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HicC Serving US* Chris Dixon, Stephanie Sonnenfc EditorL Achim Hunt, Bryan Johnston, Karen Layne, Jennifer Stanle Bl Dining sc belongs t Marriott Food Services. The name is a bone of contention for many USC" students. But here's some interesting news: Marriott's contract is up for renewal this summer. Marriott's contract has, for the record, been renewed three times at USC, the latest accepted in 1992. And, word has it they're bidding on it again. In their last contract, Marriott agreed to make improvements such as investing $400,000 in improvements to dining facilities and $200,000 in a student computer access system, allowing students to use their student IDs asmeal cards and cash cards. Improvements also included new food outlets like Manchu Wok and Fast Break Sure, Manchu Wok is good, but how many times have you gone to another college and seen Taco Bells, Burger Kings and Chick Fil-As? Sure, the ID/meal card/ cash card seem like a good idea, but aren't they almost necessary in this day and age? If Marriott wants to improve its services, why don't they improve them according to what students want: cheaper prices, a wider variety of food and better quality. Plus, what's up with Marriott giving a supposed $20,000 to the President's House Foundation? The money, according to a USC official, goes to buy furniture and other trinkets. Nice to know that Marriott is helping the President get more money while the rest of us are wishing we didn't have to sleep on a bed that's been at USC since the dawn of time. Every year, Student Government candidates come and try and sell us their promises of ousting Marriott and eettinsr the elusive goal of a Chick FilA on campus. Somehow, they never do. Maybe it's because they have a lack of support to draw on to achieve this. MoTrVvi if ofiirlaTifc /wiilrl AfOCIJ K9%J U Ol/VAVtl/AJll/K? WU1U HEE Student Media Russell House Chris DLioa News: 77 Editor in Chief Advertising: Stephanie FAX: 77 Sonnenfeld Viewpoints Editor Achint Hunt I Karen Layne Bryan Jennifer Stanley Johnston A' News Editors Sports Editors * John Lyons M"rk Hopldni ' Kelly CoT7 Desk MePherso. 1J?rPe ' Features Editors Photo UltOT J, The Gamecock is ihe student newspaper of the Univer Wednesday. and Friday dunng the FaU and Spring lemesk pcnuB. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editc Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communicalions Student Media is its parent organization. The Gamecock will try to print all letters receive include full name, professional title or year and delivered by the author to The Gamecock newsrot reserves the right to edit all letter for style, possib withheld for any circumstance. iamecock C Since 1908 Editor in Chief sld, Viewpoints Editor 1 Board John Lyons, Kelly McPherson, Ben Muldrow, y, Nikki Thorpe. Tvice vote o students show the administration how much they want or don't want Marriott, something could really be done. But how can this be done? A good way would be to let students vote on whether they want Marriott or not. But, seeing as voter turnout is so low for USC's Student Government elections, would students come out and vote for something like a new catering service: The optimists in us say "Yes," while the pessimists, and in this case die realists, say "No." Maybe one way in which we could ante up the number of students voting in the election would be to attach issues like the Marriott issue as an amendment of sorts to the regular Student Government elections ballot Perhaps this would draw more students to the poll and allow students the opportunity to voice their opinions on subjects that should really matter to them, ie. their leaders and their food. Although it may not be timely to suggest this idea of adding amendments to this year's ballot, it is timely enough to urge students to go out and vote in this year's election to show administrators and the puweis. uiiiu ue uica sluuciils care enough to make their votes count at USC. The only way in which students are going to be able to seriously make a difference on this campus is to really show how much they want change. This can be shown in many ways, including involvement and activism, which is especially apparent in voting. Simply vote to show you care. See where it leads you. You never know, it could lead you closer to getting a Chick Fil-A or it could let you keep Manchu Wok?or it could give Dr. Palms and Mrs. Palms a new lamp. You decide. USC Columbia, SC 29208 '7-7726 Adam Syader 777-4249 Office Manager 7-6482~ Jasoa Jeffen L,d/ iwtnai tea Mnldrow Meliaa Sellers Graphics Editor Online Editor kkiLa(torque Laura Day isst Viewpoints Creative Director egiau Greea Mariya Asst. News Edwards Taylor Iess tea iVash Marketing Directory Asst.Features Erik Colllas efT Nicholson Faculty Advisor Asst. Photo sity of South Carolina and is published on Monday, tra, with the eaccption of wivefsiiv hoodavs and turns n or the author and not those of the University of South is the Publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of id. Letters should be 200-250 words and must major if a student. Letters must be personally )m in Russell House room 333. The Gamecock le libel or space limitations. Names will not be VIFYVPfl CYOU're urn. 11 PONT sell the ? y / c, /I ^HAI: That account is used 1 as silver, rugs, fu Bond Everyday life Awhile back, I was fishing from a pier on Perdido Bay. Perdido Bay is rp^ located right where the ^ Florida Panhandle ends and Alabama .. ' . . sating < ut58",&- rememh It was a warm summer night and ,, , , covmtless stars filled the night sky. Mother i I was hoping I would hook a shark , , and, at the same time, hoping that , ,"1, , my Zebco 202 would hold up were I ^th^a f actually to get a shark on the line. , , After about an hour, a gir] came up and sat down close to me and 1 g^e began talking wanted She began to give me a run down , on her personal life and how her boyfriend had just dumped her when j ^ ^ all of a sudden, in that laid back e, manner that exists along the Gulf (X>n Coast, she asked me if the sauce on j ^ave ^ a Big Mac was really Thousand f Island Salad Dressing. I told her \ that I didn't know but that it sure tasted like it. U.S. justice D| si uring the lonely existence that was to be my childhood years, there strong a was only one thing I by this < wanted to be. I didn't wasnt to be a was to 1 doctor, a fireman or a professional failed nc football player, as most of my in the c classmates. No, I wanted to be a unansw lawyer. From the age of seven, I man be pursued this dream. I even went as one corn far as befriending a judge's advocate person's when I was in the Marine Corps. The However, after I left the military, e a c h c life began to change for me. Many predom things happened over the next year a not g\ that changed my mind about the case. H legal system, as well as life itself, found Y For those who are wondering where Is it I am going with this, you just decides witnpsspH Cin it.s sVinrtpnpH fnrml r.?v r\ ...v..v?wwv. v? / ui OCA V how I became The World's Biggest a perfei Cynic. realistic After hearing the verdict in the strong.r O.J. Simpson murder case, a strong polarize part of me was extremely happy. Sex, be< After all, we African-Americans were, wc finally felt vindicated for the murder Anot of Emmett Till. lose fait For those who don't study our the mor story (not his story), allow me to chance translate. What I really meant to this con say was that finally, a black man If vc was actually going to get away with 0f us, y( killing a white woman, and there good as was much rejoicing (Woohah!). lottery. Nevertheless, there was just as the "Drc IMS THE-V j p :rt\ HERE. J I - > * vl ?-. fee%2 u to buy furnishing for the rniture and replacemen 'resident's private slush 1 I Nickles, on the President's House Fo n ; has many, m FRED LEACH I to ponder: Why do people, afte JgyyQyyjmJI nose, look into the tiss e are certain things in life Ca ^U^+^?W y explanation, and as I was but it can be < i Big Mac the other day, I ? T1 ness' >ered Kristie's question and , was inTa ras a^' r u ^ *. day, when I noticed i of other such questions that '> --..-w it affe me from time to time, like J, , "f ,let 11 afte jeople go into a bar and order I looked at my peaci water? I went to five points my apt riend of mine the other day 1 have n?tlcfd at ng the gentleman that I am, aometlmLes the las?f ? buy her a drink. ~ ordered a bottle of water. I did that name come i see what this water that I I love flying, nt two bucks on tasted like, something disconcert a being the last word: it care what anyone says, it V board the waitin tactly the same as the water , With all the recenl A?i. .r__? rrtll?i. .1 the airline industry h ico uui ui niy lautci at nuiiic. ?en drinking tap water ail sh?uld fme UP ?e and it has never hurt me. narae taan taatI, refreshing, and best of all, , I watched Monday ;re are some other questions season, and particularly vexing system has gc iAWN SINGLETON I Smith got out of rape c of his family name, an HHiHI got community servic part of me that was sickened yeare in prison becaui :ase, and the civil trial that Irvin. Once again, il follow. The justice system l?ve> ^ w >t once, but twice. The verdict L?ve onty y?u 31 :ivil trial left me with one and in this case, possi ered question: How could a chair, found innocent of murder in Contrary to popu "t, yet be found liable for that concealed weapons 5 death in another? signed into law isn't i i j i r i idea, erranted the m: answer tuuiu ue tuuiiu 111 > .... ase's jury selection. A it switches sides toe inantly black jury turned in better off having your lilty verdict in the murder than depending on th owever, an all-white jury ^o n?t know how q lim liable in the civil case, version of Animal Fi possible for a jury to fairly emergency, but in FTor i case without using the race ?n where you live, it i f the accused as a factor? In between life and dea ct world, yes, but let us be It seems these d :. The human element is too needs to protect himsc rhat's why defense attorneys from the police as the the juries based on race and stranger, for the polic ;ause it isn't possible. If it beatdowns than the C 3uld I be writing this column? defense. I have bee her thing that has made me numerous occasion h in the legal system is that several others, an e wealthy you are, the better searched by the police you have to gain "justice" in occasions, all for no g( tntry. I was never ticketed < u're a commoner like most stops. )ur chances are probably as Don't these cops 1 the chance you will win the better to do, such as O.J. had the money to hire real drug dealers or g :am Team." William Kennedy Donuts? If you can jus /" "X?^ fL LXXJW i , SUPERSTORE ^ n "(uEs&q ! President's House such its* But this isn't the fund. undation any questions f after Frank, Al, and Dan got done ;i wuwuig uicii sajriug guuu uigut/, a tuimiicitiai iue to see what would immediately follow. This ; this is a gross commercial was for a feminine ^uite distuihing hygiene product. Why ABC would air this ad right after MNF is beyond * rant the other me. I can't imagine there being many a man do this, females watching at that time of ct me, but then night and, speaking for most males h cobbler and that I know, we certainly don't want >etite. to hear about this type of product, airports that even if it can absorb Lake Murray. ;ign you see is I don't want to hear about dryness ?rminal." Jiow .and itching anytime, but especially about? not right after football, jut there is My final question is perhaps the ing about that most perplexing. I noticed the other ^ou see before day that the buttons on the driveg plane. through ATMs have braille on them, t problems that How often is someone driving their as had, I think car through to get some cash going with a better to need braille? I don't mean any offense to blind Night Football people, but I hope that there aren't I noticed a many people out there who have to aspect. Right utilize this feature. >od, bad sides haiges because of a young African-American male d Michael Irvin just because he drives a halfway e instead of 20 decent vehicle, you are a better man 3e he's Michael than I. t's money, not All of these things leave holes in rorld go around, what little heart I have, however, t empty wallet, there is one thing that leaves me bly the electric disgusted every time I think about it?the death penalty. How can society liar belief, the punish murder by committing bill that was murder? Many people have asked all that bad an me over the years what would I do an who signed if someone killed one of my loved > often. You're ones. Honestly, I would want to kill own protection them myself but I would then come e police. I truly to the realization that killing them uickly USC's would not bring the loved ones they ar reacts to an took back to me. Also, the Third ence, depending Commandment says "Thou shalt not s the difference kill," yet many conservatives who th. defend their beliefs using religion ays, a person believe in the death penalty, ilfjust as much How can these people, in the name y would a total of God, condemn one for of murder, ;e deliver more yet condone another? Personally, I arolinaPanther think God intended these ?n stopped on commandments to apply to everyone, s, followed on including state and federal d had my car governments. I love it when a judge on two separate condemns a murderer to death, then x>d reason, and says, "May God have mercy on your on any of these soul." News flash for these judges ?their souls won t be the only ones have anything asking for mercy come Judgment catching some Day. Unfortunately, the bad news oing to Dunkin' is no matter what, our legal system tify harassment is the best in the world.