Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SOUND OFF ONLINE POLL Create message boards at Is the Sumter Street construction www.dailygamecock.com or worth the inconvenience? Vote at send letters to the editor to www.daUygamecock.com. Results gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com 31-6 published on Fridays. THE LEADER Inconvenience predominates USC seems intent on inconveniencing students. For the past week, the Greene Street gates have remained locked while old pipes were repaired. And according to signs, cars parked along Sumter Street will be towed as the next phase of “campus landscaping” begins. The steam situation We applaud whoever decided that it was important to fix the pipes in front of the Russell House. It certainly will be nice to be able to walk to class wifhnnt cmollina fhp> ctprirh nf Students shouldn’t be inconvenienced for the sake of more green space and leaks that should have been fixed before now. the steam leaking through the cracks. But the pipes have been leaking for a long time — why weren’t they fixed over break? Instead, the construction put a cramp in everyone’s life for an entire week. No warnine was nosted noticeably for passing drivers, leaving many cars to turn around in front of Preston College — which caused more than one near-accident. In addition, the stretch of pavement that was ripped up was directly in front of the handicap-access ramp to the Russell House. We’re also worried about other steam leaks around campus, like the ones behind Harper College and beside Bull Street Garage. Shouldn’t they be fixed, too? More green SDace? Instead of fixing these leaks, it seems more important to the administration to use our money on a two-month “restoration” of Sumter Street. As part of the master plan, a median will be added between Greene and Blossom streets. The project was supposed to have been completed before classes started this semester; instead, we will De inconvenienced yet again, iorceu iu wans, uvei rubble and around fences to navigate campus. USC is known for being a city campus. People want to be able to easily get around campus in their cars, not admire the scenery. This school is not Furman; Columbia doesn’t have rolling hills and majestic oaks. Instead of ripping up Sumter Street to make campus more beautiful, why doesn’t the administration tear down the Towers and truly get rid of an eyesore? The bottom line is that students need a functional campus, not more trees and inconvenience. liAMijuUUK UUKKUUTiUJNS Please see page 1 for a correct list of candidates filing for Student Government. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. Write us atgamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Mary Hartney Editor in Chief Glnny Thornton News Editor Kevin Fellner Asst. News Editor Mackenzie Clements Viewpoints Editor Carrie Phillips The Mix Editor Justin Bajan Asst. The Mix Editor Chris Foy Sports Editor J. Keith Allen Asst. Sports Editor Brandon Larrabee Special Projects Martha Wright Design Editor Kyle Almond Copy Desk Chief Mark Hartney Online Editor Corey Davis Photo Assignment Page Designers Crystal Dukes. Sarah McLaulin, Katie Smith. David Stagg Copy Editors Crystal Boyles. Andrew Festa, Jason Harmon, Jill Martin, Paul Rhine Photo Technicians R’obert Gruen. Candi Hauglum 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 STUDENT MEDIA Erik Collins Faculty Adviser Ellen Parsons Director of Student Media Susan King Creative Director Carolyn Griffin Business Manager Sarah Scarborough Advertising Manager Sherry F. Holmes Classified Manager Creative Services Todd Hooks, Earl Jones, Jennie Moore, Beju Shah Advertising Staff Betsy Baugh, Denise Levereaux, Laura Miller, Jackie Rice, Stacey Todd TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock 1400 Greene Street Columbia, S.C. 29208 Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 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. HlCfc of- Y<W fo U^5 To 't v&of fK we HAve^'f ~ Vo^SfMC^ TH(/^(r5 (MTh£ “4 O^fF'Y HAv/e (berrgw 5c? / ^jjfpc^TAtM/ HAv/e we 7^y f ^ r \/~~rz=^=z^\ CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Girl, you ’ll be a woman soon MARTHA WRIGHT GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Calling women ‘girls’ sends a message that they’re not respected. There are no sorority girls at USC. Likewise, we don’t have any girls’ sports teams. In fact, it would he unusual to find girls enrolled in any classes anywhere in our university. That’s because girlhood ends at age 18. There’s no ceremony, no ritual, no announcement in the newspaper to mark this change, but for the sake of accuracy and unbiased language, it’s only right to start using the word “woman.” Males over 18 would rankle at being called “boys.” It’s instantly belittling and embarrassing because it uses advanced age as a presumption of advanced intelligence. So how, when people throw around the word “girl,” could it mean anything different? Note to the eye-rollers: This isn’t a shrill feminist cry that lobbies for holding a “Women’s Night Out” or using “CoverWoman” cosmetics or editing R&B artist Eve to sing “Who’s That Woman?” Careful usage of “girl” and “woman” isn’t merely semantics. There’s a lot of power behind word choice. It’s clearly wrong—and sometimes, illegal — to treat girls as women. Such behavior spawns visions of JonBenet Ramsey, pre-teens imitating Britney Spears’ wardrobe and modern iterations of “Lolita.” The danger of the converse — treating women as girls — is more subtle. There are plenty of examples: A politician chides students who are asking tough questions about special interests, starting a retort with, “Now, you girls ...” Message? “I know you have differing opinions, but because you’re younger, I don’t take them seriously.” A chemistry professor looks down at the class roll and says, “Well, looks like we have quite a few girls in here.” Message? “You don’t belong here, and by singling you out, I want you always to be conscious of your difference.” An office manager approaches an assistant on a Friday afternoon and asks, “So, what do you and the other girls have planned for this weekend?” Message? “I don’t see you or others in your job title as individuals or as equals.” All these situations could be cast with either a man or a woman as the politician, professor or boss. In each scene, invoking the word “girl” has nothing to do with recognizing gender and everything to do with wielding power. Flexing one’s ability to name and classify people is flexing one’s ability to control them. Calling females over 18 “women” isn’t a picky PC trend. Instead, it’s a show of respect for the experience that comes with age. Even if the age isn’t much over 18. Women, even young women, are beyond girlhood. Don’t call 'em as you see ‘em. Call them as they deserve to be seen. Wright is a fourth-year print journalism student. IN YOUR OPINION i icKei aisirmuiion has many problems I wrote a letter to Bob Gillespie of The State newspaper about this a few years ago. I am a 2000 journalism graduate and a big-time basketball fan. He wrote a story about students camping out in the Russell House for Kentucky tickets during the SEC Championship season. Of course, in his day, they did that for every game and had to sleep outside. Whoop-de-do. Basically, he called students slackers for not supporting their team at every game, only the big ones. Though I can’t find the letter I sent, it was printed in the paper. Of course, that was it. No one ever did or said anything else about it. I did find some information that I used in the letter backing up what the students have been saying for years. 1. The night of the Kentucky ticket pick-up, I was 164th in line. Assuming that each person in line was getting two tickets, I would get the 329th and 330th best student tickets. I was in section T, row S. Behind the goals, the rows only go up to around Z. That would put me on the 24th row (AA-EE, then A-Z) and about seven rows from the top. 2. That means that assuming there are 1,500 student tickets available, then 1,170 student tickets are on ruw o ui mgiiei. vviiai an intimidating student section. 3. In sections A and Z, there are several student tickets on rows AA-EE, but the old folks on the rows behind there get pissed if you stand up. Also, there are several “non students” in these sections, too, that don’t want to stand. I don’t know how they get these tickets. 4. Students don’t want to camp out for tickets to Vandy, LSU, Auburn, etc., to get horrible seats like I did for the Kentucky game. I knew camping out was the only way to get seats for that game, but people have other things to do than camp out every Sunday night and stand in line for two hours Monday morning for tickets. If more GOOD seats (like the first 10 rows) were available, then students could just go Monday morning and get a seat instead of having to camp out. “Camp out for Vandy tickets or go to Five Points?” You get the point. 5. The ticket office sucks. Nooneknowswhen distribution is. That was always the thing that I felt could be fixed the easiest. Just put signs up or something. Put an ad in The Gamecock that’s a little bigger and not buried back on the eighth page. 6. As for the new arena, the students need to be able to get down low. Period. Give the students the first 10 rows, then build some kind of wall whefe row 11 is about 4 feet higher than row 10. That way, students can stand and raise lieu, cum uiu ucuuctuuv uuu members on rows 11 and up can see the court easily. Give the students one side and behind both goals. On the other side, put sponsors and Golden and Silver Spur donors on rows 1-10. Older Century, Roundhouse, Half Scholarship and Full Scholarship donors can sit in the lower deck from rows 11 to the top. Basically, after it’s determined where the students will sit, just fill in the rest from bottom to top by Gamecock Club priority points. Fill in the new upper deck with current Gamecock Club members who haven’t been able to get season tickets (like me — none are available) and new Gamecock Club members based on the point system. If any seats are left in the upper deck, make them available to the public for sale after all students, faculty and Gamecock Club members get tickets. Just some info for you: I was pretty pissed that morning I got Kentucky tickets, and that’s what kept a lot of my friends from camping out anymore. We just figured it wasn’t worth it. We just got turned off by the whole thing. TRIPP HOPPER COLUMBIA, S.C. CLASS OF 2000 Submission Policy Letters to the editor should be less than 300 words and include name, phone number, professional title or year and major, if a student. Bring letters to Russell House 333 or e-mail gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. The Gamecock reserves the right to edit for libel, style and space. Anonymous letters will not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for more information. What’s missing from this page? You are. Make yourself heard. Send letters to the editor to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com College: Do we need it? BETHANY MITCHELL GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM It would cost less money and less time to have real-world lessons. College should consist of courses you will really use in life. I don’t know about anyone else, but for me, the only thing I’ve learned in college is how to shop smart at the grocery store. A handicap sticker gets you free parking. Football players and fraternities hang out at freshman dorms. And Russell House parties are only good for the ear less and people who are usually the designated drivers, because they can actually get drunk that night. USC should offer a practical oniiroo tn lie oil VtfYUr tn successfully catch the shuttle bus and get to class on time. I wouldn’t mind instructions on how to complete a class without the hassle of buying the book, either. But we really should learn how and where to buy a house. Or why funeral costs are so high and how to plan for that. Do you have a will? Do you know what an IRA is? College should be preparation for real life. How else are we going to know these things — trial and error? I hope not. The truth is we are being robbed. How much have you really learned in college? And is any of the knowledge something you’ll actually use later on in life? Prerequisites are just a way to keep us here, and they should be eliminated. The only classes we really need are our major classes; we might actually use those things later on. My friend told me that when • her aunt attended this wonderful institution of higher learning in 1970, her tuition was only $250. Today, that’s barely a rent payment. Our money should go for something we’ll be able to show for in the end other than a piece of paper, a cap and gown we’ll never wear again, and a tassel that will fade on the rearview mirror. Our tuition could be used to fund more important things than the paper for Student Government elections, when we all know nothing will change anyway. I would actually be enthusiastic about elections if the candidates rallied for lower costs and realistic learning,” instead of trying to improve cafeteria food. That will just make our tuition go up higher. Everyone knows that college food sucks and will always suck. So let’s focus on the real issues. For any candidates who want to use my campaign slogan, feel free. I won’t mind. As students, we have every opportunity to join with SG and other organizations to actually stand for something. I’ve seen USC students come together to march, protest and rally for a flag to come down, for homosexuals not to be discriminated against, and for loyal students to be able to scream “COCKS” at the top of LI 1C 11 IUII50 niuiv/uiuuuucu rights protesters shaking their fists at them. But for some reason, we can’t seem to make our professors care enough to teach us something that will help us function in the real world after we leave Gamecock Territory. Students of USC, I challenge you to rise up, turn over chairs, walk ou t of classes and demand real curricula. Fight for your education, fight for your right to useful knowledge, fight for justice. Let education, freedom and free books ring! Mitchell is a third-year broadcast journalism student.