The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, December 05, 1997, Page 4, Image 4
Che(E
Serving
Editc
Adam Snyder, I
Nikki LaRocqi
Stephanie Sonnenfeld,
I
Movie didi
praying te
The Kentucky 7TT3
teen who fired on HUU
a school prayer Cnm
group, killing three
of his classmates rruiuui /(
and wounding five
others, is a sensational
tragedy D . .
that's left three 1
sets of parents where i\
grieving for their directl'
children.
But, if the PeCtS
murders weren't
outrageous
enouvh. the nrosecutor in the case
says the film "Basketball Diaries"
may have been a factor that
caused the teen to commit the act
In the movie, there's a dream sequence
in which Leonardo DiCapprio
takes a gun into his
Catholic all-boys school and
fires on his classmates.
And supposedly, seeing this
movie just pushed the 14-year-old
over the edge. Watching this piece
of Hollywood production just made
him kill other teens in prayer.
When will society get it into
their heads that music, TV and
film are not little red devils that
sit cm teens'shoulders and say "Do
it! Do it!" whatever the illegal "it"
is.
TTT - ? . i
we re not saying young
children should be exposed to the
Use cauti
clearing.
South Carolina
did a good thing
when it purchased S.C.'s
$21 million worth 7 * \
of land from Duke cLear 1?
Energy Corp. last fTflTYt
month.This
acreage, which is u'Q :r
home to the Jo- 11 bW
cassee Gorge, was that can
slated to become a to not pel
natural preserve. farm fa
;t*.
XlUVTCVCi , lib
was announced
this week that the
state hopes to cut some timber in
the area. The wood will be sold
and proceeds may go to aid in
managing the 32,000 acres, The
State newspaper said.
No, South Carolina isn't going
into the lumber business.
They're clearing some of the
timber to supposedly "enhance"
the wildlife habitat for animals,
a common practice.
But, experts say that while
this practice can help control the
environment, it can also help comStudant
Madia Rvsaall Houa
Adam Snyder Susan
Interim Editor in Chief Photo
Nikki LaRocque Donnir
Viewpoint* Editor Graphic
RoeaHnd Harvey StephanieI
New* Editor Aid. Vtewp
Sara Ladenheim Kristin HI
New* Editor, Detign Cars 1
Marcus Amaker Ntu
Amy Shannon Tori C
Feature* Editor* Aid Pho
Achim Hunt Brian
Bryan Johnston On-line
Sport* Editor* Julle
Ben Pillow Chris
Copy Detk Chief Casey 1
Chris Dixon Jessan
Copy Editor Cnatlve
The Gamecock is the itudent cock are thoee of thi
nswepapw of The University of South and not those of 1
Carolina and is pu bushed Monday, South Carolina.
Wednesday and Friday dunng the fall
and spring semester! and five times 50* ?f
during the summer with the excep- uons ana Cotnmuni
tion of university holiday* and exam liahar of The Game
^5e^oc', The Departme
Opinions expressed m The Game- dia ii ita parent or|
The Gamecock will try to print The Gamecock nei
all letter* received. Letter* should be House room 333.
200-260 words and must include full TheGamecock
name, professional title or year and to edit all letter foi
major if a student Letters must be bel or space limit*
personally delivered by the author to not be withheld for
\
Samccock
use Since 1908
trial Board
nterim Editor in Chief
ie, Viewpoints Editor
Assistant Viewpoints Editor
siar^-n
n't murder
enagers
likes of "NYPD
Blue" or middle7omn
in a schoolers should be
jemning taken tQ R.rated
)r murder movies. Children
TCTTrmM grow at different
UkOJi emotional stages,
r ? 17 ? and there's a prophe
blame er time for everyt
belongs, thing.
y in SUS- But to blame
hands. "Basketball Diaries"
for the mad
fluke made by an
obviously mentally
ill teen is ludicrous. For every
teen who does something that
shocks society and then hides un
der "evil" TV, movie or music influences,
there are thousands of
teenagers and college students
who watch the same television
show, have seen the same movie
or have listened to the^same album
and not gone on a mad killing
spree.
In fact, many young adults
have experienced controversial
entertainment, like Marlvn Man
son and Nine Inch Nails, "Beavis
and Butt-Head," "Cop Killer"
by Ice-T and the video game "Mortal
Kombat" and still lead normal
lives, or are even exceptional student
or community leaders.
Put the blame where it belongs
? in the hands of the assailant.
ton when
Jocassee
[TTTTQH mercial timber
companies garner
. choice to a influence
, , j over the governrest
land ment
ECTCTHni Other problems
(as seen in the case
operative ?f the Sumter Na?betaken
ti"?1Fcffest,show
cuttmg can somen7ldH6ntly
times benefit pope
Upstate. ular hunting game
"at the expense of
non-game species,
such as migrating
birds that need heavy forests to
survive," according to The State.
Sure, the cutting has the
chance of posing no problems at
all. But, it also could senously
damage a realm of the environment
that could never repair the
mistakes.
It would be a shame to see
this beautiful portion of land end
up damaged from environmental
mismanagement thanks to the
same government that purchased
the land to save it.
use Columbia, SC 29208
Meyer* Ellen Parsons
Editor Interim Director
Baker of Student Media
> Editor Lee Phipp*
Sonnenfeld Advertising Manager
oints Editor Sherry F. Holmes
Ichardaon Classified Ad Manager
Pellatt Carolyn Griffin
is Editors Business Manager
KHara Jim Green
to Editor Creative Director
i Riah Michele Dames
Editor Creative Services
BA<r Graduate Assistant
Gulp Erik Collins
Decker Faculty Advisor
Hager ______________
Services
The Gamecock
Editor (803) 777-3914
eeditors or author News (803) 777-7726
lie University of
ETC. (803) 777-3913
Viewpoints (803) 777-7726
eock- Sports (803) 777-7182
ait of Student MeOnline
(803) 777-3913
Student Medta
rsroom in Russell A<*ertls,n? (803)777-1184
Classifieds (803) 777-1184
: reserve* the right
' style, possible li- Fa* (803)777-6482
tions. Names will
any circumstance. Office (803) 777-3888
VIEWF
" _k-L.
THflCTS Rl?*H
"We are also concerned
Cliff Resident Councilm
L.1I313 Ul
| Columnist |
This column is not being written
from the alcove of Student Media, but
the warm recesses of my home in Birmingham,
Ala.
Tm writing this last column of the
semester here partly because it will be
easier than writing it mid-last week
of classes. The even bigger reason is
because I want to trap the feelings I
have right now, post-crisis.
Post-crisis means 12 hours after
tne bound-to-be-infamous "crash of
Thanksgiving *97." To make a long story
short, my mom, sister and I thought
it would be safe to brave the mall the
day after the day after Thanksgiving,
but our trip was (nearly) cut short
by an unfortunate accident, entailing
wet roads, Mom's skidding Maxima
and the rear end of an Aerostar minivan.
No one was hurt. There was no
damage done to Mom's bumper, and
Letters p:
| Viewpoints Editor |
If you're actually reading this, it
will amaze me.
But, if you understand precisely
what the hell Fm saying, that will be
nothing short of divine intervention.
I enjoy journalism and writing for
this paper, but if there's one thing I
absolutely cannot stand, it's being misunderstood.
And somehow, that goes
along with being an editor for The
Gamecock, unless you're a sports ed
ltor. it s nard to misunderstand articles
that rehash the latest game's score.
But, in writing for Viewpoints,
well, I haven't been this misunderstood
since I was a toddler trying to tell my
grandma I wanted vitamins, which
came out as "bitowens." For some reason,
she couldn't understand me. And
for some reason, no matter what I
write, there are those who can't fathom
my English.
\v T
O "Which
r exam has
you the
(J most worr,
ried?"
E
S
T
'PINTS
id
Jh/Ki
Deiore 1 couia even ascertain tnis,
out came my soon-to-be symbol of lack
of faith in human civility.
I thought she was going to attack
my mother. And in a way, she did with
words. She called Mom just about every
name in the book, using the vocabulary
of all the words not fit to print.
The least of these included "stupid"
and "hick," both of which prompted me
to become the defensive speech and
debater riled to the cause. It made me
especially angry when I saw her license
plate was from Hillsborough, where
we moved from just two years ago. If
Vtn nnlxr IraAnr oUa nroa
OllU U1UJ IU1CTT OllC WOO iiauuilg IICIOCU
and her own discourteous ways.
I told her there was no need to call
my mother anything. It was an accident.
She hydroplaned, her brakes
locked and she was barely at crawl
speed. It hurt me to hear this woman's
ignorance. I tried not to stoop to her
rove ami
Fm not talking about the students
who intelligently argue a point, with
fact and logic backing up their argument.
That's intellectually stimulating
and interesting to me.
But, I just want to laugh in the
law; ui uiuse wiiu lage, sputtering uver
their riled-up emotions and tripping
over their own words. And the insults
have been classic. We know we've done
a good job up here when some guy
leaves a message on our machines that
simply and eloquently says, "Fags!" It
amuses me to no end to know there's
at least one male out there who thinks
calling us homosexuals is somehow
derogatory.
Letters to the editor are always a
source of amusement. Some of my favorites
are the ones that tell us what
crappy, pathetic spellers we are and
can't we get some decent copy editors
when their own pieces are filled with
horrors an English teacher would take
delight in slashing with a red marker.
I
"All of them
Cedric D'Costa
Graduate Student
Computer Engineering
A
about the board's willingne
see this project c<
ember Brian Gambrell, in a
slated to be built
>esn'tru
only minimal done to the blue travesty
of 1980s design in front of us. We
were safe, just a little shaken-up. But
i r T 11 i .1
(r,>^ur w
twep
iss to destroy our way of life j
)mpleted immediately."
letter to USC President Dr. Johr
near Cliff Apartments.
in shorn
JT I
level, trying to blame it on the shock
of the collision. After all, I've been in
several accidents, and I know how it
feels to be jolted unexpectedly. Not
pleasant.
But, the woman would not cease
spouting her insulting words into
our car. She proceeded to scream at
us, saying she was transporting her
pregnant daughter to her baby shower
and everything was Mom's fault.
Anything was our fault. Mom sat there
quietly, absorbing all of this woman's
pent-up anger and misdirected guilt.
My sister sat in the back of the
car crying. In the back of my head I
thought the pain this woman was ininrf
urn a inof mil nf i rrn awom /tn
iiivuug *vao just uub ui iguui aiiic,
and I needed to take charge of the situation.
I called the police and Dad. And
I gave the woman the look of, "You're
being ugly and nasty and hurting my
mother!"
The pregnant girl was whisked
away smiling by a passing relative.
She was fine. Ironically, another pasisine,
act
I've had my intelligence not only
questioned, but outright denied. My
parents have been encouraged to slap
me for my "impertinence" (my family,
however, has this idea that if you
disagree with one another, we sit down
and talk it over). The staff has been
ridiculed for editorials they chose not
to have a say in because they thought
them "too controversial." For the same
editorial, we'll get a letter saying we
went too far, and then one screaming
at us for not going far enough.
Anrl a Am ok Anr A anam f A
ruiu ouuiuau w , pcupic occui bu
think a 250-word limit for letters to
the editor means they can write as
much as they want and expect to be
published as is. Others apparently have
the belief that when I answer the
phone, that means they have unlimited
access to my time, and that I'm
personally here to listen to their tirade
and cluck my tongue in sympathy.
It starts getting annoying toward
the end of the semester, particularly
if a letter comes in from a student who
"disagrees" with me passionately about
J # I
"All of them."
Sky Ryu
pre-Graduate Student
Computer Science
1j
y&\*\
I
ust to satisfy their desire to
i Palms about the Greek village
ring day
senger was taken to the hospital, complaining
of a pain in her "kidney." The
police didn't issue Mom a ticket. They
said she couldn't have been going over
five miles per hour. The paramedics
said not to let this ruin our shopping
day.
Mom and Dad insisted we go to
4.V. ? r?1 J XT i. ;j j. mi
tiic v-fiu utivjr pusi-acciueiiu inejr
put on their best "that skirt is too short"
faces despite the accident. But, I could
tell Mom walked away with aches and
pains from the accident, and not the
kind the insurance policy covers.
We're not defined by how we handle
Sunday drives in the countryside.
Sure, they're deserved and meant to
be enjoyed. But, I think true character
is established in how we handle the
accidents along the way, the unexpected
jolts, nicks and hurts. I'm going
to try to remember this when someone
bumps into me. It will happen. It
happens to everybody. That's why
we call them "accidents."
jravating
whatever it was I wrote, when in actuality
they're making the same point
I did. They were evidently too stupid
to see that.
I've truly enjoyed raising the occasional
ire of most of the mqjor student
organizations and administrations
on campus. But, ifs so outrageous
to me when students get angry at some
article or editorial and part of their argument
against us is, "The Gamecock
is a student paper. It should be for the
students."
Oh please, whatever. Just because
students are writing for The Gamecock
doesn't mean we have absolute
loyalty to other undergraduates and
we should ignore other students or organizations
when something less than
nice occurs concerning them. If we just
wrote happy little stories about how
much money the Greeks are raising
for charity we wouldn't be doing our
job. We wouldn't be learning how to
be journalists.
Try to understand that.
"Modern contemporary
American literature"
Claire Bourel
English junior