The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 18, 2002, Page 4, Image 4
4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, March 18, 2002
SOUND OFF TTT^WTI/^Y VTmCi ONLINE POLL
Create message boards at I 1“^ » I I-* fl I ^ I What’s better: Lou Holtz’s acting
www.dailygamecock.com or I I ' 1 M / 1/ I ■ m I l or Eddie Fogler’s commentating?
send letters to the editor to IIJWW I \ W 1 I k / www.daUygamecock.com.
gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com —®™ ■ * —™— ^ ' —“— 'x ^ ResvUts published on Fridays.
■
THE LEADER
Housing’s lack
of consideration
Housing sign-ups begin next week. But students
might want to think twice before committing to the
“living andilearning community” University
Housing likes to tout itself as.
Everyone knows USC residence halls fall short of
utopian living. The costs are high, hall policies can be
restrictive and rooms can be cramped. Housing admits
in its policy that there are six halls with asbestos. And
the Horseshoe, one of the better living areas on
campus, has been reserved for the Honors College.
Slamming the door behind you
Last week, however, as many residence halls
closed up for spring break, Housing yet again
showed little concern for the students as a whole.
While the majority of students were more than
anxious to leave for spring break, others were forced
to be anxious to leave, too — all non-apartment-style
residence halls were locked up at 8 p.m. on the
. Friday before spring break.
OUSing S por out-of-state students and
closing
procedures 0,her studen-ts traveling long
can be distances for the break, this was a
i nconve nient huge inconvenience, especially if
for students, late-aftemoon classes, plane
tickets or a limited train schedule
held them in Columbia.
Traditionally, many residence halls have closed on
the Saturday of spring break, leaving residents with
plenty of leeway to leave town on their own
time. Why the sudden rush this year?
The same issue came up yesterday, when
residence halls didn’t open until noon. Apartment
style housing and Bates House were open throughout
the break, but those rooms are at a premium — many
students can’t afford them or aren’t placed there by
Housing.
Learning from past mistakes
Housing does have a chance to redeem itself at
graduation. Give graduates plenty of time to vacate
their rooms. And keep in mind that other students
have siblings or friends who are graduating—they
might need extra time to vacate their rooms, too.
We understand that R.A.s and other members of
the Housing staff are ready to get out of town when
classes end. But to keep its primary customer (the
student) content, Housing needs to respect different
student schedules.
GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS
If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us
at gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com.
ABOUT THE GAMECOCK
Mary Hartney
Editor in Chief
Ginny 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
Adam Beam
Contributing Editor
Martha Wright
Design Editor
Page Designers
Crystal Dukes, Sarah
McLaulin, Katie Smith,
David Stagg
Kyle Almond
Copy Desk Chief
Copy Editors
Crystal Boyles, Andrew
Festa, Jason Harmon,
Jill Martin, Paul Rhine
Mark Hartney
Online Editor
Corey Davis
Photo Assignments
Photo Technicians
Robert Gruen, Candi
Hauglum
Kefily Petruska
Community Affairs
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
EDITORIAL BOARD
Kyle Almond.
Mackenzie Clements,
Chris Foy, Jason
Harmon, Mary Hartney,
Brandon Larrabee,
Carrie Phillips, Ginny
Thornton, Martha
Wright
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
Derek Goode, Todd
Hooks, Earl Jones.
Jennie Moore,
Melanie Roberts,
Beju Shah
Advertising Staff
Betsy Baugh,
Amanda Ingram,
Denise Levereaux,
Jackie Rice, Stacey
Todd
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.
TO PLACE AN AD
The Gamecock
1400 Greene Street
Columbia, S.C. 29208
Advertising: 777-3888
I Classified: 777-1184
Fax: 777-6482
CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
When kissing loses its appeal
GREGHAMBRICK
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Honest affection should
not be censored, even
if it is between women.
Remember when you were 6,
and girls and boys kissing was
yucky? Remember when you
were 12, and girls and guys
kissing would cause butterflies
in your stomach? And
remember when you were 18,
and the thought of two girls
kissing gave you goose bumps?
Well, it seems the fantasy
ends at 50. Old men, especially
TV station managers, don’t find
the idea of two girls in a liplock
attractive at all.
It was just a week ago that
the fledgling drama “Once and
Again” poured an entire hour
into the issue of parents and
children worrying about the
“gay” thing. It worried one ABC
affiliate manager in Roanoke,
Va., so much that he decided to
run an infomercial instead of
the touchy-feely drama.
In his defense, the episode
had a bit more touchy and feely
than you’ve probably seen from
a couple of teenage girls. Near
11 p.m., two young muffins
shared a quick peck that was
enough to send this old coot out
to find the latest all-purpose
stain remover infomercial.
It’s interesting that, in this
new millennium, we’re
comfortable showing Dennis
Franz’s jiggling ass in the
shower, but not an honest
display of affection between two
people trying to find their way
through the confusing emotions
of high school.
Surprisingly enough, ABC
has been home to several
lesbian liplocks — most before
the mature 10 p.m. time slot.
Remember Ellen’s smooches or
Roseanne’s deep-lip action?
Bringing insult to injury just
three days later, ABC ran the
much-hyped coming-out
interview with Rosie O’Donnell
in which she discussed how
gays and lesbians were being
discriminated against. You
don’t have to look too far for
that evidence.
Is it just me, or do these gay
celebrities wait until they are
past their prime before coming
out? I’ll give Rosie one thing: At
least she was able to tough it out
long enough for people to care
that she was gay. Remember
that kid from “Who’s the Boss?”
The tabloids were hardly
interested in that one.
Also, props to Rosie for
coming out on the issue of gay
parenting—a concern South
Carolinians can relate to,
considering that a bill being
discussed in the state Senate
would bar gays and lesbians
from adopting.
But Rosie, and the rest of that
ever-expanding closet called
Hollywood, is missing a group
of people that desperately need
to be addressed. They are kids,
16- and 17-year-olds who are
feeling those feelings that
nobody understands. Who do
they have to point to and say,
“That’s what I’m going
through?” No one.
Thanks to “Once and Again,”
there’s a show that wants to
address their plight. But for the
teens in Roanoke, they’ll have
to settle with the new non
adhesive stain remover.
Being gay in high school is
tough, but being gay in high
school and having to watch an
hour presentation on a knife
that “slices and dices” is just
cruel.
Hambrickis a fourth-year print
journalism student.
Candidate deserves
to appeal election
David Bornemann is a
friendly, motivated guy who
has given much to this
university. He has worked
extremely hard during his
three years as a Student
Government member and has
demonstrated time and time
again that he cares deeply
about the welfare of his fellow
students.
Bornemann is also human.
He recently lost a closely
contested election to which he
dedicated his heart and soul
for months. I think he
deserves to exhaust his appeal
process in peace without
being attacked by random
students who have never
cared about anyone’s well
being besides their own. I
certainly hope the heartless,
shallow individuals who felt
duty-bound to blast
Bornemann in The Gamecock
will never have to undergo
the pain of losing something
for which they cared deeply.
In the words of his campaign
manager Chrissy Stauffer,
“We’re talking about students
at Carolina, y’all; we all know
what they’re like.” Yes, we do
know what they’re like—
unsympathetic and cruel.
HYDRICK HARDEN
FOURTH-YEAR ACCOUNTING
STUDENT. STUDENT GOVERNMENT
TREASURER
Professors should
be fresh-thinking
When I read Shanna Reed’s
column on March 4,1 wanted
to immediately send copies to
all of the professors who have
repeatedly failed the student
IN YOUR OPINION
body. I agree 100 percent.
It’s not just that classes are
too large or students are too
lazy. USC seems to have
missed the memo on what
college is about.
There’s absolutely no
reason to pay outrageous
tuition costs for classes that
do nothing besides produce
“busy work.” And while there
is much to be said for the
“classics,” students shouldn’t
have to read them over and
over again simply because
they have been taught in the
past (I too have read
“Frankenstein” for three
different classes).
But there is hope. For those
seeking a challenge, I would
highly recommend any class
taught by Kevin Lewis or Shah
Akhavi — religion and
government professors,
respectively. Also, professors
Judith Kalb (Russian and
comparative literature),
Ernest Wiggins (journalism)
and Mark Smith (history)
expect more from their
students than for them to
“memorize and regurgitate.”
There are plenty of
professors and classes here
that I haven’t taken, and there
are also some amazing
professors who have left for
greener pastures. But I hope
that the current faculty
realizes that many of their
students are dying of
boredom.
My advice: Stop teaching to
the lowest common
denominator. Demand more
from your students. Be fresh
thinking and forward and try
to keep the handouts to a
minimum. I would much
rather write my 15-page term
paper on the Bolshevik
Theory of Communication
than fill out one more
worksheet on the finer points of
Jackson’s Reconstruction effort.
MICHELLE PITTMAN
THIRD-YEAR PRINT JOURNALISM
STUDENT
Columnist should
have an open mind
In response to Shanna Reed’s
March 4 column, there is far
more to any work of literature
than a plot. If you allow that
there might be something more
to a piece than you were able to
ascertain in high school, then
there’s a chance you will grow
from the experience. If Reed
refuses to consider such a
possibility, then I have to
question her assertion that you
seek “a chance to flex and build
(her) intellectual muscles. ”
It seems that she is
determined that there’s nothing
for her to learn. If she is
determined that she has nothing
to learn, then Reed is assured of
learning nothing. While I’m
certain she can find a route up
the corporate ladder without
ever engaging in literary or
philosophical discourse, I think
Reed should be honest about
what she seeks. Don’t pretend it
has anything to do with
enlightenment. In order to
strengthen and expand your
intellect, you have to engage in
the discourse with an open
mind.
ERICA F. SEBRING
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.
I deserve
to be safe
on campus
katie McClendon
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
use Parking services
should make student
safety its top priority.
I’ve been on a safety kick
lately. I’ve done all sorts of
things to give myself an illusion
of security: I learned how to
shoot a gun. I carry pepper
spray. And for the first time in
my life, I sleep with a safety
blanket at night.
But none of that makes me
feel completely secure — just
slightly safer.
I know how to shoot a gun,
but that really doesn’t help me.
Not only would I never carry
one, but if I did, it could be used
against me in combat. I can be
warm between my flannel
sheets, but assholes can call me
at any time of the night to
sexually harass me. You can
pretend to be safe in your
Horseshoe apartment, when a
fist flies through your bedroom
window. Or you can be one of
my childhood friends, who
recently got into a friend’s car
one night after “just a few
drinks,” and never made it home
alive.
While the rest of the country
became safety-oriented last
September, I’ve felt fine until
recently. I have no trouble
boarding an airplane or traveling
internationally. I feel fine
walking alone in a foreign city.
It’s in my own town where I
feel most uncomfortable. The
night a pharmacy employee was
shot across town, I was afraid to
walk to my car in the well-lit
parking lot adjacent to my place
of employment. Perhaps this
was the event that began my
need for safety.
So I began to take my safety
into my own hands. I bought
pepper spray, buckled my
seatbelt and slept with my safety
blanket.
What bothers me the most is,
while I’m actively working to
protect myself from bogeymen
(or to, at least, imagine
security), my university is
trying to make a few extra
bucks, and in the process, risk
my life.
University Parking Services
recently decided that too many
people were taking advantage of
free parking in the lower levels
of the Bull Street Garage after 7
p.m.
If you recall, a few years ago,
Parking Services made it free to
park there in the evenings when
they took away the parking
spots by the library and created
green space.
It’s true that some people wait
until after 7 p.m. to leave for the
day. But some students actually
rely on this parking to attend
organizational meetings, watch
free movies in the Russell House
or study in the library.
The Bull Street Garage is the
parking lot closest to where
most students go on campus at
night. Now that I have to pay,
I’m going to find a free parking
space, even if it means walking
alone a little longer in areas that
aren’t well lit.
I’m probably not the only one
who is too cheap to pay to park
in one area, when there is a free
parking space just a little farther
away. However, those extra few
minutes alone in an area with
lots of bushes and no lighting
can mean the difference between
life and assault, rape or death.
Is it too much to ask Parking
Services to put people ahead of
pennies? We all know this
university can be strapped for
cash — that’s why we pay an
arm and a leg each semester. But
that doesn’t mean we have to
sacrifice our lives to go to the
library.
McClendon is a third-year ,
pharmacy student.