Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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> Quote, Unquote ‘Simply put, the effects of such budget cuts would be felt by this institution and our state for decades.’ «• John Palms, University President HThe (Bamccock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q03 Brock Vergakis Editor in Chief Clayton Kale Viewpoints Editor Erin O’Neal Spotlight Editor Kyle Almond Sports Editor Brad Walters Design Editor C Brandon Larrabee University Editor Amanda Silva Spotlight Editor Valerie Matchette City & State Editor Martha Wright Copy Desk Chief Education budget cut bad for USC, future Little more than two years ago, Gov. Jim Hodges was swept into office, and he proclaimed he would be the “education governor.” , Now, Hodges has proposed a 15-percent cut in the budget for the colleges and universities of South Carolina, which could cause ,USC to raise its tuition by 30 to 40 percent. The plan could also leave South Carolina without the business, education and so cial leaders it will need to advance in the coming decades, as well as limiting the higher education choices for lower-class South Carolinians. ^ Not all of the blame lies with Hodges. Some falls on Republi cans, who believe that if 24 hours go by without a tax cut, it’s been too long. But tax cuts are essentially revenue cuts, which is one cause of the state’s possible $500 million budget shortfall. Hodges’ proposed cuts will devastate higher education in South Carolina and badly damage the state’s ability to compete with its neighbors, both economically and educationally. If the two parties want to put action behind their words about educa tion, they should reject the budget cut plan instead of backing po litically expedient education policies that gain votes in the pre sent, but surrender the future. Bicentennial celebration , not prepared for students USC began celebrating its 200th year as a chartered insti tute of higher education this past Wednesday. However, poor event planning kept most students from taking part in the celebration. Students were encouraged to attend the bicentennial kickoff ceremony, but they were asked not to move in on the day of the celebration because traffic would be heavy. Dining halls weren’t opened to accommodate students who came back to campus ear ly to take part in the celebration. And the fact that there is a separate pep-rallyesque “kickoff” celebration planned for students shows the first kickoff celebra tion wasn’t intended for the average student. Universities often favor alumni over students, and in this case, I USC is no different. The administration should remember that the students who attend USC in 2001 are just as important as alumni who were graduated years before. The administration should have remembered to plan for stu dents by opening dining halls and residence halls when preparing for big celebrations like the bicentennial. The students are as much a part of the Carolina community as the alumni. 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. All sections of The Gamecock are updated on the Web site .www.dailygamecock.com),Monday through Friday.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. JIAdoress 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 G**COCk Newsroom 777-7726 Editor's Office 777-3914 Editor in Chief gamecockeditorOhotmail.com University Desk gamecockudeskOhotmail.com City/State Desk gamecockcitydeskOhotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpointsOhotmail.com Spotlight gamecockspotlightOhotmail.com Sports gamecocksportsOhotmail.com Online www.dailygamecock.com SUBMW8ION Policy II . ’ guesi columns are welcome from f. "1“™'!'*,°* the Carolina community Letters should be 250-300 wo,* Guest c0|umns 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 tele I phone number for confirmation and should be sent to gamecockviewpoints0hotrnail.com. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Anonymous letters will not be published PhoUs are required for guest colur mists and can be provided by the submitter. Call 777-7726 for more information The Gamecock Travis Lynn Sean Rayford Photo Editors Charles Prashaw Asst. City/State Editor Mackenzie Clements Jason Harmon Ashley Melton Kenley Young Copy Editors Ann Marie Miani Jennie Moore Katie Smith Page Designers Studckt Meom 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 Sarah Sims Advertising Manager Jannell Deyo • Robyn Gombar Kera Khalil Denise Levereaux Brantley Roper Nicole Russell Advertising Staff Sherry F. Holmes Classified Manager Only two letters to the editor per student will be print ed in a semester. Staff columns take priority over guest columns, unless the guest columnist offers expertise on a subject, or if the subject's relevance is limited by time. Giwst columns and letters to the editor may be sub mitted by e-mail to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. W - -- INAUGURAL BALL.... * Crimes of the Mind Television: the real democracy So there 1 was, clicking the remote through 999 chan nels of rubbish. I started from channel two, and went higher and higher and higher in the channels. We have them all. I by passed the five home shopping channels and moved into the an imal documentary channels, where I Clayton Kale is a third-year journalism major. Reach him at gamecockviewpoints 0hotmajl.com. Muppcu uiieuy tu learn about the mating habits of pygmy marmosets before I continued looking for something that would hold my attention for more than two minutes. I stopped clicking somewhere between channel 468 and channel 503 because of a thumb cramp. See, last semester while I was away, my parents decided to get digital cable (be cause we all know that digital is better) so my dad could watch the Little Sisters of Mercy benefit bowling league on ESPN6, and my mom could watch A&E Biogra phy whenever she chooses on the 24-hour a-day Biography Channel. Over the course of this past semester, I had gotten used to the idea of broadcast television, where you have three, maybe four, fuzzy-but-free channels with all the essentials: Conan O’Brien, 60 Minutes and mindless but comparatively whole ‘Now the trend is to get a bunch of twenty somethings ... on camera to watch them stab each other in the back for greed.’ some programming like the Drew Carey Show (for recreational use only, I swear!). I say “comparatively wholesome” be cause on the specialty channels like Com edy Central and the once-great Cartoon Network, there are programs so deplorable that, if I were my father, I wouldn’t let me watch them. Theater critic Clive A. Barnes made a funny and fair observation when he said, “Television is the first truly democratic culture — the first culture available to everybody and entirely governed by what people want. The most terrifying thing is what people do want.” This is indeed true. One of the best ways to keep viewers coming back for more is to continually push the envelope, keep them asking, “What are they going to do next?” The best way to find out what they’re going to do next is, of course, see for yourself. Pushing the envelope is the way to get by in the TV biz, it seems. First we had The Simpsons, which seems mild compared with Beavis and Butthead, which seems mild compared with South Park, which will seem mild compared with the next in line of “adult” cartoons. Now the trend is to get a bunch of twenty-somethings (adding the token crotchety old man) and put them on cam era to watch them stab each other in the back for greed. Survivor was bad (and boring) enough, but last week, the idiot box went a step further — seeing how long a few long term couples can make it on an island filled with people whose sole purpose is to tempt one or both of the partners into cheating on their significant other. The couple that remains devoted wins —get this—a bunch of money, while the losers walk away nursing broken hearts. The consolation prize is a memory of mak ing it with some hot chick or stud (who only showed interest in them because — get this — they were paid too). Ah, but like a drop of blood in a feed ing frenzy, complaining about it does lit tle more than increase the hype. Televi sion gets worse and worse every year, and barring censorship — which is worse than MTV — there is no way to clean it up. But I’ll do my part. In the spirit of Mil ton’s Marketplace of Ideas, I’ll not watch until it goes away. LETTERS Brewers town rallies around USC victory To the Editor Let me start by saying that I am a big Ohio State fan. I was bom and raised a Buckeye. On New Year’s Day, I found my self doing the unthinkable. Not only did I not cheer for Ohio State, but 1 was totally against them. Before the game, I wanted badly for Ryan Brew er to ran all over the Buckeye defense. Watching Ryan Brewer play while he at tended Troy High School was a delight. I knew as a freshman that Ryan Brew er was going to be a reckoning force at the collegiate level. I had just hoped it would be at Ohio State. Reading all the ar ticles in our local newspaper regarding the recruiting of Ryan Brewer, I was surprised that Ohio State didn’t want him. After all, he was the best football play er in Ohio. Why let a player with that kind of skill, determination and heart go out of state? Answer: So he can come back and mb it in your nose! The whole town of Troy and, quite frankly, this whole area was cheering for South Carolina. I’m sure I speak for most in our town when I say thanks. Thank you, Lou Holtz, for recruiting Ryan Brewer. Thank you, Lou Holtz, for giving our fellow Trojan his time to shine. Thanks to those on offense who blocked for him. Thanks to the defense who made more time for the offense to have the ball. Thanks to the special teams that gave USC the good field position. And, most of all, thank you, Ryan Brewer. Thank you for making Troy, Ohio proud, for doing what every one knew you could do in the first place. Congratulations on the Player of the Game award University of South Carolina: Con gratulations on being the Outback Bowl champions! Matt Jennings Troy, (Mo Injured student’s family seeks University support To the Editor My name is Chris Duke, the brother of Dan Duke, the USC student who was found [unconsious] on the 600 block of Pickens Street. Our family is very eager to obtain any information regarding this situation. We are trying very diligently to find the person or persons who did this to my brother. Alumni, students and fac ulty support the University of South Car olina through sports and education, and my brother was no exception. I went to a football game and the support was im mense. Now my brother needs help, and I hope the support will be as immense. Wfe spent Christmas in a hospital looking at a hopeless kid who was left for dead in the middle of the road. My brother has now been in a coma for four weeks. I am pleading for help to find who did this to my brother. I hope through your publication of your paper and people talk ing about this tragic incident we will find the culprits. Thank you for your support. Chris Duke Victini’s brother Plan for the financial future To the Editor Welcome back to campus. It has been a pleasant holiday break, and I look for ward to renewed enthusiasm in our bi centennial year. Now is the time for stu dent oiganizations to plan programs and events for the remainder of 2001, and it’s imperative that students include fi nancial considerations in their planning. Over the next two weeks, Student Gov ernment will be holding the Spring Trea surer’s Workshops. These workshops are designed to help student oiganizations learn who is eligible for university funds, how to apply for these funds and how to spend funds that they are allocated. Student Gov ernment representatives will be avail able at these workshops to explain the spring budget allocation process and to help your organization determine its best strategy in the competition for limited uni versity funds. Every semester, there is a $2.15 chaige added to each student’s bill. This revenue is pooled and distributed by the Student Senate Finance Committee to help sup port student oiganizations on campus. Stu dent Government uiges you to get involved in the process and to voice your concerns over how your money is spent. Make sure the treasurer of every or ganization to which you belong attends a Treasurer’s Workshop so that your group is eligible for funding. Set aside time in your meetings to make reasonable esti mates as to the cost of expected programs and to develop a thorough budget for the 2001-2002 fiscal year. For the majority of student oiganiza tions, university funding is vital to their success and continuity. Don’t make your successors reinvent the wheel. Set the foundation now. Hydrick Harden Chairman, Student Senate Finance Committee New Year’s Resolutions Resolve to stop resolving Anew year is upon us, which means a few things are certain. First of - all, it means the Gamecocks are the Outback Bowl champions. Sec ondly, it means there is a good chance you woke up on someone else’s floor, in CAmrtATIrt aIcaVKa^ Michael Kerr is a third-year journalism major. Reach him at gamecockviewpoints Bhotmail.com. or, in a worst-case scenario, in someone else's jail cell after a night filled with noisemakers, fireworks and Dick Clark jokes. Lastly, it means you might have made some sort of resolution for the brand new year of 2001 that you swear you’ll stick to, although everyone knows von won’t New Year’s Resolutions are one of the stupidest traditions to plague our society. Considering most are thought up around 12:01 a.m. on Jan. 1 while the room is spin ning after two or 12 shots of Cuervo Gold, it’s no wonder most are all but forgotten when the party ends and the hangover begins. On another note, did you ever notice that it’s always the people who aren’t get ting kissed at midnight who are the first to shout out their resolutions for all to hear? You never hear a guy getting kissed saying, “I really have to get in shape this year,” when the clock strikes midnight. You know why? Because he’s good enough for some eirl to kiss him! It’s always the guy in the comer who hasn’t kissed anyone besides his mom in 10 years who’s telling anyone who’ll lis ten how he’s going to start going to the gym this year. Well, guess what, he isn’t going to start going to the gym, he’s not going to have anyone kiss him next year and he’s going to make the same resolution for 2002. Now that I’ve got the basics out of the way, let me tell you what’s wrong with the rest of your resolutions. A common reso lution is “I’m going to quit smoking this year.” Hey, buddy—no, you’re not You’re not going to quit smoking this year or next year or any year just because you resolve to at midnight. It’s a drug, and you’re ad dicted. The start of a new year isn’t going to change that. You want to quit smoking? I’ 11 give you a tip: Fmd a beautiful girl who hates cigarette smoke more than lima beans and date her. You’ll be an ex-smoker in two Then there’s the guy who says he’s “go ing to lose that extra 10 pounds.” Chances are, this is the same guy that’s been stuff ing his face with cocktail weenies all night and just did his sixth keg stand. Let me tell you something, you’re not going to lose that extra 10 pounds. You’ll probably put on 10 by the time bathing suit weather rolls around. It’s January, and it’s cold. You need the extra insulation anyway, you’ll tell yourself. Best-case scenario for this guy: he switches to light beer for a week and then switches back because he starts to feel weak and lightheaded. Believe it or not, I was one of the fortunate ones getting kissed this year when the ball dropped in Times Square. Maybe that’s why I noticed all this senseless re solvinggoing on around me. As I’m trying to kiss my girlfriend, I had some moron chugging a bottle of cheap champagne telling me he was going to stop drinking and try to find his wife again. “No, you’re not, bud dy,” I said in disgust. “You’re gonna be the same drunken idiot next year as you are right now.” He thought about it for a mo ment and agreed before launching into a loud and painful rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.” The whole thing actually gave me an idea for my own New Year’s resolution, to start drinking much more heavily. It might be the only way to get through another year with these people and the promises they’ll never keep. If I were drunk enough all the time, I just might find them en dearing. It seemed to work for the guy whose wife left him for the pizza delivery boy. So it’s official. I resolve to drink more heavily on a daily basis. But I’m sure I won’t stick to it.