The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 21, 2000, Page 6, Image 6
-'fjhteSi T 7A • , Quote, Unquote
JH/% / “I /ATT -tt^v >^v - |^v -I- r^d ‘I know you will get there. You are good people.’
\j I—" \/\/ Iff I Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., expressing confidence that South
? _l_V_y f ▼ V^/_I_l_ Carolinans will resolve the flag issue
Page 6 IDlC 03111C CO Ck Friday, April 21, 2000
Wie (Bamecock
. 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
Defeating Clemson
proves team's valor
Congratulations are in order for the members of the USC
baseball team, who on Monday were named the No. 1 team
in America by all major polls. It’s the first time a USC team
has held that position since 1994, when our soccer team was
ranked No. 1 in the country.
The Gamecocks didn’t disappoint last night, either, as they beat
archrivals the Clemson Tigers 9-8 in the 12th inning, one of the
most exciting games of the season.
Season after season, the Gamecock baseball team has turned in
solid performances and consistent winning records. And while
hardcore USC fans have offered them honest, undying support, the
team hasn’t received the respect they so richly deserve from the
Carolina and Columbia communities, who are more concerned
with our struggling football and basketball programs.
For Coach Ray Tanner and his team, this ranking represents the
culmination of years of hard work and dedication. They earned this
position, and we’re proud of them for it. Plus, they’ve beaten
Clemson twice in eight days. What more can we ask of them?
USC heads to Kentucky on Friday to play the No. 23 Wildcats.
The Gamecock wishes good luck to the baseball team, the No. 1
college baseball program in America.
Housing resolution
to be commended
Xt seems Student Government is finally getting the picture that
students want them to achieve something we’ll actually care
about. Sen. Brian Hunter proposed a resolution that would
make Rousing sign up operate in the same manner as registering
for classes.
Many upperclassmen got less than desirable housing assign
ments for the fall, and SG is trying to do something about it so it
won’t happen again. The housing department knows upperclass
men want apartment-style residences and led many students to
believe that those with 60 or more hours would get into these
halls.
However, the housing department said that “virtually” all up
erclassmen would get into these halls. Many students decided not
to seek off-campus housing because they believed they wouldn’t
get into an apartment-style residence hall, only to be disappointed
by being assigned to such residence halls as The Roost.
Under the resoloution proposed by Sen. Hunter, students could
see what rooms are available so they could make a more informed
decision as to whether to commit to living on campus.
After the completion of East Quadrangle, it will be a long time
before any more apartment-style residence halls will become
available. If the housing department can’t offer us any additional
apartment-style residence halls, the least they can do is offer a
better system of signing up for housing. We urge the housing de
partment to take a close look at Sen. Hunter’s plan, for it has the
potential to truly benefit students.
.The other memebers of SG should follow Hunter’s lead, and
begin offering more resolutions that, as Hunter says, “ ... people
actually want.” After all, that’s exactly why we have student gov
ernment in the first place — to do things we actually want them
to___
A B O U T U S mi
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
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^Call 777-7726 for more informatirft.
I HE VjAMECOCK
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
Shannon Rooke
Sports Editors
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Copy Editor
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Social Issues
Mainstream music not 'art'
-w- ■w'Shshs —
I—I olih God
A AHahaha
haha! (And for
you “e” kids:
LOL) Lar, Lars,
Lars... (Lars Ul
rich, drummer
of Metallica)
You kill me
man! I am
laughing at the
article that ap
peared on the
front page of the
Gamecock on
Wednesday,
April 18,2000,
“Metallica at
tacks Napster
_»»
Mario Ona
is a public rela
tions senior. The
Viewpoints editor
can be reached
at gamecock
viewpoints®
hotmail.com
MCU JllV.
Now people, before I begin, let me
just say this: I think Metallica is great. I
really do. And Lars Ulrich is a phenom
enal drummer. But would I pirate a Metal
lica MP3 off the net? You bet your sweet
little leather and lace ass I would!
For those of you who missed the ar
ticle, Metallica sued a Web company that
was making MP3s more accessible
without any authorization from the mu
sicians whose music was being traded.
Metallica won, and that’s fine.
Between the rich and greedy, one tak
ing several hundred thousand from an
other-no biggie! Who cares!
What repulses me to the point of gid
dy laughter; is Ulrich’s anger with people
having access to Metallica music without
paying for it.
He said, “It is sickening to know
that our art [hahahahaha! - this is me
laughing] is being traded like a com
modity rather than the art that it is.
Can you freaking believe this guy?
Metallica being art. Maybe at one point
it was, but as soon as THEY - Lars, James,
and the other boys of Metallica - decid
ed to use their music to become mil
lionaires, it is THEY who made their art
a commodity.
Apparently, it is “sickening” for
others to use their “art” like a commod
ity, but when Metallica chooses to plas
ter “Metallica” on everything from T
shirts to bumper stickers and treat their
own name, music and image as a Happy
Meal, then it is OK.
Whatever, Lars... I love you, man,
but whatever! You’re funny to me, like
most corporate “artists” who sell their
souls for the dough. Not that there is any
thing wrong with getting some royalties
for your passion. Sounds like a damn good
plan: getting paid to do something you
love. I’d sell out.
But don’t try to sell us this crap about
how your art is being treated as a com
modity. Sounds like you’re just pissed off
because you aren’t making any royalties
off.MP3s. Well, you know what? Suck it
up, big boy. Your fans have paid $15 a pop
for CDs, they have given you your three
sports cars and your cruises to the Ba
hamas, and now they want a piece of the
pie. What’s wrong with that?
As an artist, shouldn’t you be happy
with just knowing people adore your mu
sic, knowing that people are inspired by
your “art?” Is that not a reward in itself?
OK, let’s be more practical. Aren’t
the three sports cars in your garage enough?
Haven’t the fans paid enough? Yeah, yeah,
you rock and you deserve to make mon
ey, but when do you cross the line be
tween musician and entrepreneur? The
musician who is motivated by an intangi
ble, priceless passion that bums inside and
the entrepreneur who is inspired by mon
ey. The musician-artist who writes or
sings from the heart for its intrinsic sense
of accomplishment and the musician-en
- trepreneur who sings or writes albums to
make money. Who is real? What prod
uct is art?
Van Gogh didn’t try to sell T-shirts
with his ear on them, did he? Did Pablo
Picasso ever add red and white paint to
his art as a form of product placement for
Coca-Cola? I hope not.
The point is, art stops being art when
the inspiration becomes something as tan
gible as money. And how dare Lars call
Metallica’s work “art” when it is conve
nient, yet exploit his “art” when some
royalties can be made.
Finally, this is what I’m going to say:
To hell with these big rock stars! If you
can get free MP3s, do it! But do it IF you
plan to enjoy the music. If you are us
ing someone else’s talents to make mon
ey for yourself then you’re even more pa
thetic than these corporate sold-soul
“artists.”
You want to support musicians, true
artists? Support small record labels. Sup
port local musicians. Pay $15 and support
them. Buy a Hurt Reynolds CD, buy a
Love Apple CD, buy a Speakeasies CD.
This early in the game, they are doing mu
sic because they love their music. Their
motivation is having a good turnout at a
gig. Any money they make will go into
making better music for you. But once
they get too big, screw them. Get their
stuff online for free. You helped them get
there, now its time to help yourself.
Letters
Flag a symbol of rich
man’s exploitations
Corey Ford’s column on the true caus
es of the Civil War raises an interesting
issue: Whether the majority of Confed
erate soldiers were misled by the wealthy
Southern aristocracy into believing a false
hood (i.e. that the war was provoked by
concerns over States Rights, and not by
the plantation owners’greed) but fails
to follow through to its logical conclu
sion. At the Core of this question stands
the basic conflict of interests between
poor and rich. I believe this is a realisti
cally self-evident issue: My great
grandfathers (who were struggling small
farmers in North Carolina at the time,
a.k.a. “poor”) did not risk their lives be
cause they believed that slavery was an
ethical institution. Rather, the rich men
who controlled Southern society tricked
them into believing that they would have
to defend their homes against an evil North.
In reality, President Lincoln and the abo
litionists had nothing against my (non
slaveowning) family or any other poor
Southerners. Instead, the Southern aris
tocrats duped their sharecropping tenants
and other poor neighbors into believing
that the North had it in for them.
Don tget me wrong: 1 m not ashamed
of my great grandfathers’ commitment to
a cause that they thought was defending
their homes and families. But they were
wrong, and their lives would not have
been any better under a Confederate gov
ernment. They would still have been poor
and exploited, and the rich planters would
still have enjoyed the luxury of feudal
barons, at the expense of the vast major
ity of the South’s population. It is time to
exile to the past the lie that says the 'Civ
il War was a noble fight. It is time to bring
down from our Statehouse dowme that
symbol of the rich man’s exploitation of
our society, and demonstrate that South
Carolinians are democratically minded,
that we do not cling to the vestiges of the
aristocratic system. Down with the ex
ploiting plantation overlords!
Robert Davis
History and Philosophy Senior
Honors College
column lacks research,
Peter Johnson’s whining about the
unfair university policies concerning
the Honors College do not make up for
blatantly disregarding the duty to research
your material. Let me start with your first
error. The Honors College is not respon
sible for the College of Journalism and
Mass Communications’ scheduling prob
lems. Instead of blaming others, please go
and talk to your dean. The Honors Col
lege can offer any class it wants to, just as
the College of Journalism and Mass Com
munications can. If the Honors College
wants to offer five journalism classes and
six special dorms, that is the right of the
college. It has earned its place at the uni
versity by attracting National Merit Schol
ars, among other scholars, which as a re
sult gives USC a higher national rating
and brings in more donation money.
You and I go to a better school because
of these facts. Also, for the record, hon
ors housing is exclusing to honors students
just as greek housing is exclusive to greek
students. I couldn’t live on a “hall” if I
wanted, and that is the same principl^.
Oh, and by the way, Preston Residential
College is not an honors dorm. Anyone
accepted, after an application process, is
allowed to live there and and have “their
own luxury dining facility.” For your in
formation, most of the food is the same
as that offered at the GMP.
SonaShah
Biology Junior
Class ring sign of
school pride
When I was in high school, something
that 1 looked forward to was wearing a
class ring and receiving that all-important
senior class standing.
As a junior at USC about to enter my
senior year, I realize how important it is
to have a class ring bearing the school’s
seal and my graduation year.
As I think about the university, 1 think
about the deep- rooted tradition that stu
dents contribute to everyday. The stu
dents at USC pride themselves on at
tending a school with a historic horseshoe
and an amazing football stadium.
People always say that your college years
are the best years of your life. A class ring
is one way to remember these years. It is
a tangible symbol of the tradition and pride
associated with the University of South
Carolina. I hope the students at USC rec
ognize the importance of school pride and
how wearing a class ring unites students
from the past, the present and the future.
Rachel McCurry
Public Relations Junior
*
Campus Issues
NAACP
d!
should
compromise
I find it hypocritical
of Nathan White to
proclaim that “he
will not sate his opin
ion” concerning the
flying of the Confed
erate ensign above the
Statehouse dome,
when the context of
his column clearly in
dicates his anti-flag
views. To further in
sult the intelligence of
the informed readers
of this campus, few
that they maybe, Mr.
White provides in
correct and slanderous
insinuations in his an
John Kirby
is a guest
columnist. The
Viewpoints editor
can be reached
at gamecockview
points®
hotmail.com
ti-tlag propaganda.
The battle flag above the Statehouse is more
than the flag of the Confederate Navy; it is al
so the battle flag of the Confederate Army of
Tennessee, in which thousands of South Car
olinians served. Claims that thousands marched
from Charleston to Columbia exaggerate the
true participation, with the exception of the
last two miles here in Columbia The average
number of participants for the march itself was
no more than 50.
The Confederate flag above the dome is
not the most divisive issue in South Girolina;
the activities of the National Association for
the Advancement of Colored People and their
legal and racially motivated boycott are. The
NAACP is unwilling to compromise, and now
the nation will have the opportunity to see this
oiganization for what it truly is; a self-serving,
divisive oiganization lacking the creativity and
desire to address the real issues confronting
those they claim to represent.
Where has the NAACP made an effort to
solve problems with crime, dnigs, teercge preg
nancy, unemployment or education amongst
their supporters or of the nation in general?
No, these are issues that call for innovation and
sacrifice, truths and effort, all of which the
NAACP would prefer to ignore. ')
The flag has not prevented those opposed
to its flying from education and opportunity,
the realities that self-responsibility rests with
each individual to succeed in this world. The
flag has become a soft taiget for some, those
unwilling to accept their responsibility for suc
cess or failure. I am an unapologetic flag sup- ■
porter, proud of my state, my nation and my
ancestors who fought and sacrificed under both
flags. A compromise was offered, and the
NAACP rejected this offer. Just as the Palmetto
tree would bend yet not break in 1776, when
under fire gainst the British, so shall the spir
it rtf tk/\ Crtutk nrti/Ar iiiaiiiam
Anti flag groups have aligned themselves
with Bill Clinton, A1 Gore, Kweisi Mfume, A1
Sharpton and so forth. None of these individ
uals is from South Carolina, and I question the *,
character of each of these anti flag leaders. Clin
ton and Gore, need I even offer explanation as
to their lack of credibility? Mr. Mfume, per
haps he should occupy himself more with the
parenting of his children before lecturing South
Carolinians; his son was sentenced to prison
last week for possession and distribution of co
caine, along with possession of an illegally ob
tained firearm. Sharpton is as much of a racist
as is to be found on either side of the issue, yet
the liberal media portray him as a crusader of
justice. Is he helping 0. J. find the killer? No,
he is busy depicting 0. J. as another victim!
As for Mr. White’s question as to this be
ing an issue of intelligence vs. ignorance? The
obvious answer is yes, and the intelligent par
ticipants in this debate are those who know
their history, family, state and nation. Perhaps^
Mr. White should consider incorporating a few v
history lessons into his education before at
tempting to follow in the footsteps of other re
constructionists, or more accurately, revision
ists. Slavery was wrong, but placed in its historical
context, which a truly knowledgeable histori
an does, it is understandable how this institu
tion existed not only in die South, but the North,
the Caribbean, Central America, South Amer
ica, Europe, Asia, and most of all, Africa!
This fight is not over slavery. I am unaware
of any slaves that are protesting this issue. It
is on the attempted desecration and misrepre
sentation of the Confederate flag and those who
fought under it. I encourage USC to hold an
open debate on this issue. Those who know
their history are from South Carolina. Those
who will live, work and die in South Carolina
after completion of school best understand the
importance of the flag. And before the left
brands me ‘isolated,’ I have either lived 0or^
visited 39 countries and six continents! Most
of all, lest we foiget that South Carolinians ;uid
other Southerners never called themselves any
thing other than Americans.
4 a