Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Tuesday, April 16,1996 IBait Serving USCI Wendy Hudson, Editor in Chief Tina Morgan, Vi< Editorial Chris Dixon, Martha Hotop, Karen Layne, R Ryan Sims, Stephanie Sonnenfeld, Cece von O P I N Open debate ( brings suipris Walking across campus Friday afternoon I was an interesting adventure for some Campus d students who had the the Stf pleasure of getting within mvmvii earshot of "Brother Jim" BUiUfl - a self-ppodaimed "college evangelist* shoMHtl D " ? Pentecostal denomination, he spoke about the many ' sins committed on a college campus, including drinking, rock and roll, homosexuality, premarital sex and body piercing - just to name a few. What seems to be of great importance here is not this particular man's message (or that of those men who stand in front of the Russell House holding "You're going to Hell'' signs or the Jews for Jesus or any other religious criers for that matter); what matters is the question about LETTERS TO THE EDITOR College Repi upset election Let's chalk one up for the College Republicans. Way to go! You helped prevent a student from being elected to the Board of Trustees. Fm glad that you feel you are representing all 26,000 of us students. That resolution was a reflection on how a small group on this campus feels personally about Brian Comer. A so-called "campus leftist" was there to represent the students, not the Democratic party. If the College Republicans could get their heads out of the clouds for just a few minutes, they would realize that Comer was not running for the Statehouse; he was running for the Board of Trustees. I know this may be hard for you to understand, but Comer was running so mat students wuuiu nave muie say on how the university operates. This is something SG has been striving for and was clearly an objective by all SG candidates. So who exactly were you thinking of when you sent in that resolution? I think the answer is yourselves. Finally, we have a student willing to run, and you let politics get in the way of education. Then you wonder why people on this campus hate politics and why your membership is low? Probably because you think about yourselves first and nothing about the people you could affect. Way to go CR! The RNC would be happy to hear about how you helped beat a mainstream Democrat. Maybe now they will give you your charter back. 4 David Frankel President of Young Democrats God not responsible for church's wrongs I almost didn't respond to Chris Salmon's column on April 4 because I thought that was exactly what he wanted. However, I decided that I should because there are some things that need to be cleared up. First, Chris asks some very reasonable questions about God's whereabouts during the Holocaust and the Inquisition. Yes, God had the power to stop such evils, but he chose ?l3aiftcock Si Student Media Russell House-USO C Wendy Hudson Robbie Meek Editor in Chief Matt Pruitt Tina Morgan Sports Editors Viewpoints Editor Allison Martha Hotop Williams Cece von Kolnitz Spec,al Projects News Editors Ka Layne Chris Dixon k,D?a,T t-. McLendon Stephanie Copy ^ Sonnenfeld Ryan Sims Features Editor Online Editor Ethan Myerson Graphics Editor The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University of South Carolina and is published Tuesday through Friday during the fall and spring semesters, with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is its parent organization. k ' cock Una11908 Ryan Wilson, Managing Editor, swpoints Editor Board obbie Meek, Tyson Pettigrew, Matt Pruitt Kolnitz, Robert Walton, Allison Williams I O N in campus e, realization why it seems to take | someone of this fervor and rage to spur debate. sbates in Speakers on campus eets generally attract only a m. small group. But let a LiiiUlfl man yell about religion 7ust speak in the street, and we're leard, no eM , v , i i_ Mavbe ltrs a good ^ine thing to bring this kind of electricity to a crowd. After all, we are supposed to be an institution of learning and debate. However, it seems those who are preaching tolerance often don't practice it. Perhaps what upsets us most is that it has to come down to a man yelling his views in public to bring us out of our shell to discuss the more controversial issues. We need to understand that if any good lies in this type of behavior it is in the realization that we have the right to speak our minds. lblicans note students . ^ V -A. A W not to. If you ask me why, my answer will be, "I don't know." But it is not my position to either know or question all die movings of God. The reason these things were able to happen is because the church failed its job. It failed miserably. God established the church to increase his kingdom and stop such evils. But the church turned its back on its responsibilities to teach and to love. In feet, it even took part in the diabolical Inquisition and Crusades. Those things happened because the church turned away from Christianity and towards "Uhurchiamty." And wnne many nave turned back to Christ, we still fail. The truth is that as long as the church is made up of humans (as it always has and always will be), we will fail, even though we strive towards holiness. That is why I ask all those who have been turned off to Christianity because of Christians falling into sin, be it hypocritical immorality or Nazism, not to look at us, but at Jesus Christ. He will never let down. God is neither lazy nor apathetic. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. God has not "forfeited" any of his rights, including that to dictate morality. As Creator of all, he will always have the right to do and say what he pleases. God is not smallminded; his mind is great enough to number every hair on your head, create a universe and take a day off to rest. God is not a racist; ne painted our skins just like he painted the roses. God is not a homophobe or an anythingelse-phobe; as Master and Lord of all, he fears nothing. No, God did not throw the Boston Tea Party or fight in World War II, but Fll tell you what he did do. He died on the cross for YOU and then he came back to life to prove how much he cares for you and your eternal destination. Where was God when all the evils you named took place? The same place he has always been and is now watching you from his throne with his arms open wide, speaking softly, "Come unto me. and I will ffive vou rest." Kirk Whitwortti Pre-med freshman s: 777-7726 ;rtising: 777-4249 777-6482 Chris Carron olumbia, SC 29208 D,rcc,or s,udent Media Laura Day Tyson Pettigrew Creative Director Robert Walton Jeff A. Breaux Photo Editors Ait Director Adam Snyder Sue McDonald Jennifer Stanley Jim Speelmon Asst. News Graduate Assistants Jennifer Hansen Marilyn Edwards Dipka Bhambhani Taylor Asst. Features Marketing Director Achim Hunt fcrik Collins Asst. Sports Faculty Advisor Keith Boudreaux Jason Jeffers Circulation Editor | Cartoonist t 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. IP? MTfun F?* I W \jflitE tM-1 I QUOTE, UNQUOTE "I think it (Glonfrlddo's Dan D'Alberto on the Board of I Conservative v Today, I write my final column for The Gamecock. I have thoroughly j enjoyed being a "conservative" voice \ for USC students over the past three ( years. In addition, I am glad others s have contributed the conservative 1 viewpoint to this newspaper through ] columns and letters to the editor. When I started my freshman year, < I was quickly warned The Gamecock I was a far-left newspaper. Fortunately, < that has changed in recent years. As 1 the nation has moved right, so has this f Ti * -1 1__1 J newspaper. ?is mucn more uaianceu today than it was in 1991. '< Although surveys show USC has i a very conservative student body, our 1 voice is often ignored. Most university J organizations are leftist, as well as a < majority of the professors and ] department heads. Conservatives may 1 be in the majority, but liberals on this ! campus are much better at getting their message out. I hope this will i change in the years to come. ' I leave USC with the fondest memories of my entire life. In these 1 five, short years, I have transformed from the shy, lonely teenager I was my '< first day here at USC. I am now much 1 more outgoing, have many good friends, a great career and, most importantly, a wonderful fiancee I will many June 15. To quote a famous line, "I am now living my dreams." I love Columbia, the state of South Carolina and USC. I never intend to leave. Nothing can match the Southern hospitality, the traditions and the great atmosphere here. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Nice dining ex Last evening, I had an extremely satisfying dining experience. It was a chilly, wet evening so the valet parking started things off quite nicely. It was such a pleasure to eat at a smokeless, high-quality restaurant where the noise level was low. I did not have to even raise my voice to be heard across the table. The service was impressive from the time we entered the restaurant until the time we left. The variety of * 1 mi _ /? i _ cnoices was very wiae. ine iooa in presentation and taste was excellent. If, at any time, someone wants to treat themselves, "SALUDA'S" IS A MUST!!! Valerie Stokes Business Library God prefers choice over force I am writing in response to the April 4 article by Mr. Chris Salmon titled "Historical tragedies tarnish God's Image." I must say I am somewhat troubled with sarcastic references to God, especially in the Easter season. In this article, he attempts to dispel Hey! This is our 1 not pick up a c y election) was looked at a Publications election of Steve Gionfriddo as * I nrr to m m 7/3 ItWO lJLJLWV^ I want to tommy >ut a wrap on touchberry vhat modern HVKTTIFFTnB lay conservatism means to me and why I jelieve so strongly in the conservative jolitical and religious ideology. First, I am a conservative because )f the emphasis on morality. I believe ;here exists a definite right and a iefinite wrong on many moral issues. Furthermore, I believe the word of God should be our ultimate truth bearer whenever it is relevant. Issues such is sexual behavior, alcohol and drug use, profanity and marriage are dealt vith directly in the Bible. Issues such is abortion, assisted suicide, iealousv i.e. class warfare) and racial preferences/discrimination are dealt with indirectly. For example, the Bible specifically says "thou shalt not kill." rhus, I infer "thou shalt not kill an innocent baby for no good reason" ^abortion on demand). Second, I am a conservative because of its emphasis on making families stronger and individuals more successful. Conservatism stresses community action, personal responsibility and a "free-market" economy. I don't agree with libertarianism, but I do believe much regulation, taxing and federal spending could be reduced or eliminated. Third, I am a conservative because of its message of unity and respect for our nation's traditions and values. I believe there are many aspects of our past we should celebrate. Other aspects :penence nov God's condemnation of homosexual behavior by "reasoning" God out of existence. This is an interesting tactic, but it is far from original. Oftentimes, when a person's actions are found to be wrong, the person will call into question the authority (or in this case, the existence) of the person condemning them. Another tactic, once logical arguments fail, is to personally attack the source of condemnation. This is evidenced by Mr. Salmon calling God a "small-minded, racist homophobe." My main concern, however, is Mr. Salmon's methods for arguing that God either doesn't exist or that he is "too lazy or apathetic to be bothered." He argues that one or the other must be true because God did nothing to intervene in many atrocities that have occurred in history. This argument is popular among people who have no understanding of the relationship between God and mankind. The truth is, God did allow these atrocities to happen when he had the power to stop them. I cannot begin to either understand or explain all of the reasons God allowed these things to happen, but 1 do know one ot them. God has given man a free will, and with this free will, man can choose tc do anything he wants to. This includes, with God's help, tremendous acts ol goodness and charity. This also includes unspeakable acts of evil when mar acts outside the will of God. The most important facet of this last full week of opy of the Gauu d i v -+ / r~ is a vote of stability." MUSC-FM station manager > the forefront we are ashamed of (e.g. slavery, sex discrimination) should be considered our shortcomings, not a condemnation of the entire U.S. history. For our nation to prosper, we must have a "common" culture. No nation has ever survived without a "common" culture. Different ideas and customs should be respected, but the majority American "culture" should be celebrated and promoted. Finally, I am a conservative because of its emphasis on optimism. The conservative viewpoint is one of patriotism and pride. It emphasizes the "good" in both our nation and each individual citizen. The conservative viewpoint looks to God for guidance and doesn't try to play "God." The conservative viewpoint will eternally look to make America the best it can be. In conclusion, I am proud to be a conservative. I am proud to be a Christian. I am proud to be an American. I will always fight for what I believe is right, and I will always try to live my life in an ethical and productive fashion. In a few years, I will have the opportunity to give something back to this great nation. Along with my future wife, I will raise two or three children. I hope we will be able to instill in them the wisdom and the inner-happiness we both have. But, I also hope the nation I raise them in will be better than it is today. We can always do better, always! t elty for reader free will is the choice man has to either accept God or reject him. God doesn't want to make us follow him; he wants us to do so because we want to. God sent his Son to live on earth and be brutallv tortured and killed by his very creations so we could have this choice. It is because of this sacrifice God made of his own Son that he will not interfere with the choices we make. If God simply imposed his will on us, all the suffering Jesus went through would then be pointless. God would not even interfere with Adolph Hitler's free choice, just as he would not "make" someone become a Christian. The fact that many innocent people suffered throughout history is a result of evil men's choices, not Gods, and the fact that God allows terrible things te happen to even his most cherished people is evidenced in the 01c1 Testament in the Book of Job - a boot 1 would reier Mr. salmon to ior iuturt study. Where was God during these acta of brutality on humans by othei humans, Mr. Salmon? Quite honestly I don't know either, but wherever h< was, perhaps he was thinking-thinking i about how much agony his Son had t< i go through in order to save a race o , people who would ultimately reject hi1 F sacrifice and five according to its owi i ways. i Levon McCutcheon , Electrical engineering senior coverage, so wh} ;cock everyday? 3 Sizzling summer coming fast I'm ready DREW for summer. I'm ready to get out 01 nere>seli a11 my books, clean out my dorm room and imagine what my professors are thinking when they see the evaluations I gave them. In Summerton (pop. 975), summer is met with mixed emotions. Schools kids are as glad to see it coming as Madonna is to see an aircraft carrier come in. It means they get three whole months to fish, water ski, earn money and do what kids normally do during the summer. When I was a kid, my friends and I always found stuff to do outside. The thought of sitting in front of a Nintendo appealed to us like religion does to Hollywood. Rain ruined our entire day, and sunshine meant you didn't come inside until about 8:30 that night. Most of us dressed down about as much as one could dress down. Everybody cut their jeans into shorts or just wore their bathing suits all day long (if they were fortunate enough to make it to the lake). Since Summerton is very close to Lake Marion, we spent our summers at the lake, swimming, fishing, picnicking and the like. It was heaven. But we all knew hell was soon to return. School always seemed to let in earlier and earlier each year. And with it came tight jeans, long-sleeved shirts, being pinned to those hard wood desks and all those teachers' dirty looks. Based on what I see 8-12 doing now, I don't see the point of summer vacation anymore. Most kids today sit in front of the TV or enmnntpr nlavincr video frames. Their minds get smaller while their guts get bigger. I've already sworn my kids have about as much chance of owning a video game system as Ricki Lake does of producing a quality show. But, there are also a lot of people who don't care about summer. My father, a consultant forester, hates it. For him, it means three months of briars, mosquitoes and sweaty shirts. Many parents don't like it. It means they have to find stuff for their kids to do. That's why many folks send their kids to summer camp. I worked at a summer camp last summer. I got to deal with a bunch of little boys. Which brings me to my next decision about kids: I'm only having little girls. Even if a little boy pops out one time, I'm gonna convince him a he's a girl. Why, might you ask? Believe me, I used to be one of those little boys. I know xxrViof fKou /In TV IlUb 1/ilVJ UV? When I was 12 years old, I bathed maybe once a week. And that was just for church to appease my parents so I could go swimming on Sunday afternoon. Although little boys are nastier, little girls are more expensive. Even when my sister was 3, she still required new clothes about every week. I still wear shirts that are about 5 years old. Plus, little girls aren't as hard to watch when thev are little. Thev like playing with dolls and stuff. With little boys, you have to constantly hope they haven't been playing in the flammables and the yard isn't on fire. However, when girls get older, you have to keep better taps on them. Not that all little girls tend to get in trouble, but that's when guys start hanging around. Of course, you have to keep taps on little boys, too. Especially when they aren't yours, and they come to see your little girl. It's just about summertime. Ya'll have a nice one. GAMECOCK READERS: I Let us know how you XMMI MLAII! *%aaa>a>Aaat i icei duuui buiicm events on campus and around the world. | Reach us by writing a letter or ; submitting > a guest column. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be between 200-250 words. Letters and columns should be r delivered to Russell House room 333.