Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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/jj>A c -w- ) Quote, Unquote /4§ m / * _* t 'I’ve emotionally become very attached to what we’re trying to do.’ %/ I I * %/\/ I II I II Vice President of Development Charles Phlegar, on leaving USC Page 4 lEllC (5flltlCC0Ck Friday, November 03,2000 Whe (Bmecock ■ 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 Stadium should show Clemson, USC game It’s no secret that the Carolina-Clemson game will be held in the Upstate this year, but this shouldn’t mean USC stu dents can’t gather together to watch the heated rivalry. USC’s Department of Athletics should seriously consider televising the game at Williams-Brice Stadium. The university invested $1 million in the stadium’s Jumbotron screen, and this would be a great way to put it to use. While it’s quite possible that ESPN2 will pick up the game, wouldn’t it be an incredible experience for students to be able to assemble, one last time, ab Williams-Brice Stadium for the biggest game of the year? There are reasons, beyond that of a heated rivalry, that this game could be one of the biggest for both teams. For the first time in several seasons, USC and Clemson are both powerful teams with good records. This could very easily be more than just another game in a long rivalry — this match-up could de termine which team will be invited to a major bowl. It would be a great gesture for the Department of Athletics to offer this to the students of USC. It shouldn’t be too much of an inconvenience to open the stadium for one more game, and it would certainly give the football team even more in centive to play the best game they can. SG can foul up again with election codes ednesday, USC’s student government split a resolution amending the student government election codes. The first part of the bill was voted on and passed, but the second and more controversial part of the bill was not. This bill pertains to restricting the ability of student gov ernment candidates to campaign effectively. Under this new legislation, candidates would not be able to distribute campaign materials such as stickers and buttons person-to-person prior to election day. This would be a serious affront to the democratic process of student government elections. Without the ability to cam paign, especially person-to-person, candidates would be hard pressed to make an impact on students and encourage partici pation in elections. Student government already has a hard time trying to get stu dents involved in voting. Voter turnout has been about 10 per cent of the student body in the past couple of SG elections. Pas sage of this amendment would only encourage further ignorance and apathy from the student body. If this resolution passes, voter turnout will likely decrease because the student body will be even less informed as to what each candidate stands for, let alone who they are. Not only would this encourage further ignorance among students, it would al so tread on the First Amendment rights of candidates. If this resolution passes, it seems whoever has the prettiest sign will win the upcoming election. Some things never change. 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. Stuoemt 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 gamecockspotl ight@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 lished. Photos are required for guest columnists and can be provided by the submitter. Call 777-7726 for more information. Brock Vergakis MacKenzie Craven Editor in Chief Spotlight Editor Brandon Larrabee Amy Goulding University Editor Sean Rayfofd John Huiett Photo Editors City/State Editor Charles Prashaw Kevin Langston Amanda Silva Viewpoints Editor Asst. Unjversity Edjtors Jared Kelowitz John Bai| Day Sports Editor Asst. City/State Editor Kyle Almond „ .. ...... Night Sports Editor Nathan White ... . . Asst. Viewpoints Editor Mackenzie Clements Jason Harmon Aubrey Fitzloff Ashley Melton Miranda LaLonde Brad Walters Jennie Moore Martha Wright Katie Smith Copy Editors Page Designers OTuuEKT MEDIA Erik Collins Carolyn Griffin faculty Adviser Business Manager Ellen Parsons Jannell Deyo Director of Robyn Gombar Student Media Kera Khalil Susan King Denise Levereaux Creative Director Brantley Roper Sean De Luna Nicole Russell Todd Hooks Advertising Staff Melanie Hutto Jonathan Dunagin Emilie Moca Interim Ad Manager Martin Salisbury Sherry F. Holmes Creative Services Classified Manager Edralyne Faye Chavez _ . YoU'HE So ASHAMGD oF -the PReSiDeNT, \ Your campaign dogsn't eveN w/int * ) You SEEN V/iTH HtNVrr 7 n /Vl — MT FRIENDS ;n Vrie~~ \ REPUBUGAN CoNGReSS- J Election 2000 To silence oneself is idiocy I had the unusu al luxuiy of vot ing over fall break. I was at home, in my district, and my younger broth er and I took the required 15 min utes and filled out an absentee ballot. While I am quite aware of the fact that I’m an Amer ican, I felt so very 4 A mprirfin ’ whpn I and voting might be one of them. Do we realize just how important this decision is? The president of the United States is arguably the leader of the free world. We have the unique responsibility of choos ing this leader. It should be no secret that countless other countries are equally af fected when it is time for us to vote. There fore, we also have a responsibility to them, as well. Maybe I am a naive dreamer, but I’d like to think my vote could change the world. If anything, I am standing up for what I believe in. That, in itself, should be enough reason to vote. So, if you aren’t registered, do it. It won’t hurt. I don’t think jury duty can be all that bad, folks. Over the summer, I worked with a 45-year-old man who is not registered to vote. I think this is inexcus able, and trust me when I say you don’t want to be in the same ckissification as this loss. I know you won’t be able to vote in this election, but you shouldn’t let any more slip past. If it is feasible, vote. Take the time out and do it. Maybe you’ll feel as patriotic as I did, or maybe you’ll just feel like you were doing your duty. Either way, there is an undeniable sense of ac complishment. Why is there even a hesitation when it comes to voting? You can’t say we have no ideal candidate, because we do — at least on a personal level. One of the can didates makes sense to you. Though the two front-runners might not be perfect men, this isn’t a perfect country, and there has never been a perfect person in the White House. The only reason I can muster is be cause of the inconvenience in the current voting system. Maybe the Electoral Col lege is too old-fashioned and outdated. Maybe we need a new system that would make voting less of a hassle and more of a thing of convenience. I would love to see a system in place where I could vote, as a resident of Geoige :own, S.C., in Sacramento, Calif. It should fcS n’t matter where I am on Election Day. I should be able to waltz into any voting dis trict and cast my vote as a United States citizen. It shouldn’t matter where I am from. Being a citizen should be enough of a rea son to let me vote where I can. Something as simple as my Social Security number could hold my voting information. By scan ning my ID, a computer could tell me that I have these candidates in my district to vote for. The technology is obviously there. We have voted for president of this uni versity using computers and the Inter net. I think our national government can swing a system like this. My grievances with the Electoral Col lege leave me wanting a better voting sys tem. I think a popular vote should be the only way in deciding who our president is. That way, candidates are obligated to appeal to voters as individuals and not as citizens of a state that carries so many elec toral votes. I like the personal feel that sys tem would have. Now, my vote is simply telling someone else that this is how he or she should vote. There should be no middle man, and I should have the secu rity and pride of knowing my vote directly went to the cause of my choice. I’ll admit, I wasn’t going to bother ex pressing my ideas for a new voting system. Why would anybody look to a college pub lication for the answer to the nation’s prob lems with voter apathy? Then I thought of how this line of thinking mirrors that of an apathetic voter, and I couldn’t let my idea be unheard any longer. Do not stifle your ideas and opinions just because you think no one is listening. By saying nothing at all, you are doing no body any good, and this truth can also be said about voting. Is it our responsibility to find a way to vote, or is it the government’s to find an easier way to do it? Either way, silence is no solution. walked out of that building knowing I ex ercised the one basic right that makes this country what it is. This was my first pres idential election, and 1 wasn’t going to miss it. 1 also get quite a kick out of telling people it is my right not to tell them whom I voted for. Watching the candidates vie for your votes is also interesting, because I know that no matter what they say, my mind was made up when I filled out that ballot. They can’t get to me, and it’s fun to just let their words roll right off. Now, I am not trying to be self-right eous and tell all of you to vote. I realize that many of you will not be voting this Tuesday, for whatever reason. While this is disappointing, I understand that sever al things keep us from voting. Election Day might be of benefit to someone who can scurry down 1-26, vote and get back in one day, but for some one from Maine, it’s a bit more of an undertaking. I assume some students request an ab sentee ballot, but this can also be a headache. 1 will not lie. 1 would have prob ably not voted if I hadn’t thought of it while home during fall break. A pressing issue of this election (and with every recent election) is voter apa thy. People are not voting in these elec tions, and it is astonishing. As American citizens, we take many things for granted, Kevin Langston is a senior journal ism major. He can be reached at gamecockview points@hotmail .com Letters Mothers should be punished for drug use To the Editor: In response to the Oct. 27 editorial about the arrest of pregnant addicts for child abuse, I would like to say that un born children have rights, too. By S.C. law, a fetus has the same legal rights as a child after the 25th week, which is why the women in question were arrested for child abuse. These women are adults who knew the consequences of their actions, yet the children were given no choice. The bitsis of the case is that 10 women are suing the city of Charleston because they were prosecuted under a law that says prenatal cocaine use constitutes child abuse and neglect. The women voluntarily provided urine samples for testing at the Medical University of South Carolina be cause the medical staff needed to know if the women were using cocaine so that they could safely manage the pregnancy and provide necessary treatment. They were arrested only after they failed to show up for prenatal appointments and substance abuse treatment; they completed treat ment, and the chaiges were dismissed. The women lost the case originally and have lost it repeatedly on appeal. It was recently aigued before the U.S. Supreme Court. The goal of the law is to get the women off drugs so their babies can be bom healthy. Do we really live in a society that would perpetuate this cycle by not only allowing these mothers to get away with permanently damaging their children, but also allowing them to profit from it? While it’s true that prevention is better than pros ecution, until we live in a society where pregnant mothers will no longer take drugs and alcohol, then we must protect the fu tures of infants. I sincerely hope that the Supreme Court upholds their original rill ing against the 10 women. Abby Terhune International Studies Freshman USC should be wary of new research park To the Editor USC’s recently discussed involvement with influential developer Burroughs & Chapin should be closely scrutinized, giv en the company’s recent questionable deal ings with federal and state agencies in its attempt to receive authorization for a $1 billion development project in the flood plain along the Congaree River. For the past year and a half, Burroughs & Chapin has attempted to alter the map outlining this floodplain, which is feder ally protected from development. The rea son this land is protected from develop merit is apparent: The land is highly prone to flooding during times of severe inclement weather. Recently, Burroughs & Chapin an nounced plans to grant to USC a re search park on this property, given the fact that the floodplain lines are redrawn and they are able to develop this area We should not hastily be enticed by gifts from a com pany that shows such blatant disregard for environmental standards and practical re sponsibilities. The bottom line is this: The USC com munity needs to be strongly concerned about the ramifications of alliance with such a questionable development. Does the capability to hurl money and gifts at USC with gleeful abandon eliminate Bur roughs & Chapin’s plan from being care fully examined? Before USC allows itself to be carried away by the promise of a new research park, perhaps it should use its ex isting facilities to research the issue at hand: that of a potentially disastrous develop ment in an area that is federally protect ed for a reason. Liam Aleguire Media Arts Senior Stephanie P. Ogbum Baccalaureus Artium et Scientae Junior Penthouse Paula Jones loses face, shows too much flesh If there were ever three words in the English language that made me want to puke and laugh and puke some more, surely they are: “Paula Jones nude.” The woman who first made us question our fine president’s taste in women and his ability (or inability) to keep his fly closed is posing — nude — in December’s issue of Penthouse magazine. May I speak for everyone when I ask, “Whn tho hoi! u/antc know about the rest of you, but I’ll be - staying out of stores that carry magazines for ' the next few weeks. Granted, I would probably never have 1 bought a Penthouse in my lifetime anyway, I but this announcement pretty much solidi- - fies that position and drops Penthouse mag- I azine to the level of Hustler and the crown I prince of perversion himself, Larry Flint. I can only think of one thing scarier than a twisted, perverted old man in a wheelchair ... Paula Jones naked. Ecchhhhh. The hee bie-jeebies never felt so bad. What happened to her claim that she . would never accept the offers to pose nude * in a men’s magazine? Well, she basically told Larry King, with a ditzy giggle worthy of the dumbest sorority girl, that she had changed » her mind. I Clinton must be laughing his ass off. If Jones was such an innocent victim to the dirty, crooked, sex-crazed Clinton, would she ever have sunk to this level? I’m sure she could have done something even slight ly more admirable, like, say, advertising for Jenny Craig to get some quick cash. Maybe we should offer her and Monica Lewinsky $ 1 million apiece to wear G-string bikinis and wrestle each other in a pit full of mud on pay-per-view so they can sell the re maining shreds of their dignity for a quick buck. What does Jones’ family think about all of this? She claims she did it for them — to put her kids through college and have some financial security. But is having finan cial security more important than the cost 3 of your own and your family’s dignity? In her own words, Jones said, “I don’t see how it makes me an immoral person by doing something that will benefit my chil dren. I’m a single mother now. I haven’t been able to do anything else. I haven’t written any book like everybody else.” She is implying that the only way to live , one’s life after a stint in the public limelight is by selling out either your story or your body. Has she ever considered trying to lead a normal life and working to put her chil dren through school like everyone else? Af ter every major event that’s been under the public microscope (the O.J. Sjmpson trial, ■ the JonBenet Ramsey case), we see people - with an inside view selling their stories for big bucks. This is hardly admirable, but it is ' profitable. Nobody really looked down upon Paula Jones after the Clinton incident; most ad mired her ability to stand ud a man in a do sition of power, although the tinting of her lawsuit also lent to the mindset that she was out for money (she only brought the inci dent to public attention after Clinton had been elected president). But not only hits she traded in her self respect and guaranteed the torment of her children for years to come by posing nude in Penthouse for some fast cash, she has al so eliminated her position of the heroine who stood up to a powerful man and said, “I’m not going to take it.” She has sold out to the very system that promotes sexual ha rassment in the workplace. I like the job Clinton has done these past eight years as president, despite his perver sion. I don’t think George W. Gush or A! Bore is going to be able to hold a candle to Billy-Boy, strictly from a presidential sense. But from a moral standpoint, Clinton is hardly a man to model oneself after. Ms. Jones’ decision not only cheapens herself and her claims of sexual harassment, it also makes Clinton look that much better — a favor he doesn’t deserve. Pete Johnson is a senior jour- ' nalism major. He writes every Friday. He can be reached at gamecockview points@hotmail .com coo that*?” I Hnn’t