Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Quote, Unquote ‘It’s not going to be easy, but students are going to have to get out of the frame of my mind that they can just drive every where they Want to go.’ Director of Parking Services, Derrick Huggins Whe (5amecock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 Editorial Board Brock Vergakis • Editor in Chief Kevin Langston • Viewpoints Editor Patrick Rathbun • Editorial Contributor Brad Walters • Editorial Contributor Students can vote for parking solution Students new to the University of South Carolina might not notice a difference in central-campus parking, but parking for the rest of the student body has become something of a night mare. Two vital and heavily used parking lots were turned into green space while many students were away for the summer. Now students are fighting for fewer parking spaces on campus. Rather than provide the drivers with any explanation or warn ing, students are congesting Greene Street only to find two fields of grass and trees where the Russell House and Thomas Cooper Li brary parking lots once rested. It would be one thing if these park ing lots were quickly replaced, but if students are searching for more parking options they will be disappointed, A false sense of security was established last summer when the once tire-tom Russell House parking lot was paved. Director of Student Life Jerry Brewer assured students that drivers would see a few more years out of the newly paved lot. However, that pro ject has proven to be a waste of money. With construction nearly complete on the new East Quad resi dence hall, central-campus parking will soon become worse, and the Master Plan is calling for more parking spaces to be eliminated in the near future. However, as an immediate solution to the parking problems created with the destruction of these two lots, Parking Services has enlisted the assistance of Student Government in establishing a situation that would be best for the students. A gravel parking lot is going to be placed behind the Bull Street parking garage, and Park ing Services has asked Student Government to suggest beneficial uses for the lot. Student Body President Jotaka Eaddy has decided to allow students to vote on the most favorable option. Students will be able to vote online both at www.sg.sc.edu and on The Gamecock's Web site, www.gamecock.sc.edu. From there, Student Government will tally the votes and use them to help make their decision as to what they recommend to Parking Ser vices. The polls will be open from Thursday to Monday evening. Students voting will have to choose from three options. The first option is to have a metered parking lot. Eaddy says that this option provides a quick turnaround and allows for all students to use the lot. Eaddy also said that the money from the meters could possibly go toward paving the lot in a few months. One immediate problem would be the high pedestrian traffic on the section of Blossom Strpp.t A second option would be for the lot to be used by residents of nearby residence halls for a semesterly fee. This option, however, closes off the lot to the rest of the students, and would not provide as much money from students in the long run. The final option is to offer the lot to students who are willing to pay a monthly fee of $20. The fee might be large, but students would undoubtedly pay it if assured a parking space. Student Gov ernment will be posting several pros and cons on their Web site so students can make an informed decision. For the student who complains about never having a say in how their campus is run, this is your time to shine. Student Govern ment has provided you with an opportunity to determine how this parking lot will be used. In theory, what you say will be the decid ing factor in availability of this parking lot. About Us 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 Fax 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Gamecock Area code 803-777-7726 Editor in Chief gamecockeditordhotmail.com Univ. Desk gamecocudeskdhotmail.com City/State Desk gamecockcitydeskdhotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpointsdhotmail.com Spotlight gamecockspot I ightdhotmai I .com Sports gamecocksportsdhotmail.com Online www.gamecock.sc.edu Submission 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 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 and should be sent to gamecockviewpointsdhotmail.com. 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 Ife provided by the submitter. Call 777-7726 for more information. The Gamecock Brock Vergakis MacKenzie Craven Editor in Chief Meredith Davis Brandon Larrabee Assl Spotlight Editors University Editor Amy Goulding John Huiett Phot° £ditor City/State Editor Sean Rayford Kevin Langston Sp°ns Pho,° £ditor Viewpoints Editor Miranda LaLonde Jason Harmon Mari' M“n' Brad Walters Brad Wal,ers Martha Wright Design Editors Copy Editors Will Gillaspy John Bailey Online Editor Asst. City/State Editor Kyle Almond Amanda Silva Charles Prashaw Asst. University Editor Senior Reporters Jacquelyn Poston Writing Coach Stuocwt Media Ellen Parsons Robyn Gombar Director Melissa Millen Susan King Brantley Roper Creative Director Nicole Russel1 _ _ , Advertising Stan Sean De Luna Todd Hooks Carolyn Griffin » Melanie Hutto Business Manager Emilie Moca Sherry Holmes Martin Salisbury Classified Manager Creative Services Erik Collins Kertfon Watt Faculty Adviser Advertising Manager College Press Exchange CSfRoK* \NVENTbR oF -Hne WHEEL f KftoQ: iNv/erJTtoRoP ,. •the FiRESTDMe RADiAL. Mental Issues A celebration of useless facts I find that as I grow older and further from my high school years, my mind slowly and surely loses its grip with what I learned there. I certainly would struggle if you asked me how to conjugate the verbs I had to memorize in French class, and I would laugh if you asked me to solve a problem using the qua dratic equation. And while tUir /Irtocn’f roollvi know I’m still doing well in college for a reason. Knowing this mundane stuff got me here, right? You would think it would help me maintain my status as a capable college student. So when did I foiget it all? When did my head finally realize a spring cleaning was in order? As I kept packing my head with useless stuff, I suppose my noggin de cided to get rid of some of it. But it isn’t so much the cleansing that worries me as opposed to what information my head de cided to hold on to. I could easily recite most of the lines in “Ghostbusters,” but I would fall short in telling you why Florence Nightingale is such an important historical figure. Out side the fact that she was a nurse, I couldn’t tell you what she did. I think she started the Red Cross, but I’m not too sure. However, I could talk your ear off about how “Ghostbusters” is one of my all-time favorite movies. I could mimic some of the better scenes and tell you how Egon was cut from some of the scenes in the “formatted for television” version. “Now that’s a big Twinkie.” Don’t think 1 didn’t pay attention in history class, because I did. I obviously re tained enough information to do well. Flo was simply ousted soon after my final exam, because I have decided I wanted to know more about Steve Earle. Apparently I find it more rewarding to know all the words to “It’s the End of the World as We Know it” than to know the preamble of our nation’s Constitution. But why? I would sound like a smarter per son if I knew the latter, right? I doubt the content of that RE.M. song would win me any money on “Jeopardy” or “Who Wants to Be A Millionaire.” I’ve never seen “fa mous rock lyrics” as a Final Jeopardy category. Although I think my parents and high school teachers would be disappointed if I told them I know more about the writ ' ing of Douglas Adams than I do of Sam Adams, I cannot say I feel all that dumb or worthless. After all, I find there is a lot of insight in his Hitchhiker’s trilogy. I did n’t read them for the simple story of an Englishman’s journey through space, but for the social, political and cultural com mentary buried within them. You see, I don’t think that I am toss ing aside all my wits and smarts just be cause I like to indulge in what many could consider a waste of time. Some of this stuff could come in handy if wq were waxing philosophical or something. Knowing how to tie the useless information with some of the useful information is a delicate, yet rewarding pastime of mine. If I were to engage in conversation about the 1960s, I couldn’t help but bring up Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A Changin.” This song is a perfect synopsis of the decade that forever changed the face of America. Though his words might be considered a bit vague, they’re a haunting prediction of the social and political chaos that would characterize the most dynam ic decade of America’s history. I could run down a.grocery list of important events of the 1960s, but I would n’t be able to go into any great detail about any specific event. My loss, right? I will admit that I get a little bit wor ried when I realize I know the'words to literally hundreds of songs, but would I re ally be better off knowing the opening lines to “Romeo and Juliet”? Neither can real ly cany me too far in life, but knowing all those songs can come in handy if I were bored. If you were to scan through my class notes, you would see random song lyrics in the margins. If the lecture gets to be too dull or repetitive, I can easily drift off in to a world where all my favorite songs are spinning at a second’s notice. I would like to think we’ve all been there. Does this mean I’m destined to fail in life? Am I going to be a bum resting my . eyes on a park bench while singing to Mag netic Fields’ “69 Love Songs”? No. It just means I will be one hell of a conver- ' sationalist. I hear that what you like can count as much as (if not more than) what you know, and I adamantly agree. Knowing the date .Japan bombed Pearl Harbor is something anyone can readily accomplish, but know ing that Tom Waits’ “Closing Time” re minds you of late nights with friends is something few can achieve. I’ll be just fine, because I know how to appreciate all this useless stuff in the midst of all the knowledge I take for granted. I know when to turn off the music and when to close the books. I also know when it’s safe to forget whether the French word for car is mas culine or feminine. So if you see my tapping my fingers to a beat, just imagine the countless songs I could be listening to. A simple pause for writing down an important fact, and I’m back to the soundtrack of my life. WStKmm SB Kevin Langston is a senior jour nalism major. He can be reached via The Gamecock at; gamecockview points©hotma!!.c om hnthor mo TM lilro tr\ Interested in having your voice heard? 1 |£. Submit a sample column or a letter to the editor. gamecockviewpoints® hotmail.com "WE CANT IET THEM OUTREIISI0N ME, PICK - PERHAPS IF yOll C0ULP MARE FRE0UENT mentions of the petty—" [iiixni <9z,x«»OiEREW^x=K-. Campus Issues Whatever happened to the '60s? In beginning my third year at college, I’ve come to the un derstanding that I’ve held many misconceptions about being a col lege student. The college experience has provided exposure to complex sur roundings, and my optimism has been diluted with doses of realism and cyn icism. This accom plishment might he the most meaningful lesson I’ve learned at school thus far. Some dreams might have been crushed and some heartache may have heen suf fered, but this is the price one must pay for maturity and experience. However, not all aspirations have been shattered. Before I arrived at school I thought of college as a kind of young adult sanc tuary replete with one night stands, recre ational drugs and late-night philosopliizing and rallies. I thought I’d be attending various com mittee meetings focusing on die social good. I thought I’d meet people like Abbey Hoff man, Allen Ginsberg and Jeff Lebowski as well as feminists, environmentalists, lib eralists and other all kinds of -ists. The friends I’ve made at USC certainly have their own identities, but they defi nitely didn’t step out of “On the Road.” They’re all lacking ageneral zest for reck less living. Most don’t rage, but go gently into the night. I’ve had delusions of grandeur in think ing I might stand out or be noticed by oth ers. I thought I’d have an identity. One might find oneself desperate to achieve in dividuality, while also being counted among the many, not the few. In the search for uniqueness one might only accomplish the realization that such an ideal is unreach able. And 1 might be guilty ot tweaking my image in order for the fulfillment of these ends. But all these attempts were futile. I must have been fooled by the ever present shadow cast by “Animal House,” Bob Dylan, and Woodstock. And I can’t believe how wrong 1 was. While at college, I can’t say I’ve ever attended a toga party, sung folk rock or been involved in any sort of progress or so cial reform. Liberalism is no longer a part of the average student’s vernacular, but a dry campus is. I claim to have fun at USC, but it cer tainly pales in comparison with the expe riences of die children of the 1960s. Where’s our psychedelia? Where’s our creative stim ulation? Where are the beatniks? Where are the causes? Where are the movements and the boycotts? What happened to groovi ness? I want to go to a concert widi 500,000 people, too. I want to believe in something significant. I want to play guitar and smoke herbs on the campus green with ambition still intact, too. I could live widi flashbacks. I want to occupy various administration buildings and protest and be restrained. I want an agenda. I want to be a conscien tious objector. I want to dodge the draft. If my lifestyle remotely resembles 'Hie Dude's when I’m older, I won’t feel dissatisfied. I’m done with apathy. I’m prepared to make waves.Change is necessary. I want to do something meaningful. I’m ready for another cultural revolution and another Port Huron Statement. I’m unhappy with the society I’ve inherited and it’s time to make a stand. Am I asking for too much? If I am, this rhetoric proves that the 1960s still loom laige and I’ve watched too much “Behind die Music,” interviews with John Lennon, “Easy Rider” and "The Big Lebowski” (Is that possible?). Or maybe I don’t think everything is just fine, and I’ve kept a hint of idealism after all. A 4 Patrick Rathbun is a junior jour nalism major. He can be reached via The Gamecock at. gamecockview points@hotmail.c om