The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 06, 2000, Page 6, Image 6
‘Teachers do not become teachers for the money, but
they often leave because of the money.’
Christa Compton, S.C. Teacher of the Year
Friday, October 6,2000
Zhc (Bmecock
Editorial Board
Brock Vergakis • Editor in Chief
Kevin Langston • Viewpoints Editor
Nathan White • Asst. Viewpoints Editor
Patrick Rathbun • Editorial Contributor
Brad Walters • Editorial Contributor
Martha Wright • Editorial Contributor
University needs area
for free expression
hen Student Government took on the task of painting the
pedestrian tunnel that connects the School of Law and
the Coliseum, some students wrote letters to The Game
cock calling for the tunnel to be an area of free expression.
While university-themed paintings have been a welcome re
placement to the worms that once adorned the tunnel’s walls, we
think USC still needs an area where members of the campus com
munity can express themselves artistically.
A university, by definition, supports the liberal exchange of
knowledge and ideas. If USC were to allow a free-expression area,
a student could grab a can of spray paint, head to that area and write
or paint whatever he wanted. What could be more liberating than
uiai;
This concept is not completely new. Such a spot exists on the
campus of North Carolina State University, and it’s quite popular
among students. The college actually includes the site on its tour
for prospective students.
The best part of this idea is that anyone — from drunken party
goers to tenured professors — could use the area as a forum to ex
press both opinions and creative impulses. The Assembly Street
tunnel is just one of many areas administrators might consider for
such a purpose.
Soccer team needs our
support this weekend
□iis weekend, one of the most important games of the year
n USC athletics will take place, and it’s not in Kentucky.
The men’s soccer team, ranked No. 4 nationally, will take
on arch-rival Clemson, ranked No. 20, at The Graveyard on Sun
day afternoon.
The men’s soccer team has consistently been one of the best
in the country, and this weekend every Gamecock fan will be
able to watch them play at their best.
Every game the soccer team plays is intense, but the Clemson
game eclipses all of them. The group from the hills has beaten
the Gamecocks in every game they’ve played the past five years,
including once in the NCAA tournament. But USC is in the po
sition to end this streak and perhaps vault into a No. 1 ranking.
USC has demonstrated time and time again that it has the best
fans in the country, and this weekend we have another opportu
nity to prove it. Every Gamecock fan should make it a point to
go to the soccer game Sunday and create a loud, intimidating at
mosphere while cheering the Gamecocks on to victory. The soc
cer team has done its job by providing students a team we can be
proud of, and now it’s our turn to provide the soccer team a
strong student fan base that will strike fear into every opponent
who dare step on our field. Admission to the game is free for
students — what more reason do you need?
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 pa
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The Gamecock
Brock Vergakis Amy Goulding
Editor in Chief Sean Rayford
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Day Sports Editor
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—
Green Space
Cities don't need grassy fields
One thought
continuous
ly ran
through my head
yesterday afternoon
as I drove back and
forth past the Rus
sell House and the
lush green space
now beside it: Co
lumbia is a city.
Furthermore,
cities are not sup
posed to have
green spaces.
Cities are not sup
posed to have grass.
Pitipc nrp nnf curt
I grew up a mere 20-minute bus ride
from New York City. There’s no grass on
Broadway. There’s no grass in Red Hook.
With the exception of Yankee Stadium’s
outfield, there’s no grass in the Bronx.
There is grass, however, in Central
Park. There are also trees and lakes. There
are people skating and others reciting mind
less poetiy to passers-by. This is what parks
are for. This is where these things belong.
Downtown Columbia is not without
parks. Riverfront Park and Finlay Park are
two perfectly good places to sit in the grass,
walk your dog, throw a Frisbee or mere
ly sit under a tree and ponder the greater
things in life, such as why we are here,
what the meaning of life is and where to
get drunk this weekend.
On top of the parks, USC has its own
aesthetically pleasing area right on cam
pus. The Horseshoe is chock full of grass
and trees. It is the perfect place to lay in
the grass reading Emily Dickinson or hand
out flyers calling for a halt to animal test
ing. With its old buildings and brick walk-.
ways, the Horseshoe is the most beautiful
part of campus.
But the Horseshoe should be the on
ly beautiful part of campus. USC is in a
city. If you wanted to live on a campus full
of weeping willows, wild flowers and ponds,
you shouldn’t have chosen a school in a
city. Clenison may have been a better
choice for you. They have plenty of grass.
James Madison University is a beautiful
campus. Stockton College, in New Jer
sey, is right in the middle of the Pine
Barrens State Park. You know what
these schools have in common?
They aren’t in cities.
There are more than 23,000 students
at USC. Add to that faculty members and
city residents, and you’ve got a lot of cars.
Finding a parking space was difficult last
year. This year, it’s damn near impossible.
I wonder how much money the universi
ty and the city have made this semester
from parking tickets. I’m willing to bet it’s
more than last semester. That also leads
me to wonder whether the addition ofgreen
space had less to do with the beautifica
tion of the city and more to do with
making money.
Whatever the motive, the grass needs
to go. We’re all used to seeing cars ille
gally parked outside Patterson and South
Quad. It won't belong before we start see
ing cars pul led up on the lovely green space
with their flashers on.
posed to have trees. Cities have pavement.
They have sidewalks. They have tall build
ings and vacant lots. Most importantly,
cities have places to park your car.
1 understand that many people feel
green space is more pleasing to the eye
than rows of parked cars. I also realize
that a great many people like to sit in the
grass or under a tree scribbling existen
tial poetry on recycled paper. It is with
these people in mind, as well as those who
still liaven’t kicked the inline skating habit,
that cities have parks.
Michael Kerr
is a junior jour
nalism major. He
can be reached
at gamecockview
points@hotmail.
com
Letters
Many join Greek life
to improve society
To the Editor
As I stood in front of the South Tow
er elevator on nty hall and read Brock Ver
gakis’ column [“Fining your way to friend
ship,” Oct. 4], I can honestly say I became
quite upset. His comment stating that peo
ple don’t join fraternities and sororities to
“make great contributions to society,” but
would rather “have a good time and make
friends” was a little off the mark. Now, we
all know that there are those out there that
join Greek organizations to go to parties
and to meet someone of the opposite sex,
but I believe the incidence of those peo
ple is decreasing. Something that struck
me during women’s recruitment this year
was the fact that these women were ask
ing about philanthropy and academics, not
parties and boys. This just proved that the
sorority image of “ditzy party-goers” is
changing. A sorority is a great place to make
friends and contribute to society .whether
now or in the future.
As I continued to read, Mr. Vetgakis’
point was revealed - sororities fine mem
bers. My sorority is one of those that does
not fine for any reason whatsoever. These
girls have already paid dieir dues and should
not be assessed further. Each girl should
get out of the sorority what she wants. If
she chooses not to go to a meeting or func
tion because she has a test, has to work,
etc., she should not be penalized. How
ever, there are reasons why some sorori
ties fine their members. This sometimes
adds an “incentive” for some members
to stay involved. Although this may
seem severe to some, that is just how some
sororities do it. I don’t necessarily agree
that fining makes sisterhood any less
genuine. Ideally, every member would con
tribute equally, but society as we know it
is far from perfect.
Mr. Vetgakis did make a good point
when stating that perhaps girls should
ask about fining when going through re
cruitment. However, some girls might be
hesitant because they may think that it
might inhibit their chances of joining a
sorority. Girls make a choice whether or
not to join a sorority, and if they do, whether
or not to be active. In essence, it is their
choice to join a sorority that fines and a
sorority’s choice to fine members. Sis
terhood and the bonds it entails hopeful
ly aren’t affected by either of the two.
Jenny Shomber
Nursing Senior
Marijuana isn’t
always the best idea
To the Editor
I must say I was alarmed at both the
tone and content of Patrick Rathbun’s col
umn [“Marijuana never gets anyone in a
ruckus,” Oct.4J. Mr. Rathbun makes two
excellent points: that violence at parties
is unfortunate, and that many creative en
deavors are intrinsically linked to illicit
drug use.
He also makes several naive assump
tions. For the past year I managed and
worked security at a local night club. Pre
vious to this, I lived with various room
mates since my undeigraduate years, al
most all of whom smoked marijuana
regularly. I am well versed in all aspects
of the pro-smoke lobby and have spent
many a long night in debate, me with my
beer in hand, they with their pipe in hand.
A polarizing fact: Marijuana is illegal, al
cohol is not.
It is unfortunate that Mr. Rathbun was
privy to breaking up a fight, but I must say
it is obtuse to say this incident “can be
blamed on idcohol.” I c;ui attest to the fact
that breaking up a fight is frightening;
my job often required it. I c;ui ;ilso attest
to nuiny times when 1 would agree that al
cohol “fueled” the confrontation. But the
participant, not the bottle of beer I served
him, is the cause.
Otherwise, we could merely measure
that magic point that turns the happy bar
patron into a raving, aggressive lunatic, and
cut him offbeforeh;ind. Guys like me, who
earn their living handling these unfortu
nate nickuses, would be happy to find some
thing else to do for a living. Alcohol con
tributes, but it is not the cause of violence.
It slowly drops one’s inhibitions and can
let those inner demons out. Those demons
have to be there in the first place.
I do not know if Mr. Rathbun has ex
perienced this firsthand, but most times
those soulful, meaningful, probing debates
around the bong seem pretty silly in the
morning; remnants of munchies strewn
across the room, red eyes, and a smok
er’s cough your only reminder. 1 would
say it is unfortunate that anyone would
need chemical inducement to enjoy a par
ticular style of music. (I enjoy trip-hop and
house music, neither tripping or rolling;
I enjoy Phish and Floyd, sans marijuana.)
I am not a proponent of the “Gateway
Theory” that smoking a joint will turn you
into a junkie, shooting up heroin eventu
ally. I will say that every person I know
with a serious drug habit (cocaine, G,
Ecstasy) started out with something soft
er. Marijuana is not agateway into heav
ier drug use. The lifestyle of the party, the
normalization of what once seemed sur
real, is agateway into heavier drugs. It is
unfortunate that anyone would use a chem
ical crutch as a vehicle for partying. I’ve
been saddened by having to stand by ;tnd
watch a friend fall slowly into the slippery
slope of addiction.
In this day where the president con
fides to smoking (maybe one clay he’ll ad
mit to inhaling), and business leaders such
as Bill Gates spcrik with ctrndor about their
use of LSD as part of the creative
process in youth, it is difficult not to get
caught up in the normalization of the
counterculture and its ideals. I say all drugs,
even the legal ones (alcohol and caf
feine) should be consumed with caution.
Brandon Wilson
Business Graduate Student
The Human Condition
Sometimes
there are
no strings
attached
I’ve taken notice
to something late
ly that is leaving
me with doubts about
the state of hu
mankind.
First of all, most
■ people act like the
words “human” and
“kind” are two en
tirely separate enti
ties that don’t belong
together. The more
I’ve grown, the more
I’ve noticed how
most people would
prefer to keep on
their toes in the pres
ence of other people.
1 don t know whether it s because we’ve
all had more than a few experiences with
an overly aggressive homeless person hound
ing us for change in our lifetimes, or if it’s
just a general mistrust of our fellow man.
You’re probably wondering right now
what led me to this thought. Well, I had the
pleasure of taking a road trip to Athens, Ga.,
to see one of my favorite bands, the Flam
ing Lips, play Saturday night. It was in
credible, and I probably sweated off a pound
or two. I was even a bit wobbly while leav
ing the steamy, smoky confines of the 40
Watt Club. 1 needed refreshment in the form
of water, and I needed it badly.
While walking to my car with my three
compatriots, there just happened to be a
man standing on a street comer telling all
the passers-by that he had free water for
them. Naturally, when I first heard the phrase
“free water,” I simply assumed that I had
misheard the gentleman. He surely wanted
a handout. Well, he didn’t, and if I told him
what my first inclination was, he would have
probably instructed me to never call him
Shirley.
We four rounded the comer and came
to a screeching halt when we realized this
was no gimmick. This man was simply a
good Samaritan trying to see that everyone
got home safely. Upon handing us the wa
ter, he even told us to drive safely. That was
that. All he wanted to do was look out for
his fellow man.
He wasn’t handing out religious pam
phlets; he wasn’t asking for money for a bus
fare or for a sandwich. He was just a kind
human being.
We thanked him and stood there drink
ing the water for about a minute as others
walked by. He made the same offer to each
of them, but nobody stopped. He didn’t once
receive a “no, thank you,” or even a
smile. All of these people obviously didn’t
trust him. With today’s paranoid attitude
that everyone is out to get us for everything
we’re worth, we’ve lost sight of one of
the most basic of ail human emotions: kind
ness.
When did we foiget how to recognize
this emotion? Was it after a few encounters
with that disorderly bum or that religious
zealot? 1, too, have lost that feeling. 1 real
ized that I had ignored what I had plainly
heard—“free water” — as something that
was obviously too good to be true. Well, it
wasn’t, and “humankindness" is something
more of us should practice at least occa
sionally.
Many of you probably think I’m a
hippie or something, but I’m just a man who
has come to realize this is more than just a
mistrust of others; it is a Haw in the sys
tem to allow our defenses to be fine-tuned
this way.
In this day and age, most people think
nothing is free. Well, I can point out your
mistakes. Not much is free, but what mat
ters will always be free. Fresh air, sunshine,
smiles — all free. If you can’t read that last
sentence without cringing or muttering a
snide comment, good luck, brother. You
might already be beyond help.
Although the Flaming Lips put on pos
sibly the best concert I’ve ever seen, the
most important thing I saw that night was
this man, standing on the street comer, dis
playing to everyone his “humankindness.”
Pete Johnson
is a senior jour
nalism major. He
writes every
Friday. He can
be reached at
gamecockview
points@hot
mail.com