The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 07, 1999, Page Page 4, Image 4
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Serving the Carolina Community since 1908
editorial board
Sara Ladenheim, Editor in Chief
Rob Gioielli, Viewpoints Editor
Kevin Langston, Assistant Viewpoints Editor
Emily Streyer, Assistant Viewpoints Editor
Jennifer Stanley, Special Projects Coordinator
'Zero Tolerance'
policy intolerable
New York May- undo some of the
or Rudolph Giu- past few years'imliani
has effected New York Mayor provements.
some great change Giuliani's "Zero We do not mean
in his city, but Tolerance"proposal. to understate the
many of his meth- r r seriousness of
4.1 u a~ mm*irmrx'xmrxmmm j
uus, tiiuugn uc- ui uiia ui iviug, aiiu
signed with the ^ we understand
public good in Phep) ogramgoei> too mere|y applymind,
are ques- far to punish drunk ing stiffer penaltiestionable.
drivers. usually means that
A few months more lawyers get
ago, he took an old law designed rich, but seizure of property hurts
to inhibit drug traffickers and ap- innocent people ? for example,
plied it to a more common but per- the families who depend on somehaps
just as deadly offense: drunk one having a car to get to work,
driving. New Yorkers found to be Furthermore, our justice system
above the legal limit will have was designed to let 10 of the guilty
their cars impounded, and vehi- go free rather than one of the incles
are not returned until ac- nocent imprisoned; this system
quittal. Exceptions are made for punishes suspects before they have
rented or borrowed cars, which been given a trial,
are returned to their owners. The state grants driver's liIn
the meantime, drivers lose censes; it does not.grant them cars,
their cars ? even first offenders Therefore, the state has the right(the
program isn't called "Zero Tbl- ful power to take away a license;
erance" for nothing) ? and pos- it should not take away property,
sibly their jobs, making a bad sit- True, the revocation of a plastic
uation, irresponsible drinking, card legitimizing the operation of
worse. Does New York want to a motor vehicle will not deter
dole out more unemployment ben- many drunkards from continuing
efits in the name of intolerance? to drive, but property seizure simThe
repercussions of this law could ply crosses the line.
Transition Year
may lose funding
The USC ad- ing a negative mesministration
has re- flHHBLMfckaflHHHI sage to South Carcently
made a deci- Drastic cuts in the olina high school
sion that could have Provisional Year students: You'd
a big impact on fu- program better have the
ture students. numbers to come
The Transition to USC, or we don't
??????
from accepting vital to the success of the university's
about 350 freshmen needy students to have overall attempt to
to between 150 and funding cut. raise its admission
175. standards, and in
The program provides oppor- most cases, it would be perfectly
tunities for students who wouldn't understandable,
be admitted under USC's normal But USC is South Carolina's
admission standards. These are flagship research university. Part
normally students who don't meet of this school's mission is to proeither
the SAT or GPA require- vide a college-level education to
ments. as many of the state's citizens as
Transition Year provides these possible,
students with a special curricu- Because South Carolina has
lum and advisement services to the unique honor of having one of
ensure they will succeed at the the worst education systems in
university level. the country, USC needs to be a bit
The program shows that the more accommodating in the type
university understands people's of students it is willing to acgrades
and test scores aren't al- cept.
ways an accurate reflection of their There are a lot of great stupotentials.
People have all types dents who are simply held back
of experiences in high school that because their local schools just
could negatively affect their GPAs. aren't that good. So until a sigAnd
others just aren't that good nificant improvement is made in
at taking standardized tests. this state's pubic school system,
By cutting this program so se- programs like Transition Year
verely, the administration is send- should still exist.
Che Gamecock ?
~ N*J' Serving the Carolina Community since 1908
The Gamecock is the student newspaper of The University of South Carolina and is published Monday. Wednesday and
Friday during the fall and spring semesters and the times during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam
periods Opinions expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of The University of South Carolina.
The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is
the newspaper s parent organization
The Gamecock All area codes are 803
Sara Ladenheim Editor in Chief Emily Streyer Asst. Vieupoints
Rob Gloielll Vieupoints Editor Kevin Langston Editors cked@scedn
Kenley Young News Editor Rachel Hehvig Asst Nats Editors
Brad Walters News Editor riavton Kale Viewpoints 777-7726
? . .. r, Luylu" w"c gckvieus@sc.edu
Brock Vergakls Sports Editor Michael Strickland Asa Sports Editors
Charlie Wallace Sports Editor News 777-7726
??>??<
Rob llndsey Features Editor , . Etc. 777-3913
Sean Rayford Pboto fitter eS Graham jncketc9sc.edu
Man Ryan Online EdUor Ashtonjune Asst Photo Fditon 777-7182
Kristin Freestate Cqpy West CJiie/ A"11 Mar'e MlanJ gcksports@sc.edu
Todd Money Copy Editor Jennifer Stanley Special Projects 0n|inc 777-2833
Rebecca Cronlcan Copy Editor Coordinator
Student Media
Ellen Parsons Director of Jason Curry Creatine Services Advertising 777-3888
Student Media Kathy VanNostrandOva/fne Services
Lee Phlpps Advertising Manager Sherry Holmes Classified Manager Classified 777-1183
Susan King Creative Director Carolyn Griffin Business Manager
Susan Barren Creatiiv Services Erik Collins Faculty Advisor '"ax 777-6382
Daniel Brown Creatiiv Services Jeff Stensland Graduate Assistant (j!,
!T? y
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The Gai
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an increase
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/ A6AIN
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Land of th
/^V ur societal values are strongly A
I 1 connected to how our countrv
v_y was formed. Because of this, ;
?- they are
KEVIN LANCSTON our'"g?^t
columnist nation." My
conclusion is
that our country is filled with egotistical,
ideological, hypocritical morons.
It is no secret that English settlers
first came to this continent for religious
liberation. This motivation helped
define the course of this nation: to stand
behind your beliefs and do what your
heart tells you is right. If this were, in
fact, the case, why is it that in Illinois
a minister was suspended from the
Methodist church for presiding over a
gay wedding? If the building blocks of
this nation were placed by people in
search of religious freedom, why is this
same nation being exclusive in who can
and who cannot be wed in the house of
God? I just hope God is not as selective
as we are.
Blacks have been a part of American
history almost as long as white
Americans. Blacks have fought in every ?
major war to defend this nation. No oth- v
er group of people has collectively n
contributed more to this country. Blacks
have been in this country longer than ^
any of my family, yet they are still treat- q
ed as unequal citizens. This is a blatant
cry of racism and bias in our society.
For a long time, blacks were only considered
three-fifths of a person, and this ^
Columnist ruins ?
'good' paper ?
To the Editor:
I am a freshman here at the Uni- I
versity of South Carolina. I have en- ft
joyed most of my experiences with the S|
faculty and students during my first ft
two semesters. I completely respect this s
university for its commitment to p
higher learning. There is something
that I don't understand, however, and
that is why Shawn Singleton is still a
member of The Gamecock. The fact is
he is an embarrassment to the university
and all of the students who call ^
USC home. He also single-handedly
turns The Gamecock from a respectable c
newspaper into a rag that should only
be used to wipe ***es with. X
Who does bhawn think that he is:
Howard Stern can say that he is the q
king of all media because he is. His fan p;
base is in the millions. When Shawn e]
says that he is USC's most dangerous o
man, who is he kidding? I haven't met ]j(
anyone who enjoys reading his articles. g(
The simple fact is no one likes what he p
has to say. If he were fired from The si
Gamecock staff, people aren't going to o
fall into a depression, but they will re- ^
joice. di
This year's football and basketball q
teams were constant topics of Shawn's fa
columns. He would ridicule the coach- vj
es and players without hesitation. The th
simple fact is that Shawn's columns are
more 6f an embarrassment than any th
point
iiecock
JSi?VK> HAS C&)6 ?>_
: JN ATRctJTlE5>,
ssriN ry~'?L
v&am^UM
r i
e rree, nor
vas only to label voting populations
even though they were not allowed to
rate ). Not until the 1950s did blacks
jegin to make significant progress in
standing up for their rights. This, unbrtunately,
was several hundred years
ifter the first black person set afoot on
his continent. They are underpaid, unlerrepresented
in government and treatid
unfairly in the job market. Although
' do not believe blacks sit around and
Iream up ways to screw over the whites,
' would not think any less of them if
hey did. In fact, I think they should.
Women have been here since there
vas a "here" to talk about. They have
aken the same steps as every man in
milding this nation. In a perfect world,
hey, too, would be looked upon as equal
o men. This is not, however, a perfect
vorld. Women are stilled viewed as inferior
to males. In this patriarchal naion,
women are placed in less imporant
roles. Men usually hold the higherlaying
positions and are more likely to
>e someone else's boss. For some odd
eason, the woman's place is still in the
Lome.
Without women, we would not have
ushed through the rough times of
Vorld Wars I and II. Women worked
a the factories to aid the war effort and
tabilize the economy. If it weren't for
heir strong will, the men fighting the
rar would not have had much of a counry
to come back to. However, when the
nen returned from the war, these jobs
hat were occupied by these women
rare relinquished to the men. Women
rare always supposed to be second to
nen.
The issue of illegal immigration has
een a recurring theme in the news, t
)ur country supposedly has no more t
oom for immigrants who can't con- i
ribute to our society in an ideal fashin.
We have literally closed off our bor- c
ers to Mexico and Cuba, yet the i
I Letters to the editor or guest columns are w
columns should be an opinion piece of abot
if a student. Handwritten submissions must 1
number for confirmation. The Gamecock re
required for guest columnist and can be pro'
ISC athletic team to take the playing \
arface this year. I can personally take {
lore pride in a l-and-10 football sea- c
in than any of his past articles. s
I should be proud of the school that f
go to. I should want my parents and c
lends back home to be able to read the a
tudent newspaper without being em- r
arrassed. The simple fact is that Shawn y
ingleton's columns are a waste of good I
aper and an embarrassment to the C
University of South Carolina.
Matthew Gaetz (
Freshman
>afety efficiency 1
ipplauded
d
o the Editor: a
I am a graduate student residing in p
liff Apartments on campus. For the v
ast couple of months, I have experi- e
iced severe hypertension problems. I
n two occasions, I contacted our Pub- a
: Safety Department for medical emer- C
mcy reasons. The first time, my blood i|
ressure was around 180/160; the n
icond time, it had risen to 210/170. a
bviously, I was in danger of a stroke s
ad, simply put, could have died. Yet b
ue to the grace of God and the effi- ji
ency, expediency and unmatched skill- if
lness of our police department, I sur- C
ved! Far too often, so many positive p;
ings are accomplished on this cam- s]
is without even a word of thanks to tr
ose who work so diligently. Trust me u
QUOTE, UNQUOTE
"Everything we do in the university
has to do with becoming an
SAAU-caliber school."
Jerome Odom, USC provost, on
the Transition Year cuts.
Wednesday, April 7, 1999
i
,(7EA^STT3A"nCNS> IN XTMM.&feeCe, |
<?AWAG>A ANP t^CS^CCWi ATTACH I
/ TO \
W;^3 ( CgZAXE )
^ "f ^ST^aiur^J
ne of the oppressed
"As a child playing 'Cowboys and
Indians,' whoever played the Indian was
the bad guy."
Canadian border remains the most un- tion was written by these men, and they
ier-protected border in the world. If claimed that all men were created equalCanada
were not predominantly white ly and should be treated as such. Howand
not well off in its own respects, I ever, the second the Constitution was
assure you its border would be more signed and implemented, Americans
heavily guarded and patrolled. went against that clause. The wealthy
Who are we to say who can and can- make the rules, and the wealthy mainaot
enter this country? Should we take tain the order. We hide behind "The
Dff the engraving at the foot of the Stat- Star-Spangled Banner," never facing
lie of Liberty: Give me your tired, your the simple fact that we are corrupt,
poor, your worn, your huddled masses Most of us go about our daily rou/earning
to be free"? Do we still harbor tines never stopping to realize just how
this belief? I see no proof of it anymore, backward we are. We are the envy of
The truth is, we stole this land from many nations, or at least we'd like to
i people who never did anything to pro- think we are Weoare gelfish and CQn.
joke us We saw that we could defeat ceited) md we only help others jf it ^
I^ative Americans with great ease and ^ We love to ^
: aim their land for our own. We liter- ^ w0 hel^ to define
iUy killed thousands upon thousands and redefine year after year We gee
) ese^ieop e an orce em o ourseiVes as the great contributor to
itta am q frootiAn at tttI-* or tnmr noH a?aa c
^ed home ^ weN"being ?fthis planet. We are
' As a child playing "Cowboys and In- ^ tot runner in rn^y thinp, and
iians,'whoever played the Indian was i ^mk there is something to be said
he bad guy. I don't know how this idea a^?ut how messed UP our Planet actu"
vas embedded inside ofme, but it fright- a y*s' , ,
ms me to think I had been given this selfPnde ? buned 100 deefy
noral from above. It says a lot about wltbui ,our hearts- ^ 400 scared to
he morals this country fosters when I?.8 w screw UP we actua%are:hildren
already know to hate Indians. e hate what is not popular and sucThis
land was never ours to dele- cessful. If you aren t heterosexual,
rate who can and cannot live here. God wealthy, white, male and Christian,
vas never ours to say who could and then you re scum in the eyes of Amer?uld
not wed underneath Him. Whites ica. You are looked upon scornfully and
vere never officially given the power condescendingly,
o determine whether other groups had And we want to help you get better,
heir fair cut of jobs, representation and But who's to say you're in need of help
espect. in the first place? We are the ones who
The obvious and sad truth is that need to look in the mirror.
>ur country is run, and will always be God bless America ... we need all
nn, by rich, white men. The Constitu- the help we can get.
welcome trom all members of the Carolina community. Letters should be 250-300 words. Guesl
jt 600-700 words. Both must include name, phone number, professional title or year and major,
3e personally delivered to Russell House room 333- E-mail submissions must include telephone
serves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Names will never be withheld. Photos are
vided by the submitter.Call 777-7726 for more information.
vhen I tell you ? the Public Safety De- and most other UNIX variants in benchjartment
is to be applauded for the ar- marks. Sony is using Linux and the deluous
work they do and for their un- velopment platform for their upcoming
elfish efforts in providing protection Playstation 2. It is hardly "amateur softor
us on a daily basis. In this age of ac- ware."
ountability, outcome is the bottom line, But Linux is only one example of
ind in my opinion, our police depart- this. I am sure you have visited Yaaent
rises to the occasion. Thank hoo before. Every wonder what they
rou, as well, to the Thomson Student use? FreeBSD (www.freebsd.org), anlealth
Center and the Baptist Medical other open-source operating system,
Center ?job well done! and what is believed to be an Apache
Elaine Coleman derivative. The Free Software FounMSW
Candidate dation, founded by Richard Stallman,
ft* has been the business of free soft/
AA vt w *xi c ware since long before Linux was ever
r>Al11mn 'lintmip' thought of. Their compiler, gcc (GNU
LUlUllill U.1111 UC c Compiler), is one of the most widely
Po the Editor: used compilers in the world ? probaIn
Ms. Streyer's column in last Fri- bly the most widely used compiler for
[ay's issue of The Gamecock, she made UNIX. All of their software is extremely
I few valid points about intellectual high quality. The open-source nature
vr Nawovat hpr claim of nf it <71iaran+POC flno Tf ie coma pnn.
UJ . AXVffVivi , Viuuu bliUt UlA/ V* iv UUO. XI/ iO U1U OUillV/ Wll
/are" is made by "amateur program- cept as publishing your research for
aers" is completely untrue. Although peer review,
admit I was amazed she was even What does all this mean? Don't disware
of software such as Linux (my miss freeware as "amateur software"
)S of choice), I am not amazed at her just because someone doesn't want mon*norance
about its quality. First, it is ey for it. There is more free software
lot freeware, which is usually simply out there than you can shake a stick at.
. free program, but what is called "open Almost all of it is some of the best qualource"
? meaning that the source code ity software you will ever see. If these
o it is and always will be available, not "amateur" programmers write appliiist
a precompiled binary. Secondly, it cations that outperform their commer3
not written by amateur programmers, cial counterparts, what kind of proontributors
range from professional grammers must be writing the
rogrammers hacking away in their commercial software?
pare time to college students conibuting
for one reason or another. Lin- Wesley Morgan
x consistently outperforms Windows Chemical Engineering Student