Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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■ I Wk (Bamccoclt Serving the Carolina Community since 1908 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 Does USC really need the Carolinian Creed? Cne woras were nammerea mio your neaa during rresn man Orientation and University 101 class. They are the words each student at the University of South Carolina should live by during their tenure at this institute for higher education. It is the Carolinian Creed, and this is the week in which USC celebrates it. As a Carolinian, we are supposed to be dedicated to “acad emic and personal excellence.” We should also do such things as “practice personal and academic integrity,” “respect the dignity of others,” “respect the rights and property of others,” “discourage bigotry” and “demonstrate concern for others.” Shouldn’t we, as college students, want to strive for per sonal and academic excellence regardless? Do we really need the Carolinian Creed? The points of the Creed more or less mirror the rules of common law: don’t steal, don’t cheat and don’t harm other people. But, we are “obligated” to follow them. Why? Shouldn’t the law be enough? You never really hear about the Creed unless it’s Creed i Week or if you’ve been in violation of it. It doesn’t possess the presence and prestige that many staff and students claim it to have. The Creed is abused daily (just read the USC Crime Report), but no one really cries foul unless it comes during our beloved Creed Week, where everyone is supposed to be extra nice to one another. The language in the Creed is not very forceful either. While it claims we, as members of this “community of schol ars,” are supposed to act in accordance, we are never pun ished for doing otherwise, and if we are, it is only because it was in violation of the law. So, again, why establish this Creed which really carries no weight? The motives might be sound, but there is no real en forcement of the words. We might only give the Creed thought during this time of year, or before we sign the front of a blue book before an exam, but it isn’t a part of our daily I lives. In trying to create a true community ot scholars, UbL should either make the Creed more powerful, or they should do away with it all together. This “code of civilized behavior” is not very effective, and it is laughable and wishful thinking to hope that a better university will come from its presence. It will only if it becomes a true part of the Carolina Experi ence. So perhaps this should be the year where we look into what it really means to have this Carolinian Creed. Does it serve a purpose outside the boundaries of common law? It might be a source of inspiration, and it might serve as a rally ing point, but if the Creed is to reach its full potential and , purpose, it needs more than one week out of the year. The words need to mean something. I People, before committing a possible crime, should not on ly think of the consequences because of the law-breaking act. They should also realize that they are violating the precious Carolinian Creed that represents every student at USC. When this day arrives, we will truly see the beauty of having a Creed. 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 newsoaDer's Darent organization The Gamecock is suDoorted in part by student activities fees. Address The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street ^ Columbia. SC 29208 H 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 gamecockeditor@hotmail.com University Desk gamecocudesk@hotmail.com . City/State Desk gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Spotlight gamecockspotlight@hotmail.com Sports gamecocksports@hotmail.com Online www.gamecock.sc.edu 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 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 gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Anonymous letters will not be pub ’s lished. Photos are required for guest columnist and can be provided by the submitter. Call 777-7726 for more information. i* V Tm Gamecock Brock vergakis Editor in Chief Brandon Larrabee University Editor John Huiett City/State Editor Kevin Langston Viewpoints Editor Jared KelowiU Day Sports Editor Kyle Almond Night Sports Editor Jason Harmon Ashley Melton Brad Walters Martha Wright Copy Editors Sruowr kfew* Erik Collins Faculty Adviser Ellen Parsons Director of Student Media Susan King Creative Director Sean De Luna Todd Hooks Melanie Hutto Emilie Moca Martin Salisbury Creative Services Amy Goulding Sean Rayford Photo Editors Charles Prashaw Amanda Silva Asst University Editors John Bailey Asst City/State Editor Nathan White Asst. Viewpoints Editor MacKenzie Craven Spotlight Editor Miranda LaLonde Ann Marie Miani Jennie Moore Katie Smith Design Editors Carolyn Griffin Business Manager Janneli Deyo Robyn Gombar Kera Khalil Denise Levereaux Brantley Roper Nicole Russell Advertising Staff Jonathan Dunagin Interim Ad Manager Sherry F. Holmes Classified Manager College Press Exchange r-S? <0H! i ; JitSsS-u ( 'W ^ mwpw olg -H4E. FU&MT" TO HELL. Election 2000 Gore is best choice for 2000 In this year’s ' presidential race, the Amer ican people appar ently do not like the two main choices for the nation’s highest office. A1 Gore - viewed as boring and stiff - does not poll very high, for whatever reason, on questions of char acter. The voters see George W. Bush as lacking in JM w. Corey Ford writes every Wenesday. He can be reached at gamecockview points@hotmail. com the intelligent department. While Gore and Bush slug it out in debates, the great pool of independent hopelessly pray for a miraculous John McCain resurgence. My one piece of advice to the voters who attempt to guess the winner: do not believe any of the polls. Every week, in deed every day sometimes, a different poll has either one ahead by a slim number of percentage points. Gallup, Washington Post, Zogby. One poll will have Bush up 9, the other, Gore will edge out Bush by 2, and another will have the two tied. While a low voter turnout is expect ed, unfortunately, this election must be seen as a critical one - as must all presi dential elections. The next president will have the usual difficulties of the job: na tional security, maintaining the economy, etc. Also, with a huge number of Supreme Court justices near retirement, Novem ber’s victor possibly can select up to four justices for the bench. So, A1 Gore should be elected presi dent. Not only should Gore be elected for these previously mentioned reasons, but the vice president possesses the experi ence - over a decade in Congress and eight in the executive branch - to lead the na tion. Not only should Gore be elected for his defense of Social Security and Medicare, his rejection of vouchers, and his support of McCain-Feingold, but the vice president has a clear vision for the na tion. „ Sadly, Gov. Bush does not possess any of these two highly important presidential qualities. Bush has been governor of Texas, the state with the weakest governorship in the nation, for only 6 years. In these 6 years, Bush has not necessarily done a bad job as the chief executive, but he has not exemplified remarkable leadership - a qual ity essential as president. Most of the cred it for a rebound in education goes to the state legislature, who holds the majority of the power, and the teachers for prop erly preparing the students. Bush has been a competent leader of" Texas, but, being so, this success in Texas does not ensure success as our national leader. One can understand how Bush did not know the names of the foreign lead ers in a particular interview or how the governor occasionally slips up speaking,, yet his arrogant attitude towards his mis takes must be a cause for concern. Gov. Bush has been exactly the op posite of his father. Instead of talking specifics without a broad vision, the younger Bush talks only of a broad vision without any specifics at all. Seemingly, his only goal would be to restore “a sense of hon or” to the White House. However, being president does not imply faithfulness to one’s spouse; being president implies a re sponsibility to improve the state of the Union. And without a clear vision, one must wonder why Bush wants to serve as president in the first place. The race certainly is a toss-up. Many polls in key states such as Michigan, Illi nois, Pennsylvania and Florida fluctuate on a daily basis. A slip-up by either can didate in the next debates could determine the outcome. But while the governor may be charm ing and humorous, he is not the best choice as our next president. A1 Gore, with his experience and progressive vision, rep resents a continuation of the positives from the Clinton administration - a continua tion of economic expansion and strong for eign leadership. Letters Sororities seek to improve members To the Editor This is a reply to the column by Brock Veigakis on Oct. 3 concerning sororities’ alleged practice of “fining their way to friendship.” Although I am a member of a sorority that does not fine its members, 1 feel that my chapter affiliation is not per tinent information. Mr. Veigakis was over stated, and probably not fully informed on the procedures that sororities use to en courage member participation. All sororities on this campus are found ed on the same basic principles, and sis terhood is one of these. It was one of the four highlighted themes in this year’s fall recruitment, accompanied by scholarship, service and personal development. Our basic purpose is to encourage members to better themselves and maintain their in dividuality while striving to improve the world around them, all through the sup port of a caring group of women that share similar interests. Mr. Veigakis stated that women don’t join “to make great contri butions to society.” But by refining our selves, are we not also improving the world around us? The fines you mentioned ex ist in few chapters and are to encourage chapter members to participate in as many activities as possible. Fining is an uncom monly used, but gentle reminder, that the more people who participate, the more that can be done. we don t tine our way to lnendslup. My sisters are my friends because we have things in common, enjoy each other’s com pany and share a special bond known as ritual. We actually share more time to gether outside of planned sorority activi ties simply because we have a great time hanging out together. Sorority life never takes the place of academics. One thing being involved in campus life teaches is time management. Missing a one-hour meeting to study for a test is acceptable, but if proper time man agement tactics were involved, then that one-hour meeting every Monday should not interfere with study time because one should have planned ahead already. Yet, if it’s still a problem, many, if not all, chapters have special allowances for those members that are unable to attend that weekly meeting. I am sorry that such a negative view of the Greek community was displayed in The Gamecock. The recruitment process here at USC is designed with the poten tial new members in mind, and they are encouraged to ask questions about what ever they wish. Olivia Stafford Spanish Senior RU-486 might have numerous uses To the editor I was irritated, though not surprised, to read yet another misinformed anti-choice opinion. Ms. Mareno is not nearly as knowledgeable about mifepristone its she claims. To begin, it is not an “extremely dangerous” pill. It was approved for use in France in 1988. The United Kingdom, Sweden and other countries have also ap proved this drug. The FD\ did clinical tri ids in this country and used French research before approving this combination of mifepristone and a prostaglandin. There is a risk of side effects from all drugs. Many antibiotics may cause diarrhea, birth control pills may cause cardiac complica tions and narcotic analgesics may cause addictions. In these cases, its with mifepri stone, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks. In addition, now that the ban on mifepristone has been lifted, research in to other uses for the drug may be tested. There are indications that this drug may have many other uses. These include the reduction of breast-cancer tumors and brain tumors, inhibition of ovarian cancer cells, treatment of endometriosis, treatment of Cushing’s syndrome and possibly even us es as a male contraceptive. Furthermore, studies in France have shown that abortions did not increase af ter this pill was introduced. I am tired of people trying to make my moral decisions for me. As the bumper sticker says, “If you don’t like abortions, don’t have one.” Dawn Marie Perry First Professional Year College of Pharmacy Derogatory term should be avoided To the Editor I was dismayed to see in Mr. White’s column Monday that he would use the term “gay” in a derogatory manner. Mr. White expressed the belief that using a scooter as transportation or luggage as a means of carrying one’s books around cam pus is “gay.” By this, I take it Mr. White means fool ish, stupid, undignified, ridiculous, etc. It is no more acceptable to equate seeming ly blameworthy behavior with its being “gay” than it is to equate someone’s being tight with money as “Jewish” or some thing’s being shoddily done as “nigger rigged.” We rightly hold that these last two epithets are unacceptable and constitute bigotry. The same recognition must be held regarding the term “gay.” I understand that the column in which this defamatory use of the word “gay” occurred was a humor ous and light-hearted one. However, this does not exempt Mr. White from censure for expressing bigotry and reinforcing the falsehood that abusive attitudes toward gay individuals is acceptable and even funny. Shawn Miller Philosophy Graduate Student The Human Condition Cameras preserve precious moments I don’t consider myself techno logically savvy. I haven’t yet replaced my VCR with a DVD player or added a CD burner or zip drive to my comput er. I just received a video camera (a bit of an outdated con traption in itself) as a gift, and I now con sider myself a strong proponent for the de vice. I’ve wanted the camera for a long time so I could cap ture important per sonal occasions as well as for experi Patrick Rathbun is a junior jour nalism major. He writes every Wednesday. He can be reached at gamecock viewpoints@hot mail.com mentation. 1 can watch myselt and my mends in altered states stutter and stumble around again and again. I’m not expecting any monumental achievement, but I think the video camera is an important possession if not a necessi ty I wasn’t sure if the camera’s use would be limited or extensive, but I knew the footage would be entertairjing. I thought I might get overly involved in the creative process and abuse the camera’s power, but that hasn’t been the case. Taping has been limited, but appreci ated and enjoyable. There has been a heavy demand for its use because nearly all events are worthy of recording. Memory is one of the most valuable hu man capabilities. The video camera ensures that memories can be cherished more of ten, and they can also be more conveniently accessed. In a sense, it provides not only a win dow into the past, but a way to relive and appreciate our experiences. Photographs can’t provide this kind of connection. Still life doesn’t really do the things I share with my friends any justice. In the end, these memories are all that we are left with, and anything that can im prove our recall is desirable. It makes me wish I would’ve had such a device earlier in my life. We should be glad the quality and preser vation capabilities have been advanced by digital cameras. The camera has already captured the expected moments of sloppy drunkenness, feelings of exuberance (especially follow ing this year’s football games) and unsus pecting subjects. Every individual thinks of him- or her self as the auteur, employing their own tech nique for the event’s recording (i.e. “booty shots”). But, it is possible to be too experimen tal. It might be best to keep it simple be cause the event and its attendees should be the focus. i am gumy oi oeing overiy siyusuc. i know I’ve made mistakes and offended friends by treating social gatherings as op portunities for documentary footage, ask ing such thoughtless questions as, “What is the future of rock and roll?” I know I’ve scrutinized too many people for too long. I don’t fancy myself the next Scorcese or Coppola, and I’m certain the camera has provided me or will provide me with a deep er appreciation for the filmmaking process and its champions. But, I won’t be undertaking any Mafia-related video yet. I’ve also realized that this digital pres ence might also distort the behavior of those involved. I knqw I will certainly try to avoid getting caught in front of the camera. Video cameras might also bring out the star desire in some people. They can be an inhibiting and a liberating influence. The camera has its disadvantages, but they are outweighed by its benefits. I hope to compile a catalogue of videos in the future. The camera has accounted for many laughs, been passed around to those involved and provided a candid look into our lives without any trace of behavioral alteration. The recordings will serve as uniters. They will provide evidence for those in de nial of the previous night’s actions as well as serving to make the subjects laugh at oth er’s incoherence. Parties might be the best time for recordings. Because of the lack of inhibition and loss of brain cells, docu mentation is necessary.