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Quote, Unquote ‘I’m tired today, but I will be fine Monday or Tuesday. These kids never will.’ Michael Harmon, Dance Marathon dancer I Monday, February 26,2001 TITIie (Bamccock Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 Brock Vergakis Editor in Chief Brandon Larrabee University Editor Erin O’Neal Spotlight Editor Kyle Almond Sports Editor Brad Walters Design Editor Cristy Infinger Asst. University Editor Valerie Matchette City & State Editor Amanda Silva Spotlight Editor Martha Wright Copy Desk Chief Charles Prashaw Asst. City & State Editor Aubrey Fitzloff Asst. Viewpoints Editor Journalism school should give test in basic English USC’s College of Journalism and Mass Communications should consider instituting a proficiency test for spelling, grammar and basic writing abilities before admitting stu dents to the college. Studies have shown steadily declining basic English skills among college students for years. The numbers are disturbing. Fh a survey conducted last year by Geoige Washington University, about 80 percent of college professors said their students didn’t have a basic grasp of spelling, grammar or writing skills. Colleges and universities can’t be faulted for this trend, but in a school whose graduates simply must be able to communicate the language clearly and cleanly, it’s imperative to implement some sort of bar to measure incoming students’ English skills. Other journalism schools have successfully instituted such tests. At the University of North Carolina’s journalism school, students must earn a score of at least 60 percent on a basic spelling and grammar examination before they’re allowed to take basic journal ism courses. They must score at least 70 percent on the same test before graduation. For those students who are unable to pass the test, the school offers a course in basic grammar called the “Gram mar Slammer.” The University of Georgia requires a similar test. As it stands, journalism professors here have to waste their valuable time, knowledge and resources on teaching elementary grammar and writing skills to students who aren’t sufficiently pre pared. With a testing system in place, those students can get reme dial help before being admitted into the program and finding out two semesters before graduation that they don’t have the skills to* pass advanced journalism classes. It’s a win-win situation not only for professors and students, but also for our journalism school. New washers, laundry cards inconveniencing students In an effort to technologically upgrade our campus, new wash ers and dryers were installed in most on-campus laundry rooms this past summer. However, this isn’t necessarily a good thing. The new machines hold less, but are more expensive to use. Not only were prices raised, but students must pay for the “privilege” of doing laundry — it’s $2 to get a laundry card, and the machine only accepts $5 bills and higher. If the university is going to be a true technological campus, it should upgrade so students can use their cash cards at laundry facil ities. A second option would be for USC to bring back quarter-op erated machines, or at least have laundry card machines accept dol lars and coins. If the university doesn’t do something quickly to make on-cam pus laundry facilities more student-friendly, laundromats across Columbia will profit at USC’s expense. 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 Studant 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. 4 Adoress The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, SC 29208 Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Stuoent Media Area code 803 Advertising - 777-3888 Classified 777-1184 Fa* 777-6482 Office 777-3888 Gamecock Area code 803-777-7726 Editor in Chief gamecockeditordhotmail.com University Desk gamecockudeskdhotmail.com City/State Desk gamecockcitydeskdhotmail.com Viewpoints gamecockviewpointsdhotmail com Spot I ight gamecockspotl ightdhot mai I com Sports gamecocksportsdhotmail.com Online www.dailygamecock.com 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, professional 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 e-mailed to gamecockviewpointsdhotmail com. lhe Gamecock reserves the right to edit tor libel, style and space Anonymous letters will not be published Photos are required for guest columnists and r an be provided by the submitter The Gamecock Ann Marie Miani Travis Lynn Jennie Moore Sean Rayford Katie Smith Photo Editors Mark Yates Mackenzie Clements Page Designers Jason Harmon Betsy Baugh Copy Editors Sara McLaulin Charles Tomlinson Community Affairs Senior Reporter » Stuookt Media WKKKBK Erik Collins Carolyn Griffin Faculty Adviser Business Manager Ellen Parsons Sarah Sims Director of Advertising Manager Student Media _ Jannell Deyo s=.&r Kera Khalil Sean De Luna Denise Levereaux Todd Hooks Nico|e Russell Melanie Hutto Advertising Staff Emilie Moca Martin Salisbury Sherry F. Holmes Creative Services Classified Manager Only two letters to the editor per student will be printed 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 Guest columns and letters may Jjie submitted by e mail to gamecockviewpointsQhotm^il com Call 777-7726 for more information /""who Z/ / VoZSv'T \ < Know that ?\ (T,5'THe5'P^0fN6-) up f&ocezs L Kjo0o?c?y / UKfm / SOgY-TlSTjV / 5AY \ ‘ (JO SkOWlMG- I ipOoJM ThC A6<H<y V PR0C£55. Student Life What a dark period really is I have a friend who used to live in Raleigh. When I asked him what it was like to live in Raleigh, he said, “It was fun, but it was a dark period in my life. I don’t like to talk about it.” “A dark period?” I thought. Later, when my friend had drunk a few beers, I asked him exactly what makes a period dark. We were sitting around a fire, and he squinted at me with one eye and said, “Buy a bottle of scotch, a mayonnaise jar foil of cocaine and call me three years from now.” “Cool,” I said. As I came to find out, there are some other elements to the dark period. You must be on the run from the law. You must have a cinderblock house with an old couch in it, and it helps to make a long visit to Mexico. You must also be extremely mysterious and abstract during, conversation. For instance, your mother calls at 4 p.m. and rouses you out of bed to say, “I don’t understand where you’re going with your life.” You say, “I be where I be.” If your mother then asks, “Why did you wreck your father’s new car and pawn off the television?” You respond, “A man ain’t nothing but a man.” (Or woman, as the case may be). Your friends might ask similar questions to the tune of, “Where’s that $200 you owe me?” Or if they've just had their wisdom teeth pulled, “Why did you steal my pain pills?” Fortunately, the “be” and “man” statements are multi applicative. Characteristically, after two months of solid darkness, your family has nicknamed you “that bastard.” Your grade point average starts on the right side of the decimal, and the most expensive thing you own is an unfinished tattoo. Tills is cool. One of the crucial points of the dark period is no responsibility. Responsibility leads to stress which leads to sobriety which leads to boredom. Another important aspect of the dark period is “don’t take it slow.” Take it fast. Grab the bull by his horns, and don’t let go. This feeling is comparable to “the day you learn to drive is the day you’re a racer in the Indy 500.” Put the top down, feel the wind through your hair and cut other racers off. After three years, the dark period will probably get old because your jaw keeps making a funny twitch. Luckily, getting in is just as easy as getting out. Switch the “a man ain’t nothing but a man” comment to “Yeah, ult, sorry about that.” And pretty soon it will all be forgotten. Next, take the great poetry you wrote at 4 am. on speed and publish it under tire guise of “modem.” You look good on television because you’ve eaten lots of nothing, and three months after crawling back, you’ll be rich, famous and watching clips of yourself holding a crack pipe on your E! Biography, which comes on twice a week. James Battle is a third-year student in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Send letters to gamecockviewpoints ©hotmail.com. Letters Former candidate endorses White To the Editor I met people over the course of my campaign that care about this campus and its Student Government. I made friends along the way. 1 count my former opponent Nathan White among them. He has the leadership ability to win over even those who oppose him politically. I know. He has won this opponent over. For what it’s worth, I offer Nathan White my endorsement for SG Vice President. He is truly a “Student Leader for All Students.” Adam Bourne Thud-year student College of Liberal Arts Former vice-presidential candidate SG is not trying to steal student rights To the Editor I would like to respond to the editorial written by your staff about the disappearance of newspapers from outside the Student Government office on Wednesday. I agree that any type of cen sorship is not permissible in a democratic society, and everyone has a right to their own opinions. However, in the editorial, you all but blatantly point the finger at SG for the attempted destruction of hundreds of copies of the newspaper. These comments are unmerited and unacceptable. 1 cannot speak on behalf of all candidates, but I can say that they at tended the debate knowing fully that they ran the risk of not receiving an endorse ment, so it makes no sense to me that they would be so upset as to destroy the results. SG’s goals have always been to empower and improve the lives of students on this campus. Part of that empowerment includes your organization. SG, a modcUif our existing government, is not in place to steal these rights from anyone. From the outside, we are fighting the same fight. Call SG on its mistakes. If you feel the need to bash SG, so be it. If your problems are merited, then you have done a service to this campus. However, do not say that SG attempts to steal the rights of students on this campus. When you do that, you are blaming those who fight diligently for the rights of others. Candice Joy Braddock Third-year student Daria Moore School of Business SG Executive Cabinet member Choose letters that have a point To the Editor As a sophomore at USC, I read The Gamecock in order to keep abreast of current issues on campus. I have always kept an open mind regarding the newspaper’s aim to cover all sides of issues, until I read a certain “Letter to the Editor” in the Feb. 12 issue. I am in disbelief that your editors would allow phrases such as “mosquito-bite titties” and “stupid frat bastard" to grace the pages of our prestigious paper. There will always be a battle on campus between “Greeks” and “Non Greeks.” How many letters need to be printed in order to spotlight this topic? If you must continue to endorse this conflict, please choose letters that actually have a point. Printing Eddie Hill’s kindergarten cut-downs really won’t make a di(Terence on campus. Freedom of speech is a beautiful thing, but isn’t it about time people who are jealous of the Greek system got over it? We get the point: you hate us, that’s fine ... now shut up. B. V. Warren Second-year student College of Journalism and Mass Communications Gamecock right to endorse candidates To the Editor Congratulations to The Gamecock for maintaining a level head throughout this election. Endorsing a candidate is the right and privilege of the school paper. The pa per did a great job in keeping us informed of the platforms of every candidate, even those who weren’t endorsed. I did not agree with the opinion of the editorial staff, but that was my right to choose. The fact that they thought someone else was better for the job had no influence on my decision. I can make a decision for myself. Mr. Dixon seems to think that we are all drones doing whatever The Gamecock ed itors tell us to do. He is wrong. We, as a group, are an intelligent bunch of people. This year’s campaign was one of the worst-run campaigns I have seen in the three years I have attended USC. The outrageous number of infractions filed against candidates by members of the other campaigns was one of the most juvenile acts possible. What were you thinking? Maybe if the other candidates were thrown out of the race, your candidate wouldn’t have to be actually scrutinized or form any real opinion. So, because of the absolute lack of civility, 1 have decided not to vote again in the SG elec tions. I refuse to be a part of this popularity contest. I used to think that we were all adults here. I guess I was the one who was wrong this time, but I don’t think that those of us who are grown up should put up with this any longer. Jessica Bradshaw nurd-year student College of Science and Mathematics Religious opinions New set of rules for good Catholics Ann Marie Miani is a third-year student in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. Send letters to gamecockviewpoints ©hotmail.com. Let me start off by saying that I was born and raised Catholic. I know many of you are already thinking, “Damn Yankee.” Well .you’re right, but my being a “Damn Yank" isn’t the point. Anyway, I have formed the following opinion about the Church. The Catholic Church should officially adopt the “Point System” it already seems to have in place. Those of you who are Catholic should understand what I’m talking about, but for those of you who aren’t, let me explain. The Church would like you to believe that by doing certain things, such as confession and attending weekly Mass, you will enter God’s good graces and be allowed access into heaven. Of course, there’s a flip side to this. If you use contraceptives, have sex or eat meat on Good Friday, you will be banished to hell for eternity. So here’s my theory. Please have an open mind and take what I am saying into consideration before you pass judgment. When a cltild is baptized, he should receive a notice telling him how many points he must earn before he can enter the Pearly Gates. Then, in that same letter, the point scale of the “good deeds,” the “bad deeds” and the rules of game should be enclosed. For example, the point scale should look something like this: ■ 100 points — Going to church on a weekly basis. ■ 50 points—Helping an old lady across the street. ■ 10 points — Loaning a pen to a classmate before the big exam. ■ -10 points — Loaning answers to a classmate during the big exam. ■ -50 points — Tripping an old lady. ■ -100 points — Writing opinion columns that reflect badly on the Church. Kules are as follows: 1. Once the child is baptized, he starts off with a total point score of zero. 2. Each good deed committed will add to the total score. 3. Each bad deed committed will subtract from the total score. 4. If you do a good deed within a 72 hour period of the bad deed, then you will receive half the total points of the good deed. 5. If you have committed one of the seven deadly sins or have broken a commandment, you may not do a good deed to make up for the bad deed. Chances are you are going to hell anyway, so there’s no point in wasting your time or that of the Lord’s (our official scorekeeper). 6. Once the total points are achieved, the player will gain access into heaven, and he is to spend the rest of eternity there. 7. If the player doesn’t achieve the total points by time of death, he may argue his case before the Purgatory , Council. After they deliberate, he might be allowed into heaven. So here are the rules as I believe they should be. I know you’re thinking, “What does she know? She can’t make up the rules — she’s only human.” Wfell, just remember this — the Bible was written by man. God didn’t sit down at his computer one night and write the Bible and e-mail it to the Pope. The Church has also made up several rules that aren’t even in the Bible, such as no meat on Fridays, which Catholics take its the word of God. So if they can do it, why can’t I? Mr. Jones, We know you did it, now admit it. |