The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 16, 1998, Page Page 3, Image 3
Friday will encompass the
great and sage words of
Rob Gioielli and Emily
Streyer, as well as another
editorial.
ftte(5a
Sewing the Carolina Com
EDITORIAL
Jennifer Stanley,
Sara Ladenheim, A
Rob Gioielli, Vie,
Kurt Johnson, Assistcu
Kathleen McCormicl
Tier1
UJL tuilll
needs SG
Columbian r???????
streets, if you've
yet to notice, Food plan goo
house many Columbian co\
homeless people ^ a w^(
who struggle to
eat, to drink, to TTfPWTJF
live. Many people HWiyyiil
simply look the SG needs not,
other way, not acknowledging
their human
presence.
But, again, there are those who
see these people and their hearts
go out to the poor. They want to
help these people, at the very least,
to get a little something in their
stomachs.
AnrJ Viplnintr fViP hnmplpss is
?
a worthy cause.
So, to help give something back
to the Columbian community, Student
Government has initiated a
food plan called "Second Serving."
The plan gives leftover food from
Gibbes Cafeteria in Capstone and
Bates Cafeteria in Bates House to
a local homeless shelter.
The plan is a meritorious
one. Helping the community is definitely
something collegiate organizations
should be doing, and SG
has shown its support for the
Columbian community via this
plan.
It will bring respect to the SG
organization for doing this, to the
shelter for devoting themselves to
helping the homeless, and to the
poor, in regard to them as humans.
It is hoped that this plan will
have success in influencing the
Hootie <
No wonder so
many South Car- HHHUStfi
olinians are sick Band's fro?
of Hootie and the newspaper c
Blowfish. With the
release of the
band's third CD, BWSEffl
Musical Chairs,
the local media is Hootie new:
on their way to a important <
Hootie overkill. issues
When George
Wallace died and
impeachment proceedings were
the talk of Washington, Hootie and
the Blowfish shared news broadcasts
and the front page of local
newspapers throughout the state.
Hootie might be South Carolina's
claim to fame, but why should we
ignore real news and other contributions
of South Carolina citizens?
We appreciate Hootie's support
for the university.
We also understand Hootie's
contributions to the less fortunate
with their Monday After the Master's
golf tournament, but do they
4-~ UA Annoir]nrn/1 AAITm
unserve iu uc tuuoiucicu new a in
light of other leaders and organitDit(5ar
~ Serf tug the Carolina Chinn
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The University (
Friday during the fall and spring semesters and five times during tin
periods. Opinions ejqrrcssed in Tire Gamecock are those of tlx.' edit<
The Board of Student Puhlicadons and Communications is the pub
the newspaper's parent organization.
The Gamecock
Jennifer Stanley Editor m Chief Rob Undsey
Sara Ladenhclm Managing Editor Jessica Barflel
Rob Glolelll Viewpoints Editor Jackie Poston
Josh Lonon News Editors Todd Money
Erin Reed Rosalind Harv
Kristin Freestate Features Editor
Bryan Johnston Editorial Assistant Kurt'Johnson
Nathan Brown S/torts Editor Brad Walters
Nlkkl Thorpe Undo Editors Kenley Young
Sean Rayford Ruth Nettles
Brian Rish Online Editor Denisha Grah
Student Media
Ellen Parsons Director of Carolyn Griff]
Student Media Jim Green
Lee Phlpps Advertising Manager Erik Collins
Sherry F. Holmes Classified Ad Jeff Stensland
Manager
1
mecock
mumty since 1908
BOARD
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
wpoints Editor
'it Viewpoints Editor
k, Editorial Writer
nunity
support
^area in positive and
profound ways.
a ? j i a.11.. on
ujur ifJc nuu uupeiuii_y, ovj
mmunity wil1 not forget about
^ USC. Yes, this is a
great plan for the City
of Columbia and the
Mi people that it will efto
divert fect>but lt reallY does
m USC n0* any^binS f?r
Not that it should,
but this plan was a
rather big project for SG and was
high on their agenda. It does not
affect the USC community in any
way.
There are a lot of things that
need to be done here: a revamped
Shuttlecock system or an entirely
new transportation system.
Parking space availability is another
big concern. A growing campus
that may be losing students
worries some, as well. These are
merely a few.
The point is, SG does not need
to be distracted from the USC community.
They've come under fire a bit
in the past year, and hopefully,
they're taking the steps to set
things straight.
This plan, surely, is one of those
steps, and it is only the beginning
of the year.
Uniirmrnr molri'nn' onro fV,
nurycvci, niaiviiig ouic
attention is in the right place and
reminding them that USC should
be (and probably is) number one
on their list, really couldn't hurt
anything.
)verkill
??-i zations making more
relevant impacts? Or
it page are the city and the
overage media merely letting
Hootie know that
they care so that the
band's generosity will
flow their way?
? not as In a society where
as real drugs dominate in
ner city streets, sex
ual assault strikes
one in every four
women and guns are killing students
in public schools, semi-successful
bands should not be getting
top billing when we flick on
our TVs or pick up our newspapers
from the front lawn.
Top-notch newspapers need to
know what's newsworthy enough
for front page coverage.
We admit that a band that had
the highest sales for a debut album
deserves recognition in their
home city.
But this recognition is better
reserved for the entertainment section
of a newspaper or the end of
a TV broadcast along with the
lighter features.
HiiuiK
utility since I'MRi
if South Carolina and is published Monday. Wednesday and
i' summer with the exception ot university Ixrlklays and exam
xs (* author ;uid n(t tlrose of Ihe I diversity of South Carolina,
lisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is
All area codes are 803
Otpy Editors
d Editor 777-3913
Viewpoints 777-7726
ey hiblic Relations . ,,,,
News 777-7726
Director
AsstVieupoints Editor p[c 777-3913
/Us* News Editors
; Sports 777-7182
Encore Editor
am Asst. Features Kditix Online 777-2833
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n Business Manager
Creative Director Classified 777-1183
Faculty Advisor ^ 777-MH2
Graduate Assistant
- Office 777-3888
Vvm
Foreign la
It's a big world out there. There are
so many different cultures, societies,
religions, women and languages. And
with these
I - {I languages
are a lot of
I importance
/. ?f the study
/"* m abroad pro^
gram. I myKURT
JOHNSON selfamstiivcolumnist
lag f?
mJ participate
in the program
for next year because I would like
to go to France for, uhh, the culture,
yeah, that's it, the culture. Nevermind
the topless beaches or the lowered drinking
age.
Anyway, I got my first "how's your
father" about this program when I met
a couple of people on my hall who were
from England. One is from Manchester,
and the other resides in London.
Well, we've been hanging out all semester;
you know just playing cards
and board games, nothing bad or illegal
at all.
And they have the cool English accents
that just drive girls mad. But the
cool thing about hanging out with these
guys has been picking up on the EngrpvivpQ
i v r i t vu
| guest columnist |
Eleven summers ago, my mother
returned from one of her weekly
trips to the grocery store with a
special surprise for her two boys.
In addition to the popsicles and
ice cream sandwiches, she had also purchased
two packs of 1987 Donruss baseball
cards.
I was 13, my little brother only 10
years old. While it seems like eons ago,
I still remember feeling that rare, uninhibited
sense of youthful exuberance
as I slipped my fingers under the plastic-coated
wrapper and saw the cards
for the first time.
Of the 16 baseball cards inside, (most
of which I couldn't locate now to save
my life) one was No. 46, the rookie card
of a young right-handed slugger from
Pomona, Calif., named Mark David
McGwire.
I don't know if it was the bright bluecolored
"Rated Rookie" logo, or if it was
the fierce, competitive stare hiding just
under the Oakland Athletics hat
worn by the 24-year-old third baseman,
but for some reason, I held onto the
card.
VloTirrtAlnic nortP
T lvn puuiw pagv
needs a makeover
To the editor:
A number of issues are crying out
for intelligent or at least thoughtful
commentary. Bill Clinton may be facing
impeachment. History is in the making
here, regardless of what one thinks
of the president. The stock market has
been yo-yoing. Russia is in a tailspin.
Events in Asia and elsewhere are casting
shadows over our economic situation.
An election is coming up. And once
I
1 '
'PINT,'
tiguage con
lish slang and the different words they
use. It's quite interesting.
That's when I realized that you
should participate in the study abroad
program~if for no other reason than to
expand your vocabulary, which is something
important to do whenever you
need to use words.
I share with you guys a few examples
of their vocabulary that have
sneaked into my own, as well as a couple
that I think only English people use
(Kurt's phonetics in parentheses):
Bloke (blok): This is a great word,
just because it sounds cool. It simply
means some person, some fellow, usually
someone you don't know. It can be
used as such: There was this bloke next
to me snoring in class. So I kicked his
arse." Do not confuse with a "Big Bloke,"
which is a 22-ounce can of Fosters (uhh, 1
well, that's what I've heard).
Daft ("raft" with a "d" instead of "r"):
Daft is an especially interesting word,
because it's pronounced like "raft" with
a "d." Well, I think it's interesting. Anyway,
this word is a great way to belittle
somebody or something. It means
stupid or foolish. Example: "I can'ta believe
she gave the cop her fake ID instead
of her real one. How daft is that?"
or "You can'ta buy beer on Sundays?
That's daft there." Do not confuse this
word with "raft" because that begins
with an "r."
Bullocks (ball-ocks): Oh man, this
is another great word. It's one of
simplicity in
At 9:18 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8,
1998,1 found myself holding the card
again, watching as Mark McGwire
smashed a line drive off of Chicago Cubs'
pitcher Steve Trachsel for his 62nd home
run of the season, breaking Roger Maris1
37-year-old record of 61 home runs.
For a few moments I just watched,
remembering when I had once dreamt
of playing in the big leagues and hitting
mammoth home runs the way McGwire
and Sammy Sosa have.
When the announcers finally broke
the reverent silence, I cut off the television
and held that frayed card in
my hands, allowing my mind to traverse
the years that have passed between
then and now.
"We five in a cynical, cynical world,"
a line from the film "Jerry Maguire"
says, "and we work in a business of fierce
competitors."
Professional sports has indeed become
an American obsession, and the
position of power and prestige it now
occupies in our society is unparalleled
in its long history.
But it has also become a business,
a profit-driven conglomeration, and, at
times, an irreverent and unfeeling exploitation
of pure and legitimate achievement,
1 IJ I I V J . i loud
phone numlx-r Tin
again, South Carolina has turned up
last in the nation educationally.
With all this going on, what have
we gotten so far this year from the
signed editorials at The Gamecock?
First, we got Kurt Johnson's silly column
about polygamy (Aug. 24). In his
second column he whined about how
"media" people are treated (Aug. 31).
He began his column with "You
know" and used that stupid Seinfeldism
"yadayadayada." On Sept. 4, we
saw a column by Rob Gioielli about
drinking beer and watching sports on
TV. Whew! I'm impressed! But wait,
there's more. Not only are these people
unable to writ?, they cannot proofread,
? .
"We
dea.
> p1,
) Ch
lITPfflPC {fit
LTVl^W 111D
"But the cool thing al
with these guys has 1
the English slang anc
they use. It's quite in
those words that stands by itself. Literally,
it means "balls," but it's commonly
used as a counter argument over
something; something of an equivalent
to "yeah right." An example would be:
First English guy. "Manchester United
is going to roll all over Barcelona."
Second English guy: "Bullocks! Are
you daft?! They don'ta have a chance!"
Football (fuuuraatqvcxcyk-booolll):
This word just goes to show how logical
we Americans are. Football is soccer.
American football is football in
American (not soccer). Anyway, let's
see who recognizes this line (it's from
a movie):
Two girls to two guys: "What ar?
you two talkin' 'bout?"
Two guys: "Football. What are you
two talkin' 'bout?"
Two girls: "Shoppin'."
Shag (shag): I think we all know
what this means from "Austin Powers."
If you haven't seen the movie, I suggest
you kill yourself right now.
Arse (arshh): This is another interesting
word, again, because it sounds
. harsh wor
"For a few moments
remembering when ]
of playing in the big
mammoth homerun*
Sadly, nowhere has this regression
been more apparent than in the corporate
rush to "sponsor" this season's home
run race; as national networks, newspapers,
marketing strategists, advertising
experts and memorabilia-hawkers
have endeavored ignominiously to
cash in on the public's infatuation.
Why not let McGwire and Sosa's
achievements stand for something bigger
than Budweiser, Mastercard, QVC,
or Fox Television's fall lineup of programming?
Shouldn't we refrain from trivializing,
using or otherwise misconstruing
these feats as anything more than they
tttlUcliiy (lie. twu IlUillail utsuigb aLiiieving
something no other human being
has ever achieved?
While we rightfully look back at the
record books in awe at what McGwire
k will try to prim all tellers received letlers should lx- 2S0- VKI words or
, must lie per* molly delivered by Ihe oulhor to The liamecoek ncsvsrtxi
(iomeetxrk reserves ihe n^hi ui edil all k-tler It* stykv possible libel t*
either. On Sept. 11, the blow-up section
alongside Emily Streyer's column
contains a mistake that doesn't appear
in the column itself. No-don't anyone
tell. These people are the future of American
journalism; let them figure it
out.
Who the dickens is selecting st^ff
and columnist at The Gamecock-the
Three Stooges? The people listed on the
masthead of the Viewpoints page are
clueless. They wouldn't recognize a real
issue or writer if one walked up
and bit then, which is why Emily Streyer
is the only real writer who has somehow
managed to penetrate their elite
club.
: thought we'd have trouble
ling with Marriott. I've been
easantly surprised on how
helpful they've been."
ris Dorset, SG vice president
o native's
bout hanging out
>een picking up on
i the different words
teres ting."
pretty cool. It's another word for "butt"
(use your imagination people, come on,
you can do it). Used in the same context
as you would use the other word
(displayed in the example for the word
"bloke").
Knock on or knock : These are invitations
to stop by, used in this way:
"111 give you a knock later (I'll come by
and see you later)." or "I'll knock on in
a bit (I'll stop by soon)." I think these
are suitable alternatives for the words
we use in such occasions.
Anywho, I thought these were interesting
tidbits of stuff to share with
you blokes. That, and I'm trying to overthrow
our linguistic ways, as well as
our government. Finally, you capitalist
pigs will pay for your crimes. Oh no,
wait, I mean, go freedom, yeah capitalism.
Sorry guys, I've got to go. I'll give
you a knock later.
Id of sports
I just watched,
[ bad once dreamed
leagues and hitting
. Y>
>.
and Sosa have been able to do, why don't
we also look back at our own lives, acknowledging
not only those dreams that
didn't come true (like hitting 62 home
runs in one major league baseball
season), but also those which still exist
and could make our lives and the
lives of those around us better, more
complete and more satisfying?
We can't all be sports heroes.
But we can recognize the things
they're supposed to stand for, and conversely
what they shouldn't.
William welcomes your comments.
Please send them to The Gamecock, care
of Viewpoints Editor Rob Gioielli, or to
wfolks3@att.net.
rxi must include full name, professional title or year and major if a student
m in Russell House room 333. E-mail letters must include the author s telespace
limitations. Names will not be withheld for any circumstance
If this is your best, then why not get
rid of the Viewpoints page altogether?
Just cover the Gamecocks. You can prob- .
ably handle that. Of course, if you want
a real writer, I've got four manuscripts
gathering dust somewhere in your office.
I have published in paying markets
and have more experience than all
of you combined. Of course, I cannot
force you to publish my work, but if you
want some pointers I'd be more than
happy to come up and show you how to
write like college students instead of
middle-schoolers.
Steven Yates
HPRE Graduate Student