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Quote, Unquote ‘It wasn’t like somebody came up out of the stands and did it to us. It’s just mental weakness - we can't do it.' Lou Holtz, USC head football coach, on USC’s mistakes against Kentucky _..............._________ .Vi * fiMi WEDNESDAY- 0cto”b 13-1999 WIjc (Bamecock . Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 Editorial Board Sara Ladenheim • Editor in Chief Kenley Yoiyig • Managing Editor Emily Streyer • Viewpoints Editor Corey Ford • Assistant Viewpoints Editor Brad Walters • Editorial Contributor Kiki McCormick • Editorial Contributor rro-poker campaign sinks to new low Video poker allies have hit a new low with their latest stunt, a hotline that was purportedly set up to give South Car olinians a say in how video poker taxes should be spent. Notice that they only ask our opinion when the point in ques tion is in danger of being rendered moot. Obviously, the hotline was started in an attempt to get good press. As usual, though, their efforts are transparent. This is another play to convince us that poker is here to stay when we hope, it will be voted out of exis tence November 2. The message on the hotline implicitly asserts that the industry will win the referendum. The first sentence says: “thank you for calling to register your vote on how to spend the $200 million the state will collect taxing the video poker industry.” This sentence alone contains two falsehoods. First, by calling it a “vote,” it suggests that it’s some sort of official referendum, when in reality, it’s only a very unscientific survey. Second, by saying the state “will” collect $200 million, it’s saying it’s sure the industry will win. By this statement, the industry is thumbing its nose at us, the voters of South Carolina, by saying the outcome of the vote is an inevitability we can do nothing about. The hotline asks us to choose whether the money will be spent on road and bridge repairs, education or car-tax reduction. At least this last isn’t as mendacious as promises the.industry’s campaign makes elsewhere, such as the bumper stickers stating that a “yes” vote will result in no car taxes at all. Rut there are better wavs to fund all of these needs. For in stance, roads can be paid for by building toll roads for the people, including people from other states just passing through). Let’s fund our needs in an honest way that doesn’t amount to stealing from the poor and desperate among us. Taking cautious steps evades crime l n 18-year-old USC student was abducted near the comer of Blossom and Pickens streets on USC’s campus late Thurs day night. Richland County police officers say the student was driven to Hopkins, raped then left to find her own way back to campus. A man has been chaiged in the rape, and authorities say he’s been on a one-man crime spree at USC for the past few weeks. If that’s the case,we can be glad he’s no longer harming the campus, and the rape victim can rest easier. The assault, while tragic, can also serve as a teacher for the rest of us. On an urban campus like USC’s, crime is an unfortunate fact of life’s while abductions might be isolated, muggings and other rob beries certainly aren’t as infrequent. The university police depart ment does what it can by disseminating timely and valuable tips for students to stay safe. As isolated an incident as this is, it could ob viously happen to any one of us. As students, we must ask our selves whether we’re doing everything we can to prevent our selves from becoming victims. People will say police need to do a better job patrolling campus, but no police force can be every where in its patrol area at all times. With that in mind, we urge all students to take any precautionary steps necessary to keep them selves safe on campus at night. As inconvenient as it might be to call an escort service or a police officer to accompany us at night, it’s the best way to keep Thursday’s incident from repeating itself. SSH ABOUT US i“ ' 'Mr, 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 nine 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 is supported in part by student activities fees. Address The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29208 Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Student Media Area code 803 Advertising 777-3888 Classified 777-1184 Fa* 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Gamecock Area code 803 Editor gcked@sc.edu 777-3914 News gcknews@sc.edu 777-7726 Viewpoints gckviews@sc.edu 777-7181 Etc. gcketc@sc.edu 777-3913 Sports gcksports@sc edu 777-7182 Online www.gamecock.sc.edu 777-2833 SUBMBSION POUCY Letters to the editor or guest columns are welcome from all members of the Carolina community. Letters should be 250-300 words. Guest columns should be an opinion piece of about 600-700 words. Both must include name, phone number, profes sional title or year and major, if a student. Handwritten submissions must be personally delivered to Russell House room 333. E-mail submissions must include telephone number for confirmation. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space Anonymous letters will not be pub lished. Photos are required for guest columnist and can be provided by the submitter . Call 777-7726 for more informatidi „ I Mfc UAMECOCK Sara Ladenheim Editor in Chief Kenley Young Managing Editor Emily Streyer Viewpoints Editor Kevin Langston Brock Vergakis News Editors Clayton Kale Associate News Editor Rachel Helwig EtCetera Editor Todd Money Jared Kelowitz Sports Editor Kristin Freestate Copy Desk Chief Sean Rayford Photo Editor Rob Lindsey Encore Editor Student Media Ellen Parsons Director of Student Media Susan King Creative Director Kris Black Julia Burnett Betsy Martin Kathy Van Nostrand Creative Services Will Gillaspy Online Edita Corey Ford Asst. Viewpoints Editor John Huiett Asst. News Edita Ann Marie Miani Asst. EtCetera Edita David Cloninger Asst. Spats Edita Greg Farley Asst. Photo Edita Casey Williams Asst. Online Edita Brad Walters Graphics Edita, Copy Edita, Editonal Contributa MacKenzie Craven Charlie Wallace Philip Burt Senior Writers Lee Phipps Advertising Manager Sherry Holmes Classified Manager Carolyn Griffin Business Manager Erik Collins Faculty Adviser Jonathan Dunagin Graduate Assistant College Press Exchange National Issues McCain leader for a new America For the hrst time in more than a decade,we Americans will be able to par ticipate in a presidential election in which the in cumbent presi dent is not a candidate. This means that all Ameri cans must choose a new leader from a list of candidates that they might or might not be familiar with. The 2000 election has already shown signs of importance. Americans are be ginning to hear strangely familiar words such as “straw poll” and “primary.” They are beginning to hear about men and women with titles like “governor” or “senator”. And never before with such rapidity and volume have individuals and organi zations contributed money to the candi date they favored the most (or whom they assume will favor them the most). I would like to tell you about a can didate for president, regardless of your be liefs. I want to introduce him not as an “al ternative,” but rather as a man I believe can and will lead America into the 21st century. That man is Sen. John McCain, (R Ariz). During the summer, I began hear u uig about a ien. Mccain otten in tne news papers and on television. I take a great interest in politics, so I did a little research on McCain. His story earned him my vote instantly. I would like to share his story with you. McCain is the son and grandson of prominent Navy admirals. He was accepted into the Naval Academy and graduated in 1958. beginning a 22-year career as a naval aviator. In 1967, McCain was shot down over North Vietnam and held as a POW in Hanoi for five- and- a -half years. He retired from the Navy in 1981 as a captain after earn ing the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart, Legion of Merit and the Distin guished Flying Cross. McCain was elected to the House in 1982 and served two terms before being elected to the Senate in 1986. He was re elected to his third term in 1998 after re ceiving 70 percent of the vote. McCain has become recognized as not only a leader in Washington (he was vot ed one of the “25 Most Influential People in America” by Time magazine in 1997), but also as a champion of honesty, char acter and reform. McCain has been a major advocate against special interests and their financ ing of presidential campaigns. He supports using government subsidies for education vouchers for needy families and reform ing the tax code by getting rid of nonsen sicat taxes nxe me mamage penalty tax. He believes in a strong military that is used to its potential to protect only American interest and vows not to have any U.S. sol dier serve under the United Nations’ com mand. I am McCain’s USC campaign direc tor. I volunteered for this position because I believe in Sen. McCain. I honestly be lieve McCain is the best candidate for the job. I believe in him because the biggest issues he stands for are America’s freedom and success. As students of a rising generation, I en courage you to make a responsible choice in choosing our nation’s next leader. Do not choose the man with the most money (it could coming from wealthy special interest groups), but the man with the most character and, most importantly of all, the most integrity. As Americans in a democratic repub lic, the one thing we should not expect, but rather demand from our leaders is ba .sic trust, faith and hope. McCain offers all three selflessly. He has proven this through his life’s service to a cause greater than himself, America, and because he asks for nothing in return. When I met McCain on Sept. 28th, he did ask one thing of this university, though, and that was to win a football game. Washington Post HERBLOCK’S CARTOON " W0ULPNT TOUCH IT" Questions & Answers How can I get Mailboxes, Etc. services here on campus? While students can’t get Mailboxes, Etc. services all in one place here on campus, they can get the services at three places in the Russell House. The Information Center has a fax machine available for students. The center offers copy sales and poster enlargement. Also, any student can buy a ticket to any event at the Koger Center, Carolina Coliseum, Bomber Stadium or the Township. Quick Copy (third floor, Russell House) also offers copy sales and document binding (for university purposes). Students can buy stamps, shipping supplies and packaging supplies at the Russell House Bookstore. Earth Works in the Carolina Mall also sells stamps. Do you have questions about anything on campus? E mail us here at GCKVIEWS@sc.edu or bring a letter up to 333, and we ’ll answer your questions. Economic Issues Capitalist States of America As someone who loathes the capital ist mindset that has taken over this country like a par asitic disease, I am appalled by the way American people have em braced capitalism. People all over the world are selling out to greedy cor porations, and who showed them how? We did — we the people of the United States of America. Jeremy Touzel writes a bi-week ly column. He can be reached via The Gamecock at gckviews@sc.edu unuw, ueiuie yuu iduei me a luimiiu nist, know that I feel very much like Ma hatma Gandhi when he said: “Capitalism as such is not evil; it is its wrong use that is evil.” Every time I go out to get the mail from my mailbox, I walk back to my apartment in disgust. Nearly every piece of mail that ends up in my mailbox is some sort of ad vertisement from a business that shouldn’t have my address. As I curse the capitalist demons that haunt me, I somehow find so lace in knowing that 1 can use the mail when I run out of toilet paper. During one of my trips to the mailbox, 1 was just giddy with excitement in find ing an application for a credit card. The last time I had gotten one of these was... hmm, let’s see... oh yeah, the day before! But this was no ordinary credit card: this was a “premium” credit card. Unless I’m low on toilet paper, I usually throw away the application without reading it. Occa sionally, when I’m bored, I’ll fill one out for my cat, Lucifer, who has been approved for three cards so far. This card, however, truly was differ ent. It was a Golden Key National Honor Society Platinum Plus MasterCard issued by MBNA America Bank. At that point I spouted off the most obscenity-filled tirade ever delivered to a mailbox. I was furious. In good conscience, how could a so-called “honor” society sell the names of its members to MasterCard? As I continued to read the application, I discovered that for every sucker approved for a Golden Key National Honor Soci ety Platinum Plus Mastercard, a “donation” is made to the “honor” society. Now, I knew there was no way in ucu uiat i wuuiu cvci >cc a p^unjr ui uiai “donation,” but being the benevolent phil anthropist that I am, I asked myself, “Je remy, what harm could possibly come from getting a Golden Key National Honor So ciety Platinum Plus MasterCard, other than being in debt to the MasterCard Corpo ration FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY!” A couple of hours later, as I used the application to wipe some real crap from my bottom, I finally realized how suscep tible we all are to the evils of capitalism. Inevitably, we will hear, “That story and more on the 6 o’clock news brought to you by Tylenol.” Not long afterward, thepost office itself and other governmental insti tutions will be sponsored. In a couple of years, if we are very lucky, we will all watch the Depends Ultra- Absorbent Fiesta Bowl on the first day of January. However, no matter how long we live, we will never see a Honda American Di abetes Association or a Merrill Lynch National Cancer Society. We will never see one of those trendy GAP commercials pro moting breast cancer awareness or the pop ular Budweiser frogs croaking for multi ple sclerosis. Why will these things never happen? Is it because theyi're not good causes? No - it’s because they’re not profitable. Letters Evolution theory not definite despite facts To the Editor. Dr.Habing, in a recent letter, states that “...72 Nobel laureates... noted there is in deed much evidence backing evolution.” Scientists depend on authority for an over whelming majority of their scientific knowl edge. Published work and not the thoughts of individuals are the basis of scientific authority. We cannot base evolution as be ing true just because 72 Nobel laureates said so; therefore we must look to published work. The Journal of Molecular Evolution was set up in 1971 in order to explain how at the molecular level life came to exist. In the JME, origin-of-life papers pose inter esting questions but do not address how ir reducibly complex systems came into ex istence. Mathematical models deal with models for evolution but assume that evolution is piecemeal and haphazard in the real world, but it cannot show it. The ma jority of the journal deals with sequence comparisons but still no answers. It’s like two different models of computers by the same company. Their instruction manuals may contain many of the same words and sentences, but comparing the sequences would not tell us if the computer could have been created wise step from a typewriter. Unfortunately, JME has never pub lished a detailed model of how a complex biological system could arise through step by-step changes as proposed by Darwinism. We find this even if we look to other journals, like the Proceedings of the Na tional Academy of Sciences. In books, the result is the same: There are some sequences and math, but there are no explanations. There are no publications anywhere that show how complex structures arose through evolution, but only the notion that evolu tion must have occurred despite a lack of applicable experiments and calculations. Donnie Pritchett Pre-Pharmacy Junior