The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 09, 1998, Page Page 3, Image 3
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Serving the Carolina Cot
EDITORIAL
Jennifer Stanley,
Sara Ladenheim, j
Rob Gioielli, Vie
Kurt Johnson, Assista
Kathleen McCormic
Gingrich c
quits, loss:
And it only gets
more interesting.
Wednesday Newt Git
morning, Republi- resignc
cans were licking
their wounds after I
keeping a slim mar- rr , , ,
gin in the House of He had th
Representatives, Stand up for
when they thought
they would be gaining seats only a
few days earlier.
Newt Gingrich, the man who led
the Republican revolution four years
ago, said he wouldn't run again for
Speaker of the House and now has
resigned from Congress altogether.
After the the results came out
Tuesday, Gingrich received much of
the blame, as critics charged that
his strategy of focusing on the Monica
Lewinsky affair alienated voters.
Several Republicans had already
planned to challenge Gingrich
for Speaker, and more announced
their intentions soon after he made
his statement.
These and other Republicans
said they had lost faith in Gingrich's
ability to lead the party in Congress.
He has made several miscues since
gaining the speakership in 1994,
the most notable being the government
shutdown two years ago,
which most of the public blamed on
him and not Bill Clinton. Many believe
this set the stage for Clinton's
re-election in 1996.
USC shoul
credit-card
A free T-shirt |HjHK7jjr
never cost so much.
They are there
all the time in con- stations
venient, well-plot- colleger
tor) InfQ + inno uri+Vi MPflVVI
WU IUVUV1VUU TT Ibil I] "Ml]
stacks of fresh,
white USC T-shirts Student
and an avalanche of be aware (
credit-card forms. respond
Bansheeic voic
es shriek from the bow of the Russell
House, "Free T-shirt, just fill
out an application," as the students
pass. Those seemingly harmless
credit-card stations, which
lull unsuspecting students to their
pits and offer candy for blood, have
always been distractions for students
walking to class.
Many students desire that free
T-shirt and say they'll just sign
up and toss the card out once they
get it. But when they do get it, it
usually gucD uu ouuit: use, cuiu,
as with many college students,
they compile quite a hefty debt.
The credit-card company must
be sponsored by a certain campus
organization to allow them to be
on campus. This may come with
ffe Hit (Si
^^5" Serving the Carolina Com,
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The University
Friday during the fall and spring semesters and five times during tl
periods. Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the edi
The Board of Student Publications and Communications Ls the pu
the newspaper's parent organization
The Gamecock
Jennifer Stanley Editor in Chief Jackie Poster
Sara Ladenheim -Managing Editor Todd Money
Rob Glolelll Vieupomts Editor Rosalind Hai
Erin Reed Netvs Editors
Kristin Freestate Features Editor Kurt Johnsoi
Bryan Johnston Editorial Assistant Brad Walters
Nathan Brown Sfxirts Editor Kenley Youn
Nikkl Thorpe Fhnto Editors Ruth Nettles
Sean Rayford Deneshla Gr
Matt Ryan Online Editor Kelly Maguli
Rob Lindsey C-opy Fditors Kathleen Mc
Jessica Barflcld Kevin Langsl
Student Media
Ellen Parsons Director of Erik Collins
Student Media Jeff Stenslan
Lee Phlpps Advertising Manager Susan Barret
Sherry F. Holmes Classified Kathy Van N
Manager Daniel Brow
Ctrolyn Griffin Business MatUger Julie Baker
1
nratk
nmunity since 1908
BOARD
Editor in Chief
Managing Editor
wpoints Editor
nt Viewpoints Editor
:k, Editorial Writer
ailing it
forD.C
F7*^*j5Tl This was the last
straw for many Reigrich's
publicans, who adition.
that even
though Gingrich was
responsible for their
takeover of the
e guts to House, his ability to
bis beliefs, govern wasn't as
great as his skill in
leading a political revolution.
It's a shame that we have to see
this new fiasco in the soap opera
that is Washington politics. While
Gingrich's views and methods have
always been questionable, there is
one thing to say for him: he has always
stood by his ideals in the
wau oramrnmont eVirviilrl wnrlr TVioco
TT UJ gV/ T VX lUiiVXlU UXXVUXU TT V/X XX. X XXVUV
are what led to his rise and, some
would say, to his downfall.
This will only lead to more chaos
in our national government at a time
when more than anything we
need stability and firm leadership,
which we're not getting from the
White House. And, at least for a
while, Capitol Hill will be questionable
as well.
Newt Gingrich wasn't the most
popular politician, but he stood by
his views and was loyal to his convictions,
something that's been on
the endangered species list in Washington
for years.
rt regulate
I booths
I enmp fpp fnr thp
use of university
t-TfLYft
' spaCe and equipfocnson
ment (tables,
students. chairs, etc.).
"jjTniTiTJHH Surely, people
want to use credsneedto
it cards, but
rffinancial shouldn't there be
nbilities. some kind of reg
ulation pertaining
to these stations?
Well, let's look at it like this:
organizations sponsor many other
programs that greatly benefit
students (i.e., the Career Eair) and
their endeavors in college. These
credit-card stations don't do much
for students except take their
money out of their pockets.
No, don't do anything drastic
like get rid of these stations. Research
credit-card companies for
histories of screwing students over.
Check the validity of their specials.
Have brochures or seminars
informing and teaching students
_i j. c i
auuui ineir nnanciai respuiisiuuities
and about credit cards.
This will help keep one from paying
one's soul for a measly T-shirt.
mrcDcb ?i
inanity since 190S MHMMilllMiilliBIMH
of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and
he summer with the exception of university holidays and exam
tors or author and not those of The I niversity of South (iroltna
blisher of The (iamecock The Department of Student Media is
All area codes are 803
1
Editor 777-3911
vey II,fife Keiatums gckalQsc edu
Director Viewpoints 777-7726
a Ass/ Vteu fronts Editor gcluietvsQsc edit
Asrf Netts /Hilars News 777-7726
g gckneusQsc ctlu
Encore FMitnr Etc. 777-3913
a ham Ass/ Failures Editor gcketcQsc.edu
* Asst. Sports Editor Sports 777-7182
Cormlck FAitonal Writer gcksportsQsc edu
:on senior news writer Online 777-2833
Advertising 777-3888
Faculty Advisor
d Graduate Assistant classified 777-1183
t Creative Services
ostrand fax 777-6382
" ^ Office 777-3888
V
View]
> ^
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I
Body art <
"n ad, bold, dangerous and sexual
r"^ly open. That's what tattoos and
-LJ other forms of the body art, invented
a
toos and"
columnist piercing was
to show a
belonging to
a certain social group. Today, it
serves some peoples' personal, 'not-likeeverybody'
aesthetic needs and is supposed
to be a sign of belonging to one
of various 'anti-social' groups. And even
more than that, it happens to be a huge
tribute to recent fashion imposed by the
mass pop culture.
The American South has always
been considered traditionally conservative.'
Regardless, tattooing and piercing
have found a number of devoted fans
here. The state of South Carolina, how
ever, is still pretty tough on the issue.
Although there's no state ban on piercing,
tattoo administration is officially
prohibited. But getting some permanent
body artwork is as easy as crossCountries
[ guest columnist \
I was with my fiancee, Yaneth, and
her family when it happened. In a
white Ford Explorer, we were meandering
along the crumbling road from
Bogota to the city of Ibague in the Tolima
section of Colombia. I was admiring
the greenness of the mountainous
Colombian countryside when I heard a
gasp and a command to look out the
other side of the car.
Outside was the strangest scene I
had ever witnessed. A man was lying
face-down by the side of the road, wearinrr
mono onr] n A nr? 1 rv-? innlrnf
1115 Jcail?; uuuto, aiiu a uciiim jativci.
Standing next to him was a policeman
clad in the green-and-white uniform
of the Colombian army. The policeman
was writing something down
on a clipboard. Surrounding these
two figures was a mixed group of children
and old people who were bouncing
up and down.
It took me a second to realize
what it was. I heard the word "muerto"
and finally understood. The man on
the ground had a pool of blood encircling
his head that had the peculiar flatUniversity's
minorities
not equally represented
To the editor:
I am writing in response to the recently
published articles regarding
recruitment and retention of AfricanAmerican
faculty and students at USC
in both The Gamecock and the USC
Times. These articles appear to be in
response to the recent resignation oi
Dr. Rigford. While Dr. Pigford's conJ
tribuubns to this campus have been
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3OINT:
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liFE OF Tftt Jmn
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exhibits pc
ing the state border to Georgia, where
getting and giving a tattoo is perfectly
legal and a thriving business, too.
Is this another way, apart from thenlottery,
that Georgians found to keep
money coming into their state's economy
from South Carolinians?
Semi-legal, fresh from prison, and
unpredictable bikers and lusty, insatiable
liave-been-around' female strippers
are probably still considered to be
the most likely carriers of tattoos.
And, they might have tattoos and
their bodies pierced. But they are the
people who like to show their skin-deep
Celtic designs, raging oriental dragons
and cute pussycats. ,
Now they are more like heads of icebergs
(like any iceberg, not necessarily
that from "Titanic"). Much more is
under there, out of everybody's sight.
There are a lot of people, not so obviously
wild, who also wear tattoos and
get their bodies pierced but usually keep
them private.
Corporate America, law enforcement
officers and even high school teachers
get their bodies embellished. They
seem to be tired of guys with big bucks
or other types of powers telling them
what to wear and how to look. A lot of
people get sick of being controlled by
the "Big Brother." And they get rebellious.
They don't want to join militia
troops, though.
Getting a tattoo or a piercing in a
navel or a nipple (ouch!) seems to be
just right. They get rebellious under
' turmoil t
tened shape of a throat lozenge. Something
had hit him hard.
"A motorcycle accident?" I asked my
fiancee in Spanish.
UT\
uu yvu see a iiiutuieyeie.' sue
replied.
Every day I heard on the news in
Bogota of the bloodshed in the countryside.
Whole clans and villages
were being put on their knees and executed
by leftist guerrillas and their
right-wing paramilitary counterparts.
But even living in the country's capital
city, the ubiquitous violence on television
and in the newspaper was remote.
If I had never bothered to turn on
a TV or read a newspaper, I would have
been happily ignorant of the rural
slaughter. But here it was right in front
of me.
The sensation of the moment was
lilro watrViincr cnmo news fnntacra nn.
ly the window of the Explorer was my
screen. We drifted by very slowly ?
more slowly than one does for a mundane
car accident. My camera ? where
was it? It was tucked away in the trunk.
I bit my lower lip in frustration from
this wasted photo op.
Later, when we arrived in balmy
Ibague, I thought about the dead man.
H Zl|jl||] year and may
chide
many and her resignation is a loss, I
am also greatly disappointed by the
complete lack of information about the
overall lack of representation of all other
underrepresented students and faculty/staff,
such as Latinos, Native Americans,
Asians, etc.
There appears a need for clarity oi
the woods "minority" and "AfricanAmerican."
In a recent Times article
Dr. Dennis Pruitt was quoted as saying,
"we have an 18.6 percent minority
undergradu;jte enrollment." Latei
in the article, it was cited that African
"Th<
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SKristi?
on
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v^Vn. ^
PIHGE 1 .
WS. 1
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fsoiial exj
"There are a lot of ]
obviously wilcL wh<
* '
... but usually keep
the clothes, basically at themselves, so
other people and, most importantly,
their bosses, usually don't notice. Unless
they sleep with their bosses, of
course.
There's a number of reasons to get
a tattoo or a piece of jewelry running
through your body. However, proving
your boldness and shocking, unstable
maturity to your parents and competing
with your "friends" don't seem to be
the best reasons.
Scott Brewer, 27, co-owner of Body
Rites, Columbia's only all-piercing professional
establishment, believes: "Getting
a tattoo or some piercing is very
personal, and it should be done for yourself
and not anybody else."
Some non-liberal people experience
anger, and even uncontrollable fits of
~i i. i.i?~ ] 3 A
paiiic, auuui uie banuueu auu pieiceu
nation, which is no surprise to me. It
seems to originate from the same ole
good rural folks' belief that everything
they didn't understand was hazardously
perverse to them and thus required immediate
government intervention.
Alyson Funderburk, 29, who has a
noticeable and colorful tattoo depicting
:rupts live j
One dead person does not attract attention
in Colombia. Colombians
have expressions like "pentagon," which
is a buzzword for "little bomb." "Oh don't
worry, it was only a pentagon; it only
killed two people," was something I
heard on. several occasions during my
stay.
This one dead man probably
didn't even make it into the newspaper.
And yet he was my only real connection
with the socio-economic conflict
that pervades throughout the country.
The Marxist guerrillas, in the name
of establishing a regime of economic
equality, have waged a seemingly endless
war with their own country.
They have destroyed countless lives
in order to "liberate" the peasantry from
an oppressive oligarchy. The right-wing
nflromilitflriPK havp fnllnwpd suit, t.hpir
predation upon the Colombian people.
They were formed to "protect" vulnerable
country peasants hum the guerrillas.
In reality, the conflict has been between
two bullies who shoot at one another
for the acquisition of coca-producing
land. Ordinary citizens have
made up most of the casualties.
necock will try to print all letters. Letters should be 250-300 words and
or if a student Hand written letters must be personally delivered by th
hor's telephone number. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit all it
American students make up 18.6 percent
of the overall undergraduate population.
This is the same statistic used to
represent the entire "minority undergraduate
enrollment." Obviously, a very
narrow and exclusive definition of "mif
nority" appears to be used.
As a senior at USC, I am disap,
pointed by the lack of commitment to
cultural, racial, religious, and sexual
diversity. This is a tragedy both for the
University community and for myself,
as we are not being exposed to other
*re were a lot of zeros on
that check."
1 Freestate, Gamecock reporter,
ivinning Reporter of the Year
J '
*JmK *N
^
session
people, not so
3 also wear tattoos
them private."
the Virgin Mary on her shoulder, recalls:
"Some DeoDle in Dublic Dlaces feel
threatened and negative about my tattoos,
but usually never take time to see
that they have religious themes."
Like "South Park," permanent
tattooing and piercing is not for
everyone. Definitely not for me. It may
be true that those "not exotic anymore"
gimmicks do work for a number of Deople.
They might satisfy their needs for
self-expression.
Also, it may help them get extra attention
from other people, including the
opposite sex, in today's "everybody is
self-centered" culture (I still have trouble
understanding how a picture of a
naked girl on a male is supposed to
attract-a female to him).
Personally, though, I believe the
best and sexiest decoration you can have
for your body is clear skin and toned,
lean muscles. Nevertheless, remember
the beauty of it is that your body is all
yours, and you are free to do anything
you want with it.
inaction
There could have been a million reasons
for why the man was killed. He
could have been an informer for either
side. He could have been a workers'
or human rights activist. He
could have been seeking political office.
As I look back, I feel guilty for wanting
to turn this experience into an anecdote,
a snapshot to wet the appetites of
everyone wanting to know about the
blood and guts of one of the most misunderstood
countries in the world.
Colombia, to most Americans, is a country
where bad things happen.
They are right in that assumption,
but what the news flashes on CNN
have not shown Americans is complexity
of war routed in the depravation of a
people. Those who take up arms do so
because it is impossible for them to express
their civil grievances in any other
way.
I feel, more than ever, like just an
other stupid gringo who only nurtures
the sensational blurring of Colombia's
violence.
To get a better picture, I am going
back in December. And this time my
camera stays in my lap.
must include full name, phone number, professional title or
ic author to the Russell House room 333- E mail letters must hitter
for style, libel or space. Names will never be withheld.
ideas, experiences,^ values. As USC
strives to attain AAU status, the importance
of diversity among the faculty
and students will manifest itself.
We must recognize the important
contributions that all diverse groups
bring to a University community. The
word "minority" should not be limited
to certain groups, as it weakens its overall
meaning and minimizes the needs
of groups excluded from the definition.
Megan C. Hoffman
) Spanish Senior