Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Quote, Unquote ‘Freshman year, I had to buy a new wardrobe because I pretty much ruined my clothes.’ Nikki Lee, Pre-Events Promotion of Downy Wrinkler Releaser Monday, October 23, 2000 Whc (Samcock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 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 Flu shots this year might have to wait Brst month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention n Atlanta announced that this year’s flu vaccine will arrive .0 clinics a little later than usual because of manufacturing glitches. With a limited supply of flu shots available in the early months of flu season, it is important that available shots go first to those who are at the most risk for receiving the potentially deadly virus — the elderly and the chronically ill. With that in mind, it might be wise for most of the Carolina community to hold off until mid- to late-November, at the earliest, to get a vaccine. According to the CDC, the flu typically doesn’t strike the Southeast until December or January, and the vaccines lake only about a week or two to kick in. CDC officials have also said this year’s flu-shot delay shouldn’t significantly heighten people’s risk of catching the flu, so most have little to lose by waiting a while to get their shots. For more information on the shortage, go to www.cdc.gov, or call any local hospital or clinic to ask about vaccine'availability. Chalk one up for savvy campus organizations USC’s blackboards and the exterior of its campus are usually filled with chalk arrows and advertisements pointing the way to organizational meetings. These savvy organizations, which include the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and “Sunday Night Alive,” have not received punishment nor suffered any ramifications for these actions. These organizations should be applauded for several reasons. Because of the placement in high-traffic areas and the way the chalk ads are displayed, they are more likely to be seen and recog nized by passers-by. The ads are attention-getting and effective, and the advertise ments are not campus eyesores. The ads are also environmentally friendly, saving organizations from otherwise wasting paper. It’s a wonder why other organizations don’t use sidewalk chalk to propa gate their messages. More campus organizations should take advantage of this adver tising method. Organizations should see it is effective in gaining at tention and response from students. 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 gamecockeditor@hotmail.com University Desk gamecockudesk@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 bo 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 gamecockviewpomts@hotmail.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 columnists and can be provided by the submitter Call 777-7726 lor more information. ». . A The Gamecock Brock Vergakis Editor in Chief Brandon Larrabee University Editor John Huiett City/State Editor Kevin Langston Viewpoints Editor Jared Kelowitz Day Sports Editor Kyle Almond Night Sports Editor Mackenzie Clements Jason Harmon Ashley Melton Brad Walters Martha Wright Copy Editors MacKenzie Craven Spotlight Editor Amy Goulding Sean Rayford Photo Editors Charles Prashaw Amanda Silva Asst. University Editors John Bailey Asst. City/State Editor Nathan White Asst. Viewpoints Editor Aubrey Fitzloff Miranda LaLonde Ann Marie Miani Jennie Moore Katie Smith Page Designers Student Media 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 Carolyn Griffin Business Manager Jannell Deyo Robyn Gombar Kera Khalil Denise Levereaux Brantley Roper Nicole Russell Advertising Staff Jonathan Dunagin Interim Ad Manager Sherry F. Holmes Classified Manager jj. College Press Exchange I TO B^ocHurei iv l ouTUNespOR I LONGTIME OPPOSVTiON I (SoverNMeT'ftI Jtr ^ I Election 2000 The political alpha male One of the strangest sound bites of the election oc curred earlier this week, when former First Lady Barbara Bush said in a To day Show interview that she was afraid that A1 Gore was going to physically assault her son, Governor Bush, during this p;ist de bate. Jennie Lightwies is a senior English major. She can be reached at game cockviewpoints@hot mail. com inow, as Bar bara Bush is a veteran in the political sphere, I think this was more sentimental grand standing on behalf of her son than actual expression of fear. This is one of the rea sons these women — potential and former First Ladies — should have no part in the elections. First Ladies make public ap pearances and hold luncheons on behalf of their husbands, but serve no real prac tical function. They draw no paycheck and, as Virginia Woolf said of housework, do work that most men (and self-respecting women) wouldn’t do for ample financial compensation. Basically, the First Lady’s function is to be archetypally feminine — decorative and passive. Gender analysis plays an interesting role in the elections, particularly in light of Mrs. Bush’s “fear.” What would hap pen, I wonder, if A1 Gore had smacked Bush around? Would his poll numbers have risen dramatically? I imagine, with all societal fantasies of alpha males, that Gore’s campaign would have enjoyed the benefits of a much-need ed adrenaline shot. Instead, Gore went the civilized route and missed the chance to be John Wayne. The two mainstream candidates have participated in different, but equally per formative, ways of proving their virility. A1 slipped Tipper some tongue and groped her lasciviously in front of delegates at the Democratic convention. Geoige Bush called a reporter an ob scenity and then refused to apologize for it. A1 Gore’s staff requested the debates avoid showing his bald spot, a bare patch of skin onto which the voting public could project fears of age and vulnerability, and Bush wanted his lectern lowered during the first debate so he and Gore would ap pear to be of equal height. These are men who, fitting with popular conceptions of masculinity, at tempt to tread the line between presiden tial candidate and Ultimate Fighter. So, it’s no surprise to me that A1 Gore studiously avoids being linked to his “friend” and collaborator, Bill Clinton. One posi tion might aigue that Bill Clinton is the incarnation of this political alpha male, but my feeling is just the opposite. The intense hatred many feel for Clinton is because of what is perceived as his weakness: his lit eral and figurative hungers and appetites, and the erroneous assumption that his wife controls him. Like Barbara Bush and Nancy Reagan, Hillary Clinton’s power as First Lady was all gained through her husband. She may have led Senate hearings on health care, but her secretary makes more money than she does, so Hillary was not rewarded in a meaningful way for labor in a capitalist system. Like a teenage boy, Clinton indulges in the most indiscreet kind of office affair. Morality has nothing'to do with Gore’s distaste for the Monica Lewinsky Affair. If Clinton had sex in the missionary position on the John F. Kennedy Memo rial Desk, perhaps the President and his Veep would be as inseparable as Bush Ju nior and his father, a wartime president and another would-be John Wayne. Letters Student urges BGLA to take small steps toward acceptance To the Editor: If I remember correctly, the essence of Creed Week stands to promote the ed ucation of the community at huge con cerning such issues as race, gender, reli gion arid sexual orientation in a positive manner. We are encouraged to open our minds and experience lifestyles that may be di ametrically opposed to our own, forsak ing our inner feelings of repudiation, scorn and even hatred for the common good. It is truly a time to connect and discover. I am a gay student at USC who at tended the Creed Week event “Birdcage — Gamecock Style” for the second year in a row, expecting to be delightfully en tertained (tvs I was in the year prior) by the flashy costumes, music and dance per tormances. Unfortunately, my expectations were not matched, and I exited the venue with a rather pejorative impression. Cer tain performers, who shall remain name less, incorporated songs into their acts that made highly charged references to anatom ical parts ;uul sexual acts, dangerously test ing the boundaries of taste and “educa tional purpose.” Personally, I was not offended by the risque references made or by the exces sive language used. However, the event does raise several questions concerning the perception of gays and lesbians by new comers willing to open their minds dur ing Creed Week. Do we want them to regard us as ob noxious socialites with riotous sexual uiges? Nymphomaniacs with nothing else to of fer? I think not. Every single individual who reads this article, male or female, gay or straight, has physical as well as emo tional needs that require gratification. It is a simple fact of life. But the message sent during this Creed Week event was perhaps too much, too soon. As a twenty-something gay male in the wake of the Matthew Shepherd inci dent, I am fully aware of the challenges we face as an oppressed group function ing within society. In all attempts to progress forward, we can not afford to supply those who anathematize us with any more am munition than they already have. I make a plea to BGLA and other associations to administer thought and scmtiny when plan ning events such as this. It might make all the difference for our cause. Name Withheld By Request Reader should not read editorial page if it offends him To the Editor: I would like to respond to Jason Cromer’s letter titled “Student newspa per embarrasses student.” In support of his claim that “this editorial page is pure id iocy ” Cromer belittles columns that dis cussed student drinking, marijuana, reli gion and capitalism. The letter shows Cromer’s apparent shock and contempt for the views expressed in such columns. I, too, have re;id columns that “bash” Chris tianity or promote student inebriation, and I have come to my own opinion on those issues. However, Cromer seems to have for gotten the principles behind such columns. I point his attention to the large letters at the top of the page that spell “Viewpoints.” I interpret that title to mean that the fol lowing columns are the views and opin ions only of those who author them. Cromer seems to suggest that the page should be titled “Theories On Important And Significant Issues To Which All Read ers Should Subscribe.” He seems to foiget :he ‘opinion’ part of “viewpoints.” Would Mr. Cromer suggest that such viewpoints Dr opinions be suppressed? I encourage :his self-proclaimed “intelligent one” to read the recent Supreme Court opinion of Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia, where the Court stated “[viewpoint discrimination is thus in egregious form of content discrimina tion.” Like Mr. Cromer, there are many columns that I do not agree with. Nonethe less, everyone is entitled to irn opinion. Moreover, under the First Amendment, everyone is entitled to express that opin ion. Like most newspapers, The Game cock probably publishes those columns and editorials that will elicit excited re sponses from readers. For example, on a college campus, where people tend to be iiround the age of 20, columns about drink ing or pot are more likely to spark thought than ones on recent U.N. negotiations for peace. Opinions on capitalism, alcohol and pot address issues that students are likely to express interest in. All of these columns have interesting and important points to be made. I would like to ask Mr. Cromer what columns should entail. Perhaps The Game cock should publish only opinions that preach the canons of the Christian Coalition and those that deal with world peace and hunger. I can feel myself get ting sleepy while thinking about a view points page that is not controversial. The whole point of a “Viewpoints” section is to spark such controversy and discus sion. Now, while 1 disagree with Mr. Cromer, I also respect his letter as a valid opinion. But if the columns in The Gamecock are not intelligent enough or are too controversial, perhaps Mr. Cromer shouldn't read them. J. J. VanGinhoven Third-year Law Student Viewpoints Stop trying to save the world and live a little i the past two veeks, I have ;otten a lot of feedback on my Oct. 2 column on the “Creed.” During this time, I’ve been tom between biting my lip or responding. Because I tend to be confrontational, I thought I’d go ahead and respond. Several people have written letters to the editor and talked to me person ally about my use of the phrase “gay looking.” Apparent ly, the use of this mmm Nathan White is a senior politi cal science and history major. He can be reached at gamecock viewpoints@hot mail.com term makes me a bigot. Before I get into the heart of what I want to say, I’d like to point some things out. First, my Oct. 2 column had nothing to do with the Creed. That was an intentionally mis leading title. If you couldn’t figure that out, I hate to say it, but you just might be a wanker. Second, the column was intended to be en tertaining and humorous and to be taken with a grain of salt. If you didn’t realize that, you ( might... well, you know what you might be. As for the phrase “gay-looking,” I used that as a figure of speech. I refer to things as being “gay” all the time. For me, it’s just a phrase. But apparently the use of that phrase makes me a bigot and insensitive to the Car olina gay community, as well as damages the integrity of The Gamecock. All right, kids, come on now. Is this really a big deal? Ap parently, it is. I talked with the UPFW (Unit ed Popular Front ofWankers) president, and he told me the homosexual, scooter-riding and luggage-toting members of his club were “deeply offended by my column.” lci me uo a quick survey nere. Did any body really think that I wanted people to maliciously attack scooter-riders and lug gage-pullers? Of course not. The point of the column was that those people just look plain silly. Several of you agreed. But it was f' the description of these things as being “gay looking” that really offended some people. Others said when they retd the column, they knew it was going to be offensive. Is it? I’m not writing this column to say whether it’s offensive, but rather to ask, “who cares?” Does the opinion of a college stu dent delivered via a college newspaper re ally matter? Judging by the response I’ve gotten, it does. For that, I’m truly flattered. Apparent ly, by the reaction I’ve received, many of you give enough merit to my opinion to con test it. Why? My column is intended to amuse and entertain a student body population, not influence a society. Maybe some folks can’t see the intended humor, or maybe I’m not humorous (but I know I’m pretty damned funny). As for the integrity of the newspaper, f can that really be damaged? This is a student newspaper. The Gamecock is not on the cut ting edge of print journalism nor is our com mentary substantially influential. If you want worthwhile commentary on pressing con temporary issues, read The Washington Post or The New York Times. As for being insensitive, I could not care less if I’m insensitive to gays or anybody else (unless they try and beat me up, because I am really just a big pussycat). On a person al note, I’d like to share with you my views on homosexuality to help accentu ate the point of this column. I do not condone the homosexual lifestyle and I am indeed homophobic. I try to avoid homosexuals because I don’t care for ' homosexuality. Is there anything wrong with that? Absolutely not. If I went around beating up homosexuals,then that would be wrong. Do my opinions of homosexuality make me a bigot? Probably. If someone doesn’t like me, I’d rather they tell me than pretend they like me and mislead me into thinking that they do. Maybe we should be more concerned about being honest and open than being politically cor rect and sensitive to one another. Instead of trying to build one big, happy family, why don’t we just leave each other alone? And if you think I’m a bigot or insensi tive, don’t read my columns. I only write on Mondays, and there are five other colum nists who write for this paper. But you know you’re going to keep reading because I’m so damned funny (and sexy). By the way, the words in the parentheses were intended to * be funny. Get it? Ha, hit. See? Having a sense of humor really isn’t that difficult.