The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 11, 1998, Page 2, Image 2
Erin Shaw and Fred Leach
together again for your
reading pleasure.
Page 2
Wit?
Serving the Carolina
EDITOR]
Adam Snyde
Amy Shannon
Kurt Johnson, Ass\
FffffVVfPVfVP1
M11r AVI*
Newhou
needs re
The reformation
is under way. HHwyM
USC has recently
decided to reform
its housing proce- COff^
dures. With Studen
this new system,
students will be HHKjTSU
able to pick which
residence hall they USCsbl
would like to live tbousbtl
in, but now stu- , ?T .
dents only have the s*uc*i
option of picking initiating
one roommate,
even if apartment
housing, which
usually holds up to four people, is
chosen. In the past, students had
free reign over the amount of roommates
they could choose.
Many students have shown resentment
towards this new system.
The biggest concern is having to possibly
live in an apartment with twc
strangers, when two people thej
know well could be living with them
instead. However, this system works
well with those who want to live
in two-person dorms.
This is unfair. People like to be
comfortable in their own homes, and
rooming with people you know well
helps make things more comfortable.
Having to live with twc
strangers offers an awkward situation,
having to learn the person's
Action a?
crew nec
One week ago, ^^^rrrrrr
a U.S. military
plane clipped the U.S.mUita
wires of a cable car Mian cat
in Italy. The car, .Q
which held 20 pas- killed 2(
sengers ready to
ski, fell 300 feet HHeIUIL
and killed everyone Some for?
on Doara. needs to I
Italian officials ^ ^ .
are in an uproar P^P&fyj^
over the situation. peopled
They have accused
American officers
of removing the plane's mission
recorder, so as to cover up the possibility
that this was not an accident,
and delaying its hand-over for
reviewing. The recorder will give vital
information pertaining to the
plane's altitude, air speed and flight
path.
U.S. Air Force officials have denied
all charges, while President
Clinton has assured Italian politicians
that the United States will
commence a full investigation.
This investigation, however, will
be lead by an American team, which
will include Italian commanders.
mi. - f j.1 1 1
me crew ui me piane nas expressed
their sympathy to the family
members of the victims, though
an official apology has yet to be
heard.
Also, the captain of the plane
gave a possible explanation for
the cause of the crash- he said that
the plane's altitude instruments
Hit 6
^Jr Serving the Catohna
ine txamecocx is Tie siuoeri newspoper or ine untve
Pride/ drrg me fat and spring semesters end We times du
periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock ere those ofth
The Board of Student Publications and Commwications is I
is me newspaper's parent organization
TIM OWIMCOCfc
Adam Snyder Editor in Chief Raaelind I
Amy Shannon Viewpoints Editor
Sara Ladenheim Hurt John.
Can Podatt News Editors Canto Mo
Jemattar Stanley Features Editor Krtettn Fra
Achhn Hunt Nathan Be
Bryan Johnston Sports Editors s?m Rayi
Suaan Mayan Photo Editor Toff 0.^m
Brian Blah Online Editor ^ ff)|<
Chris Dhtaa Cop/ Dealt Chief Connie Ha
Stotart IMta
JuHa Baker Sherry F. I
SuamI Barrett
AMcta Dickson Cmolyn Oi
Judeon Drennan Creative Services
Mm drown
Btoa Persons Director of ,
Student Media Mlchetm 0
Lee PMppe Advertising Manager ^
i {
'A
amccock
Community sine* 1908
[AL BOARD
r, Editor in Chief
. Viewpoints Editor
istant Viewpoints Editor
sing plan
risions
I quirks and moods and
LllafaJHHI such. It would be
mg system much easier if they
J f could just live with a
iiaerateoj person with whom
f?c rtpfids they're alreadv fa
miliar.
Another concern is
the $100 that needs
~>uld hdve to be put down while
nore about a student turns in
tits before th?,r h?usme "ppJ"
uvjuf e cation. If someone de3
thispkttl. cides that they do not
want to live on-cam
pus or if they do not
get the housing asi
signment that they want after payI
ing the $100, they have only two to
three days to get their money back.
Two to three days to find out if
one wants to live with two total
strangers or if they're happy at the
house they are. TTiat is insane.
) It's takes a lot more time to get
' to know two new people and decide
i if they actually want to live with
thorn TVf/vro timo cVirmlH ho ollnt.
' viivii* a"xv/i w vimv uiauuiu uv/ wnvv
! ted to allow students to make a
rational decision,
s These changes certainly put stu[
dents' wants at a minimum. The
I students' concerns have been set
aside for USC's convenience. USC
i should have left the system alone; .
it would have made a lot more stui
dents a lot more comfortable.
;ainst
essary
rrrcr^HBll were not working
properly.
ryplane hit However, experts
hb> mr an/i have agreed that at
TtonX such a low altitude,
JjAtvpie. the instruments
would not have been
JLiLaaiil^l of much use, inferring
n of action that the crew would
be taken to have been able to see
the wires with their
ustify these owneyes.
> deaths. This event definitelv
needs further
1 w
and deeper investii
gation. The Italian officials have
every right to be steaming mad. If
such an event would have happened
to Americans, surely we would have
made a bigger ruckus over it than
the Italians are.
They are even looking for legal
action against the crew. That is
totally legitimate if the crew was
found to be playing around. Really,
the cable car was 300 feet above
ground and the lowest a plane is
supposed to be is 500 feet. There
should be no reason for the plane to
i be flying that low over a populated
area.
Even if it was a "mere" accident,
the crew should be punished in some
way. One cannot kill someone and
i not take on whatever repercussions
that accompany such an act.
i Hopefully, the truth will prevail
and justice will be served as nec;
essary.
\
amecock mm
Community since 1908
rslty of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and
ring the simmer with the exception of wiversity holidays and exam
e editors or author arid not those of The University of South Carolina
he publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media
All numbers area code 603
Th? Oamacocfc
iarvey Public Relations
Coordinator Editor 777-3914
tern Asst tfewpoints Editor
Uieetnrtinte 777.770(1
C id lough Asst News Editor
iestate Asst Features Editor sews 777-7726
own Asst Sports Editor
lord Asst Photo Editor Etc. 777-3913
a Asst. Online Editor
Sports 777-7182
rlckhoff Copy Editors
Online 777-2833
Holmes Classified Ad
Manager
rtm Business Manager Meutlslng 777-1184
Creative Director Classifieds 777-1184
'? Faculty Advisor office 777-3888
5
/tfwt
W mm* T JL
The Ganr
foov<
I 6u
Iwhdt
A
&
I
Mounti
It only seemed logical. There were
patches of snow, a steady declin
ing hill, and a $7 plastic sled. Il
seemed safe.
A couple of weekends ago, I wenl
up to Skj
kttrt JOHNSON the res?rl
Columnist ?s 01
the safest it
the country
so nobody wanted to take their chances
Also, there was only one big patch o;
snow.
Anyway, the place where we stayec
belonged to my roommate's grandparents,
so it had the grandparent's
smell throughout. It was bearable only
after knocking oneself out with twc
sledge hammers and an anvil.
Well, we arrived during the night
so after just "hanging out", we finally
got to see the splendor that are th<
mountains and their small, cheesj
mountain stores, such as (I'm not mak
ing all of these up): Mountain Bever
Black H
It's hard to believe that in the pre
sent times there are people wh<
tell me there shouldn't be a Blacl
History Month. But they do. Wha
is threatening about a people cominf
together t<
?| celebrati
Jena^m
Columnist beckons m<
to explain
Everyday I know what it feels like t
be a black woman. Everyday I wak
in the same body, I comb the sami
coarse hair, I put lotion on the sam
dark skin. I only know what is uniqu
tome.
"Things have changed from th
times when we were growing up," m;
mother reassures me. She has storie
Animals unnaturally
kept at the circus
To the editor:
This past weekend, I had the ex
' _ C ... 1 A. 1_ _ * 1
perience 01 seeing me animais oi
Ringling Bros. Circus. The tigers wen
caged in small trailers in the Coliseum
parking lot. The elephants wen
housed in a tent with horses, camels
and zebras, all chained so that the)
had minimal movement. As I stooc
looking at these majestic creatures, ]
t
>OINT:
lecock
Liui vv vv
} age, Mountain General Store, Moun
tain Souvenirs, and Wal-Mart.
t So, that afternoon, we noticed i
slope in close proximity that happene*
t to have some snow on it. We alsi
' just happened to find some plywood
The logical thing to do- go sledding
Logical, yes, healthy, no. My three oth
er intrepid friends and I decided t
walk up the Sky slope (which, con
sidering how in-shape we were, wa
one of the hardest things we've eve
done with a piece of plywood) and slei
down to the bottom.
I was the second one to go.
j thought, with me being born in thi
t north and having several years of sled
rlincr oYT^rlonponn^armvVuilf T u/niili
^ Ulllg IU1UV1 U1J krvibj A ? Wtu'
be fine. Well, I was right. My othe
three friends, however, were havinj
quite a time. Not knowing the art o
f steering plywood, they would sled thre
feet, fall off and then tumble the re
1 maining 75 feet down. I, on the oth
er hand, would sled all the way down
; but I didn't know how to stop, so I woul(
slam into the plastic, mesh-wire feno
> that separated skiers from a 30 foo
gorge (all right, it was a three foot ditch
, but it was still scary).
f This in turn led to some great nick*
J scratches, bruises, and cuts up am
f down our bodies, which we proudl
showed everyone to confirm our str
" pidity. It was still fun, though.
" J li If
.istory ivi
- of integration, discrimination, and a
> out hate or fear, however you wish t
t see things. The past is a dark histc
t iy, but today we are enlightened. We'v
I come miles to get our share, and w
J still have far to go. If all the peopl
J who tell me we shouldn't be so nois
about celebrating could just one da
1 walk in my shoes, they would shou
too.
\ I admit the name-calling and th
upfront discrimination isn't staring ir
to my eyes. It's the subtle message
that people think I'm too stupid to ur
2 derstand that piss me off. If s the grc
eery cashier at Food Lion assumin
2 that I must be paying with an EB'
i card, even before I can offer him casl
TD_ IL _ i i i
it s tne disapproving icons an
5 stares I get from the older ladies in th
cinema restroom because I shouldn'
be allowed to pee in the same room a
them. I don't even carry a handba
e anymore because store clerks assum
e that I am shoplifting with it.
But things have changed so mucl
e I don't believe that I could have sui
y vived in my parents'time. We aremal
s ing serious progress as a nation, es
pecially the younger generation. Wit
The
I H II I | I] a student
I **1 J | I'J t dude the
held for a
j realized that this is their home. Sit
ting in a cage, chained, traveling acros
the country in a train, every day o
their lives. There is no end ot the en
cus for these animals; when the circu
p leaves Columbia, it is not over for their
I know, just as everyone else does
that this is not the life that a tiger, ele
? phant, zebra or camel is meant for. Ii
} the wild these animals roam acres c
t land a day! In the circus, these ani
1 mals have no chance of freedom t
1 roam, hunt or mate.
v
in iirnD
"It
Sev<
?*
Lawrer
We
c t/iff fi
kend 'ki
"So...we noticed a sloj
that happened to have
j also just happened to
The logical thing to
0
s
r However, things turned tragic when
^ one of my friends tried to "surf' the
plywood on the snow. He was fine
j about half the way down, but then he
hollered, "Look, I'm Michael Kennedy!"
The funeral was four days later,
.j Getting over this tragic event with
r a game of "Let's see how long it takes
j officials to find the body," we all went
f looking for two waterfalls that my roome
mate knew of.
Well, we found them. After those
_ life-altering events, we had another.
We bought a REAL sled- one of those
i skinny, plastic ones with a little string
e to hold. Overcome with excitement,
t we flew home to try out the new sled,
i, For some reason, I think it was the
over-pounding of anvils, we thought
s, we were cool and decided to go all the
d way to the top of the slope and sled
y down. How can I relate this experii
ence- imagine being on the toilet, in
an open atmosphere, while hauling
onth for \
11
? "It's the subtle messa
e I'm too stupid to u
I grocery cashier at Foo
y must be paying wit
J before I can o]
e each new baby, we are teaching appreciation,
not mere tolerance. The
s world is diverse. We are different.
l" Why is it hard to understand that we
want to celebrate our differences?
R Jnm on^a raonnnf Hnr
? vyui 31JIC UCJUiaixuo 1 vo|/vvw. v/ui
^ music stems from a soul in need of freeL
dom. Our language is one of comd
panionship and familiarity. We come
e from a family of people tiying to get
t by. Surviving is in our genes. Cres
ativity seeps from every brow. Deg
termination follows in our shadows,
e Don't we have a reason to celebrate?
Black History Month will continl.
ue to bring us happiness and gratitude
to all of those who came before us, no
[- matter what others believe. I have
j- gathered the strength to believe in myh
self because others have made the opGamecock
wil try to print all letters received. Letters should be 250300 wo
. Hand written letters must be personaly delivered by the author to The Gar
author's telephone number. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all lent
ny urbwrraiaibc.
Instead they are faced with a life
s of abuse, forced to perform unnatural
f acts that they do not understand. In
order to make a tiger jump through a
s loop of fire or make an elephant peri.
form tricks, it must be threatened with
i, punishment!
(- According to the Humane Society
a of the United States, circus animals
if are severely beaten to "control" and
"train" the animals. When an elephant
o is "gently" prodded with a bull hook in
the circus ring, she is reminded of pre
will continue to happen
*n though the university
educates the students."
ice Pathel, USCPD Director
dnesday, February 11,1998
^ 9
Ill
*
a
*
artoonist MANDI PARK
ller' *
>e in close proximity
some snow on it. We
find some plywood,
do- go sledding!"
freight at 70 miles-an-hour. Yeah, that
about does it.
Those sleds are $7 deaths. I was
so scared that after I slammed into the
fence half-way down, rolled limply down
to the foot of the slope and barely escaped
death via blood loss, I couldn't
tell whether the stain on my pants was
mud or, well, you know. f
And after that, you'd think I'd have J
the reason to say "that's enough." Nope!
Rather, I told everyone else who weren't
sledding that they were missing out
on a great thing (they seemed to disagree
with me for some reason) and
went right back up to go again. After
another one of my friends died by using
the new sled, we decided to move
to the beginner slope. That was a lifesaving
move.
So, though I lost two good friends f
and was a living scratch (later a scab)
for a while, it was still a great time.
I wonder what will happen when I try
to ski.
leritage
{
ges that people think
un/laoctnoJ Ti.1- xt
liucisidliu...ll $ IIIC
d Lion assuming that I
h an EBT card, even
ffer him cash."
portunities of today possible. I do
not take for granted the freedom to live
in convenience, to make decisions about (
my future. That is what this month
is about. I give the utmost respect to
the ones who know what it is to be like
me in a place that once detested our
existence, and depended on us to be
tools. Now it is our responsibility to
goon. To see what the end will be. To
appreciate what others can bring to
our lives. To exhibit what we can bring
to theirs.
I don't pretend to have all the an1
JL Xl 1
swers, dui mere is no reason to de \
threatened by blacks uniting in the
name of heritage. Join in, and you too
may learn something that will give you
just cause for celebrating Black History
Month every February.
rds and must include full name, professional title or year and major il
iecock newsroom in Russell House room 333. Email letters must inf
for style, possible libel or space limitations Names will not be with
vious beatings that were received when
she did not do as her trainer wished.
in,- . i A:?
.me circus is meant to De a time u>
fun with family and friends, but we often
forget how these animals suffer for
our entertainment.
Unfortunately I don't think I'll ever
forget the look that I saw on a tiger's
face as it paced in its cage, waiting
helplessly for the next performance.
I have decided to give up the circus, I d
rather watch the Discovery channel,
where I can see the true beauty of these
animals in naturje. ^