Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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©it Gamecock Final Thoughts Lessons learned at The Gamecock So this is it — the last thing I’ll ever write for The Gamecock. It’s been more than two Brad Watters years since I’ve is a fourth.year , written a column, studentinthe and for good reason. Opinion , , ... , r Journalism and Mass pieces have never „ f Communications, been my strong .... Send responses to suit. But, as a .■ • gamecockviewpoints graduatuig semor, 6 a former editor in ®hotmalLcom' chief and the be draggled veteran of this staff, I’d feel remiss not to impart just a little bit of wisdom to the masses before I bid USC farewell. After my initial bout with writer’s block, I’d originally started to write about how much fun I’ve had at school, but I soon realized that would be nothing more than a sentimental rambling few readers would care about. So instead I’m choosing to share something with which I hope more students might be able to identify: a few of the lessons I’ve learned in my three years-plus at The Gamecock ■ Lesson No. 1: Accept it: The administration doesn’t care whether you ' have a close place to park, and they probably never will It’s fun to imagine the day when President Palms and the board of trustees will stop focusing so much on that AAU pipe dream and start caring more about the concerns of the university’s students. I’m not talking about prospective students or former students — they get plenty of attention, because it’s their dollars the university most needs to attract. I’m talking about Joe Student in Woodrow who has to pay $320 a year just to park within four city blocks of his dorm because they’re tearing up central parking spaces seemingly at random without bothering to ask students what they think about it. But let’s face it. We’re only here for about four years, a really insignificant amount of time in the university continuum, and students here have bitched to no avail about parking and tuition and everything else for decades. If I’ve discovered anything in working at The Gamecock, it’s that students’ concerns have evidently never been too high on the administration’s totem pole. Am I advocating blithely accepting the status quo? Of course not, but it’s a fact of fife that university administrators everywhere are paid to focus on the big picture in the future. It’s just a shame that the ones here fail to have any sort of peripheral vision in the present. ■ Lesson No. 2: We, as students, should never take our positions or ourselves too seriously. One rather unfortunate lesson I’ve learned at The Gamecock is that far too many student leaders at USC like to exacerbate petty differences and spend their free time thinking of ways to settle the score. I’ve seen it over and over again — power-hungiy types enter positions where they lack real authority, so they do the next best tiling they can to create a sense of importance for themselves by stirring trouble wherever andjiowever possible. It’s sobering to think many of these people are preparing to be the leaders of tomorrow, and I can only hope I’ll be pleasantly surprised to see less pettiness and more maturity once I leave USC. Judging by some of the leaders our state boasts today, however, I’m not holding my breath. ■ Lesson No. 3: Live each day like it’s your only one here. Before I’m branded a pessimist, let me dig myself out by saying I really have enjoyed my time here. Anyone who can’t say college has been the best of times and the worst of times hasn’t truly experienced what they should before they leave. Whether it’s the agony of having to end a serious relationship or the ecstasy of hearing you’ve gotten that dream internship, the bottom line is that the college experience is all about the small moments. Skip a few classes. Take classes beyond your major. Go out to the park; explore the city. Take an overnight road trip to the beach — several nights in a row, if you feel like it. This point seems obvious, but it’s incredibly easy to foiget about the little things when you’re involved in the daily grind. It’s true what they say — the days of being able to party ‘til the sun rises and sleeping ‘til it sets will be over before you learn to appreciate them. ■ Lesson No. 4: While you’re living for today, keep your sights set on the future. It’s hard to imagine what things will be like at The Gamecock next semester, much less in the distant future, but let me make some bold predictions on where we’ll be 10 years from today. The Gamecock will be a daily newspaper financially independent of the university and therefore able to endorse Student Government candidates without having all hell break loose. We’ll still be one of the best collegiate newspapers in the country, but ten years from now, the university community will have finally realized this and take pride in it. Our Viewpoints page will be more of a forum for intelligent discussion and less of a forum for bickering and, yeah, everybody will still want us to run their press release in its entirety as our lead story. Sound far-fetched? I don’t think so. As for me, the future isn’t something I’m going to be too concerned about as long as I’m doing something that makes me happy. That’s where one chapter ends and another begins. In lieu of a deep, provocative closing (and because I’m out of space), I’ll simply say thanks to all the people — acquaintances, colleagues, friends and mentors — who have made my experience at USC a great one. Long after I leave this city, all of you will remain in my thoughts. So, with that, I bid USC a fond farewell. It’s been real. Letters Monday’s edition showed poor taste To the Editor I am appalled after reading Monday’s edition. I understand that everyone on your staff wanted to have a little fun at the end of the year. But there must be some sick people on this campus to joke about kidnapping, fights, selling body parts and to joke about police reports. I think if you wanted to do this, The Gamecock should have published a spe cial edition instead of wasting one day of news on a bunch of not-needed jokes. The South is already known for being dumb and not as educated as the rest of the Unit ed States. So everyone can now thank The Gamecock for making a contribution to making this statement even stronger. I am sure I am speaking for many when I say that I have lost even more respect for The Gamecock. So congrats on adding to the downfall of the bad reputation of The Gamecock. Julie Pike Second-year Student College of Journalism and Mass Com munications Spring Music Jam heavily publicized To the Editor Among my positions at USC, I am the Concert Commissioner for Carolina Pro ductions. Recently, we brought the Spring Music Jam with Jimmie’s Chicken Shack and local bands Love Apple and Fling. For the event, we had lots of public ity, including Channel 93.5 radio spots. WUSC 90.5 had radio spots as well. A Free Times ad with spot color ran. I personal ly distributed over 1,000 handbills. Love Apple posted flyers in the Humanities Building and announced the show on their Web site. Fling also e-mailed their listserv about the show. WRHA ran an advertise ment, and there were four 3-by-6 foot col or banners hung around the Russell House. In addition, there were 200 yellow cal endars distributed to all of the residence halls, listing all the events for April, in cluding this concert.The Carolina Pro ductions Web site also had the concert in formation posted. If you happened to miss all of that, Tuesday, April 17, the day before the Spring Music Jam, we had a one-hour live re mote by Channel 93.5 and handed out Fris bees, apples and chicken donated by Uni versity Dining Services. If you missed the concert and would be interested in help ing out with the next concert, please stop by the Carolina Producations office and ask to speak with me. I would love to hear from you. MacKeozie A. Craven Third-year Student College of Journalism and Mass Com munications Parody newspaper was witty, original To the Editor I really liked Monday’s issue of The Gamecock! I haven’t always approved of The Gamecock (OK, virtually never), but a witty and original paper is far better than one that would knuckle under to the ad ministration and merely reprint stories from the AP wire. I don’t even think The Gamecock was right on the issue of en dorsing student candidates, but it’s your job to print all the news YOU see fit to print. Keep up the good work! Woody Folsom Fourth-year Student College of Engineering Endorsing might not have been ethical To the Editor For all the high-minded, stale talk about freedom of speech and what’s ethical, this is essentially a pissing contest between the Board of Publications and The Gamecock. Brock is an aggressive, talented edi tor. He’s done a lot to improve the paper’s content during his tenure, despite the con stant carping from his enemies and de tractors. Constitutionally speaking, Brock is on the high ground here. The Board of Pubs has no foothold, unless they call him on a contractual violation. I’m as big a fan of free speech as anyone, and I’d love to make-believe that a university newspaper is no different from a “real” newspaper. But the truth is that differences exist, just as surely as there are differences between a university com munity and a “real” residential commu nity. We can aspire to be The New York Times, but we are not. Is it fair to abridge The Gamecock’s freedom of speech? Of course not. If the Board of Pubs tried to reprimand The State for similar actions, they’d be laughed out of the community. Yet, when the dust settles and the paint is chipped away, The Gamecock is just a fraternity — another of USC’s more than 200 student clubs. Therefore, free speech aside, we must also ask, “Is it fair for this mighty public forum to throw all of its weight behind a student government candidate with a shoe string budget whose opponents are oper ating with $200 and a ball of lint in their campaign coffers?” Just as surely as we are not The New York Times, these candidates are nei ther household names nor financial powerhouses. Endorsing them in a uni versity newspaper editorial isn’t the pic ture of equity that everyone seems so anx ious to paint. It’s not a violation of the letter of the law, but the spirit of the law is a different matter. Does no one see the inherent conflict of interests here for a newspaper that re ceives student activity fee money from a governmental body to turn around and en dorse a candidate seeking office in that government? It doesn't mean The Game cock endorsed a candidate who’d be sym pathetic to its cause by lobbying for more money, but the possibility is there. It’s not wrongdoing, but it is the appearance of the potential for wrongdoing. I respect what Brock and his staff have done for The Gamecock, and I do rebuke the Board of Pubs for its maladroit han dling of this affair. I think I speak for every one when I say I hope a compromise can be reached. Kenley Young Fourth-year Student College of Journalism and Mass Communications Spring 2000 Editor in Chief DUATING? WIN A FORD FOCUS! rThe Gamecock * has teamed up with Ford Motor Company to help you graduate in style with a brand new car!