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E-MAIL! Remember, we have an email address, so don't hesitate to write us. It's GCKVIEWS@SC.EDU. Write one, write all! Page 4 tk(E ? Serving llje Carolina EDITORL * _ J . . aara Laaenneu Rob Gioielli, 1 Kevin Langston, As's, Emily Streyer, Assis Jennifer Stanley, Spec Cooperatfc Student Gc As you have r?^? read on our front HHHHm nap"p wp now havp Clur not, an entirely new SGrepre student government. ________ In a little more JM than a month, , they'll be inaugu- Gjyty by rated, as our old of- together i ficers will step abletoa down. Then a new their year for Student Government will begin. First, we would like to congratulate all the candidates for what we saw as extremely clean campaigns. There were the usual problems with posting violations and other minor infractions, but everything went very well. This is in sharp contrast to the controversy that has surrounded the elections in the past few years. The last two elections have put The Gamecock in the middle of the storm, so we re pleased that nothing has flared up this year. We're pleased to see the candidates acting in a mature, responsible-manner. we hope this behavior will cary over into next year. Student Governmentjofflcers need to work together and have respect for each other if they ever Freshmen adjust on The University 101 course is de- HHIHU signed to help ac- Untversit climate freshmen transitionc to the university environment thVough a series class sessions. Students learn Students about the various TYldtUTe i. resources available adapt to < through the Uni- their oil versity, and the many programs and organizations that are offered. In addition, instructors introduce the students to the many potential hazards that are involved with the college experience. Having several freshmen in one class offers the opportunity for the students to learn from one another's experiences and create friendships. Most classes have peer leaders who offer insight to the younger students, giving them another resource from which to obtain knowledge about the college experience. The University 101 program has good intentions and looks good in theory; however, most students //Hw iii * W& wima ? Sendng tlx- Carolina Cor The Gamecock is the student new spaper of The l.'niversit Friday during the fall and spring semesters and five times during periods Opinions expressed in Hie Gamecock ate those of the ex Tlte Hoard of Student I'uNications and Communications is the pi the newspaper's parent organization The Gamecock Sara Ladenheim Editor in Chief Emily Streyi Rob Gioielli lieu/mints Editor Kevin Langs Kenley Young A'eus Editor Rachel He Is Brad Walters A 'ens Editor Clayton Kali Nathan Brown S/torts Editor Brock Verga Erin Reed Eeatnn'S Editor Charlie Wall Rob Lindsey leal ores Editor Katy Evans Scan Ravford i'hoto Editor Deneshia Gi Matt Ryan Online Editor Ashton Juni Kristin Freestatc Cofn IXest Chief Ann Marie > Todd Money Cifry Editor Jennifer Sta Rebecca Cronican Co/rc Editor Student Media Ellen Parsons Director of Jason Curry Student Media Kalhy VanNi Lee Phlpps Adtertisin>f> Manager Sherry Holn Susan King Creatitv Director Carolyn Gri; Susan Barrett Creatine Sendees Erik Collins Daniel Brown Creatine Sendees Jeff Stenslan .* " . 1 iamccock Community since 1908 \L BOARD n, Editor in Chief Viewpoints Editor istant Viewpoints Editor tant Viewpoints Editor :ial Projects Coordinator hi key to (vernment r^jjjjjT] want to get anyLUmHHHI thing done. This uly elected didn't happen this sentatives. Past year-We saw too much dissent and fighting over nnintlpee i?ciip? fnr ,. * SG to have a ' wor^m% chance.at being efvill they he fective. ccomplish Only with a goals. united front can Student Government get the university to listen. They 're already at a disadvantage because of low voter turnout. It will take full cooperation from all members of Student Government to truly represent their constituents. We hope Student Government can do this next year. Even though we might be it's biggest critic, we want it to succeed just as much as anyone. It's in the best interests of us all to have strong, effective student representatives. During the month until inauguration, we encourage our future representatives to decide how j_i > _ j. 1 a_ xi r mey re going to worK togetner ior the next year. It's in their best interests because cooperation is the key to actually helping the student body. i should their own consider this class to be an "easy A," y 101 OS a and they take it il course for vei7 lightly. Befmen cause the students ' enter the course H with this mentali, , .. ty, the program is should be destined to fail. mough to in practice, the college on University 101 prom terms. gram leaves much to be desired. We hope students don't need a push to join programs in the university. If they need the initiative from an instructor to join a club or organization, then the students don't really have a place in the program. TTVocVimon cVimilHn'f nnnrl a co. JL lUCiUXlVXl QX1UU1U1X V XXV/V/U u uv mester-long program to help them become motivated and knowledgeable students. By not going through the "freshman experience" for themselves, the students can't fully appreciate the new environment they're in. The university is large enough and liberal enough for the students to adapt to it in their own ways. mecodt ? h nm Hi fv Kit in' I <HJX y of South Carolina and is published Monday. Wednesday and the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam litors (? author and not those of The University of South Carolina, ublisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student \fcdia is All area codes are HIH :r AW. Vicupaiuls iton Mitars Iditor , ' vig AW Mils Mitars c Viewpoints 777-7726 kis AW tjfaifts Mitars f-d>ri,;,s@scvtli< lace News 777-7726 AW Ivatttn* Mitars Hckiwu'SQsc .edit raham Etc. 777-.WH e AW t'hata Milan ftchflc@sc.itlu Sports 777-71K2 nley Special 1'ni/a:Is ftchs/xirts@sc vein Oxmliiiatar online 777-2H.S.S Cn-atirv Saivici-s AUvonisinK 777--WM8 oslnndCn-alitv M'rria* les Classified Manager Classified 777-1IH1 ffln Utisinrss Manager Faculty Advisor ' ;lx 7 , AAH2 ,d Graduate Assistant ()|filc m-MWA view The G - snu-Wf ONW&topo "W&YWRKOF WWfc S yftsvm 9g SRfeffWfr ^ T\jiUi/- iSia. iruw\ vu** IS A. UYlM!a "fo ti Drug use i The International Olympic Committee is losing its PR battle in another theater: athletic drug ?- use. I'm no playing Jkl require my one else. EMILY STREYER The l? nist Olympic Games have, until recently, represented an ideal for me, but the spirit that is supposed to drive it is deflating rapidly. Do the creatures looking like men who wear women's bathing suits expect no one to find them suspicious? Well, no ? but it's a matter of catching them. The IOC is notorious for being soft on drugs, although other federations try to catch users at all costs, and drug use is hardly confined to Olympians. The drugs coming out are harder to detect. The loopholes are more complicated. (A number of exercise-induced asthmatics have suddenly turned up at the Olympics, where caffeine is banned Students should be responsible To the Editor: That the beating of a student on Greene Street "has prompted further concerns from students as to the safety of the campus and surrounding ar eas if eD. j rront page; is not surpnsing. I am a long-time resident of Greene Street. It is obvious that the people who frequent this area are not one big, happy family. Scarcely a Friday or Saturday night goes by without a group passing in loud, heated and abusive conversation. The girlfriend/boyfriend situations produce giggles and screams as well as major cursing confrontations by either sex. As the direction from which these disturbers of the peace come is invariably Five Points, I am led to the conclusion that alcohol is involved. In addition, these disturbances generally take place between midnight and 3 a.m., and their frequency could very easily lead an outsider to think that this is a society out of control. Students, look to yourselves, your own habits qnd behavior for a solution to your safety problem. Don't drink yourselves witless until 3 a.m. Remember that tnmrvrrnw ic annthpr rJnv nnH that there is enjoyment to be had then, too. Go home at a reasonable hour. Go home before you cease to be aware of your rising aggression or someone else's aggression against you. Go home while there is still a congenial companion to accompany you. You come to the university as responsible adults. Act that way. Mrs. Diana Osbaldiston Coleman Karesh Law Library Pride gives S.C. quality hockey To the Editor: I would like to thank columnist William Folks for his look at Pee Dee poin amecock I ^ ffiftSTSte 01 &xcmmw& *Tt FflRFeflefrTtftTWST tv {J ? poiNfi k<ms$ ii sports p ? except as an ingredient for inhaler And everyone is doing it. One urban myth of drug testing go that a pharmaceutically enhanced c clist found out he was about to 1 tested and arranged for his girlfriei to meet him at one of the rest statioi to give him a sample of her urine, whi< he turned in as his own. The docto approached him that afternoon, tellu him congratulations: He was drug-fre And pregnant. What are the limits of drug testin German marathon runner Uta Pipp (a stick figure in Newsweek's phot graph) claimed her positive test for sy thetic testosterone was due to her bir control pill, which might be legit mate (although not probable), depen ing on which brand of pill she uses, this is the case, female athletes have l u?i? c? i ?; new luupnuie iui uuu&tmg uitrn tcau. terone levels to make them faste stronger and meaner than someone eh Getting out of drug penalties is almo like getting out of a speeding ticket: you can tell the cop something he hasi heard before, you might get away wi it. Numerous deterrents have been pr posed, such as random, non-compei tion testing to catch the use of trainii drugs (such as steroids), or freezii urine samples for tests that might I Letters to the editor or guest column: 5 columns should be an opinion pieci major, if a student. Handwritten subi telephone number for confirmation. Photos are required for guest columni Pride hockey in your Feb. 15 issue. It was a rather nice surprise to si anything regarding either my hom town or its hockey team in The Gam cock, and, as a fan, I am glad that M Folks enjoyed his trip to the Florem Civic Center to watch the second be i. * i. Ti n i TT_1 T Lectin in uie rvabL ooasL nucK.t:y i_ieagu However, lest anyone think othe wise by the tone of the column, Pri( fans are not all a bunch of bumpkii who took time away from NASCAR ar hunting excursions to develop a love hockey. While I do admit that the seer Folks described is by-and-large hone and accurate, visitors to the Civic Cei ter will find that we are not all bad water hicks. Not all of us are NASCAR fans, ai not all of us wear tobacco-stained shir (which I don't recall ever seeing in n 30-plus games attended between th season and last). And yes, there a: Pride fans who are able to correctly pr nounce terms associated with the gam The success of hockey in the larg ly rural Pee Dee region has been su prising to everyone who knows the arc well enough. To be successful, the team has to o exist with NASCAR, which for reasoi I have yet to discover is very popul; there. Luckily, it worked, and those us who were hockey fans before tl Pride moved to Florence from Knoxvill Tenn., in 1997 had a team to call 01 own. The team has a very loyal and boi terous following, and the atmosphei at home games, while non-traditiona is great. Like Folks, I encourage US Vinrkpv fans tn rhprlr nnt hnrkpv Pf Dee style. Just do yourself a favor ar stay away from North Charleston. Perhaps someday the athletic d? partment there will give us hockey. He if Florida State University can have i why not us? Jason L. Rap Print Journalism Freshma 4 QUO "[Th A Stl ts f -m mm I ;flST CUNTWmTH m 401 (k) wit ^ tSrtHaiKPWJSHTOR oses fairnes "I suppose in the en< !! so much unfair as w J De id developed later, resulting in the possible stripping of titles and medals years rs in the future, which some athletes say *6 would be quite a deterrent. But if ^ having blood the thickness of yogurt (a result of erythropoietin, EPO), which f for some athletes has resulted in death *8 come time for the race, isn't a deterrent, ?" I dont think much is. Should we let natn" ural selection do the culling for us? th What is the rationale for drug test;1" ing? That drugs are dangerous? Athletes have been happily dealing with ^ serious, unpleasant side effects for years, ! a and the increasing gravity of side ef>s" fects do not seem to interest them. Ath1 r> letes are notorious for seeing no further than the next major competition, so the 'St threat, for example, of bone deformity If (as with human growth hormone) carTt ries little weight; besides, crippling inth juries by the time a pro reaches his or her late 30s are common and consid"o ered the price of playing the game, ti- Are drugs unfair? Where do we draw ig the line? Are special shoes OK but spelg cial drugs not OK? What's the differoe ence as long as the playing field is lev s arc welcome from all members of the Carolina conit 2 of about 600-700 words. Both must include name, missions must be personally delivered to Russell Hou The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, st ist and can be provided by the submitter.Call 777-7726 ee Standards for e- morals absolute eTo the Editor: ce I am intrigued with Emily Streyeris recent claims regarding "moral auie thority." While I agree with her that :r~ moral authority granted from the polls is not worth having, I am lost to un1S derstand how she cannot know what id tkn nkroco mnone Af urkot rtnir?f /lirl tliw pill UOU IIIV/UIIO. 4\\j YVllUt ^/Vlllt U1U ?f her concise desk reference set fail her? Oh, yes, I remember ? it was ie when she found that her personal best liefs did not align with the definitions n~ of "moral" and "rights," leaving her with k" nothing but her own opinion. Interestingly, though she claims morals are 1C* the disposable items and rights are everts lasting, the American Heritage Concise Dictionary defines a "right" as "that is which is just, morally good, legal, propre er or fitting." ?~ It seems the dictionary maintains e- exactly the opposite; rather than our e" rights begetting our moral viewpoints, T- A11W ?v?rtwnlr. <4 /\11W mrrViln uui muittia ucicilimic wnat uui iiguto Ja are! She claims morals and morality have been on the decline in this country, but I maintain that it's not the 1S morality but the adherence to that ir morality that has declined. Streyer ?f seems to be firmly committed to a ie concept of relative truth in regard to e> moral teachings. ir Yet if she believes in relative truth at all, one must ask, why are you s" a student? What can possibly be learned re if truth is relative? Conversely, if moral d. truth is relative, how could it have posC sibly been "wrong" (to use her exam;e pies) for women and races to have been >d oppressed? How was slavery, or blatant child labor, wrong? Who can say rape and murder are y> wrong now? If any of these things can be labeled as "wrong" (and I believe all of them can), then morality must have an absolute standard, and that P does affect our rights, although not in n the context Streyer claims. Ed Eubanks Philosophy junior ME, UNQUOTE ie incident] was offensive to jdent Government and the other candidates." Emilie Greene, Elections Commissioner Friday, February 19, 1999 u 0 1 2 U AGAJUST : oweinwwNS i Afi&L&CTlOH a ? 8 AGAIUST ovycniFuws AH^ecnoN uuwsstfs UlXOU ?AMST fesjmwa M^W^CClOU MTNfcM? Ai*(aOR& s question i that drugs are not lcnnrtcmanHUp " tvTj A a llVt el? How do sodium bicarbonate supplements differ from eating starches according to a specially designed diet? Every athlete wants an edge. Which edges are okay and which aren't? No one in the NBA would try to play the game in sandals. No one in the Tour de France would try to cycle without EPO. Otherwise, "It's not possible to compete," a sports doctor tells Newsweek. Some might argue that anything that diminishes the discipline required to win the event is an unfair edge, but if that is the case, athletes should just play naked. People have been sharpening their edges as long as competitive sports have been around (and hunting before that, for survival). T * i.1 J J i auppu&t; in tiie ciiu uiat u.i uga axe not so much unfair as unsportsmanlike. Nothing's really fair, but sportsmanship (that "spirit" I was talking about earlier) is a sufficiently vague term that keeps in equipment and keeps out drug use. Or maybe, 10 years from now, the drugs will be safer, and everyone can have them. inanity. Letters should be 250-300 words. Guest: phone number, professional title or year and| se room 333- E-mail submissions must includd yle and space. Names will never be withheld.; for more information. Events good for a cuy commerce To the Editor Good God, Columbia, you have inconvenienced Kevin Langston with your special events. This resulted in his column of crying in The Gamecock on Feb. 12. A picture is worth a thousand words, and his tells why he couldn't walk the maybe two miles from the dorms to the Commons. Obviously, you weren't planning on running the marathon, either, if you consider getting out of bed a major accomplishment. These events, from the circus to sports, benefit the city. Take a 100-level business class, and get a clue. Sponsors, tailgating, local merchants and more benefit. The tens of thousands of people attending some of these events are not bothered by them. You are. You lash out at the circus being cruel to animals. Do you eat meat or drink milk? Have you ever been to a slaughterhouse? Do you get so easily offended by watching lions, tigers and bears on the rilPAAi?Antr ChnnwAlO IfAll rOOnnwnU jLyio^uvci^ xyiu. icocaiui this statement or hope your readers will take it without supporting evidence or remember some past media hype on it? The marathon that so inconvenienced you and dominated the article was advertised for several weeks through a myriad of media. Most people probably took an alternate route, the opportunity cost of which was a few extra minutes. You proudly proclaim you sat in traffic for 60. Hello, brain. Fortunately, some of Columbia's finest helped you out. Too bad ignorance isn't just cause for pepper spray. I'm glad you could possibly forgive the trains for blocking traffic. I'm sure they feel much better. Tourism is an important industry. It is also a right of visitors to partake in Columbia's history. Christopher A. Massari Management Science Junior Bryan Eovito Business Information Sophomore i *