The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 21, 2000, Page A5, Image 5
Quote, Unquote '
‘I’ve seen about a thousand clowns of injustice
come out of it [the Elections Commission].’
David Hill, Katie Taylor’s campaign manager
Whe (5mccock
Editorial Board
Kenley Young • Editor in Chief
Brad Walters • Managing Editor
Brock Vergakis • Viewpoints Editor
Peter Johnson • Assistant Viewpoints Editor
Emily Streyer • Editorial Contributor
Weekend primary
has record turnout
Chis weekend’s GOP primary enjoyed record numbers at the
polls. More than a half-million South Carolinians cast their
votes Saturday, more than doubling the 1996 primary
it.
When the polls were closed for the day, Texas Gov. Geoige W.
Bush came out on top, by a maigin of 11 percent, much higher
than expected. Bush finished with 53 percent of the vote, Arizona
Sen. John McCain had 42 percent and former Ambassador Alan
Keyes received 5 percent. The three candidates are set to square
off Tuesday in the Michigan primary.
me inc^ain camp was uisappuinieu m me lower-man-expeci
ed turnout of democrats and independents. The closings of some
selected Greenville polling stations Sturday might have slightly af
fected numbers, as well. Twenty-one stations were closed in all af
ter volunteers didn’t show up. There were also reports that some
stations ran out of ballots and had to send for more to accomodate
the record turnout. Upon hearing of the closings, McCain called
for an investigation.
The Republican Party insists that it got the word out to local
news media early enough Saturday to allow time for news of the
closings to reach voters. They also named alternative polling sta
tions that voters could go to.
Unfortunately, when people have to drive 20 minutes out of
their way to vote, they are less likely to put in the extra effort.
The record turnout of voters in the two primaries shows that
Americans care about who they want their next president to be.
This is the first time in several elections that there has been a rela
tively tight race and voters have been turning out in force to sup
port their favorite candidate.
Let’s hope this trend continues.
Gamecocks playing
best ball of season
By shellacking Alabama on Saturday by 21 points, the USC
men’s basketball team finally strung together something of
a winning streak - it’s the team’s second straight victory af
ter a 68-67 win Wednesday against Mississippi State.
It’s a small streak, to be sure. Nevertheless, for the Game
cocks, who are just coming off a nine-game losing skid, this might
be just what the doctor ordered. The boys played some of their
best basketball of the season Saturday, as they shot 14 of 17 from
the foul line, hit a season-high 12 three-pointers and finished the
game with 22 assists to only five turnovers.
Just to put things in perspective, that’s the lowest number of
turnovers any USC team has had since head coach Eddie Fogler
took the helm.
It seems the Gamecocks are playing with some confidence
now, which is something they’ll need if they hope to pull their
record above .500 and salvage an otherwise dismal season. Out
side of winning the Southeastern conference tournament, the only
way the Gamecocks can hope to reach any sort of postseason play
is to win the rest of their regular-season games. Keep cheering’’
them on, and wish the boys luck for Wednesday’s match-up
against Louisiana State University.
* i ~
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* ■■ —
LOOTS UTE
WE OUGHT
THE BOG
TOTS GOINS
MVS).
National Issues
For some, fame validates life
“Mom, did
you see ‘Hard
ball’last night?”
I asked, excit
edly. “That was
my hand hold
ing the ‘Stu
dents for Mc
Cain’ sign.”
Sure, she was
proud of my in
volvement, but
my mom wasn’t
really impressed
by the self-pro
fessed “fame” I
was offered by
this random ral
lowing day. They’d be the coolest ones at
school and never wash their shirts again,
but would the BSB be affected by their vis
it? Most likely not, considering the de
mographics of these supposed VIPs
probably consist of prize-winners and kids
with connections, anyway, like the little
snob Veruca Salt of “Willy Wonka.”
So the Boys were probably at as much
of a loss as we were, having to sit
through more “sincere” compliments. I’d
never forgive myself if I were to spout the
mundane words “You inspire me” or “I
love your music” in the heat of the mo
ment, so maybe it’s better we got denied.
I felt the same way when I stood by
Sen. McCain for a few minutes as he was
leaving Jillian’s that evening; I was close
enough to him to see that he signs his name
left-handed, and I had ample time to say
something to him. Nothing substantial
brewed in my head as I was distracted by
the cameras flashing in his face and the
psychotic fans tugging on his shirt, while
volunteers literally screamed at him, plac
ing their claims on his signature. I felt
physically threatened, so I stepped off, with
just enough time to tell his supportive wife
that I hoped she could get some rest.
The BSB need rest, too, I guess, but
they’re busy making young girls go crazy,
not necessarily restoring pride in our coun
try. Still, we care whether they wave at us
anyway, probably for the same reason
Geoige W. Bush fans want his autograph
on a campaign sign.
I suppose we think it matters be
cause we want to matter. If we are with
people in the magazines, then we might
be magazine-worthy, too, and we might
have the chance to live the fame we so
adore in these people.
These famous folks are just like us,
though, and their signatures will never
mean more than the feeling they repre
sent. Even meeting them in person can be
surpassed by that inexplicable rush of emo
tion experienced at a certain time in our
lives. •
Being at the McCain rally with my
fired-up ally epitomized the MasterCard
commercial about certain life experiences
that are simply priceless. That evening had
less to do with big news stations and spot
lighted politicians and more to do with a
celebratory attitude about life.
We can all meet celebrities and shake
hands with high-profde people if we stalk
hard enough. We can even send fan mail
and receive timely, personalized re
sponses from our most-treasured stars, but
we shouldn’t foiget that these people are
real and flawed, and the “best” people in
our lives could very well be the same ones
sitting next to us as we read People mag
azine.
We are all blessed with gifts, but we
need to search for them and exchange our
talents in life so we can fulfill each other
like these celebrities seem to fulfill us. I’ve
had a few long and personal encounters
with some of the country’s most familiar
faces, which only enhances my puzzle
ment over being star-struck.
I can’t explain why I screamed for the
Backstreet Boys on Thursday night and
couldn’t muster up a word for the senator,
but 1 can definitely sum up what it means
to be affected by a person or event, to get
caught up in a moment and let the excite
ment take over.
“Tomorrow, you’ll see Brian and the
Backstreet Boys in person, Mere,” en
thused my fellow BSB-obsessed com
rade the day before the show. “Tomorrow,
you’ll turn 12.”
Happy twelfth birthday to everyone
who plans to watch next month's Acade
my Awards in awe, as well as everyone
who voted passionately in the primary for
the presidential hopeful of his or her choice,
and finally, to those who ran to the State
house on Friday to be in the presence of
Peter Jennings.
Congratulations to all of you - fame’s
presence has not been lost on you, nor has
the adrenaline of youth.
Now, let’s all have a pillow fight, eat
some Pixie Sticks and wave around our
American flags to the tracks of our favorite
CDs - we have been given another day to
live and smile with one another and to
make a reality of our most excellent dreams.
ly reaturing s.c.. s most prominent
politicians in support of the senator. I guess
knowing all of MSNBC’s viewers saw my
hand was enough to keep me excited for
a few days... that is, until the long-await
ed Backstreet Boys concert!
I constantly wonder what makes us
common citizens care about fame, and I’ve
finally come to a conclusion. After pon
dering this question every year after the
Oscar obsession wears off and following
the buzz of every live concert I attend, I
have decided that being the watched in
stead of the watcher is surreal; it almost
validates life.
Most “normal” people are the audi
ence of such phenomena as political fire
balls, teen dreams and Oscar contenders.
When we are the watched, however, life
seems to offer hope for more possibilities,
with an abolishment of monotony and per
sonal mediocrity.
Thursday night, I tried to get into the
dressing room after the Backstreet Boys
conceit with my three companions, after
we had already successfully sneaked down
into better seats.
Our dreams were shattered when a se
lect group of teeny-boppers, sporting VIP
stickers, made sure we lowly fans didn’t
get to visit the Boys backstage.
Enraged and disappointed, we stormed
out the Coliseum, pondering the pictures
those girls would be developing the fol
is a journalism
junior. She can
be reached at
gamecockview
points®hotmail.c
om
Campus Issues
Don't
bother
smokers
I don’t K 5
smoke, and al
though I am not a
fan of the act of
smoking, 1 don’t
hate smokers. I
have several
smoking friends
and loved ones.
My clothes often
smell like smoke,
and my apart
ment smells like
the teachers’
lounge, but 1 real
ly don’t mind. 1
have basically
been a second
hand smoker for most my life. While'it
doesn’t help my allergies, I can usually
tolerate it. It isn’t my choice for them to
smoke or not smoke.
It’s free will, baby, and while most of
you think that smokers are uncaring and
rude people because of their habit, I like
to think otherwise. Smoking doesn't do
anything to your character or personali
ty. Nicotine isn’t a mood-enhancing sub
stance, so to think that smokers are rude
and insensitive is a preposterous claim.
Another stigma placed on smokers is
that they are mindless and numb con
sumers who don’t see the danger in their
habit. Recently, an anti-smoking advertis
ing campaign has taken an abrasive
stance against the smoking industry.
One ad mocks a Mountain Dew ad in
which teen-agers do extreme sports with
their favorite soda in hand. In this spot,
kids are bungee jumping from a bridge
with their soda, and one guy explodes.
The moral of the ad:'Unlike cigarettes,
this soda won’t kill a significant portion
of its users. Get the point?
So I hope smokers let these ads sink
in because rumor has it smoking is bad
for you. That’s right, that habit you’ve
had for the longest time doesn’t enhance
your lung capacity or make you stronger.
It’s bad for you. Sorry.
\\hit a minute! Smokers aren’t dumb.
They can read (most of them anyway).
They know some suigeon general guy
says cigarettes are bad for them, but
guess what? They choose to do it any
way. Why? It doesn’t matter why they
choose to smoke. It’s their choice, so
don’t bother them.
How would you like it if someone
passed judgement on you because of
your deep-rooted love for Twinkies?
They might not be as harmful as ciga
rettes, but they are certainly not good for
you. Cynics would say that everything
kills you in the end, and they’re probably
right. Your need to keep your skin per
fectly tanned all year isn’t going to help
out in the long run, and your desire to
grab a quick cup of coffee at Starbucks
on the way to class won’t help out that
much, either.
Why do we place such negative
overtones on smoking. Everyone knows
cigarettes are bad for you, so why the big
scare tactic? Just because somebody sees
these ads on television doesn’t mean
they are going to reform right away. Re
form comes when and if these people
want to change their lifestyles. Smoking
isn’t wrong. It certainly isn’t healthy, but
it isn’t wrong.
Letters
Columnist should
explain issue further
Please don't take this letter as a spite
ful attack on your viewpoints, but rather as
an objective and constructive criticism
regarding your writing.
When editing your work or the work
of others, let me suggest that you require
statements of fact or reason that backup or
explain the opinions contained in the
column.
I personally do not have an opinion
about public relations majors because I know
not one. What I do know is that your col
umn stated, “...PR majors are those who as
pire to be glorified secretaries because they
can't cut it in the journalism or business
world.” I wondered, as I read this sentence,
what brought you to this conclusion.
This speculation could have all been
avoided had you listed or explained your
own reasoning, provided you actually
thought about the words that you wrote,
which1 leads me to my next point.
What were you trying to accomplish
with the phrase, "...various four letter words
describing sexual acts with mothers and
goats[?]” Whose mother? Whose goat?
If you were trying to demonstrate that
people disagree over opinions and further
expound on the different methods used to
voice this disagreement, i.e., obscenities,
slurs, gestures, etc., ending that phrase with
"...FOUR LETTER WORDS." would have
sufficed. The added explicit reference
was truly tasteless.
Again, I urge you to take this letter to
heart and think about the thoughts you con
vey in your writings when it involves the
viewpoints of others. The best way to avoid
an argument is to fully explain the rea
soning used to formulate a conclusion.
W. Jack Tumer-Vaught
First Year Law Student
h \ ■' ■
Columnist furthers
myths on drug use
I would like to address Mr. Ona's be
liefs about drug users in America.
He is primarily speaking about Latini
drug use, but most of his comments seen
to be generalized in order to condemn th(
users of all drugs that are illegal substances
He makes a clear decision between his us<
of cigarettes and the use of any other ille
gal substance.
He asks the question “what end doe
drug use lead to?” He answers the questioi
by saying that “America has no room to b
intoxicated for recreational purposes.
He then states that he is taking re
sponsibility for his actions in regards to us
ing cigarettes, apparently his drug of choice
while denying any notion that a user of an;
other drug cannot take responsibility.
He concludes by saying that we shouli
turn our drug war inward and start arrest
ing the drug user^
It’s sad to see this kind of material ii
your newspaper.
I’m sure everyone realizes that drugs,
legal and illegal, are widely used for recre
ational purposes in our country. Their ef
fects vary, depending on the social situa
tion that they are used in, the method of
1 ingestion and the properties of the drug.
Much of the anti-drug message has actu
ally distorted the facts about the physical
properties of illegal drugs.
Marijuana has been proven to be less
harmful than the author’s drug of choice,
but articles like this only work to further
1 myths.
1 Ignorance about the physiological, psyy
' chological and social aspects of drug use
and abuse continue because of narrow-mind
■ • ed works such as this article.
Our own library has some very good
. works that could offer enough information
' to start a good debate over this topic that
is too often mired in symbolism.
I
Dan Walker
Sociology Senior ,