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Sit back, relax, and sip some non-alcoholic daiquiris until we return March 6. Page 2 Hit (Ban Serving the Carolina Comr EDITORIAL Adam Snyder, E Amy Shannon, Vi Kurt Johnson, Assistaa Puerto Ri( become 5 The 100 an- ^ niversary of the HHuUii Spanish-American Congress Wil war is upon us and .ft, with it comes an. whether to at other new territory Island OS a for the U.S. At that war's end, the Unit- I ed States was given lC j the island of Puerto * Rico for winning. Spanish hentc Now, the Capital to remain apt HiU is up and ready to bring the island nation into the [__ Union (well, almost). The bill is going has left the House c and is going to the Senate. The House i proposed to simply leave it up to Puer- c to Rico. The nation has the options of t becoming the next star on the flag, becoming an independent country, or retaining its U.S. commonwealth. Right now, Puerto Rico has a pro-statehood government, as well as governor. But past votes have been close, in favor of remaining a commonwealth. However, if approved and after all the red tape, Puerto Rico would not become a state until 2008 and one of the big issues now is what to do with the strong Spanish heritage that bequeaths the island? Some congressmen have suggest forcing the Island's schools to teach English to the younger children. Reinstate]] Sprewell 1 Arbitrator John y i.i|. Feerick decided Wednesday to rein- JrbitratorJob) state the contract of NBA player Latrell Sprewell. Addition- contract Of NE oll\7 Qrwau/oll \irill Kq J /I fvrf 1J CYy*v nuiuw JA**r UjJl K. paid $ 17.3 million in lost salary, and his ;7rr=t ****** seven months. should be T61K Sprewell, a play- ruling is OUtl er for the Golden State Warriors, re ceived the suspension after violently attacking and grab- i bing the throat of Golden State Warrior 1 head coach P. J. Carlesimo at a practice session December 1. i Feerick's decision is absolutely out- 1 rageous. Sprewell choked his coach, f and now he is skipping out on his sus- t pension. The intense physicality of t the attack shocked the NBA com- { munity and sparked controversy as to what should have been done. s Now Sprewell will practically get s off free. What does Feerick's ruling i say about barbarianism and how our s society regards professional athletes? c With this decision, Feerick sends ? the message that unsportsman-like e conduct is acceptable. So now violence is considered an okay way to deal with I problems between an angry person { and his or her boss? That is simply c heinous. s Sprewell allowed himself to lose f control. As a professional athlete, he \ cannot let that happen. When he be- r m Hit ?an vl Serving the Carolina Commi The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The University of Friday doing the fall aid spring semesters and five times during the: periods Opinions expressed in The Ganecock ae those of the editors The Board of Student Pdolications and Communications is the publi is the newspaper 's paent organization. The Gamecock Adam Snyder Editor In Chief Rosalind Harvey Amy Shannon Viewpoints Editor Sma Ladonheim Kurt Johnton Ass Cera Pedstt News Editors Carrie McCultoug Jennifer Stanley Features Editor Kristin Freest ate Achlm Hunt Nathan Brown Bryan Johnston Sports Editors Sean Rayford Sua an Meyers Photo Editor Tgfl Q ,Hafa Brian Rlah Online Editor Chris Dixon Copy Desk Chief Connie Karlckhoi Student Media Julie Baker Sherry F. Holmes Susan Barrett "^L?" ? c- Carolyn Griffin Judeon Drennan Creative Services Jim Green Ellen Parsons Director of Student Media Mlcheie Dames Lee Phlpps Advertising Manager E?k CoH,n, 4 1 track nunity since 1906 BOARD 'ditor in Chief ewpoints Editor nt Viewpoints Editor :o might 1st state But a majority has favored leaving the culldecide ture in tact, while 1m it tho str?n8ly encouraging imuwe the Island to learn State. English for better opportunities. And they're right. , . , It would definitely not ' be respectful, especially Ige Tieeds these days, to go and irt of the destroy another places Iture culture. This is what those people know; this is how they live. Doing this would be like the lestruction of the American Indiin's way of life every since ancestors ?f Europe landed on the mainland and hat is something that does not need o be re-lived. Letting Puerto Rico in he United States offers that much nore opportunity for diversity, knowlsdge, and camaraderie. tnity since 1908 M (2aXj I South Carolina and is ptblished Monday, Wediesday and simmer with the exception of university holidays and exam or author and not those of The University of South Carolina, sher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media All numbers area code 803 The Gamecock Public Relations Coordinator Editor 777-3914 tt.View points Editor . . , ? , ? Viewpoints 777-7726 h Asst. News Editor Asst. Features Editor News 777-7726 Asst. Sports Editor Asst. Photo Editor Etc. 777-3913 Asst. Online Editor Sports 777-7182 1 Copy Editors Online 777-2833 C'aZfledJ?r Student Media Manager Business Manager Advertising 777-1184 Creative Director Classifieds 777-1184 Creative Services _ ,,,, Graduate Asst. Fax 777-6482 Faculty Advisor office 777-3888 I If it does become the next state, he English ways will inevitably make gradual changes in the community. 3ut the preservation of their culture s important. Getting an opportunity to become he next state is quite an honorable ine, but nothing should be forced. It ihould be up to the people and govsrnment officials whether or not they vant the "perks" of being a state in he United States. nent of lorrible 7T|HHii~l came an NBA player, he became a role mod^ Feerick e^- Ne is a representative of his team, the ? we NBA, and other prolyl player fessional athletes. ?well. As a human being, he should be ashamed of what he did. To re. . act to a situation with ClSlOtl violence is not the way )ked. His of a logical, reasoning ageoUS. person. We are human because of our ability to be rational and think things through. Sprewell was not being human when le physically abused Carlesimo. Are members of our society tuning into barbarians? More specificaly, are we saying that ifs acceptable 'or professional athletes to act like bugs? Feerick's decision validates ;he double standard that our society rivoa fn -niWpssinnnl ntVilptos There is no question that professional athletes are talented and deserve admiration, but they still nust be held to basic human ideals such as resolving conflicts without vi>lence, being an upstanding citizen ind acting as a professional role modil. Feerick could have set a precedent jy upholding Sprewell's original susjension. He could have made it ilear that our society will not tolerate such crass, base behavior from professional athletes. But he did not. So ve continue our return to our barbaric oots.irrnrb VIEW" The Gamec High scl Hey, do you remember high th school? For some of you it be wasn't that long ago. Do you 1 .11 aL . 1 _ 1. A O fTTl _ , rememDer amne DacK-staDDingr ine to betrayal? The gossip? The drama? It it. was an everyday event at high school, na Even a not- a 1 | ?-i so-popular lei guy like me foi could not le{ | avoid it. sh Sure I was hs ^ -mf?'- never an to ' " ^ lip gossip, but P I heard my ac share. You be ' may be tei kerin LANGSTON w?nd? g of ? ? why I am er a>'""""v' bringingup w< this subject, soi Well I am glad you asked, because re- m< cently I have felt like I am still in high th school. in A friend of mine told me that she "tc had decided to spring rush a sorority. I d I asked her which one she was eyeing, ha When she told me, she braced as if to tal nrntert herself frrmri seme smart re mark. I told her to expect better from Sel me, and to go with her own feelings. 0f After all, if we don't live for ourselves, tei we are not living at all. She told me ai] W Spring Bi Spring Break is finally here. A week without tests, a week a ] without homework. What am I th talking about? It's a week without any school stuff, lol Well, al- fr< ? most any| while I'm co vacationing of in Florida M will be... I su ^ ^ guess I th dan FROEHUCH ^ugh^of Z | lAHummsi | school for the week, gn The thoughts that will be circum- Ft venting my brain will include: "Gee, ne I wonder if the motel we are staying ni in will let me eat those cockroaches? I th have no money for food. It's all going N< toward beer." Or how about, "Wow! Did you guys fei get a good look at that one?" You all av know where that idea is headed. bo Finance committee th su to blame; Gamecock m th biased, opinionated To the editor: Pc This letter is in response to the com- pe ments made by Adam Snyder in Mon- se day's (Feb. 23) issue of The Gamecock, el Snyder was defending his stance tii that The Gamecock is a non-racist pub- A1 lication. be Yet, in defending oneself, it is not cu appropriate to make claims that are unfounded and unfair. The statements th 4 OINTS ock ,if\ tttf . '"UN tiool live at because of her decision, she would getting some grief. Evidently, the sorority she wants rush is notorious for the people in She told me some jack-ass nickime some people had given it. After long discussion on the subject, I irned that this is an important step r her. She has friends at other col*es that would be her sisters, and e genuinely likes all the girls she is met from the sorority. I told her groi go for it, and that she had my sup- ings rt. rani Now I know that this doesn't ex- I sui tly scream high school, but let's read ify t tween the lines here. She is pre- this itious to rush this sorority because shal its reputation. Evidently some othGreek affiliates have been passing hen )rd around about this particular thai rntntv OtViavc rvi/?lr lin nr? it anrl im. fiAVI l vi 11-j . vviiui v pivrv u^; vii ibj uiiu iui * jdiately establish an opinion about that e organization and the people with- and it. Guys iell me which sororities are isn'l ip notch," and which ones are "dogs." zatii on't bother asking if they know first aboi nd, because I know they don't. They We1 <e the word of someone else, and nev- our bother learning something for them- we i Ives. Apparently, there is some kind I an scale that categorizes all the fra nities and sororities. This scale tells gam who to gun for and who to avoid, in a ho made this scale? Are the ties. reak no b We all know that warm weather is plus. No rain would definitely make ose days more enjoyable. Yes, Spring Break is going to be a t of fun. I'll be traveling with friends im home and friends from here. What more could I ask for? Why >uld I ever let USC get into my head? There are, however, a few things at will be on my mind. ? For starters, being the big sports n that I am, knowing that the Game- vejc cks made it past that second round S1*1C the NCAAs would be nice. Hey, ' elvin and Ryan, why don't you make "ovv re that when I return from Florida, ^oll ere is no chance of me seeing you on er 8 f oir mpus or down at Five Points for three iair ore weekends. a ve The only place I want to see you lys is on CBS's "Road to the Final ^e >ur." An SEC championship ban- meir from the tournament would be a ^elf ce bl anket to use on your way out to ^1 e first and second rounds of the ^hai ^AAs. Cominer home to an internshin of- ^es'; - would really be nice. Wouldn't it be ?re; zesome if when I went to my mailx March 16, there would be an enThe Gamecock will ^a student. Hand written elude the author's telepi held lor any circumstanc at I am referring to are the ones that tee. ggest that the African-American com- or c unity of USC was blaming others for bod eir problems. ^ These problems include the pro- j^i ised budget cut of AAAS funds by 43 sreent, and the lack of equal repre- , ntation of all candidates in the past J ection by The Gamecock. My queson to Mr. Snyder is, how can the ver rican-American community of USC s the ones to blame for the 43 percent ^ai it in the AAAS budget? ^a] There are no others to blame but sea e members of the finance commit- Am t EI! I use Sf)/ I r^v. M %h cc is in co "This is college. We ; (hopefully). When i labeling people do mean we kn< ips aware of their current ranki on this scale? If so, do the lower ted groups try to better themselves? rely hope not. I wouldn't even grat;he people who religiously follow i scale. It is a representation of Uowness and immaturity, rhis is college. We are all adults } (hopefully). When will we leam t-labeling people doesn't necesly mean we know them? We see ; they belong to a certain group, wepassjudgementonthem. This t restricted to iust Greek oreani ons. It is universal. We don't care it the facts. The facts are boring, would rather walk around blind to version of the truth, meanwhile niss out on our lives. Well not me. 1 not going to do it this way. rhe other night at the Georgia e, some friends and I were involved conversation dealing with sororiThis one guy said that he really reak fro "Yes, Spring Break is g< I'll be traveling with fr friends from here. The things that will b ipe from ESPN offering me a porn for the summer? Or if they cannot accommodate me, r about that resume that I sent to f Digest? I'm sure it needs anotholfer on its staff: That would eerily make my return to Columbia sry enjoyable one. How could I forget? I really hope housing department doesn't screw I have senior status, which should 3, but we all know that there is a nore luck to getting good housing a there is being a nice guy. And finally, what about those three s that I have the week after Spring ak? I think all of my professors got ;ther and decided, "Hey, we'll be I try to print all letters received. Letters should be 250300 word letters must be personally delivered by the author to The Gamei 'tone number. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all letter I :e. AAAS was not breaking any rules, ausing any problems to the student y for the committee to decide that AS does not deserve 43 percent of Dudget. If anything, AAAS, and proms like it, draws students to USC promoting multiculturalism and ty, which can't be found in most unisities of this size and diversity. On the matter that concerns The necock, Mr. Snyder feels that The necock is being looked upon as a pegoat for the ills of the Africanerican community of USC. i This guy in college won $50,000 and a car. thought, 'I can do that."' 7 senior Laura Freedman Friday, March 6, 1998 0/r allege press EXCHANGE liege are all adults here will we learn that esn't necessarily ow them?" liked some of the girls from a certain sorority. He said that because of the sorority from which they came, he knew tnat tney were nice gins, i responded by saying, "You know what's more fun than grouping people like that? Making them individuals." Behind all the labels we wear, the defenses we hold, and the gossip that is tied to us, there is someone that is worth knowing. We just have to unlearn what has been imbedded in the initial years of our life. We must see with our own eyes, and hear with our own ears. We must think with our own minds, and love with our own hearts. My senior English teacher once told me to believe half of what you read and none of what you hear. We must learn for ourselves. No one can tell us what is and what isn't. That is for us to decide. This ability is what makes us adults. We cannot trap ourselves in this mindless world of ier norance. We are better than that. m use )ing to be a lot of fun. iends from home and re are, however, a few >e on my mind." nice, no tests the week before Spring Break. But when they get back..." Don't they think if s going to be just as tough to take a test on the Wednesday after Spring Break? I do. There are still six other weeks to the semester. Why do I have two tests in the first eight weeks of class and not another one until finals? Explain it to me. So I lied. School will be preoccupying my thoughts while Fm drinking and partying, I mean resting casually on the beach. Maybe our paths will cross. Maybe they won't. Here's to an exciting Spring Break wherever you're going. s and must include lull name, professional title or year and major if cock newsroom in Russell House room 333. Email letters must in'or style, possible libel or space limitations. Names will not be withHowever, this was not the first time" that The Gamecock has been labeled as biased. In the same issue, a student was angered at the sugar-coated, onesided portrayal of Madeline Albright's visit to South Carolina. So maybe Mr. Snyder needs to take these complaints seriously, and make an attempt to have some of the viewpoints in his paper reflect a more diverse, multicultural stance, instead of claiming that everyone else is wrong. Tevra Johnson Freshman, Psychology i