Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Quote, Unquote ‘It’s history. It [the Confederate flag] belongs in a museum, not in our faces.’ Jonathan Garrick, English senior Wk (5amcock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 Editorial Board Miranda LaLonde • Editor in Chief Ann Marie Miani • Managing Editor Pete Johnson • Viewpoints Editor John Huiett • News Editor USC J-school students lack ambition, drive If the graduating-class was contingent on experience, the journalism class would consist of six people. Five of them are sitting in this newsroom. Grant ed journalism, seniors gain experience through the Carolina Reporter, but that is because they are forced to participate in order to graduate. The journalism .school refuses to be embarrassed by its students’ apathy. Journalism advisers have admitted that this same apathy has resulted in a low talent pool and extremely inexperienced graduates. Sure, the students have made it through their required journalism classes, but they lack the re al-world experience that is needed to survive within their field - experience that is available through Student Media, but disregarded. The resources need ed to expand a person’s resume are available, but not many people take ad vantage of those student-run organizations that are good for learning and mak ing mistakes. The Gamecock’s summer new writer’s meeting is a prime example. We had a meeting because someone showed up - note the one. And this person was not even a journalism major. Student Media offers opportunities for all fields of journalism, from ad vertising to broadcast to print to public relations, but despite a large journal ism school enrollment, the department is always looking for students to as sist. Some aigue that ambition and drive are lacking, that apathy is not the prob lem. Others will present the point that Student Media does not pay for most starting positions. Maybe they are right on both counts. However, the time it takes to write one article a week, building a portfolio of tens of articles in one semester and the experience gained by making your mistakes early far exceed the "now" rewards. Regardless of whether you begin your post graduation career with only a waitressing job as experience or four intern ships, two co-ops, and student newspaper experience, you reap what you sow. About Us Address The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29208 Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Student Media Area code 803 Advertising and Classified 777-3888 Fax 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Newsroom 777-7726 Online www.gamecock.sc.edu 777-2833 E-mail Editor gcked0sc.edu News gamecocknews0hotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpointsOhotmail.com Etc. gcketc0sc.edu Encore! gamecockencore0hotmail.com Sports gamecocksports0hotmail.com Online wgillaspy0slan.com Submission Policy 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, professional title or year and major, if a student. Handwritten submissions must be personally delivered to Russell House room 333. E-mail sub missions must include telephone number for confirmation.The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Anonymous letters will not be published. Photos are required for guest columnist and can be provided by the submitter. Call 777 7726 for more information. The Gamecock s the student newspaper of The University of South Carolina and is published Monday. Wednesday and Friday during the fall and spring semesters and nine tines during the summer with the exception of university holidays and exam periods. Opiuons expressed in The Gamecock are those of the editors or author and not those of The University of SaXh Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications s the publisher of The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media s the newspaper's parent organization. The Gamecock is supported m part by student actwihes fed. The Gamecock Miranda LaLonde Editor in Chief Ann Marie Miani Managing Editor Features Editor Pete Johnson Viewpoints Editor John Huiett News Editor Studemt Media Ellen Parsons Director Susan King Creative Director Kenton Watt Aavertising Manager Jeff Romig Sports Editor Jacqueline Poston Todd Money Copy Desk Chiefs Sean Rayford Photo Editor Will Gillaspy Online Editor Carolyn Griffin Business Manager Sherry Holmes Classified Manager Erik Collins Faculty Adviser Jonathan Dunagin Graduate Assistant The Washington Post "NO&ow imp us ABOirrme BUfiS" timing • Sj x_> Social Issues Not good enough to be a cop? Each semes ter, The Game cock runs arti cles, editorials and even guest columns on the parking situation here at USC. There aren’t many people in terested in pub lishing a letter to the editor thank ing Meter Maid Mark for that $15 ticket he left under their wipers. That’s like thanking iinnr rlnntirt fnr pulling the wrong tooth. Students complain about the Uni versity’s lack of parking or their use of meters, but most fail to recognize the true villains... the City of Columbia. The city owns all the meters running along the roads around campus and seems to have hired the city’s most bitter, pow er-hungry tenants for meter maids. Summer sessions are usually not as bad, but that could be due to the fact that there are only about 1/16th of the peo ple on campus. During the fall and spring semesters, the garages, student lots and vulture lots cannot accommodate the need for park ing, forcing students to pay their pre cious laundry money to the city meters. Students living on campus are so thrilled with finding a spot during the week that they don’t want to budge until the weekend comes because of fear of losing their spot. Students who live off campus must either pay a pretty penny to get a spot in the packed garages or spend their se mesters toning their calf muscles on the walk up from the Coliseum. Almost everyone has had to park at a meter and feed it between classes. And what of those who arrive too late? The city meter maids advance on your car and slap the ticket up regardless of whether you’re standing there watching or have only been gone for 59 seconds. You would think they work on com mission. lowing cars, nowever, seems to oe the highlight of their day. Taking mon ey from college students who are here to simply expand their minds is amus ing, but taking their most prized posses sion and watching them cry must be FUN. They show no mercy. They just call up Elgin’s Towing and watch it go. Do not bother pleading or baigaining with these people, they don’t care. They are in it for the game. Empathy is simply an incapacity for them. I have heard the retorts- they are only doing their jobs, they HAVE to give you a ticket if your meter is expired, and it’s possible that I have only encountered the bad seeds. However, after the number of tick ets I have compiled in the last two years, I consider myself an expert at dealing with parking services and their employ ees and I have nothing positive to say. I have had my car towed, received three tickets in one day, been accused of having stolen my car because I did not know my license number, and dealt with the end-of-semester towing ritual. I have even feared for my life after walking up to a meter maid who was giv ing me a ticket and telling her to have a nice day. I think she sensed the sarcasm. But the time when I almost had my car towed in Five Points for having seven $5 tickets and arguing with the meter men for more than half an hour takes the cake. I usually don’t have destructive tendencies, but it took every ounce of self-control to keep from ramming their little white Cavalier. Since the first week of May, I have regained control and my vengeance has turned into a crusade to investigate the inner workings of the parking services of the city and the university and devise a reasonable plan for trying to rid us of the city meters. If we cannot succeed, we will simply have to piss parking em ployees and services off every week.