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Kiki McCormick will bust out with your responses to her religous column. Page A4 ? . Serving the Carolina Co EDITORS Adam Snyder, Amy Shannon, Kurt Johnson. Assist Changes i revamp D Desk assistants n5jS5^7Ti came under fire HHUaLm this week when an jt's obviou article in The , ^A Gamecock showed syste) certain dorm DAs working / were not doing their job. Their job New idea: in guests oi residents and checking security g: to make sure the identificatn people entering the should be C, building are residents of that area. When a reporter did a "test" to see if' DAs would do their jobs, three out ol tour DAs did not ask for any form of identification, and one DA was not even present. This was a cause for concern by many students who felt this kind of sub-par behavior was putting themselves and their property in some form of danger. Blame went in all directions: the DA coordinator, the Resident Hall Director, even the residents who live in the buildings. But there is nobody to blame except the people who are supposed to be working at the desk. The Housing Department and Towers Area Office have been coming under the mm fnr irrocrwM-iciVwlifv r\f +V>*? 0U11 IU1 l/AAl/ 11 1 UX I/11& DAs. Truly, it is not either department's fault? maybe for hiring the person, yes, but how are they supposed to know such a thing would happen when they first hire someone? Farmers 1 needs a ? nun ui me mainei, nam my its chipped paint and water leakage, does not meet their strict sanitation standards. To revitalize the market, politicians have suggested either to relocate the market or to refurbish it. Choosing to move it to a new site ?ie(Bai Serving the Carohnn Com The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The Unfrersity Friday dtrrig the fall rnd spring semesters and thre times during tl periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the edit* The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the pi is the newspaper s parent organisation. The Qamecocfc Adam Snyder Editor in Chief Roeallnd Ham Amy Shannon Viewpoints Editor i MtnotilUm Hurt JohneonA Care Pedant News Editors Carrie McCullo Jennifer Stanley Features Editor Kristin Freest a Achkn Hunt Nathan Brown Bryan Johnston Sports Editors Sem Susan Meyers Photo Editor Tgfl Q Brian Pish Online Editor Chris Dixon Copy Desk Chief Connie Harlckh Student Media Julie Baker Sherry F. Holm Susan Barrett A*da Uckeon Carolyn Griffin Judaon Drennan Creative Services _ Jim Green Blen Parsons Director of Student Media Mlchele Dam at Lee Phlppt Advertising Manager coUlna For 50 years, [ jrTTTTT the South Carolina HHuiiiil State Fanners Mar- South Caro ket has done busi- a ness in Columbia at the Bluff Road fa- dilapid cility. Some of the ^ state's largest produce wholesalers as D ^, . . well as several r Refurbi smaller farmers sell farmers IT their wares at the bring it up market. Today the mar ket s in a state of disrepair. The whole facility is in dire need of a paint job, the potholes are horrendous, and vendors are experiencing roof leakage. Because the market has become dilapidated, questions about the level of sanitation and food safety are being raised. Vendors fear that customers have stopped patronizing the market because of these concerns. Some grocery store and restaurant chains no longer buy produce at the market because the current condi 1 mccodt mmunily since 1908 X BOARD Editor in Chief Viewpoints Editor T i ir> uni v ivuuyyjinis r.unur needed to >A svstem rrjrm^m] TheDAs are paid LuU^HH to do a job, a job S that the they're obviously not VC wnf doing. So, the obvious thing would be to fire yroperly. them. And it has been done, but still the problem persists. The - d,rh /7C- Desk Coordinator's > su o jQk make gure uards or there is someone at on Stickers the desk at all times. onsidered. To ensure this, a schedule is made up so those who want to work certain hours can sign up for them. But when a employee fails to show up, as the case may be regu larly, the coordinator is put in a tough situation. And then when a story like this comes out, they get the blame. No, it's not fair, but that's what happens. So, old workers are fired and new ones hired; it a vicious cycle. Obviously, a better plan is needed. Maybe something simpler than having DAs? possibly full time security guards working the desk, or having a sticker on residents' IDs that show the person lives in that building. Residents-in the Towers have to use their IDs anyway to enter the building; while it's out, why not flash it to the person waiting at the desk to confirm residence? Whatever happens, the blame should go to no one, or nowhere, other than on those who failed to be responsible. Market ace lift is the wrong decision. The best option to get Una state the market back in larketis fM?e is to complete, ly remodel it. Qted- The market has remained in flnlnmbia f?r the past 50 years, ch tho It has become an engaging part of Colarket to lumbia's "local town" > to date. feel. Losing the market to another county is saying goodbye to a piece of the capital city's local flair. It will result in Columbia becoming just like any other generic, industrialized city. Consumers are already accustomed to the market's presence on Bluff Road. They know where to go and how to get what they need. For those customers, travelling to the market from distant places, moving the market may lengthen their driving time and discourage them from making the trip. With Columbia's central location in the state, the market is roughly equidisi . n n ,1 n l ?i i tant irom soutn uaronna s ooraers. Instead of relocating the market, it should be refurbished and brought up to date with sanitation and food safety standards. Columbia shouldn't let its hometown ambiance slip away. Tltcocb BH munity since 1908 of South Carolina and is pdolished Monday, Wednesday and te simmer with the exception of miversity holidays and exam ofs or author and not those of The Urwersity of South Carolina tfisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media All numbers area code 803 The Gamecock ty Public Relations Coordinator Editor 777-3914 ssi. viewpoints conor . . . ... Viewpoints 777-7726 ugh Asst. News Editor te Asst. Features Editor News 777-7726 Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Photo Editor Etc. 777-3913 Asst. Online Editor Sports 777-7162 ioff Copy Editors Online 777-2833 " "a'na^r Business Manager Advertising 777-1184 Creative Director Classifieds 777-1184 i Creative Services 777 6482 Graduate Asst. hax /'f-b482 Faculty Advisor Office 777-3888 Vewf The Gam( r kwm l Hkc vW \ Author CC A n interesting life is an inter' l\ esting book waiting to be -^written." These are the words of Frank McCourt, the Pulitzer Prize winning author of the memoir, Angela's Ashes. Any~T|one W^? J P - Sf \::: w e e k a g o flki" | j;:-.. :jljL got the ' % 4. chance to jllk J |<- get near ;>||fl j P the wit, |pfe8g^^:;,$1|| charm and ertn SHAW contagious ?? - creativity r-?'""mfa' | McCourt exudes in his storytelling. McCourt, quite simply, compels people to want to write their stories. I was fortunate to have the experience of talking with McCourt earlier in the afternoon at a small discussion session, mostly for students in the graduate English and MFA programs. For one hour, the small group that gathered in the English Department lounge could pose any question to m i i eievisn Don't believe everything you see on television. I sat down late one night to see what was on around 1 a.m. There are slim pickings after Leno as far as things to h =n wateh-I<M k -4' featured a black bear had gotten itself fired LEACH stuck up in J- a tree. After Columnist they managed to get the bear down by shooting him with a tranquilizer and letting him fall onto a trampoline, a commercial came on for a free 10 minutes of psychic chat. I couldn't pass up a free conversation with a psychic, so I called. "Hello, welcome to your free psychic reading," she said. "Please state your name." "My name is Dan," I responded. I was paying close attention to my watch Dickerson did have a role in the AAAS budget cut To the editor This letter is in response to Mr. Jared Moble/s letter concerning newly-elected president Kim Dickerson's role in the the AAAS budget cut. For someone to say that Kim Dickerson played no role in AAAS budget cut because she isn't on the finance com 'OINTf BCOCk 5KTO Ripi^o 'AJ?T? _/ni , / I 4 ?/, 4 gives v the writer who's captured the attention of the country and the world with his tale nf crrnwincr nn nnnr in Ireland My first question pertained to the trend of non-fiction works consistently rising to the top of the bestseller list. What is drawing Americans to purchase memoirs, autobiographies, first-person accounts in such great number? McCourt recounted the lack of availability of popular entertainment in Ireland, which contributed to his lack of desire to watch packaged sitcoms and sit through fantastical movies in the United States. When he arrived in the United States, instead of turning the television on to watch "The Brady Bunch," he wrote his life story, what he knew the most, in notebook upon notebook. He believes Americans want to know more about themselves and less of the images of what they should be ? from fiction and popular culture accounts. In McCourf s world, anything that involves little thought is not worthy to ui^upjr iai gc auiuuiii/d ui uiic o nine ? especially the world of entertainment. I've taken in what McCourt said and thought about it in terms of what Americans consider "entertainment" by the standards of popular culture. While ifs good to see a "fluff" movie or Dn leads so I would not surpass my allotted time. I figured that giving her a false name would provide her with an easy opportunity to prove that she was, indeed, psychic. "What would you like to know, Dan?" sIig bsKgc! "Well, first of all," I began, "I would like to know if my name really is Dan." "Of course not," she asserted confidently. "How do you know?" I shot back. "Because Fm psychic," said the lady on the other end of the line. 1 was duly impressed. I guess I thought I could put one over on 'em by not giving my real name, but she was keen. "Tell me who is going to win the NCAA tournament," I said. "Clemson," she responded. At this point I realized that she was full of crap. My second experience of being duped by the television came by watching one of those fishing shows where a guy in a boat talks about his lure and technique while catching more fish in 30 minutes than I have in my lifetime. This particular program showcased a new lure that was guaranteed to make the fish bite. It operated somehow by triggering the fish's sense of sight. They kept on showing clips of fish The Came jl'iill* 3 stuaenl-Hanc elude the held for any ciri mittee proves that Mr. Mobley has little insight to politics. Ms. Dickerson cannot play an innocent role in a bad decision made by the finance committee. As vice president, it is her responsibility to make sure that the finance committee has the proper experience to do a job such as budget approval. With only one retiring member from last year's finance committee, Sen. Zerrel Hall, this year's committee, including the chairperson, had no knowledge on which to draw its conclusions. Furthermore, Ms. Dickerson made it E "] > TO Lllft A ~kf ^EERARoi col Tritinff s read what a friend of mine calls the "K-Mart novel" (books a dime a dozen in such stores), Americans are catching on to the pleasure of learning about someone's real life story through nonfiction accounts. Of course there is a time when one wants to suspend reality through entertainment, but there are other times when one can actually learn while being entertained. We're scooping up books like McCourt's, books that tell of adventures, tragedies or sometimes what could be considered "everyday American life" by the millions. Maybe this is because there is no "everyday American life," that an individual perspective that may seem commonplace in one's mind is transformed by the talented writer. I think Angela's Ashes is so popular in part, because it is the fiber of a man who could be any immigrant to America, anyone's parent or grandparent. McCourt's attractiveness is how he tells it and that he tells it. How many rich stories exist in the memories of our own grandparents, or even of modern-day immigrants? And how many stories will be lost because no one dared to listen to the stories, confront the blank page and turn the images into words? to fishin: ( MMy second experien* the television came by fishing shows w boat talks atw biting this lure. It never failed. Big, hungry stripers were ravenous when they saw this thing dangling in front of them. This particular lure was only $19.99, a paltry sum for such an effective tool. I ordered it from some place in Tenn. that I had never heard of. It finally came two months later. It was much smaller than it looked on TV, but size must not matter to bass. I went down to the pond to try my new lures out, with visions of Large Mouths swimming in my head as I fixed the lure to my line and cast it out almost to the center of the pond. I slowly reeled it in, expecting to get a hit anytime. Imagine my surprise when I pulled the thing out of the water with no huge bass attached. There just weren't any bass around where I cast, cock will try to prinl all letters received. Letters should be 250300 word; I written letters must be personally delivered by the author to The Garnet r's telephone number. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letter It instance. blatantly obvious that Sen. Hall's experience was of no use when she appointed someone with no experience. Ignorance combined with inexperience equals the irresponsibility of a decision made by Ms. Dickerson. Despite the committee's inexperience, the Committee, nor Ms. Dickerson didn't know how many people AAAS programs affect outside of its membership. Ms. Dickerson and most of the Finance Committee aren't mem bers of AAAS, but that is no reason to not be in touch with an organization which is essentially the voice of still feel in the eyes of a % lot of students that I am Student Body President." ZereU HaU, SG Senator Friday, February 27,1998 CoCUR* W ^ 95? WI..J m % #*I|feE3? lege press EXCHANGE idvice * It is often daunting to be faced with the empty notebook, the blank screen, notions of what is important to write. How should one go about putting their memories nr the stories of nth ui ucui^ uupcu uy ^ watching one of those here a guy in a 3ut his lure" I rationalized, so I moved to another part of the pond. A different place, but the same result. After about three or four more casts with no fish to show for them, I decided % to go. I was heartily disappointed as I began to pack up my things, but wait? just one more cast, I thought, and this will be the lucky one. So I drew back, pressed the button, and with a flick of my wrist watched the lure sail across the lake. It wasn't until I saw my line drifting softly towards the surface, that I realized my wonderful lure had popped off the line and flew untethered into the lake. I was so mad that I almost threw my % Zebco in the lake after it, but I had just lost q>zu ana l didn't want to lose any more. The lesson was learned. Next time I go fishing, 111 stick with bread. s and must include full name, professional title or year and major il :ocli newsroom in Russell House room 333. Email letters must in x style, possible libel or space limitations Names will not be with the African American community here on campus. Finally, it was not the intent of the African American community to com- w plain about the story on Ms. Dickerson's illness. Our main concern was that the timing of the story was bad, and that the story played a psychological role in the election by giving a personal story about a candidate's fight for life as well as their fight for presidency. Terrence Wilson % Senior, Mechanical Engineering ers, on the page? This was my next question to McCourt. The answer: there is no one way to write (with the near completion of an ^ English d I should His advice to any burgeoning writer didn't come in the method of writing their stories, planning composing rituals or how to achieve the success he has. His advice comes more by example: a man who wrote, who preserved his memories despite his daily obligations (he was a high school teacher up to the success of the book). McCourt's example and his enor- ^ mously popular book is his guidance to all writers. His invitation is that of an automatic "initiation" into writing ? the preservation of the written word. His lesson: have something to say? Write it down now. McCourt gives Americans the courage to write it down. Regardless if one's story becomes a bestseller or a carefully preserved ^ memory, it will exist. Have an inter esting life? Make it an interesting story. g lesson