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Look for columns by Kiki McCormick and Student Body President Kim Dickerson, as well as a great editorial. tie Serving the Carolina i EDITORS * !f Oi. 1 jennucrauuuc Sara Ladenheim Kurt Johnson, Rob Gioelli, Assistc Kathleen McCorm Diana's ( still sho< One year ago this week, Diana, HBHHm Princess of Wales, Media covt was killed in a tragic car crash. If ^ p you didnt already ' , have that date marked on your 1 J ? i.1 1 I caienuar, me multitude of television Americans specials, maga- royal Jam zines and books own to < out there has probably helped re- [___ mind you. One year has not tempered the amazing amount of publicity surrounding this woman, her life, death and love affairs. The American public still has an obsession with this woman who married into royalty and then decided it wasn't for her. The question surrounding all the hype is, "Why?" She was a great woman, was very active with charity and did a great job raising her children. But beyond her charismatic personality and what appeared to be a vezy caring attitude towards the unfortunate, what was it about Diana that makes her an icon of this decade? Americans can't get enough of Diana. Go to the checkout line at the local supermarket. Her face is everywhere. People magazine should make a contribution to her charities from all the money they've made putting her face on numerous magazine covers. And it isn't just Americans. People all over the world are part of this phenomenon. The Italian state television station is devoting almost all of their programming tomorrow to the late Princess of Wales. The funny thing about this is the British are nowhere near as crazy about this as the rest of the world seems to be. Diana was and is still very respected, but people in Great Britain seem to be i-.!-- !i-l_ 1.1- - 1 * 3 gelling un wiiu uieir uvea mm reverting back to their rather reserved national character. m the 6; - Serving the Carolina Co The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The Univer. Fhday during the fall and spring semesters and five times durii periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the The Board of Student Publications and Communications is th is the newspaper's parent organization. Th? Gamecock Jennifer Stanley Editor in Chief Rob Undee. Sara Ladenhelm Managing Editor Jessica Bat Kurt Johnson Viewpoints Editor Jackie Posi Josh Lonon News Editors Todd Mono Erin Reed Rosalind Hi Kristin Freestate Features Editor Bryan Johnston Editorial Assistant Rob Gloelll Nathan Brown Sports Editor Brad Walte Nlkkl Thorpe Photo Editors Kenley You Sean Rayford Ruth Nettlt Brian Rlsh Online Editor Denlsha Gr, QturiAnt MAHIA Ellen Parsona Director of Erik Collins Student Media Jeff Stensli Lee Phlppa Advertising Manager Sherry F. Holmes Classified Ad Manager Carolyn Grlflln Business Manager Jim Green Creative Director Do you like to draw? Do you have strong opi Ions about campus am national issues? Then we need you. Bring us an editorial cartoc or call 777-7726. Put your t ent to good use. The Gamecock. Take our wo I 1' g amecock Community since 1908 UL BOARD y, Editor in Chief , Managing Editor Viewpoints Editor int Viewpoints Editor tick. Editorial Writer death cks U.S. Newspapers re JmHHH ported Sunday that rrage of the tourists outnumversaryof ' bered locals in Hneessof mourning the Princess at her foraeatft. mer resjclence in JTJTnaB London. For a country long JOT a that was founded on ily of our the idea of not havexploit. ing royalty, it's interesting that we ___] have this great interest in what happens to our friends across the ocean. Maybe it's our way of justifying our own decision more than 200 years ago. We like to see their problems and then pat ourselves on the back for the Declaration of Independence. This could also be more jealousy than anything, and the royal family is perfect for the American tabloid appetite. They are beautiful people who live exciting lives. They are rich and famous, but not like the rich and famous here. Most Americans who fit into this category have done something or have earned their prosperity and notoriety. But the royals were simply born that way. The royal family is safe though. They don't really do anything. We talk about our president's private life just as much, but at the end of the day, he is our president. The fact he had an affair in the White House is disturbing to many people, because this is the man who runs our country. But if the whole royal family died tomorrow, it wouldn't mean a thing. They are all figureheads. The queen's real political power amounts to nothing. Although she was a great person, Diana's death has no real effect on our lives. There really seems to be no reason for the plethora of coverage we are seeing one year after the woman's death. Let her rest in peace and her family get on with their lives. imccoct! ?i mmumty since 1908 jMgMMBllMMSiMHil sity of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and ig the summer with the excepbon of university holidays and exam editors or author and not those of The University of South Carolina, e publisher of The Gamecock The Department of Student Media All area codes are 803 Y Copy Editors EMof 777-3914 Held ton Viewpoints 777-7726 y srvey Public Relations News 777-7726 Director Asst.Viewpoints Editor Etc. 777-3913 rs Asst. News Editors ng Sports 777-7182 is Encore Editor ? , Online 777-2833 sham Asst. Features Editor i Faculty Advisor Student Media jnd Graduate Assistant Advertising 777-3888 Classified 777-1184 Fax 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Ml Bird ' tiEWP TTRKnP ^i il HI u Media cov< You know, I'm getting sick and rather weaiy of all this nonsense tak about the media and its cover- loot ^ age and win : ^ y. Ploits ^2* tell * ^ makes a , .^?ve? urc dT IL - the littlest wUmm cJB things KURT JOHNSON piopl"e sue columnist were com. and plaining over the amount of airtime and printing ink wasted over the whole Clinton don versus Lewinsky match. ovei People busted the chops of media f?n outlets with outrages over getting sto- We ries wrong or not having accurate information. F Lately, people have just grown yucky wai over the press and their coverage of cer tain events. pie They think it's just like lecture is ti class?yada, yada, yada, words, words, words.Well, all I've got to say is shut a ti up. est< 1999 predict BOB EVATT I fon guest columnist stn I ey(Columnist's note: I was talking to Shanala, a helpful woman on the Psy- 1)111 chic Friends Network, when she sud- &or denly dictated to me a news article I 1S0 would write one year in the future. She ^p also informed me of some truly embarrassing habits of Kenneth Starr, but, ^01 in the interests of journalistic integri- the ty, I will limit myself to reprinting the ?*a article.) October 13, 1999- First it was the smooth crooning of the lounge singers. f?r Then it was the upbeat tempo of swing. He: Now, America's youth are listening to ed a different sound, a sound that has, in their minds, gone from being univer- res sally detested to widely embraced. For fes whatever unknown reason, polka mu- AT sic has become the hot new sensation, to i "Wooooo! Polka rocks!" stated Chad ter Hapablap, when approached in a nightclub to explain in detail why polka has era become popular. "I mean, it's just cool, the you know? Chicks love it, you can't de- wh nyit! ItH be around forever! Wooooo!" ** _i.i i:i_~ . i u .TTu iviany uuiers iiR.e 111111 wuu snaie wu these sentiments have helped trans- sai Column not jour- Di nalistic, humorous To the editor: This is in regard to your column ^ "Mormons take fiin out of polygamy," in the August 24th issue. Was your column supposed to be satirical, an editorial, a spoof or parody with some purpose? Is it truly your jq personal viewpoint, or it merely a poor- pQ ly done, hastily completed piece to fill some column inches? Perhaps it should jgs have been titled "Johnson takes jour- ^ nalism out of newspaper." Tasteless! Unfunny. Try again. Do better. ^ PINTS <vr?\fte N?yr LsaN e -- <wSn erage oft* We're human too. We make mis- es. We just happen to write or to L better than the rest of you, so that's i we have these very important jobs. And what an important job it is. s job is almost the most important of all jobs that require pens, tape _ )rders and words. This job is so important because we you what to think. d That's right. e You guys would be mindless sea hins if it were not for us. c We present the topics, offer the iss, give you the "how's your father," * I then tell you what to think about d t< You see, we do so much for you. You J i't have to take the time to worry a r issues or cramp precious brain cells o ning opinions and ideas of things. 1< do it for you. a We deserve multitudinous portions iraise and large, ostentatious re- ii ds. t: As far as the mistakes go, you peo- b just don't understand how hard it 3 be a iournalist. 1 I mean, we talk to a lot of people at a me, acting like we're really inter- t id in what they're saying. 1: ion: Polka n the polka genera of music from a iggling niche market to a huge monrnaking machine. Sales of Frankie Yankovic's new aln, "Terrific Toe Tappin' Tunes," have le quadruple platinum. By comparn, his previous album, "Polka Till' .m.," only sold 42 copies. Top 40 and modern rock radio stais have multiple polka acts, such as Oompahmeisters and The Jolly Bel- ~ ns, on heavy rotation. 1 The number one video on MTV for [ i weeks running has been a live permance of Lawrence Welk's "I Gave ^ r a Light Smooch," originally recordin 1971. 1 "It's truly bizarre, suddenly getting ! pect from frat boys and such," con- s sed occasional polka-smith "Weird 1 1 Yankovic. "I don't know whether evel in it or run away, screaming in 1 ror!" 1 Nightclubs have capitalized on this ize by staging "polka nights," and ' ise events draw crowds of thousands, 1 o happily polka till early morning, i "I'd say that most of these people < 0 come to the polka nights are the 1 ne ones that used to flock to swing ! The (iamecock 1 J I I I J . l land written i 0 phone number "Hie Sej Warman I rector of Publications for College of i Applied Sciences , ne student ! ffended, disgusted To the editor: 1 In the August 24th edition of your I per, there was an article by Kurt i hnson relating to Mormons and lygamy. 1 Being a member of the Church of jus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I am ] sply injured by the fact that an or- , aization would allow one student to ittle another student's beliefs so open\ "Com]: ver I ) liaS JAG 'F WiGGLG. STArr.... y-/ tfolWltfG > SM3* ) 2ii miscon "As far as the mistakes g just don't understand he a journalist." Then, we have to write all that stuff i own. There's bound to be a mistake you very now and again. feet And all the other nonsense about i overage and stuff is your fault. do t We're just giving you what you ] 'ant?large, obnoxious photos of Sad- ^os am Hussein, exploding headlines about pro^ srmites and their effects in the Dow j ones average, and cool little graphs nd diagrams about bombs, with lots gr a f pretty colors and arrows for you to )ok at instead of actually reading the rticle. So how do some people get a job as mportant as controlling the minds of tlon he university, the nation, and possi- wan ly, the world? f?re It's kind of like kings, you know. ki's Tie whole thought process behind kings er v nd other reigning supremes was 1 hat they were some how directly re- we < ated to God or the gods, or whatever, thin spnsfltinn hi ^ V^X AWWVXVyjL JL JL.JL.JL. "The number one video weeks running has beei mance of Lawrence Wei Light Smooch," original 1971." lights," theorized Earl Quark, owner firi >f New York City's Jumpers nightclub, will 'It don't really matter to me, as long as che [ keep selling a ton of beer!" This new trend has moved beypnd ^ lie music industry. Many trendy young idults can be spotted wearing puffy to shirts and feathered caps, which can mei low be bought at The Gap. sor Not one to be upstaged, Tommy Hil- the 5ger has recently released a line of leder- wit losen. ^ In Hollywood, more and more movie s^c soundtracks have sported a polka soundtrack. Leonardo DiCaprio reportedly insisted that the soundtrack for his lat- 1 Bst movie, "Squiggly Things", include tracks from Lawrence Welk and The na* Squeezebox Posse, and recent news con- hig will try to print all letters received. Letters should I* 250-300 words and must in must Ix: personally delivered by the author to The Gamecock newsroom in Russ< Gamecock reserves the ri#ht to edit all letter for style possible libel or space limi [y. I feel that I have a few things to clear in TTiret rvf oil .TneonVi Qmi+Vi rtiH nflt tiff decide to "start" a religion. We believe cat as a church that he was ordained of God the to bring about another word of scripture. Sm On the subject of polygamy, the lead- dec ers of our church once made the suggestion to practice plural marriage to Bri stabilize the population. During the late a ti 1800's, there was shortage of men in die West. a d Many of the men in the area were be i lost in war or fights with Native Amer- cul icans. mLater on, the leaders of my :hurch completely retracted the original suggestion to practice polygamy. 4 )uter services were not y helpful and rude." Ryan Stilling, Preston resident n o 52 C? $ v> m X o X ' z o m || strued ;o, you people >w hard it is to be So, what I'm saying is that, well, know, we're gods, however imperwe may be. Ne are the chosen few who get to his job. [t's not like we apply or go through e regular, non-deitic processes and [rams like the rest of you. Mo, we have a secret handshake and stare, so we know whom each othre when we go for a job or some8 But really, I can understand some le frustration of over-mediaza. Things happen and everybody its to out-scoop each other, and beyou know, we know Ted Kazinsunderwear size and how his moth- 1 ras a devout nose hair plucker. Sometimes we can go too far. But if iidn't you wouldn't know what to k about us. ts MTV on MTV for five i a live performs "I Gave Her a ly recorded in ns that the teens in "Scream 4" i be hacked to bits to the time of this erful music -? -a J_*?i ; /~i _ _ i_ l Hiven son, utuik giant uoca-v^uia nas en notice of this trend. In addition 'eaturing polka music in its comrcials, its Surge brand of cola is sponing a contest to see who can inflict most creative injury on themselves h an accordion. lough this interest in polka must iws no signs of ending anytime soon, sic critics remain baffled as to how 3 sudden interest began. Some of them believe that it origi;ed with a drunken wager placed by h-ranking executives at MTV. elude lull name, professional title or year and major if a student 11 House room iM E-mail letters must include the author s telenations. Names wall not I* withheld for any circumstance The members who continue to praci polygamy have been excommuni ed and are no longer recognized by members of our church. Contrary to popular beliefs, Joseph ith did not make the monumental ision to practice polygamy. It was another leader at the time, gham Young, who decided to give it tyI would hope that, coming from such iverse school as ours, there would [io prejudiced writings in public ciration. Jennifer Hagler Music Education Major V