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Quote, Unquote ‘There’s no leaking in South Carolina. There’s only a fire hose.’ John Palms, USC president on media attention for his Senate bid %ht (5am tco ck - 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 There s no such thing as a ‘fetal’ personhood Cnder the pretense of protecting pregnant women, some South Carolina legislators are trying to sneak in a law that could erode the right to abortion. In the Unborn Vic tims Act of 2001, which received a favorable report from the Ju diciary Committee this past Wednesday, women could collect civil damages from a third party who harms or kills their “unborn children.” It falls under the guise of justice — if a woman is beaten so se verely that she miscarries, her assailant could be charged with murder. Certainly the loss of a wanted pregnancy is emotionally equivalent to the death of an child. The catch? The bill defines “person” as “an unborn child at every stage of gestation ... from conception until live birth.” And suddenly, here’s your court docket: A woman in her fourth week of pregnancy sues because she miscarried a week after a fender bender. Someone tries to outlaw IUDs as murder weapons be cause they prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg. Worker’s compensation claims are filed by women who say physical-or emotional job stress caused them to miscarry. Clearly, by granting “personhood” to a zygote, this bill’s passage creates a million le gal problems and zero solutions. A cluster of cells has no legal standing. The Unborn Victims.Act isn’t a measure to give women legal recourse for unwanted termination of a pregnancy; instead, it’s chipping away at abortion rights. Parking decreases daily e all know parking on campus is nowhere near satisfac tory. But lately, Parking Services has been playing a new game with students. More and more reserved spaces for high-brow faculty and administrators, or for certain students who get favors from the administration, have been added without any notice, leaving fewer spaces open for students. Also, spaces are often reserved on a temporary basis — mean ing that students might return to their parked car to find it ticket ed or towed because the space has “suddenly” been reserved. But that’s not the only problem. Parking spaces lately have been swallowed up without notice. More than 20 spaces behind Woodrow and Rutledge have been closed off for more than a week for construction, and nobody seems to know when they’ll be made available again. Not only is this inconvenient for students and faculty alike, but it’s also unfair. Parking is too scarce now for the university to arbitrarily take away more spaces. About Us The Gamecock is the student newspaper of the University of South Carolina and is published Monday, Wednesday and Friday dunng 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 erf South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher cf The Gamecock. The Department of Student Media is the newspaper's parent organization. The Gamecock is supportec m 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 Editdl in Chief gamecockeditorQhotmail.com University Desk gamecockudeskQhotmail.com City/State Desk gamecockcitydeskQhotmail.rom Viewpoints gamecockviewpointsQhotmail.com Spotlight gamecockspotlightQhotmail com Sports gamecocksportsQhotmail.com Online www.dailygamecock.com Submission Poucy 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 gamecoc kviewpointsdhot mai I com. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Anonymous letters will not be published. Photos are required for guest columnists and can be provided by the submitter. Tm Gamecock Ann Marie Miani Jennie Moore Katie Smith Mark Yates Page Designers Betsy Baugh Sara McLaulin Community Affairs Stoocht Med* Travis Lynn Sean Rayford Photo Editors Crystal Boyles Mackenzie Clements Jason Harmon Copy Editors LHfl WJimu 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 v^ciiuijii unmii Business Manager Sarah Sims Advertising Manager Jannell Deyo Robyn Gombar Kera Khalil Denise Levereaux Nicole Russell Advertising Staff Sherry F. Holmes Classified Manager Only two letters to the editor per student will be printed in a semester Staff dolumns take priority over guest columns, unless the guest columnist offers expertise on a subject, pr if the subject's relevance is limited by time. Guest columns and letters may be submitted by e-mail to gamecockviewpomts0hotmail.com. Call 777-7726 for more information. College Press Exchange THE NEXT STEP FOR AMERICAN UUSTiCE USC’s future without Palms May 1, 2001— USC President John Palms today announced he would resign to run for the U.S. Senate seat Brandon currently held by La,Tabee Strom Thumiond. is a third-year Immediately, student in the state Sen. Arthur College of Rivenel was named Journalism and Mass interim president Commnications. before beginning Send responses to the search for a gamecockviewpoints permanent ©hotmaii.com. replacement.... In Washington, reaction was mixed. “Lindsey Graham is the hope of our nation, not Palms. The Repubhcan Party is where wings take dream,”President Bush said.... □fter the announcement that Palms will move on, the candidates for university president come in droves. Former Vice President A1 Gore, despondent at the news that Bush really did beat him (even in the media re-re recount) and desperate to be president of something, jumps into the race. “We need to put tuition funds in a lockbox,” Gore says to a stunned press corps, whose eyes glaze over as they try to understand what he means. Meanwhile, Ravenel announces he will revoke the university’s desegregation policy, saying it was instituted by “the board of retards.” “I’ve always said the colleges need to do their part to help out in the budget cuts,” Ravenel said. “By cutting out all of these students, we can save millions.” Eventually, early speculation centers on former Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins, who declares himself a candidate for the job. No one really knows why, but Cremins is taken seriously. However, three days later, he changes his mind. Finally, the buzz revolves around none other than Lou Holtz. “We need to get him away from the goal posts,” an anonymous source in the department of facilities and management says. Meanwhile, John Palms begins his run for Senate. “We can make the University States of America worthy of entrance into the AAU,” he says in one early mistake. Lindsey Graham derides him as “a pointy-headed professor.” Democrats are furious. “Wfell, I never knew George Wallace was light in the loafers,” Party Chairman Dick Harpootlian responds. In an astounding move, Bobby Cremins announces he will challenge Palms. However, three days later, he changes his mind. After denying the reports that she wouldn’t run for the USC presidency, Darla Moore announces she’s decided to make a bid. She announces she wants to donate $30 million to create the “Darla Moore University of South Carolina,” but trustees decline the offer. Meanwhile, Attorney General Charlie Condon declares “open season” on all Democrats and small children. University officials announce May 8 that Holtz will be taking over as president. Charlie Strong is made provost, and Skip Holtz is made “vice president who will take over when his dad leaves.” A1 Gore demands a recount. Holtz’s job change sets off an even greater flurry of speculation, as several candidates put in applications to join the now-decent Gamecock football team. “I wish we had this easy a time finding a basketball coach,” Holtz says. “Maybe I will end up doing it.” On May 12, Hodges and House Republican leaders announce that $356 million has magically appeared in the state budget, all of which will be allocated toward education. However, the Senate is more skeptical, so they call Holtz in for tpctimnnv After a long and contentious session, Holtz eventually leaps out of his seat and puts Education Subcommittee Chairman Warren Giese in a headlock. “Give me my funding — now!” Holtz roars. The speculation about who will be football coach finally centers on none other than Bobby Cremins. Cremins says he’ll take the football coach position. However, three days later, he changes his mind. Palms loses his race and is named head football coach. He automatically starts raising money for a new stadium. Ravenel becomes CEO of Denny’s. Gore’s recount is denied. After a dismal first year as president, Holtz leads the university to gain AAU status. And, having nowhere else to move, Bobby Cremins finally decides that he will never commit to running for another office of any sort. However, three days later, he changes his mind. Campus Issue University food is disgusting — bout two ' ’ ’ weeks ago, I went to The Patio at Patterson for dinner. I used to be a big fan of Patterson. It AubreyFitzloff wasn’t that bad, is a first-year considering it’s student in the university food. College of And it’s all you Journalism & Mass can eat, which is Communications, certainly a plus, Send responses to instead of adding gamecockviewpoints the price of each ehotmaii.com. item at The Grand Marketplace and Sidewalk Cafe, hoping you don’t go over the allotment for each meal. But this particular visit changed my view of Patterson and many of USC’s dining establishments. While I was eating, I found not one, but two eyelashes in my rice. Call me crazy, but does this strike anyone else its ... disgusting? Obviously, I haven’t been back to Patterson anytime recently, and I’ve told all my friends. I’ve heard other stories about the treasures left in the food at our fine dining facilities. One friend told me she found fingernail clippings in her chicken salad from the Grand Marketplace. Another friend found a live fly in her Caesar salad, also from the Grand Marketplace. I know everyone bitches about university food. None of us like the hours, the selection or the way Marriott’s employees treat students. But I think a line has been crossed. Frankly, other people’s body parts and insects aren’t what I want to be consuming, and I have this little inkling that many other students are agreeing with me. Being a lowly freshman with no car, I don’t have a whole lot of choice about where I’m going to eat. It has to be on campus or very near to it. I would be more than happy to walk to a nearby eating establishment and purchase food that’s more than likely much healthier, safer and better tasting. But there’s a money issue involved here. I already purchased my meal plan, spending a pretty penny to be able to have my card swiped and get food on campus. It really pisses me off to think that I have to pay for my meals twice because Marriott's employees don’t understand the meaning of the word “cleanliness.” I shouldn’t have to. This really is disgusting. There are things called sanitation standards, and I’m pretty sure my experience with some employee’s eyelashes isn’t meeting them. I spent a few years in the food business, working part-time jobs to earn money for college, and I know this cleanliness concept isn’t too difficult. W;ish your hands. Pull your hair back. Clip your fingernails, and do other personal grooming at home. Or here’s a better rule of thumb, if you aren’t sure. Don’t do anything to the food you’re serving somebody else that you wouldn’t do to your own food. How many of us would invite our parents over for dinner and serve them food with hair in it? Very few. So why do students have to worry about it when they eat food from university dining services? University Policy University needs to be be more forgiving To err is human; to forgive, divine. —Alexander Pope, An Essay on Criticism. People make mistakes. Ben Edwardt Alarms ^ a first-year don’t go off, and student in the grades slip. Often, College of Libeal a person’s grade Arts. Send point average responses to doesn’t reflect a gamecockviewpints student’s actual ©hotmail.com. qualifications in his or her respective field. An acaemic forgiveness policy could addres this concern and provide a way to ini]rove ritimfinn Ideally, the policy would only beised once by each student. This stipultion would prevent people from decidip just to give up in some classes becausehey can retake them. GPAs wouldn’t chnge on a drastic basis because of this pricy; only one class could be forgiverin a student’s academic career. Hopefully, the forgiven corse wouldn’t be on a USC transcipt. Otherwise, the administration wuld be granting a hollow forgiveness. Matthew 6:12 says, “Forgiv us our debts, as we also have forgiverour debtors.” To truly forgive someone nuns you don’t hold a grudge against he offender. If USC kept record of the failurion the transcript, then graduate schoolsnd employers would be able to discrinuite on the basis of the failed course. This tpe of forgiveness is almost useless and ot worth the student’s effort to retake te course. Another key stipulation wouldie that, when the student retakes the coue, he or she must make at least a B c a B+ in the course. That way, the university would hre justification in forgiving the student >r the prior grade. The high grade in te retaken class is necessary to ensue competence in the subject matter. Furthermore, the retaken coue should be under a different professor thi the first course because, if the studet retook the course under the sane professor, he would have already be« exposed to the professor’s tests. Sometimes, university employe; seem to forget they’re being paid 1 student tuition and federal funds to assi the students at this institution. The; students might need assistance wit learning the material in many cases. Some professors seem to think they’i merely screening students for employe) and graduate schools; however, employe and graduate schools don’t universit officials’salaries. USC ought to focus on helping r students excel in every way possible. Ar host of ills could cause a student to fa a course. Medical conditions, leamir disabilities, family emergencies, fire alam and poor planning all could contribu to a student’s failure of a course. An academic forgiveness polic would be a reasonable change to betti represent students. After all, the universi is here to serve its students. Let your voice be heard. Send letters to. the editor to gamecockviewpoints @hotmail.com or visit www.dailygamecock.com