner cc Marketing senior ay 01 m Activity fee spending * should show no bias ? This is in response to Tommy tc Touchbenys column in The Gamecock, on February 14.1 am not certain in what r< sense of the word is Mr. Touchberry p accusing the Bisexual Gay and Lesbian ri Association (BGLA) of being a "political" oi organization. We do not have connections with, nor do we receive financial support from, any political party, nor do wesupport I or advocate the agenda or manifesto of OINTS J NX 33 flu*. to stop now Internet ow we had and turn the FCC into 3 most powerful governing body in 3 technological universe. But before a big demonstration irts, people cry "Die Big Brother!" d quote passages from 1984 or start :aring blue construction paper on ar lapel, let me cite some advantages this act. 1) When your ex sends you that ip CpYnlptivpy e-maiL vnu can retaliate court. 2) You can finally nail the guy who nt you the electronic chain letter. 3) That cybersex addiction is a lot sier to cure. 4) Prank callers may now face a ieral fine of up to $250,000 AND 'o years in the big house. Breathe avy on MY phone, buddy. I dare you. 5) Those really into smut will still able to find it on web sites overseas. A small consolation. I can't even 11 the blue-ribbon committee where ey can stick their ribbons anymore. marched y politician or political party. The rLA exists primarily as a social and acational group?to provide a support work and social events for the lesbian, y and bisexual student population, d we try to increase awareness within e university community and the nmunity at large about issues such homophobia, security concerns etc. id yes, we do have an agenda, as does y other organization on campus, or ywhere! Perhaps Mr. Touchberrv looks at mosexuality/bisexuality solely as a Jitical issue". We, however, are dealing th people here! Being gay in a mophobic society means facing a atinuous assault on one's dignity as luman being. Gay people struggle th issues and tensions in everyday ing which most heterosexuals never er even dream about?such as the nd of misinformed, ignorant, foTwmrmariricr Mr Tm lr+ihprrv'Q mil lmn ,K/li Uig AVJU* M. VMw wv* -J w ? iulges in. If Mr. Touchberry finds the eas of two men (or women) in love locking" and "immoral", he has a right his opinion, and a right to express at opinion. I, personally, find it sgusting that gays and lesbians can verbally abused and defamed with mplete acceptability, when similar leducated lies about any other minority oup would rarely hold water. As far as the issue of legislating a irticular viewpoint or morality goes hich Touchbenys column advocates) I would refer him to a recent ruling a student newspaper with a Christian ewpoint to receive Student Activity nds at the University of Virginia. The >urt said that "having made funds mailable to varied and differing student rganizations to convey their own essages, the University may not silence re expression of selected viewpoints." uch "naked viewpoint discrimination" blatantly unconstitutional, according > the court. It would do Mr. Touchberry good to jmember that life, liberty and the ursuit of happiness are not special ghts belonging to a particular viewpoint r "morality" alone. Gaurav Shroff 3isexual, Gay and Lesbian Association * I > Friday, February 16,1996 "ISaltock Serving USC Since 1908 Wendy Hudson, Editor in Chief Ryan Wilson, Managing Editor, Tina Morgan, Brent Seeliger, Viewpoints Editors Editorial Board Chris Dixon, Martha Hotop, Karen Layne, Robbie Meek, Tyson Pettigrew, Matt Pruitt Ryan Sims, Stephanie Sonnenfeld, Cece von Kolnitz, Robert Walton, Allison Williams 1 OPINION 1 High hopes for students in IIMAAMtlMM MIMAH AIAAISAHA U|juuiiiiny iuiiuii cicifiiuira Don't beat yourself up 11^ 1 candidates in the major about it. HUbbUbbhH election. That turnout It's really okay. You runoff for the runoffs was even had stuff to do. We elections smaller. understand. And we aren't We know it's hard to going to tell you that get to the polls sometimes. comes to about 2000 Heck, some of us didn't Every people, even vote. vote counts We aren't going But you know, you in small to say that only slightly still have a chance to make elections more than 1000 people your voice heard in the elected our university Student Government elections. president. There's still the runoffs! We aren't going to mention that Turn that frown upside down. 1000 people is less than five percent You can still make a difference! of the student body, that 1000 is the Blech. expected attendance at average size No more. We just can't keep this high schools, that 1000 people won't cheerful let's-get-going-kids attitude even fill up a section in the end zone up like we used to. at Williams-Brice. The fact is, just about every We aren't going to try to explain election year there is another runoff the significance of one elector in a election race. And just about every small election like the upcoming year nobody turns up. runoffs. And j ust about every year we We aren't going to encourage you complain about it. to do your part. We're certainly not Well, we aren't going to anymore, going to beg. We're not going to tell you that We're just bored with it. last year less than a tenth of this You'll do what you can, we're sure, university showed up to vote for We hope. TT7-7 1 _1 1 1 ^ worKsnop courses neip make sense of calculus Math. The word sends I LONI I main focus is not homework shivers down many spines. | STEWART | and tests, but rather All was fine until the attendance and group professor mentioned, "You quizzes, might need to do some calculations to The course originated about 10 years find the answer to this one." ago when Uri Treisman of the Calculations! Oh no! Can I use my University of California started noticing calculator? I thought this was a history how students studied. At one point he course? Where did I go wrong? How even lived among students to report can I escape this drudgery? I can't do their studying habits. Treisman noted math; I never mastered my that students who collaborated together multiplication facts! tended to do better in the class. The scenario gets worse as you Eventually, Treisman created a calculus enter calculus, the ultimate doom for workshop in addition to the regular the "not-so-math-inclined" and to the course. mathophobic. No longer can a mere Similarly, Mrs. Mazy Ellen CfLeary, calculator solve the world's problems, a calculus professor here at USC, One must own a high-powered initiated the course about three years computer-like graphing utility with ago. So far it has had positive results. . at least 300 meeabvtes or CD-ROM "Additional exposure...benefits | or something. students creating a better Not to mention the thick instruction understanding of calculus," said Chris manual that goes along with it. Hey, Roscoe, Calculus 152 instructor. Other I've finally mastered the main students agree and believe the course calculating functions - adding and has helped them make better grades subtracting - thanks to chaper one of with less agony in their regular calculus the HP manual. (We won't mention class. how many years I've had the A3 an extension of the regular class, calculator.) it reinforces the standard material Obviously, mathematics is not going and emphasizes group work and to escape from reality. It's here; it's problem- solving, everywhere. I considered switching "The class seems to be getting more majors, but I found a calculator in popular...due to the relaxed hand was necessary in nearly all fields, atmosphere," said Matthew Miller, So that brings us to the another USC mathematician and exasperating cry of many, "What can professor. "Ifs great to see the students be done to stop this madness?" so alive and perky about math." Amazingly enough, there is an I definitely feel the course has answer. For calculus courses 141 and perked up my enjoyment of math. Not 142, there are supplement courses, to mention the recent master ,' of the 151 and 152, that can be taken for two "cos" button on the Hewlett Packard, credit hours. Unlike most courses, the i\ '" ''' m, fV, * -- '*.1 U VLWIIILUJUV FAX: 111-6482 Chris CarroU Student Media Russell House-USO Columbia, SC 29208 Director of student Media Laura Day Wendy Hudson Robbie Meek ' Tyson Pettigrew Creative Director Editor in Chief Matt Pruitt Robert Walton Jeff A. Breaux Ryan Wilson Sports Editors Photo Editors I Art Director Managing Editor Allison Adam Snyder Sue McDonald Tina Morgan Williams Jennifer Stanley JimSpeeimon Brent Seeliger Special Projects Asst. News Graduate Assistant viewpoints Editors Ethan Myerson Lucy Arnold Marilyn Edwards Martha Hotop Graphics Editor Dipka Bhambhani Taylor Cece von Kolnitz Karen Layne Asst. Features Marketing Director News Editors Deanna Achim Hunt Erik Collins Chris Dixon McLendon Asst SP0** Faculty Advisor Stephanie Copy Desk Keith Boudreaux Jason Jeffers Sonnenfeld Ryan Sims Circulation Editor Cartoonist Features Editor Online Editor The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the LOttOfS Policy University of South Carolina and is published Tuesday ? . ... ... j through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, with Th? Gamecock will try to print all letters received, the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Letters should be 200-250 words and must include full Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the name, professional title or year and major if a student, editors or author and not those of the University of Letters must be personally delivered by the author to South Carolina. The Gamecock newsroom in Russell House room 321. , The Board of Student Publications and Communications __ ? ... ' is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of ^h? Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letters for Student Media is its parent organization. style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not be withheld under any circumstances. * A