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SOUND OFF ONLINE POLL Create message boards at What’s better: Lou Holtz’s acting www.dailygamecock.com or or Eddie Fogler’s commentating? send letters to the editor to www.dailygamecock.com. gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Results published on Fridays. IN OUR OPINION Rock and roll hall of‘lame’ The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has entered the punk era. On Sunday, the hall introduced its 2002 class, which included the Talking Heads, Isaac Hayes, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. But the most interesting entry is The Ramones, the punk rockers who turned the music world upside down in 1976 with their rapid-fire riffs and cartoonish lyrics. We hope the hall’s arrival into the punk era will liven up what have been some fairly dull inductions, a pattern of inducting acts in order to boost ratings r_11__17TT1 TT By inducting the Ramones, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is recognizing punk as a music genre. 1UI IUU 1/WiiV/V/l «. Wli Y XXX. 1X0 vv else could you explain the induction of Paul McCartney as a solo artist in 1999 while the legendary (and deceased) Ritchie Valens had to wait until 2001? Bands become eligible 25 years after their first record is released, but some classic groups continue to be snubbed. Black Sabbath has been eligible since 1995, and Lynyrd Skynyrd has been eligible since 1998. In the meantime, we’ve seen the induction of rock ‘n’ roll “rebels” The Mamas and The Papas, not to mention the raucous guitar scrapings of James Taylor. Say what you will about these musicians, but there have been few places police have been called to because “Fire and Rain” was played too loudly. The 25th anniversary of the Sex Pistols’ first album is in October. Will the hall be as quick to recognize the political size of punk? In the meantime, here’s to a new era of arguments among rock fans, especially if Ringo Starr steals Husker Du’s spot. Winners and Sinners MARRIOTT Uses Lou Holtz in new TV ad, but makes no mention of stale biscuits in the GMP. ERIN COLGAN USC journalism student wins % Miss Columbia. Yet another pretty face for TV. J. ‘HOLLYWOOD’ HULK HOGAN He’s 50. He’s p wrinkly. He’s wrestling. Mr. T, it’s time to step up the comeback. AMERICA WEST EXPRESS Airline delivers 80 .! year-old DOA to Des Moines. No airline food § jokes were made. ABC Loses bid for Letterman as ratings slide. They could always thaw out Tom Snyder. FINAL FOUR POOLS Sweet 16 slipper fits Golden Flashes and Salukis. Is your bracket looking as horrible as ours? GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS A caption in Monday’s paper should have identified one of Traci Heincelman’s friends as Shannan Ring. The article about Heincelman should have said Frank C. Helies has been released from the hospital. The Gamecock regrets the error. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us atgamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK mary narxney 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 Kelly Petruska Community Affairs CONTACT INFUKIYIAIIUN 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 PUCE AN AD The Gamecpck 1400 Greene Street Columbia, S.C. 29208 Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 IfqSAWft BINUDfflP % DEAD °r ALIVE!!! SEPTEMBER I 1 d13Sxj A$K^T} - "T I . MARCH CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS -- Salvation from late-night cable MARKHARTNEY MARKCONVEYSSMARMY@HOTMAIL.COM TBN can heal, if you can bear to watch it. Digital cable proved it: The most entertaining television programs come on after midnight. I’m not talking about “Passion Cove” on Cinemax. I don’t even know what that is; it just comes on after “The Way Y! t YYCIO OU1UU UI5IUO. No, I’m talking about the men — and occasional women — who occupy the wee hours of the morning on the Trinity Broadcast Network. TBN, founded in 1973, is the world’s largest Christian television network, broadcast on 3,171 television stations worldwide. But it’s the preachers who keep it alive at 2 a.m. Their soothing Southern accents and gentle prayers are addictive. I’m not so entranced, mind you, to send a “love gift” for the latest video or book on salvation. But Jesse Duplantis has supplanted my interest in Comedy Central. Benny Hinn heals my illnesses. Jack Van imjje cuiu ina waac ucaavca laac news, which apparently was prophesized by Revelations eons ago. I don’t know why he even waits for the news; he should read tomorrow’s news right out of the Bible. It’s like watching a car wreck. In fact, Hinn actually reached out and healed someone last Thursday who had been in a wreck. Do these men really believe all this crap coming out of their mouths? Who buys into it? Look at the photograph of the pink-haired woman on www.tbn.org. How can anyone believe a word she says? Are these people dumb and spiritual, or are they clever liars? Thoir oormnnc fill aronac cmH stadiums nationwide. They peddle Christian astrology books, movies and spiritual self-help. How many times can a person be saved? Elmer Gantry guessed six or seven. TBN is banking on close to a hundred. On their “Partner Page” — showing two hands shaking over the caption “We’re here for you!” — the first link is a pledge and donation form. Print the form and be saved again! However, they can hardly be considered predators. Not when fundamentalists have raised $6 million to build a museum that documents the ■ creation of the world. The caption on the model of the dinosaur helpfully reads, “Created on the Sixth Day.” A inuuci ui aiauua ocvcicu stories tall, as a testament to the complexity of human beings. No way could we have evolved! Not when Liberty University collects hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition. You can even live in Jerry Falwell’s manufactured “paradise on Earth” in Lynchburg, Va. In fact, as long as you need to belong to something, and need to spend your last years giving away your money to a worthwhile cause, these silver tongued prophets will be glad to make you fejel valued. Even Catholicism, that old Christian stalwart known for its secrecy, costumes and jaded pcu IOUIU11CA O, JJ C1UUU1 X UOJ1 Jtg itself. Its policy of firing priests who marry and finding new parishes—and new young men —for priests who fondle is becoming controversial in some states. Remember that dentist on “Seinfeld” who became Jewish just to tell Semitic jokes and use Yiddish phrases? He’s looking rather reasonable these days. Be thankful that religions exist that aren’t a mockery of themselves, but by all means, be entertained by those that are. For every sane, sincere faith, there’s another that’s producing movies like “Megiddo: The Omega Code II.” Maybe you disagree, but I’m not wrong. Hartney is a fourth-year chemistry student. IN YOUR OPINION Honors students deserve extra perks Go ahead and hate me — I’m a freshman honors student. I think it’s horrible that we’re taking away apartments from older students, but I must defend myself and my peers. First, the argument that honors students shouldn’t be given preferential treatment is bull. Honors students have had privileges for years. They get early registration, smaller classes and, believe it or not, special honors housing. And nobody has cared about those special preferences before. The issue is that one of these honors perks is going to be the Horseshoe apartments. How would opponents of honors Horseshoe housing feel if football players were orrunfpH anartmpnt-citvlp housing their sophomore years? Or better yet, their freshman years? Coaches “pull strings” all the time to get their star athletes into the Quads. If you want to argue the granting of apartment style housing to us, argue about the granting of apartments to athletes. If you want to argue over the benefits of being in the Honors College, argue over all the benefits—pre registration, class size, etc. The letters published in The Gamecock against honors housing were ridiculous. Quite frankly, I’m disappointed in everyone involved in the issue. I’m disappointed by Honors College Dean Peter Sederbeig’s “playing” of everyone to get what he wants. I’m also disappointed by upperclassmen misdirecting hostilities at honors freshmen, by The Gamecock’s bias, and even by my honors peers’ responses to the petition. Two of my friends have been verbally assaulted by non-honors upperclassmen, and instead of saying, “I’m ashamed to be an honors student,” all I have to say is that those of you who have harassed and assaulted freshman should be ashamed of yourselves. ASHLEY LEWIS FIRST-YEAR HISTORY/ELEMENTARY EDUCATION STUDENT Professors shouldn’t get all of the blame This letter is in response to Shanna Reed’s March 4 column and Michelle rmman s iviai cn 101 eapuuse to that column. It's a pity that students tend to blame some professors for boring them by not teaching the way they want to be taught, by giving them too many assignments or by making them repeatedly read the same material. Reaching out to students has never been an easy task for any instructor. And as Richard P. Feynman said, there isn’t an easy solution to this problem — except to realize that the very best teaching can be done only when there is an individual, direct relationship between a student and a good teacher. No matter how much tlje instructor tries to mat e the ♦ READ MORE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR ON OUR WEB SITE, WWW.DAILYGAMECOCK.COM. ' class more interesting or more animated, it’s impossible to learn much by simply sitting in a lecture or doing assigned problems. But considering the high student-teacher ratio at USC, one can always argue how that is practical. The key here is communication between the instructor and the student and among students. In a class of 10 or fewer students, the instructor can nave a une-un-une ltiauuuMiip with each student. For bigger classes, the instructor can encourage discussion among small groups'of three or four. This way, students will have opportunities to share what's in their minds and open up a way to rectify their faults. This might lead to a better understanding of the subject and significantly reduce any misunderstandings the students might have. Again, the aspect of the student's interest toward the • subject comes into the picture. But if you don't have a liking for a subject, there's no point in blaming the instructor. VIJAY ANAND SETHURAMAN FIRST-YEAR CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DOCTORATE STUDENT 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 The only holiday for whites mmrv':.-' ;—m-! jhbht-bhbbh PHIL WATSON GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Happy St. Patty’s Day - sorry about the vomit. Nothing says “I’m proud to be Irish,” like starting a fight with your best friend and vomiting in a mailbox. On St. Patrick’s Day in Savannah, Ga., about 100,000 people chose to celebrate the holiday by doing just that. Don’t get me wrong: A good time was had by all. But I couldn’t help but think that this holiday casts the Irish in a bad light. Like most U.S. whites, I have a little Irish blood in me, so don’t say I’m Irish-bashinghere — the Irish'have already been bashed enough in history. But drinking and fighting are as synonymous with being Irish as smelling bad and restricting women are synonymous with being Afghan. St. Patrick’s Day probably doesn’t help this Irish stereotype. Of course, not all Irish are drunks —just the overwhelming majority. And of course, no\ all Afghan men smell bad or retrict their wives — just the overwhelming majority. St Patrirk’c Fiav ic fhp nnlv ethnic holiday when people can get away with rowdiness and irresponsible drinking. We all remember the drunk Puerto Ricans several years ago who attacked several women in New York City on Puerto Rican Day, causing a national uproar and making the holiday look bad. But if the same thing happens on St. Patrick’s Day, it has no ethnic repercussions — the misbehavior is blamed on alcohol instead. Perhaps this is because so many people who celebrate St. Patrick’s Day are just partying and don’t care about the holiday’s actual origins. St. Patrick’s Day is, after all, a holiday celebrated by all races and ethnicities. I started thinking about how St. Patrick’s Day got so popular. Obviously, there’s the partying. But people could choose any day to party. So what is it that appeals to the masses so much about this holiday? First, it’s an ethnic holiday. There are popular ethnic holidays and observances for just about everyone in America, and it’s St. Patrick’s Day that appeals to whites as an ethnic holiday. Most white Americans have some Irish blood in them. There’s also no other popular holiday that celebrates their ethnicity. There’s no other day in me year wnen a wnue person - can say, “I’m proud of my heritage,” without being looked at as racially insensitive. Some of you probably did a double take at what I just said, and that proves that I’m right. Sure, if St. Patrick’s Day is an ethnic holiday for whites, it’s probably not glamorous. Drinking enough green beer to kill a horse and pinching random girls isn’t necessarily a dignified tradition, but it’s still a day for those of Irish descent to celebrate their heritage. Though other ethnic groups have certainly had it worse than the Irish in America’s early history, Irish immigrants still had a rough time. If you don’t believe me, watch “Far and Away.” It’s a movie about Irish immigrants, and from what I’ve heard, it’s not too far and away from what it was really like. So next time you’re in Savannah on St. Patrick’s Day, cum auinc ui uimen su ctiigei 111 a green shirt punches you in the face for no reason and then tells you he’s sorry and he loves you, try not to get mad. Just think about all the things the Irish have contributed to this country, like frosted Lucky Charms and U2. • i '• Watson is a third-year print journalism student.