The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 20, 1997, Page 3, Image 3
0
Ski
Serving I
Chris Dixon
Stephanie Sonner
rv Edlto,
w f Achim Hunt, Bryan Johnston, Karen Layn
Jennifer Stan
ucr
SliUUlU
out for MLI
?
This morning, as Carolina
students drag out of bed for
classes, thousands of schoolchildren,
federal and state
employees will stop their work
to honor Dr. Martin Luther King,
Jr.
The goodness of this man and
the feats he accomplished a little
over thirty years ago have been
r ingrained in us since elementary
school. He is one of the most
distinct and influential characters
of the twentieth-century.
He has made more of an
immediate impact on our lives
than many dead and gone heroes
from centuries past.
Then pray tell, Dr. Palms,
why Carolina students do not
observe his birthday with the
rest of the country? It is argued
. Dr. King would find it more fitting
'to be honored by students
learning, than by sleeping in late.
True.
But why not use this day to
learn about Dr. King? It is
wonderful that different programs
and speakers will be available
today to the student body on Dr.
King, but what is the use of them
if students cannot attend due to
classes?
DHEC shou
offering fr<
V Having sex without a condom
is like playing Russian Roulette:
it's a literal game of chance.
Last year (June 1996), in the
state of South Carolina, there
were 11,811 reported cases of
HIV, along with 6,338 reported
cases of the AIDS. In 1996 there
were also 11,661 reported cases
of gonorrhea and 1,294 cases of
syphilis. And, the reported cases
of Chlamydia rose from 8,582 in
1995 to 9,361 in 1996, according
to DHEC and Planned Parenthood
statistics.
In addition, there were 4,478
estimated teenage pregnancies
(ages 15-17) in South Carolina
according to DHEC. 2,471 of these
pregnant teens were unmarried,
with 1, 052 receiving abortions
to terminate the pregnancy.
If Governor David Beasley has
his way, these numbers will
continue to grow and perhaps
sefir) PVPn Hppnpr intn fhp rrpvipps
of society.
In a letter dated January 9,
1997, Governor Beasley wrote
Doug Bryant, commissioner of
the South Carolina Department
of Health and Environmental
Control. In this letter, he requested
thatDHEC "suspend the
distribution of free condoms and
lubricants in South Carolina
health clinics so the agency's
governing board can examine
these programs, keeping in mind
the conservative, pro-family
philosophy under which I govern
this state."
The agency agreed to the
Governor's request.
~ This is where irony steps in:
I We're urged to practice abstinence
as a means of safe sex by state
Student Media Russell Ho
Chris Dixon News: 7
folitor in chief Advertising
Stephanie FAX: 7'
Sonnenfeld
Vn-wfMnntf Crliittr Achini Hunt ft
Karen Larnr Bryan
Jennifer Stanley Johnston D
V.-h* Mitor* | Sports Kditnr*
John Lyons Niliki Thorpe J
Kelly *hoto Editor
McPherson Ben Muldrow ,
Fnmturr* Editors j (iraphit* Editrr I
I 1
The Camecoek is the student newspaper of I he llniversity <
and Friday during the fall and Spring semesters, with the t
Opinion* expressed in The Oaim-rock are those of the edit
Carolina.
the Board of Student Publications ami (iommunieation* is I
The (iameeoek will try to print all letters reee
ineluile full name, professional title or year ami i
eretl lay the author to The (>ameeoek newsroom i
the right to edit all letter for style, fmssihle libel t
any eireiimtitanre.
5amccock
JSC Since 1906
i, Editor in Chief
ifeld, Viewpoints Editor
rial Board
e, John Lyons, Kelly McPherson, Ben Muldrov
ley, Nikki Thorpe.
let students
[ Jr. Day
Even if the absences are
excused, missing a lecture can
hurt. Others' notes do not help.If
extra credit is offered by a
professor, in exchange for
attending a speech, the chance
may be missed by another class's
interference.
What do we look like to the
rest of the nation? In case anyone
didn't notice, the South has this
little problem focused on it called
racism. We are thankful for Dr.
King for beginning the fight
against it, but the rest of the
nation loves to think that it's still
running rampant down here as
badly as ever.
By not observing this civil
rights leader's birthday, we simply
enforce that notion. In short, we
look like asses.
It's not like people haven't
attempted to rectify this situation.
Student Body President Patrick
Wright handed over a Student
Government sponsored petition
asking for the day off to a review
committee. The committee voted
to give the day to the students.
Dr. Palms negated the decision.
With all due respect to our
president, that does not reflect
well upon you, sir.
Id continue
;e condoms
agencies and in our sexual
education on all levels.
And, if we must have sex, we're
then urged to practice safe sex
and use protection... L& condoms.
On a whole, society wants to
reduce its unplanned pregnancies
and wants desperately to reduce
the numbers of people with STD's
and AIDS. Unprotected is unsafe
and literally lethal.
In addition, South Carolina is
going to lose $4 million in funds
allotted for federal programs via
Title 10, the Federal Family
Planning Budget.
This budget funds Norplant,
Depo-provera, birth control pills
and other family planning aids
used at health departments. In
order to receive this money, South
Carolina must offer free condom
distribution at state health clinics.
The condom program only costs
$48,000 a year to fund. On the
flip side, it costs the state
$156,000 a year to treat one AIDS
patient.
"In my view," Beasley said in
his letter to DHEC, "distributing
condoms sends a message to our
citizens that the government
condones behavior that many of
our citizens view as unhealthy,
inappropriate, and in some cases,
illegal.
"Furthermore, I question
whether South Carolina taxpayers
who oppose this kind of behavior
should be forced to pay for
something that aids those
engaging in that behavior."
In all actuality, Gov. Beasley,
the state isn't condoning sex by
giving away free condoms, it's
actually protecting its most
precious commodity ? its citizens.
SSHBIM
use USC Columbia, SC
77-7726 Jessica Nash
r 7774249 M
77.A4.H9 Melissa Sellars
I /-040Z On-I.inc Fsiitor
Hkld La Rocque Mark Hopkins
As*t. Virwpoint* . "W ( hi,'f
leginna Green Aaam aynaer
AkhL Nrwii Offin- Munup-r
lefT Nicholson Laura Day
AhhI. lh?lo Creative l>im-tor
Jason JefFers Marilyn Taylor
Daniel Brown Marketing Manager
(uirttMtnist Erik Collins
Facility Advisor
?f StMith (larolina and is published on Monday, Wednesday,
xception of university holidays and exams perimls.
dtn or the author ami not those of the llniversity of Smth
[he Publisher of Tlie Oamwx k. The Department of Student
ived. j^ttiirs should he 200*250 words and must
major if a student, letters must he |>ersonally delivn
Russell House room 553. The Cymmrk reserves
?r space limitations. Names will not Is* withheld for
VIEWF
_i
f\ RX>OWV\ATe
J '
s
<3&3<3
When you're up
c?
Moving bac
Ac
fter quickly becoming 1
acclimated to the tropical i
weather we experienced c
here in the low country during the
Christmas holidays, I wasnt prepared
for the sudden cold front that greeted
me upon my return to our beloved
Columbia (which is Cherokee for "the
land of no parking").
And since we are talking about
my life, you can guess that it was
raining. I should have planned ahead
because my life is governed by the
reigning law of the universe?
Murphy's law. This being the case,
I managed to park somewhere in the
vicinity of Zaire and I only had to
cross the Sahara desert in order to
take my belongings to Capstone.
By this time, the rain was falling
in sheets, but I pressed on (without
my camel) because I wanted to unload
before the crowd arrived. f
H aH T Irnnwn fKaf Porlrinrr e
ticket SWAT team was back from t
their vacation in sunny Cancun? c
which was paid for with my first 1
semester parking tickets?I would r
have hurried, or at least tried to e
sabotage their go-carts. But Murphy
was watching over me, so my car n
was painted with yellow tickets before n
the hour was up. f]
The ensuing temper tantrum, ii
To the editors c
My fellow students, wel- e
come back to what will hopeful- n
ly be a productive and exciting
semester. I'd also like to thank tl
vou for vour suDDort throughout d
this past semester and a half. o
With our efforts to lobby the e
state legislature, and with the ii
support of the student body, we v
were able to soundly convey to s
our state representatives the d
strong need for a high investment
in higher education in this s
state. o
Your support has allowed us s
to re-establish the Homecomine tl
King and Queen competition for si
the first time in five years and s
thus remedy one of the most tl
popular student concerns in ti
recent memory. This student ti
support has also allowed us to S
address other concerns such as T
the campus-wide forums on v
campus safety and the future of cj
JOINTS
-4
AWMOYAVCf FOf<
4
by 15, you're nen
15, you j
ach Eddie Fogler, relating I
V
k to school
luring which |
vowed to
loughnut
jrojection device, (this would sense
he presence of said SWAT personnel
ind release an assortment of jellyilled
distractions to buy me some
ime) was followed by my foolish
ittempt to secure one of the prized
woken baggage carts. This took a
vhile because I had to follow strict
wocedure: Present my student ID,
fonate a urine specimen, and promise
o give up my first-born.
After the necessary trip to the
ohn, I began carefully unloading my
ar, while offering several long prayers
>egging God to keep my computer
irom shorting out. I held on for dear
ife as my most prized possessions
eetered with each bump.
Many moons later, after the "artist
ormerly known as Prince" had
ufficient time to change his name
o "hell I'm just confused," I made it
ip the elevator and into my room,
'o my disbelief, it hadn't been
ansacked (though to the untrained
ye it may have seemed otherwise).
Considering my previous
aisfortune, I couldn't believe that
ay room had not been engulfed in
lames (there's enough toilet paper
a the bathroom to burn a wet mule).
ampus housing as well as the ;
stablishment of a student comaittee
on race-relations.
We still, however, believe
hat we still have much work to
o for the student body in terms 1
f race-relations, dining, higher
ducation, and many other
nportant issues. Most of all I i
rould like to further encourage i
tudent involvement with stuent
government. i
Any sirengin or power or i
tudent government can only be
btained through the strong i
upport of the student body, 1
^us the administration and the 1
tate legislation will respond to 1
tudent concerns only when <
lere is a high voter participa- i
on in student government elec- <
ions and a strong interest in 1
tudent Government positions. ]
he best way to strengthen the
oice of the students on the '
ampus is to mobilize for what I
i -rue '<70 s -1 ret
(w<W You put
\shutu
(
ous as heck-when
jo 'shit.'
ISC wins over Georgia and Floric
9
is a pain i
MOORE I J*1 *1*1?
toilet
UlQbByHHIiH^^HIIIIiH paper
must
reproduce at night because each
morning there seem to be a few new
roles. And I certainly feel that I'm
doing my part in the war?I eat at
The Patio every night; sometimes I
even sample the mystery chili.
I just wish that I could use the
extra toilet paper for something more
useful (Molotov cocktails used to
advance the war for free parking
would be a nice start).
Yet, I imagine that many of you
unfortunate souls, like mvself. are
all too familiar with Murphy's law.
I know this because I work at a
certain office on campus where I get
to hear eveiyone's life story (like how
they called TIPS and it ate their
homework, and how their overage
check was accidentally sent to their
aunt's brother's cousin who was
abducted by aliens while watching
The X-Files).
Not that I don't believe your
stories, or at least pretend to, but
when so many presumably intelligent
people (I might be presuming too
much) call the office and ask for
tickets to the KISS concert, I get a
little concerned.
However, being a transfer student
you believe in and have faith
that we as students represent
the most important reason for
the existence of this university
and we represent the future
leaders of this rich and diverse
society.
The worst thing that we can
do as students is to be apathetic
to what is happening around us.
We as students should question
those of authority and thus let
our voices be loudly heard.
Student Government can be
a large microphone for students
to the large audience of legislators,
administrators, and faculty
who affect our lives. Apathy
anly creates weakness and we
as students and emerging leadars
can never allow our voices to
t>e become weak and suppressed.
SO this semester I ask that
we as fellow students unite further
to strengthen our voices
INET CH4T!
weU
* I
I
I
?
i you're down by
la.
\
n the neck
myself and having to go through a
process comparable only to acute
appendicitis, I feel that I can identify
with most of you (except for the really
stupid ones). And for this reason I
have come up with Jason's law
(named after yours truly) which is
an extension of Murphy's law.
It states that whatever can go
wrong will, in fact, go wrong at the
worst possible time in front of the
most possible people in the most
embarrassing way possible and then
your pants fall down.
I feel sure that this has already
happened to some of you, and to those
of you who are inclined to sample
the "fruits of the vine," it may happen
on a regular basis.
This notwithstanding, most of
you are safe because I have enough
bad luck for all of you?I have the
certificate to prove it. But back to
my point (and I do have one).
Generally speaking, moving in to
your dorm is a pain in the neck and
it should be avoided at all costs.
So the obvious solution is to just
leave your stuff wherever, hope it
doesn't get stolen, and pray that
Jason's law doesn't take over.
But if this is too much work, you
can always quit school?just make
sure to take the toilet paper home
with you.
and to never allow our concerns
or our opinions to grow silent.
You can rest assured that if
Student Government and the
Student Body unites even further
in a strong partnership
there will be almost no end to
what we can accomplish. I sincerely
thank you and appreciate
your support and God Bless
Carolina.
Jamel Franklin
Vice-President,
Student Government