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- 1 THE LEADER SDIC should have answers USC Provost Jerry Odom was right about one thing concerning Thursday’s meeting of the Strategic Directives and Initiatives Committee: it was encouraging to see good student turnout at the committee’s meeting. “I can’t tell you how happy I was to see that many students there,” Odom said. “That was the purpose of having [the meeting] in the Russell House, was to attract students.” It’s good to see students showing interest in the SDIC, which—in case you haven’t heard — has the power to recommend dissolving or consolidating colleges in response to What’s troubling is that students in attendance said the committee appeared to be unready to meet with them... They said they felt the SDICwas “running circles” around them. expected, massive budget cuts. What’s troubling is that students in attendance said the committee appeared to be unready to meet with them. Some of those attending the meeting said they felt the SDIC was “running circles” around them. That’s disheartening. After all but telling criminal justice students that their college could become a department next vear. the committee answered the students with a series of responses that appeared to be an example of what the committee didn’t know instead of what members did know. If the committee wants to continue to see student input, and we think that it does, it should be more open with students and throw out possible solutions only when it has thoroughly considered them and can answer students’ questions. Otherwise, the university appears to be doing nothing more than holding a massive PR stunt to give its final report credibility. No one will be more affected by what comes of the SDIC report than students. They should have a large voice in what its outcome will be, and they should do so with the information they need, information that can only be supplied by the SDIC. But for now, that group appears to be long on possibilities but short on answers. GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS Information before the review of the movie Hedwig and the Angry Itch should have said the film was directed by John Cameron Mitchell, not Baz Luhrman. The Gamecock regrets the error. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. Write us at gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Martha Wright Editor in Chief Mary Hartney University Editor Glnny Thornton Asst. Univ. Editor Victoria Bennett The Mix Editor Justin Bajan Asst. The Mix Editor Chris Foy Sports Editor Preston Baines Asst. Sports Editor Elizabeth Swartz Online Editor iarnn Mark Photo Editor Greg Hambrick City Editor Alicia Balentine Asst. City Editor Brandon Larrabee Viewpoints Editor Page Designers Mackenzie Clements, Crystal Dukes, Katie Smith, David Stagg Copy Editors Crystal Boyles, Jason Harmon, Jill Martin, Carolyn Rowe Political Cartoonist/ Graphic Artist Rene Moffatt CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com University Desk: gamecockudesk@hotmail.com City Desk: gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com The Mix: gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com Online: www.dailygamecock.com Newsroom: 777-7726 TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, S.C. 29208 Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 STUDENT MEDIA Erik Collins. Faculty Adviser Ellen Parsons. Director of Student Media Susan King, Creative Director Carolyn Griffin, Business Manager Sarah Sims, Advertising Manager Sherry F. Holmes, Classified Manager Creative Services Todd Hooks, Jennie Moore, Martin Salisbury, Beju Shah, Advertising Staff Betsy Baugh, Caryn Barowsky, Denise Levereaux, Jackie Rice, Stacey Todd Gamecock Community Affairs Karen Yip Graphic Artist Candi Hauglum 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. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for one dollar each from the Department of Student Media. “Now Mr. Taliban, show your trust in Uncle Sam and fall back into his arms.” NATE CORBIN/THE GAMECOCK Just shut the heck up already CHARLES PRASHAW CPRASHAW@YAHOO.COM A list of complaints on some people’s whining, moaning and stupidity. Hey kids, I’m finally back. It has been a while since I last wrote a column. I was kind of screwed over with fall break last week because there was no paper on Monday. Today, I thin! I’m just going to write about some things that although thev piss me off, there really isn’t a whole lot I can say about them. First, most of the people who write letters to the editor really piss me off. If your opinions are so right, why don’t you come up to the newspaper and write a column, Mr .Know-it-all? Who the heck has enough time to read a news story or a column in the student newspaper, then sit down and write an e-mail to the newspaper about it? Don’t you have class, work, something, maybe a hobby? I don’t know; the rest of us do. Also, can we just leave Maurice’s BBQ, Fetish Balls, the war on Afghanistan Mascot could be more offensive My suggestion to remedy the matter regarding PETA’s desire to force us to change our mascot is to simply remove the “Game” from the beginning of “Gamecock” and see if more people are offended by that rather than simply leaving it as is. KRISTY WARNER SECOND-YEAR STUDENT. SPORTS 4 ENTERTAINMENT MANAGEMENT BBQ advertisement insults minorities What reason would The Gamecock have letting a racist establishment like Maurice’s BBQ advertise in their newspaper? For one, the newspaper must hold the views of this establishment, otherwise it would not be printed. The Gamecock’s staff has disrespected the African American students on our campus and in our commu nity. The Gamecock has lost its cool points, period. RANDY SUTTON SECOND-YEAR STUDENT, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS Editor’s note: The Board of Student Publications ’ad policy says that advertisers agree not to represent ' themselves in any way as being endorsed by the university or by Student Media. The views of advertisers are not always the views of The Gamecock. and the BGLA alone? You might not agree with those people, events or organizations, but they don’t care about your opinions, and neither do L So shut the heck up already. Also, PETA blows. Thank you, Phil Watson, for that most hilarious column last Friday. Let’s get that off the table; we aren’t changing our mascot, so no more time is needed talking about this. I wish people would shut the heck, up about PETA. Parking: It’s overdiscussed on this page, but' here are some things writers have missed over the years. People who have garage passes but insist on parking in the 20 “S” parking spots on campus should be shot. sorry, Dut people wno live on campus shouldn’t expect to park anywhere near USC. You should have thought of this problem long before you decided that living on Greystone Boulevard would be so cool. The only people who should be allowed to park on campus are upperclassmen and on-campus residents. Everyone else can shut the heck up. Gamecock shirts: don’t complain when I don’t wear one to the football game. I know what school I go to; I don’t need a reminder. I pay this university enough money, so that $30 in the bookstore for a “Cocks” shirt is pushing it. So shut the heck up about it. IN YOUR opinio; PETA should focus on human beings I just wanted to say, Phil, that the article you wrote on "USC the target of PETA's iron hand" is absolutely hilarious. You are so right. They have nothing else to do. These people aren't even thinking about the fact that when the gamecock is at the game, he looks like a cute, cuddly cartoon character. PETA cannot stand for every human and speak on behalf of all of us. So if they were understanding, loving human beings, they would accept DIVERSITY amongst _—11 T?_ITil__ rUnnnrnnfl MO Ull. U V 011 11 UIV/J -”5 it doesn’t mean they should try and force us to think like them. If these people stand for fairness, what about for people? Do they not defend the rights of human beings? You'd think the way they are laying their lives down on the line that they talk to the animals and live with them: one big happy family. But why not fight to protect abused children from abusive family members? Why not try to protect women by being killed from their husbands? Why not try and protect individuals from hate crimes because of racism, or hate of one's sexual preference or religion? After all, HUMANS are capable of hate against one another;' HUMANS understand what pain is and live with it for the Stupid questions in class bother me, too, when the professor has explained the concept to the nth degree and some dumb@$$ person still doesn’t get it. People down the hall from the classroom get it. Why don’t you understand? I understand it, and I’ve been reading this newspaper for the last 30 minutes. Shut the heck up and talk to the professor after class; you’re wasting the time of 50 other people right now. The following things I don’t give a crap about, either: Homecomings, bicentennials, Hootie concerts, events on Greene Street or the Horseshoe and the entire student life department. I just want to sit in my dorm and drink some beer, tf.iiu i ill aui c a iul ui umei students agree with me here. So shut the heck up about this kind of stuff because I’m not going to it. And this is me toned down; my original column had numerous profanities and references to individuals that I hate. Sorry, I’m a little, angry Irishman; the only emotions I have are angry and not-so angry. Charles Prashaw is a third-year print journalism major. ¥ rest of their lives, HUMANS have scars of the past that live with them forever. Get real, PETA. Maybe I’ll start supporting you if you start supporting your own KIND, HUMAN BEINGS in areas that cause us pain. When I see you protest for human beings capable of so much more pain than can ever be felt by a gamecock, then try and come with what you got. Otherwise, get real and remember: Don't forget your FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS. You aren't getting anywhere with your emotions going on overdrive and not even being an understanding, considerate, accepting human being, so stop trying to act like you are by protesting the V** MV11J miUUlUO. 1 dill assuming you are human, so where the heck is your heart for your own race: the human race? JESSICA ZAMORA THIRD-YEAR STUDENT, COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS Submission Policy Letters to the editor or guest columns are welcome from the Carolina community. Letters should be 250-300 words. Guest columns should be about 600 words. Both must include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. Deliver handwritten submissions to Russell House room 333, or send e-mail to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.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. Call 777-7726 for more information. America should rethink attacks rr i NIRAV MEHTA GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Country risks making situation in Middle East even more dangerous. Members of a campus human rights group, SURE (Students United for Rights and Equality), have twice sat outside the Russell House student Union and handed out fliers that explain why the U.S. should not bomb Afghanistan. This may seem futile to some, as the U.S. is already bombing Afghanistan and campus activists will not have a direct impact on U.S. fnroion nnlirv IVIanxr ir*oirrV»+fnl people who have passed our table have pointed this out. More have enlightened us by telling us that we should indeed bomb one of the world’s poorest countries, because — well, they usually can’t argue cohesively over their shoulders as they walk away, so I’m not sure why. Though I risk sounding self righteous, I would like for someone who believes the U.S. is right for bombing Afghanistan to outline his or her reasons for thinking so. Tell me why the U.S. should bomb a country when there is no stable replacement for the Taliban, and the Bush administration is even courting the Taliban defectors’ (along with the dubious Northern Alliance) as a potential player in a new ruling order. Also, the attacks will surely incur to the U.S. a backlash, as they perpetuate some partially valid stereotypes of the U.S. in the Arab world. Also, the U.S.-led attacks have driven away many suppliers of food aid. Although it is true that the U.S. and Other countries have dropped food into Afghanistan, it has not been nearly enough, much of it has knnn nloPOfl (fttl I mountains) and Afghanistan lacks the infrastructure for people to easily access the food. Of course the food shortage should be viewed in the context of an already bad agricultural situation, aggravated by recent prolonged drought and people fleeing their fields due to fear of Western attacks. In addition to analyzing U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, we, as Americans, should be careful to not create polarized fantasies of an Arab world intent on destroying American liberty. The attacks on America were not attacks against American liberty or freedom, despite what Bush’s useful rhetoric maintains. The attacks on America were very likely in response to overt U.S. policy in the region, America’s handling of the Palestinian situation, American bases in Saudi Arabia — home to the holiest Muslim cities... the list goes on. Surely, many Americans would like to think that the terrorists are simply jaundiced by their jealousy, that they can’t stand America’s obtrusive version of prosperity. But then again, much of the world resents the American cultural hegemony that is concomitant with economic dominance, though they resent it to varying degrees of intensity. There are valid grievances against U.S. action in the Middle East, Central Asia and most of the rest of the world. And I would like for someone to tell me why we should bomb Afghanistan instead of addressing these problems with diplomacy. Mehta is a member of SURE, or Students United for Rights and Equality, and is a senior majoring in Economics and International Studies.