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To have your voice neard, vote TREVOR I So you are FENCER | at the university. I It's warm, it's cozy. You are here with friends watching a movie between the daily pilgrimage to classes. You make it to your Mortar Board meeting. You are set. Parents pay for school, you've plugged just enough away from the summer employment or, in some cases, the winter employment. The grandparents send a little cash here and there. It's nice and pleasant. The most difficult decision you have to make is which bar to go to in Five Points tonight. Especially during the summer, we are all somewhat in a haze. We don't really want to be here. It's hot. No. It's "standing under the booster rocket on the space shuttle as it takes off hot, and there you are hiking across the Horseshoe to class. What am I slowly getting to is we all forget about our responsibilities. Like this rambling column you are reading. It was supposed to be fa* the Orientation Issue of the paper in the beginning of June. I forgot. Then I said I would do it a week ago. I turned it in on Saturday, not typed. So by now you're wondering what I am writing about. What? You haven't figured it out? It is so clear it is uncanny. VOTING! What? Out of left field? Sure, maybe, but it was what I was thinking about when I started. w It is what I forgot to do. Back on June 11. They all voted and I didn't. That is, all the folks back home did. In the local elections. Some said it really isn't important. I disagree. We need to vote. We need to find the time to make a difference. Those same folks who say it isn't important are usually the first to complain when things don't go their way. Yup. Those local elections decide who this years pseudo-politicians will be. And they are the ones who find it in their hearts to allow the increase in the university's funding. Tuition went up again. Second time in three years. No doubt there is complaining from all over the state by young men and women, much like ourselves,:who didn't vote. If you don't like the person, vote for the other one. If you don't like either of them, vote for the lesser of the two evils. There is no time like the present to get your registration form for absentee voting. Ifs big time voting in November. Ifs important to let our voices be heard. A great cliche. Diere is duty involved here, too. Duty to your country and future family. There are nasty people out there, and many of them live in Washington. And what some of these nastees are doing or might do could affect your children and you. If you don't like what your man in D.C. does, call him and let him know someone under the age of 30 is concerned about his voting record. I will say I don't think all of the folks in D.C. are awful. Actually, I had a nice response, albeit a form letter, from Fritz when I called to say I opposed an environmental resolution on the floor. Une day, mayoe we win nave a glass 01 tea, and discuss further where those reforms have gone and what he thinks they mean to the coast of our lovely South Carolina. Pardon my digression. Back to the meat of what I was saying. Apathy will kill you. There is no time like the present to vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. I can't say it enough. Vote. Vote. Vote. Vote. Oh yes one other thing. Know what and who you are voting for. There is nothing like a wasted vote, whether not used or used without knowledge. Think about it. Lots of you say the folks down the street from the Smithsonian are out of control. Well, your way to control them is to vote for the other person. Use it Vote. Vote. Vote. GAMECOCK READERS: Let us know how you feel. Reach us by uiritinn n ? ?! a letter or submitting a guest column. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR should be between 200-250 words. Letters and columns should be delivered to Russell House room 333. \ sC fC ^ ^ \ 1ai0> ^^ \^ >J V.' _M. c ' QUOTE, UNQUOTE "We really expect the chai Olympic torch 'As night fell on Birmingham, there op] was one Kghtbrighter than the setting we sun, the rising moon, or the city lights, it a The Olympic torch was making its way to the heart of the city which would oui be its home for the night. A city where out thousands of cheering citizens hailed liki its arrival. rea This scene occurred about a week wa ago while I stood with my brother and we the Olympic torch was carried into ba< t* n . ..l. j i tin M t . L?inn rars aowniown. wnne l was wa there, I gained an appreciation for what these great games represent. fait For one night, every corner of the froi Earth was within reach, and peace the seemed much more than a fantasy. For a brief instant, I felt like so much yot more than a citizen of any city, state As or country. Earth was the only home Bir I could knew. a d The Olympics were designed to tea instill that inspiration into us all. We come to realize how much more there tim is than the daily drudgeries of our lives, soo There are countries we have not seen, mo languages we have not spoken and bul cultures we have not experienced, the We begin to understand the colossal experiment Earth is and the unending sta ffoK^0Tes, Ante D^Cuetn Dto uu i \ oiildb&/ jaist he pi?> kiu. $ccf>t> ana Pub , BUT KEEP W fl/VD THAT HE j HUD A Loik FfC. THE Ml LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Editoral on accoi In your editorial of May 15, stv you applaud the recent passage a of legislation designed to make log public higher education in South F Carolina more accountable. You mi ii_. ?i. AI~:~ i correcuy now; uns leyisiawun is en a major step in the history of all higher education in this state of and that it is the product of the ob considerable time and effort by pr legislators, educators and busi- ex ness people. in: Lamentably, your editorial pa lacks reflective thought and con- se' tains glaring factual errors. You en paid almost no attention to Te some simple but highly relevant yo questions. For instance, the leg- "S islation is designed to reward in institutions whose students of graduate as quickly as possible. Cz Is this not an incentive to lower co] graduation requirements? In tic order to speed up graduation } rates, should institutions have ve the power to stipulate that their ed students are prohibited from re having off-campus employment ru during the academic year? er Should institutions require stu- th dents to commit themselves in ali writing to study a given number ti< of hours a week outside of the sh classroom? A good standard co here might be t-hree hours for bu each course credit, 45 hours of st s . . ji 'm* ^rnw ! ^ m iters themselves to build Gene Luna, Housing Director brings intern; Dortunities I ADAM I * have to test | SNYDER | i jl EEHSBI Our world, i civilization, may seem so large, so i ; of control sometimes, that events 1 e the Olympics bring it all within i ich. Political campaigns, bombings, ] rs,and the continuing difficulties i cannot seem to overcome take a : :k seat when the world stops to tch, listen and cheer. Every four years the world puts its h in the young, in people no different n you or me, and helps them escape : tragedies around us. I felt it my duty, as one of those incr rw?nnlp tn crivp tVip wnrlH Vinnp part of my duty as a citizen of mingham and of the world, I joined i ifferent Olympic team. I joined the i m of the Olympic volunteers. ] More than 2,000 people will dedicate i le at the end July to make Olympic 1 cer in our city a success. Thousands ] re are waiting in the wings to help t have been turned away because ] re are not enough jobs for everyone. ] In addition, hundreds of full-time 1 ff members are working around the i T*Mm untability bill 1: idy a week outside of class if student is carrying a course id of 15 hours. low are institutions to deterina t.hfi after-crraduation iployment records of their lmni? Do we have those kind records? If not, how do we tain them? Some of these oblems have been already plored on other campuses, for stance in Tennessee which ssed accountability legislation veral years ago. You appartly did not know about the mnessee legislation. Instead u erroneously asserted: 011th Carolina is the first state the nation to pass any form an accountability bill." South irolina's is, however, the most mprehensive of such legisla?n. fou also incorrectly assert unirsities "were originally found[' to focus resources for search." Any person with a dimentaiy knowledge of high education wouia Know Deuer an that. That person would 30 know colleges and universiss have historically been aped by demands of many nstituencies and American isiness has be >n one of the rongest of those constituen ^^7 ^ -vf# v/ their own structures." ational spirit clock to prepare the city for the arrival of our portion of the games. Some will be working 12 hours shifts in 100 degree for doubleheader soccer matches. Other volunteers will be running errands and trying to accommodate our guests in every way possible. Still others will greet international visitors at the airport, at hotels and at Legion field to show them the Southern hospitality we are famous for. What inspires these volunteers to help with the Olympics? What brings thousands out to look for a glimpse of a torch being run through town? Tt is a nntrintism fnr thf> wnrlH We want our guests to be able to enjoy the Olympics with ease. We want them to leave with a smile and fond memories of their visit to our corner of the world. We want them to come back and enjoy our polite hospitality long after the Olympics are over. But most of all, we want that peaceful feeling to linger. Because we realize that as long as we hold on to the Olympics, nothing will be the same in the world around us. las loop holes cies. You also allege classroom enrollments have soared in order to fiind "an ever-growing faculty and administration." I share your concern about classroom enrollments. But I am puzzled about where you are CM /nvMinnrr milling an CYci-giumug iuvuitjr and administration." based upon my experience and observations, the faculty and the administration are not growing. My own department, History, has lost about. 30 nercent of it's full-time positions. Other areas I have some knowledge of have either declined, have not grown at all, or are growing only modestly after years of no growth in spite of great need. Those areas include the libraries, business, engineering, African-American Studies, and Women's Studies. Like most faculty members, I welcome the concern of the Gamecock about the quality of higher education. In the future, I hope that concern is reinforced by more careful though and a greater attention to factual accuracy. Thomas E.Jerrill Professor Serving I Tina Morgai Keith Boudreau Edttoi Chris Dixo Cece von Koli Olympic gan qood, bad of * The Olympics can bring [" fwf out the best and worst in HU a nation. ffa For the United States, ^ having the Olympic games " in Atlanta has opened I many eyes to several injustices as well as Througl restored faith as hundreds Qoo celebrate the spirit of the games. The Olympics will only last so long. What we need to do is take a few lessons from the experience. interest from the Association Of Africai American Students to fraternitiei and sororities. Residence hal governments and honor societies al? offer opportunities to get involved But die focus of USCs oommitmen to community service can be founi in the Office of Community Servici Programs. Located in the lower wes wing of the Russell House in th< campus Activities Center, the offic* can place you with an agency tha meets your volunteer needs. As president of Into the Streets one of the student organizations baset in the rvffire T invite anyone who eniov community service to come to i "Oa Tina Morgan John Editor in Chief Koith Boudreaux CoPy ** Viewpoints Editor n<i. . a u i. HODeri Coco von Kolnitz News Editor photo Chris Dixon Features Editor Jason Achim Hunt Sports Editor Cart< The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday the fall and spring semesters and six times duri the exception of university holidays and Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are tho! author and not those of The University of The Board of Student Publications and Coi the publisher of The Gamecoi The Department of Student Media is its par The Gamecock will try to print all letters should be 200-250 words and must incl proressionai line or year anu major or a must be personally delivered by the The Gamecock newsroom in Russell He The Gamecock reserves the right to edit al possible libel or space limitations. Nan withheld under any circumsta I I? On the negative side, there was the Confederate flag controversy. Almost, from the dav it was announced that the games would be in Georgia, those who feel the flag represents hatred and racism have campaigned for its removal from the top of the Georgia statehouse. Others cried that it was a matter of heritage and tradition. Whatever people believe, it sparked a debate that crossed state lines into South Carolina. Unfortunately, the war of words is not over for our state. There was also the unfortunate matter of where the Olympic torch would go. Could the Olympic Into the St: community t As students at USC, we I c are often the audience for C activists and campus leaders I who 'preach' the word on community service, involvement, an< contributing to the Carolini Community. I don't claim to be a minister o activism, but I would like to make ai appeal, not only to freshmen, but t all students about the value o community service. Being no stranger to Welcom Week, Student Organization Fairs and the recruitment tables differen groups set up on Greene Street, know that choosing where you belonj is not an easy task. Groups range ii amttDCR JSC Since 1908 i, Editor in Chief x, Viewpoints Editor rial Board n, Achim Hunt, litz, Robert Walton N I 0 N | ies highlight Southern life committee support antimkdaMM gay resolutions several 1Olympic counties voted for? In the lames en(^? some counties rescinded their resolutions. Others, such as Greenville, left the 1 tod 2nd resolution in place only <d, we should to find that the torch 1 the event went through unlit. After the recent attack of American troops in Saudi Arabia, security in Atlanta is a top priority. During a time of international pride it is unfortunate we have to concern ourselves with senseless acts of terrorism On the positive side, hundreds carried the torch while we cried and rejoiced. A lot of needed construction has taken place. The Olympics should be an international event proportional to an American July Fourth u;icui atiuii. The games highlight the work of thousands erf" courageous people. When it is all over, there will be a lot less traffic and international teams will go home to tell of their adventures with Americans and the American way of life. Now that ifs here, let's relish the moment. reets stresses service rUFTON meeting and see what HESNUT we're about. We have no [membership requirements beyond l pdruuipauuii in 3ci vitc pi ujctu?) ??tu a this year, we plan to sponsor a number of exciting projects, f We're planning a food drive for i needy Columbia residents, a winter 0 party for kids at the Epworth f Children's Home and Into the Streets *97. e Into the Streets, which is scheduled i, for March, is by far the largest single t service project performed by USC 1 students each year. This past spring, I more than 230 students, faculty l members and staff members helped i at more than 20 individual volunteer s sites in the Columbia area. Next year, 1 we hope to increase the number of a agencies and the number of volunteers. If our group sounds like an t organization you would consider 1 joining, come to our first meeting on 8 September 4 at 8 p.m. It will be held t in the Preston Seminar room, and we 8 will have weekly Monday meetings 8 at 8 p.m. the rest of the semester, t One of the important problem that is frequently mentioned on campus , is student apathy. So no matter what 1 you do, help change the view that 3 USC students are apathetic and get a involved in something. fficodi Lyons Chris Carroll Director of Student Media ;sk chief Marilyn Edwards Taylor WaltOH Marketing Director Laura Day ?^tor Creative Director Jeff A. Braaiix Gamba Art Director Erik Collins xrnist Faculty Advisor University of South t and Friday during ng the summer, with s exam periods. g se of the editors or South Carolina. The Gamecock mnunications is The University ?' ^ Carolina emotion. 18031 "7'772e Features Editor 777.3913 Viewpoints Editor 777.7181 received. Letters ude full name, Sports Editor 777.7182 student. Letters ; author to Classifieds 777.1184 >use room 333. 1 letters for style, Advertising 777.4249 les will not be nces. Fax 777.6482 * ? 1