The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 26, 2000, Page A6, Image 6
Quote, Unquote
‘I think it [music] kind of ran its course from
1967 - 79. That was the golden age of rock.’
Robert Pollard, lead singer, Guided by Voices
■Che ©amccocli Wednesmy, January 26,2000
Whc (Bamcock
Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08
'Editorial Board
Kenley Young • Editor in Chief
Brad Walters • Managing Editor
Brock Vergakis • Viewpoints Editor
Peter Johnson • Assistant Viewpoints Editor
Sara Ladenheim • Editorial Contributor
Emily Streyer • Editorial Contributor
Late cancellation
endangers students
he “Blizzard of 2000” brought more than 4 inches of snow
to the Columbia area, but some might not remember the
beauty of the weather as much as they’ll remember the in
considerateness of the university in its late cancellation of classes
Tuesday.
Unlike other local schools, which gave their students plenty of
notice by canceling Tuesday classes early Monday evening, USC
decided it would go along with whatever Gov. Jim Hodges an
nounced concerning state offices. So, following Hodges’ lead, ad
ministrators announced Monday night that classes wouldn’t begin
until 11 a.m. Tuesday. And it wasn’t until between 10 a.m. and 11
a.m. Tuesday morning that local media outlets announced that
classes were off for the day.
By then, many commuting students and professors were al
ready making the dangerous trip to campus, only to find classroom
buildings locked because they’d left home before the announce
ment was made.
Winter weather seems to have befuddled the administration
again this year, just as it did last year when campus saw an inch of
snow. Sadly, even though the roads were bad enough to warrant
the cancellation of classes, many students made the dangerous
commute just the same because of the late announcement.
We applaud the administration for making a prompt announce
ment concerning Wednesday’s classes, but it doesn’t reverse T\ies
day’s problems. Next time, we suggest that the administration give
students and faculty more notice to prevent its 15,000 off-campus
students from having to make a needless commute.
Legalizing tattooing
right thing to do
A House subcommittee has passed a bill to legalize tattooing
in South Carolina in an effort to maintain public health
safety and regulate the practice.
According to officials, tattooing has long been illegal in South
Carolina mainly because of a conservative attitude, which goes so
far as to make illegal the selling of ferrets.
Avid tattoo aficionados who live in South Carolina might no
longer have to worry about making the long drive to Atlanta or
Charlotte to get a tattoo. Those who didn’t have the resources to
take an out-of-state trip usually visited one of several illegal tat
too parlors in Myrtle Beach.
With the passing of this legislation, there’s now hope for a
guarantee that tattooing in South Carolina will be licensed and
sanitary. The Department of Health and Environmental Control
supports the measure because illegal tattooing isn’t regulated and
could spread diseases when dirty needles are used.
This is a big step in the right direction toward the advancement
of free expression in the state of South Carolina. It’s about time
state legislation stops being stubborn about letting people express
themselves through body art. Maybe next we can all own ferrets,
as well.
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.
Adoress
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Submission Policy
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The Gamecock
Ken ley Young
Editor in Chief
Brad Walters
Managing Editor
Brock Vergakis
Viewpoints Editor
Clayton Kale
News Editor
Brandon Larrabee
Associate News Editor
Rebecca Cronican
Ann Marie Miani
EtCetera Editors
David Cloninger
Jeff Romig
Sports Editors
Kristin Freestate
Copy Desk Chief
Renee Oligny
Copy Editor
Kevin Langston
Encore Editor
Student Media
Ellen Parsons
Director
Susan King
Creative Director
Kris Black
Julie Burnett
Todd Hooks
Betsy Martin
Kathy Van Nostrand
Creative Services
Kenton Watt
Advertising Manager
Carolyn Griffin
Amy Goulding
Travis Lynn
Photo Editors
Will Gillaspy
Online Editor
Peter Johnson
Asst. Viewpoints Editor
Kelly Haggerty
Patrick Rathbun
Asst. News Editors
MacKenzie Craven
Asst. EtCetera Editor
Shannon Rooke
Asst. Sports Editor
Robert Fleming
Asst. Encore Editor
Charles Prashaw
Shawn Singleton
Charlie Wallace
Senior Writers
Emily Streyer
Editorial Contributor
Business Manager
Sherry Holmes
Classified Manager
Erik Collin*
Faculty Adviser
Jonathan Dunagin
Graduate Assistant
Robyn Gombar
Gina McKelvey
Melissa Millen
Brantley Roper
Nicole Russell
Advertising Staft
The Gamecock
Hey, General Sherman, you forgot something.
Social Issues
Respect yourself, or others won't
She stood
alone with
tears falling
from her eyes,
wondering what
she could have
done different
ly. He stood
alone at the cor
ner of the bar,
wondering what
was taking the
bartender so
long to get his
drink.
Moments
later, one of her
friends ap
proached her
with a simple
question: “Why
Brock Vergakis
is a journalism
junior and
Viewpoints editor.
He can be
reached at game
cockview
points@hotmaii
.com
do you constantly take all his shit?” Then
came her answer, so brief, yet so complex
in understanding. “Because he loves me,”
she said.
What caused her to start crying only
moments earlier was that the one who
“ioved” her violently grabbed her arm and
told her to shut the hell up and get her
fat ass out of the bar. This from the one she
says “loves” her.
I stood alone, watching in amazement
as all of this transpired, wondering how
someone could allow herself to be treat
ed this way. But then I remembered the
answer, he loves her.
While I patiently waited for a bever
age, I heard him explain to anyone who
would listen why he took the action that
he did. Apparently, the “disagreement”
took place because she ran into an ex
boyfriend earlier that night whom she still
wanted to be friends with.
All of his buddies seemed to think he
was right, saying things like, “Serves the
bitch right” and “What a whore.”
She had just been described as a bitch
and a whore because she wanted to be
friends with someone. But don’t worry,
it’s not a big deal, because he loves her, she
says. She tells her friends to leave her alone
because they don’t know him as she does.
They don’t know, the way she does, how
much he cares about her.
Tired of the frustration, her friends
oblige and leave her alone, tears still falling
from her eyes.
Tired of seeing how someone could
show such little respect for herself, I got
my drink and left. This entire “drama” took
place in less than 10 minutes. It’s absolutely
amazing how much people can reveal about
themselves in that little time. It’s absolutely
amazing how completely disgusted I be
came with two people in less than 10
minutes.
I couldn’t believe the nerve he had
to treat her in such a horrible manner. The
pure arrogance he displayed in his self
righteousness was mind-blowing. Instead
of being happy he was the one with his girl
friend, his jealousy consumed him and he
showed everyone there what a monster he
was able to be. Everyone realized what a
complete jerk he was being - everyone,
that is, except his girlfriend.
f
She’s obviously been blinded in the
name of “love.” There’s absolutely no rea
son for any girl to put up with that type of
behavior from any guy, but she did so be
cause she says he “loves” her.
She puts up with it and gets frustrat
ed with others because nobody else can
understand how much he cares about
her. She’s absolutely right. I’ve never been
able to understand how that type of be
havior can be misconstrued as coming from
someone who cares about another. I’m
sure her friends can’t understand, either,
and I take pity on all of those who can.
Maybe the bruise he put on her arm
was the first time he had ever done any
physical damage to her, maybe it’s not. Of
tentimes, though, mental abuse is just as
bad as physical. Whether it’s an insult or
an open hand thrown at someone, it’s bound
to cause suffering.
I would hope that everyone in a situ
ation like this would be able to recognize
it and get out as soon as possible, but as this
weekend proved to me, this is not always
the case. It bothers me to think that next
time, it’s quite possible it might be one
of my friends who gets in a situation like
this and doesn’t get out.
I hope that this will never happen, and
I wish nobody ever has to go through life
with someone who “cares” about them the
way this guy cares for his girlfriend.
Most of all, I hope everyone realizes that
to get out of such a situation takes courage
and self-respect. Because if you don’t show
respect for yourself, you can’t expect any
body else to.
Financial Issues
BellSouth
much too
greedy
BS: BellSouth
or bullsh_t?
With BS
pushing to increase
your monthly bills
by as much as $17
per phone line, the
answer is easy. The
S.C. Public Service
Commission is de
riding whether to
establish a univer
sal service fund to
subsidize service to
remote, high-cost
areas in the state.
The fund,
which would most
ly benefit BS,
Mario Ona is a
journalism .senior
and can be
reached at game
cockview
points@hotmail.
com
would become one of the most expensive
plans in the nation. In 1997, BS, with its
near monopoly in providing local service,
said the outrageous amount of $440 mil
lion would be needed for the fund. PSC,
since then, has computed the data itself and
says the fund needs $330 million. Whoops,
a discrepancy of ONLY $110 million!
Where is the seriousness? To put these num
bers in perspective, North Carolina, a state
twice as laige and twice as populated as
South Carolina, proposed $12 million. Our
state is asking for more than 36 times that
amount! The $440 million translates to as
much as $17 a month more for everyone.
And we get upset when stamps go up
a cent! For some people, that would near
ly double their monthly bills. For a small
company with several phone lines, costs
would increase substantially. For senior cit
izens with a fixed income, that’s more than
$200 a year more - an additional cost many
won’t be able to afford. And for the ma
jority of nonrural dwellers, it would mean
paying something for nothing. These tac
tics explain how BS recently reported an
earnings increase of 9.1 percent from last '
year. It went from $23.1 billion to $25.2
billion. Without any numbers to compare
BS’s increase in earnings, it’s difficult to
understand how insulting BS’s profits are
to its clients. Usually, when a company is
as big as BS and its market share is close to
100 percent, simply maintaining its share
and revenues is a success. Yet BS, despite
already controlling almost the entire mar
ket, has the luxury of having increases of
9.1 percent in revenue.
The fund is a good example of how BS
operates. They say the fund would be rev
enue neutral, but given BS’s history of
doing whatever it takes to make the buck,
it’s hard to believe that they’re doing some
thing without monetary compensation. BS
is probably doing what I used to do when
I wanted a G.I. Joe. If I wanted one, I’d ask
my parents for two. We would baigain, and
I’d end up with the one Joe I originally
wanted.
But there are differences between BS
and me. I was 6 when I resorted to those
tactics, and even at that age, I had morals.
I wouldn’t ask for nine G.I. Joes when I
needed only one. BS, however, is asking
for 9 G.I. Joes, and if they get 7, they could
n’t be happier. Worst of all, you and I will
be paying for those Joes. Some say that BS’s
aim is to have some “cushion money” to
ensure that when competition gets too
close, BS can afford to drop its prices. With
this “cushion money” set aside, BS could
afford to drop its rates without losing any
thing.
To me this sounds very convincing,
pecially when BS refuses to voice its opin
ions on the issue. What are they hiding?
Why can’t they justify why they need so
much money? This ends up being a good
case study for the flaws of capitalism - when
people begin to make money, they get ad
dicted and don’t know when to stop. They
don’t know when enough is enough. The
motivation to make money surpasses so
cial responsibility and even humanity. Sure,
people have the right to make as much mon
ey as they can. But do people or oiganiza
tions realize that sometimes it is at the
expense of others? BS seems to have fall
en into this trap. It wants to continue in
creasing its profits. Considering that BS es
sentially has a monopoly, the only way to
increase profits is to take more money from
the people it serves. And because the
people don’t have a choice, they hav^m^
submit to BS’s game. Where is the si|j^ ‘
responsibility? Where are the values of uas
company? What can we do? You can con
tact the PSC and voice your opinion. Don’t
let BS get away with this. Save yourselves
$17 a month. PSC’s Web address is
www.psc.state:*c.us, and you can call the
commission at '737-5230.
Letters
Capstone crime
violates residents
As a resident of Capstone House, I, too,
would like to comment on the recent string
of thefts that occurred here last week. I
have a comment on this issue because
like others, I found myself violated by this
thief. The fact that this person was able to
walk into my room while I lay there sleep
ing and lift my belongings leaves me with
a feeling that words cannot describe.
It is not so much that they stole my
jewelry, because those items can be re
placed, but that I was there when it hap
pened. Since the robbery, I’m constantly
thinking of what I should have done to pre
vent this or what would have happened if
I had woken up and found this person in
my room. It pisses me off to realize that
this person knows exactly what I look like,
when I have no clue as to who they might
be. To know that I can be passing them on
my way to class or work irritates the hell
out of me. To the robber, I’ll give it to you,
you got me good.
However, though your tactic seems
clever and effective at the moment, your
luck is sure to run out! I know that I said
the items you stole can and, may I add, will
be replaced, but I would like to take this
opportunity to ask you for my belongings
back. I know that it is unrealistic to think
that I’ll get everything if anything back at
all, but can I at least get back my class ring,
my mother’s cluster and my boyfriend’s
bracelet with his name on it? I mean, let’s
be for real, who are you going to sell a class
ring to? Finally, to those Vho did not find
yourselves a victim of this person’s
crime, I’ll leave you with a little advice:
Don’t let your guard down because you
might end up like me and other students
who live here at the infamous Capstone
House.
Felicia Brown
Business Sophomore
Administration gets
F on snow storm
Please pass along my wannest and most
sincere appreciation to the administration
of the University of South Carolina for the
outstanding job they did in reacting to the
recent snowstorm. With unparalleled com
petence and despite all the modem means
of quick communication (e-mail, radio and
television), somehow they still managed
not to inform many of us that classes would
be canceled Jan. 25. The mile walk in the
snow this morning was nice exercise any
way.
KarlTyer
Graduate student
Daria Moore School of Business
Heritage is no
excuse for hate
After reading what the misinformed and
misguided Thomas A. Eybl wrote in his let
ter Monday, I was aghast. The Statehouse
is the governmental institution of every
one in South Carolina. Heritage is no ex
cuse for hate, and it’s not justiHeat on to
alienate an entire population. Not every
one in South Carolina finds 300 years of
oppression, degradation and enslavement
worth honoring. Mr. Eybl said that he is
disappointed that The Gamecock hasn’t
come fully into the new millennium. Well,
I am heartbroken that he encourages this
state’s stagnation, with its “plantation men
tality,” and that he has failed to bring him
self and those around him into the 21 st cen
tury, where narrow-mindedness and
prejudice aren’t accepted.
For him to be a member of the race that
the flag is constantly berating, it is difficult
to fathom how he can believe the propa
ganda spread by the very ones who would
have him still in bondage and in “colored
only” sections had the National Associa
tion for the Advancement of Colored Peo
ple and many others not fought and died to
get it changed. Perhaps they should fly a
flag in their honor. Furthermore, the ques
tion shouldn’t be whether Malik Husser
speaks for the entire university, but whether
the flag speaks for the entire state. Now
Mr. Eybl can proclaim his support and speak
of all the other “Southerners” who believe
as he does about the flag, but I and 50,000
others were not afraid to let our voices be
heard just a week ago.
The NAACP is not the enemy of South
Carolina; the foe is the members of the Leg
islature who refuse to listen to the pro
gressive and common-sensed people of the
state. We should not be glorifying or flying
the Confederate flag. If we are a universi
ty of the next generation, we shouldn’t want
to carry the sins of our fathers with us in
to what could be a wonderful future.
Kamilla Bostick
Journalism Freshman