Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Thursday, February 29,1996 'ft 'J: *& '* ?&?: W Amy Bigham, a senior and former S ^ for packing as she prepares to leave AI my Bigham's last day as stu government president was appar quite typical. It started with a typical meeting Mike McGee, the athletic director, about year's student ticket system. She continuec yet another routine task; writing a speed government function ? the last official s of her presidential career. Later in the day, somewhere in between ( and lunch, Bigham tapped new members of J Board, fulfilling one of her many organiza duties outside of SG. A brief pause in the afternoon found her cleaning out her desk SG offices. Then she was off to pres campaigning Elizabeth Dole with a copy Carolinian Creed ? her "last official duty Finally, Amy Bigham's last day in office at 4:30 p.m. in Rutledge Chapel, wit inauguration of the new executive officers "It has been sad," Bigham admitted. "1 Tuesday night at our government banque been around this office for four years ar being here will be strange." Cleaning out the desk has been a w< progress for Bigham this week, and at nostalgic. "Tve basically been making a list as 11 out this desk of things I need to tell Pa (Wright) and Jamel (Franklin)," Bigham Internet, e Every time I turn around, I see an article telling me how the Internet is revolutionizing something. One day, if s education. The next day, it's business. The day after that, it's shopping. But, do you know one important thing it hasn't revolutionized? Politics. Politics was actually supposed to be one of the major areas to be encompassed in the online revolution. We were going to be closer to our lawmakers ? only an e-mail away. Newsgroups and chat rooms ? o11a?t fiw /loflnor ^1G/*l1Q61Af1 were guing w auun ,iui ucc^i ? of pressing national issues. Web pages were going to let politicians communicate cheaply and directly to the masses. Heck, one day some experts thought each American would vote on proposed laws as an individual, bringing about true direct representation of the populous in its political system. Now, I am forced to write a cynical column wondering whether these things are achievable, and, in some cases, whether they're even desirable. In my humble opinion, the Internet hasn't revolutionized our political system. Instead, like any idealistic young reformer who tries to tackle Washington, the Internet started out with good intentions but has been beaten down by a harsh ||P99n m 1 n KM n G President, cleans out her offici > office Wednesday. dent "And I keep picking up memoi ently that really brings back memor Bigham has also spent a lot ; with working on a smooth transit! ; next Patrick and Jamel. I with "We met for several hours on l for a said. "My transition into office 1e peech easy, but it has also been ongoin now and then for advice." lasses She said the transition for ffortar when they have been arounc tional There is a lot of history involv early issues to be explained. But a 1< in the ^ not absolutelv necessary. ent a Tve never thought you ne of the SG office to do this," Bigham , i without lots of prior experience ended fresher, with no pre-conceive things are. You make up your < way to do things." . cried Bigham was calm and coll 1, presentation to a potential first 1 no impromptu speeches are not , experienced orator, times "People call me constantly to be a speaker somewheri clean inhxxluction. Tve gotten used to it trick saidRunning on a tight schedu par for the course during Big -mail can reality. First, let's look at e-mail, touted as your direct link to your representatives. As a former Capitol Hill intern, I can tell you e-mail is simply not taken as seriously by our leaders as other forms of communication. Why? Because it's so darn easy! You can fire off an e-mail in 30 seconds, and politicians know that. Therefore, they don't give an e-mail as much weight as a handwritten letter, which takes time to write and mail, oi as a phone call, which takes time and money to place. They figure, often correctly, that the citizens who are writing physical letters and making phone calls are the ones most passionate about the issues. E-mail is also an ineffective means of communication because of the sheei volume sent to D.C. politicians. They gel physical mail by the truckload, and the e-mail flow is a literal deluge. The authors of handwritten letters are lucky to gei a response, and a form-letter response at that. Authors of e-mail either get ar automated e-mail response or, more commonly, no response at all. Now, on to newsgroups and cha rooms. I am willing to admit they haw ETC. ' m r w I.WWIWHIOHW ? \ j \ ** m ^_- :: WWgKs^ _ J -V ?_ SnmSt, " " :-+ #? ' .* ?, ' * ? ?i. a Kim Cowart, offlc off of the SG offlc j|P%& * :-v%fci - " IrrfHHW jj^j|^ rsON M. PETTIQREW The Gamecock I and organizes her papers 3 and other stuff "it has been sad. I cried Tuesday ie?;" t,. . night at our government banquet. of time this week ..3 . ,... ... 7 . on into office for I ve been around this office for four years and not being here will be Monday," Bigham strange." g'SSri^ ~ Amy Bigham, former SG Preside office. During the week, she would rarely lea officers is easiest campus because something was happening eve I SG for a while, minute of the day. ed with different Two to three committee meetings a day, pi jng past with SG other student organization meetings in the evenii plus office hours, plus a full academic load < eded to be in the make for a very busy president. However, Bigha said. "In a way, has always operated under the conviction th you come in here it will all get done somehow, mi time. She specula! d notions of how that candidates for office do not always anticip? jwn way, a better the hectic schedule that goes with the territoi though. ected during her "The funniest is trying to find time foi lady. Apparently, haircut," Bigham said, hing new to this "Teachers have been understanding, thoug They realize what students are trying to do. A1 during the week I've been on committees with lots of them," s b or to make an said. by now," Bigham Bigham is proud of the successes of h< administration. Under her guidance, SG obtaine le has also been approval for improvements to Blossom Strei ham's tenure in Garage. That imposing structure should soon 1 serve as bastioi provided a new and dynamic forum for that I don't know a people to express their political opinions, and I have no choic However, the fact that just anyone can opinions accordingly post their political thoughts is both a On the one hand, blessing and a problem. that I have instant When I watch national political of political opinions i pundits on TV, or when I read The New of people around the Republic and The Standard, hand, ho I know a little something about opinions the people whose opinions 1 haven't < am consuming. Major media flame w organizations act as a sort of JpPM make p< filter to give me certain on the I i knowledge about these people. filled th? I know they are reasonably ] intelligent and politically savvy, pages ar i that they have given some c use the > thought and research to the politick issues at hand, and I know (to Marc LaFountain very we i a degree) if they have an journals agenda under which they are operating, of creativity on politd t On the Internet, I know none of these are often just an elet i things because there is no filter. I don't of the candidates' p 5 even know whether the people on these little or no thought p t newsgroups and chat rooms are using might have made t * Hioii- rool no moo flivon this nsnprt. r?f and different. i anonymity, how do I know what hidden For example, yo i agendas these people might have? How cheesy plaid gr* do I know whether they are credible Alexander's home ] t sources of fact and wisdom or wackos in all his printed p 5 shooting from the hip? The answer is with most candidat a manager of Student Government, scrape a u/oilnasilav Bi^ham's last dav in office. The L Hun By Jessica Nash getting a power washing and new lighting. H< office has also raised money for the SG scholarsh endowment ? an ongoing process for successh administrations. Bigham also cites the executive officer groundwork for future projects as another succes "I know how important laying groundwoi is since I've been here for so long," Bigham sai ve "Projects that were started several years a{ jy might not come to fruition until next year, bi each administration has a part in it." 03 During Bigham's term in office, SG has start* !g the process for revamping TIPS. They are hopii ill to turn it into a 1-800 number and add 16 lin un within the near future, at Bigham adds that patience is important es an executive office. ite "You do lose excitement after being he: ry, awhile, especially if things don't happf immediately," she said. "But if students kne a how things actually were around here, they'd I amazed. You can't get things done immediate! jh. You have to learn to work your way around i so, As is typical for outgoing officers, Bigha he feels she has left some unfinished busines However, rather than wish she could have dor ir everything, the outgoing president has learne id to appreciate the influence she has had on movir et projects toward a goal. * Although the last few days of her president is of politics thing about them, stock photos you would get in e but to view their pamphlet. Sometimes, it i j. wonder why I fired up my we I think ifs wonderful in the first place! access to a variety Finally, we come to the iss from different types representation. This is the tec nation. On the other of having each person directb w do I evaluate these each issue. How represents 5 effectively? And, I democratic! How dumb! even touched on the Think about it this way; Y< ars that can often don't have time to intelligent Dlitical discussions and vote on all of the nation nternet more noise- candidates. That being the i in information-filled makes you think you would Mow, on to web the time to research and vo e how our politicians the issues that Congress deal m. The fact is that year? ins don't use them The idea of using the I ill. I'm not the first someday have policy decis >t to bemoan the lack directly by the people, w ical web pages. They democratic is theory, is unv ftronic regurgitation practice, irinted media, with You can't immerse yours pven to how the web issue, and if you're like me, y< heir messages new want to try. I want to foe attempt to affect the few is ucan see the same, important to me. I'l iphicsonLamar representatives I elect hand page as you can see After all, that's what I pay 1 araphernalia. And, Now, having concluded 1 es, you get the same little rant, I would like to say a 5 1 ; JSflLw j" | HMS: A t. MMm ' : r i DAN CHESNEY The Gamecock i former SG President Amy Bigham's name ast ah Staff Writer ir have been sad, Amy Bigham relishes the memories Lp and the skills she has gained from learning the re ropes. She has learned to see "the big picture" f and look at things for what they really are. "I've learned everything in this office from mistakes and from people's reactions to them. ^ But you have to make them yourself," Bigham t0 said. nt She also remembers earlier years of her career in SG, realizing she never thought of going this 2d far. *? "If you had told me my freshman year, when es I was on Freshman Council, that I would be president, I never would have believed it," Bigham cairl "Ruf nftpr n wViilp vnn fppl mmnplled tn he re a voice, to speak out, to run for an office." ;n As Amy Bigham leaves her empty desk in iw the SG office, she has a few last words for her be constituency. ly- "People are working for you, and we do L W lm remember where we came from, who supported m us," she said. "Just remember that the jS ' administration is not against you, and that it's ^ not all hopeless. Parking will get better, and g someday this construction will be gone. And if you're at your wits' end, we do listen to you in y SG." il expression a physical things. nakes me Just because I think e-mail is a ;b browser somewhat ineffective form of political expression doesn't mean I don't want ue of direct you e.maii Congress. An e-mail is hnrv-Hrpam nnoaream certainly better than not voicing your opinion at all. And, just because I think """ there are problems with political )u Drobablv discussion on the Internet doesn't mean ly research 1 don't want you to join in the fray. Just al political realize there are limits to what can be case, what gained from your online discussion, ever have As for political web pages, they are te on all of limited in scope, but they are better than 3 with each nothing if you are seeking to research a candidate. Just take what you see with nternetto a grain of salt. (And, try to ignore the ions made plaid on Lamar's page!) And most 'hile very importantly, if you are a South Carolina workable in resident, vote in Saturday's primary! elfin every Marc LaFountain, a journalism senior, uson and 0071 ^ e'ma^ lefbuntam-mard^ediL sues most Ascribe to an electronic version of 1 let the this column, send e-mail to He the rest. listseru@univscvm.csd.sc.edu with "SUB themtodo. T-BABBLE YourFirstName this cynical YourLastName" in the body of the few positive message.