The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 10, 2000, Page 4, Image 4
Quote, Unquote
‘I’m 58 years old. By the time I was really to the place where I
could do something, I’d be too old’
i William Norton on pulling his name out of the Dean candiacay forthe College of Journalism
' and Mass Communications
Friday, November 10, 2000
Whc (Bamccock
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
Student newspaper
should stand firm
The student newspaper at the University of Minnesota ran a
sports column advocating the suspension of the men’s bas
ketball team for their involvement with an academic fraud
scandal.
Subsequently, the men’s basketball coach told the paper’s
sports editor that if a more "supportive" piece wasn’t written, The
Minnesota Daily would be denied press credentialsvthus essential
ly preventing any coverage of the men’s basketball team.
In what he considered the best interest of the paper, its readers
and the university, the sport’s editor abided with the coach’s de
mand.
As a student newspaper on a very large campus, we are otten
charged with the task of trying to please as many people as possi
ble. While our priority doesn’t lie with keeping as many people
happy for as long as possible, we do value the importance of keep
ing contacts and presenting timely and objective news.
We understand that for the student body to get the news we
think is most important to them, we have to rely on certain people
at this university to work with us in gathering and presenting this
news.
We understand the decision made at The Minnesota Daily, but
we do not necessarily advocate their actions. As an opinion piece,
the column had every right to run, and there should not have been
any retraction or apologetic follow-up column.
Yes, the paper has a responsibility to cover men’s basketball,
but they also have a responsibility to their students to report the
news concerning an athletic program that appears to be corrupt. In
the long run, the men’s basketball program runs a potential risk in
shooting itself in the foot by denying coverage from the universi
ty’s press. The Minnesota Daily should have stood by their opin
ion piece.
Grant provides good
opportunity for USC
Che National Institute of Health and the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention awarded University of South Caroli
na researchers $8.3 million in grants last week. The funding
will serve to address three public health problems including do
mestic violence, diabetes and obesity.
The grants provide opportunities for the USC School of Public
Health's researchers to combat health disorders pertinent to the
state of South Carolina and supplement the $4.3 million the
school has received since July 1. South Carolina ranks at the top
of the nation in incidences of domestic violence, diabetes and obe
sity.
We encourage USC researchers to appreciate their unique op
portunity and realize the ramifications the research might carry.
We hope that USC and its School of Public Health will continue
the exemplary work and uphold its reputation by remaining on the
cutting edge.
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.
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The Gamecock
Brock Vergakis Mackenzie Craven
Editor in Chief Spotlight Editor
Brandon Larrabee Amy Goulding
University Editor Sean Rayford
John Huiett Photo Editor,
City/State Editor Charles Prashaw
„ . , . Amanda Silva
Kevin Langston /Usf. University Editors
Viewpoints Editor , . _ ..
. a u i John Bailey
Jared Kelowitz ^ aty/State Editor
Day Sports Editor Nathan White
Kyle Almond Asst. Viewpoints Editor
Night Sports Editor Tasha Isaac
Mackenzie Clements Aubrey Fitzloff
Jason Harmon Miranda LaLonde
Ashley Melton Ann Marie Miani
Brad Walters Jennie Moore
Martha Wright Katie Smith
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Faculty Adviser Business Manager
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Creative Services Classified Manager
Katrina Bevis
MD-Ttte
WINMEP- IS...
/hour^ter..
Election 2000
Canada ain't lookin' so bad to me
■j-dprida, Flori
1-4 da, the red
A neck riviera.
Florida, Florida,
there’s no more pa
thetic place in
America.
Yes, Vic Ches
nutt said it best.
The fate of our
country now rests
in the hands of
Florida - home to
retirees, refugees,
aspiring young
criminals, boy
bands and countless
other ne’er-do
well be the real Slim Shady.
What are his motivations in wanting
to become president anyway? I think he
wants it because daddy had it. I’m waiting
to see Bush - during his acceptance speech
(knock on wood that doesn’t happen) - to
abruptly scream “O’Doyle rules!” be
fore he leaves the stage.
Bush seems to treat this like a junior
high school election where the ‘too cool
to be in politics’ candidate promises free
Yoohoos (the surplus) to everyone when
he wins. It seems like most Americans are
voting as if they’re picking someone to
hang out with over the next four years -
the guy who will buy you a sandwich
and not ask for the money back. The is
sues are what is important, and many of
Bush’s ideas are unrealistic and quite mo
ronic, to put it straight.
Besides all this, Bush just acts so dumb.
I get the distinct impression every time he
opens his mouth that there is a cue card
close by. It shouldn’t matter what his
speechwriters tell him to say; the quality
of character lies within how a candidate
acts under pressure - alone.
For example, when faced with a ques
tion he is unprepared for, Bush changes
the subject to something he knows the peo
ple want to hear. Granted, this happens
sometimes when someone is in a jam, but
it doesn’t even seem like he gives the ques
tion a second thought afterwards.
He lacks a healthy intellectual curiosity
that a president should possess. Yet Amer
icans still gobble it up. Why? Because he
is just so damn charming and nobody wants
to clear the smoke to see through to the
issues at hand.
The decision should come from the
content, not the delivery. Delivery is im
portant; all of the great comedians and ma
gicians have perfected it.
With all the smoke screens he throws
up when a tough question arises, he seems
like a magician, but then he says some
thing funny like “many of our most im
portant imports come from overseas.” And
let’s not foiget the whole “subliminal”
fiasco. This kinda leads me back to the co
median idea
Clinton, too, has perfected that deliv
■ ery, and he has used that to charm the pants
off many fine (ahem) ladies. So how am I
supposed to believe that Mr. Popular is
any different in that aspect? After all, every
one wants to be Bush’s best friend.
I am not a fan of Clinton’s character
or moral decisions while in office, but he
has been a better-than-expected leader
over the past eight years. Gore seems like
a more straightforward and honest person
than Clinton ever was. I wish so many
wouldn’t hold him under the same con
tempt under which they hold Clinton with
out giving him a chance to shine, and shin
ing is something that Bush doesn’t seem
capable of doing.
Yes, I guess this is a Gore endorsement,
but only because I am one of the many
Americans who fell into the “fear of Bush”
category in my support for Gore. Gore is
by no means a superior leader in com
parison to the superior leaders that Amer
ica has seen in the Oval office - yet. And
there is no mistaking the feet that he smarter
and better prepared than Bush.
If you want some food for thought, ex
amine Texas under Bush, and then imag
ine what this man will do to our country.
Well, we certainly forget the “sea to shin
ing sea” part when Bush decides to open
up the Alaskan National Wtldlife Refiige
for oil drilling and the Florida Everglades
for exploration (and eventually, possibly,
drilling).
And with a Republican majority in the
House and an equal slate in the Senate,
Georgie W. will basically get whatever he
wants and it will be handed to him, com
plete with silver spoon in mouth. Having
a brat for president will truly be an expe
rience America will never forget.
wellers.
Well, the mood is hardly sunny right
now in the Sunshine State. The future of
our country “hangs in the balance” and the
“whole world is watching” this election
that is “too close to call.” (I figure I’d throw
in all the cliches I’ve been hearing on
the news over the past two days).
If nothing else, there will be two main
things we will take away from this elec
tion. 1) Your vote really does count, and
2) The electoral college needs to go.
Wtll we end up in the hands of a com
petent man who slightly lacks in charac
ter what he makes up for in experience or
a man who so often has come across as a
bumbling, blathering idiot?
Bush knows how to spell “potato,” but
that is about all I will give him credit for.
In the slipstream of my consciousness,
there lies something that triggers my com
mon sense nerve. It is this nerve that goes
haywire when Georgie W. opens his mouth.
Sorry to all of you Bush supporters,
but I just don’t trust the man. Actually, I
wonder how you do. Isn’t anyone turned
off by his penchant for sweet talking and
that sly smile? It’s quite revolting and fright
ening. Forget Eminem, Bush could very
Pete Johnson
is a senior journal
ism major. He
writes every Friday
He can be reached
at gamecockview
points
©hotmail.com
Letters
Generalizations of
Greeks by writer are
uneducated, unjust
To the Editor
In last Friday’s edition of The Game
cock, Pete Johnson kept his streak of ig
norant rationalizations about USC’s Greek
community going with his comments about
sorority girls.
More specifically, he described
Paula Jones’s statement to Larry King as
"a ditzy giggle, worthy of the dumbest
sorority girl." You might ask why write
a letter about something as trivial as this?
Well, this is just one in a long line of
derogatory comments Mr. Johnson has
made toward Greeks in his weekly col
umn. So I figured as a member of the Greek
community, it was time to call Mr. John
son on his generalizations.
His inane comments led me to believe
that he harbors a twinge of jealousy and
bitterness towards Greeks, even when he
has demonstrated little to no knowledge
about fraternities and sororities.
I encourage Mr. Johnson to talk with
several of the 2000 Greek students on cam
pus before he writes any more obligatory
remarks, in hopes that he will be able form
a better, more educated opinion.
This is all in an effort to help Mr. John
son become a better journalist because, as
we all know, these hasty generalizations
make for bad journalism. It would be as
if I said that someone was as misinformed
as a Gamecock editorial writer. Which for
all intensive purposes is false, but I go ahead
and label the whole group for the misdeeds
of just one or two members.
So Pete, for this Friday’s column I im
plore you to at least get to know the
people before you stereotype them.
Edward H. Bolder
Fraternity Council President
Political Science Senior
Maurice’s Barbecue
ad has no place in
school paper
To the Editor
Today I was walking through the Rus
sell House when I happened to see the lat
est issue of The Gamecock.
"Interesting," I thought. "Why don’t
I see what is going on in the lives of my
fellow students at the University of South
Carolina.” However, little to my surprise,
as I turned to the Sports section, I saw an
advertisement for Maurice’s Barbecue.
Yes, the Maurice’s Barbecue that ad
vocated that the confederate flag remain
atop the State House. The Maurice’s Bar
becue who in commemoration flies the
confederate flag atop its restaurants. Yes,
the Maurice’s who is being boycotted by
not only the black, but others in-state and
out-of-state who supported the removal
of this flag.
It is not enough that I have to drive
past this blatant representation of dis
crimination, hatred and servitude on my
way home. I now can open up my school’s
newspaper, this school that stands for equal
ity among all its students and faculty, and
see a company that stands for discrimina
tion, hatred and servitude.
It was my belief that the flag was
taken down. But as I turned the pages of
The Gamecock I see that it has once again
risen.
Timisha Pnrcher
Business and Media Aits Junior
gamecockviezvpoin ts@hotmail.com
Carolina vs. Clem son
Examining
the rivalry
of Carolina,
Clemson
ust over two
years ago I could
n't have cared less
about the rivalry be
tween USC and
Clemson.
When I moved
down to Columbia
from New Jersey to
start my freshman
year, I didn’t even re
alize there was a ri
valry. As far as I was
concerned, sports ri
valries began and end
ed with the New York
Yankees and the
Boston Red Sox.
Things have
changed.
Last weeicend t traveled to Liemson
along with the rest of the Carolina Rugby
team to play in a tournament.
After Saturday's matches were over, I
found myself in a bar. Surrounded by Clem
son faithfuls, we Carolina boys broke out the
chanting and tomahawk-chopping of Flori
da State University, who was, at the time,
beating the hell out of Clemson's football
team.
This didn't seem strange to any of the
South Carolinians there. Most of them had
seemingly grown up with the rivalry.
They understood it. They lived it.
But for me, it was something new and
fun.
I didn't bother going to high school foot
ball games. I never got involved in the in
ter-school and inter-town rivalry at home.
I never got in a fight with guys from the ri
val high school. So talking trash to Clemson
fans in a bar was something altogether new
for me.
1 thought about the rivalry and why i
cared about it on the drive home Sunday
morning.
How did I go from complete apathy con
cerning the rivalry to becoming wrapped up
in it in two short years?
I'm not sure I can explain it. I'm not sure
that I even understand why South Car
olinians are so wrapped up in the rivalry.
Is it something that is just ingrained in
to children from an early age? Last week, I
went to Wal-Mart and saw a 3-year-old
boy decked out in orange.
He had on a Clemson baseball cap, a
Clemson T-shirt and orange shorts with a lit
tle tiger paw on one leg. Is this child des
tined to become a Clemson Tiger? Is this
child a victim of abuse?
What happens if this little boy grows up
and decides he wants to go to USC because
it has a better journalism department, or a
more exciting campus, a better football team,
prettier girls or any other number of rea
sons?
Will his parents disown him?
Will he be on his own to finance his
education because he decided not to be a
Clemson Tiger like his father before him, his
grandfather before him and his great -
grandpappy before that?
The same can be said for the child whose
babv clothes had Gamecock logos embroi
dered on them.
What if this child decides to major in
poultry?
It wouldn't be fair of his parents to keep
him from attending Clemson and getting the
best education money can buy.
Rivalries like this don’t need rhyme or
reason. I have been a New York Yankees fan
since I was bom.
I can't tell you why I hate the Red Sox,
but I do. It's just what we do.
Yankee fans hate the Red Sox; Red Sox
fans hate the Yankees. Clemson fans hate
USC, and USC fans hate Clemson.
It's the nature of the beast.
Rivalries like these keep sports inter
esting.
Last season when the Gamecocks were
going 0-11, no one would have cared about
the season finale had it been against New
Mexico State.
But since the game was against Clem
son, USC's record didn't matter.
This season the rivalry is taking on a life
all its own. With both teams planted firmly
in the top 25, the rivalry is at an all-time
high.
The rivaliy is what makes the game great
Michael Kerr
is a junior jour
nalism major. He
can be reached
at gamecock
viewpoints@hot
mail.com