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4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, March 29, 2002 sound off X XT T T T "X\ r\ X AT online poll Create message boards at I 1“^ 1 / ■ / I-^ I III I I Do you understand Value www.dailygamecock.com or I I 1 i 1/ ■/ I I II I ^kl I l Centered Management? send letters to the editor to I I J W W I YYII^IILl YES 35% gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com —I 1 M Y Y —I— V—S I A Y —I— r\_y NO 65% IN OUR OPINION . Safety deferred If you need the latest evidence that USC isn’t putting students first, take a walk through the halls of Sum wait. Or, better yet, don’t. Maintenance catch-up Maintenance Services is finally doing what should have been done years ago: Catch up on some long overdue projects in the building, where computer science classes are held. Sum wait is the perfect example of so-called deferred maintenance taken to an extreme. Basically, the university administration has been dragging its feet on long overdue face-lifts to buildings all over campus. Part of this is because of a lack of funds. Some of it can be chalked up to pure procrastination. By potting off Sloppy work . maintenance In the past week, two public work for years, health students have the complained about three administration separate incidents at Sumwalt has been putting involving sloppy work by usc u r TL" In one instance, a master key . health m danger. . . , . : Sumwalt is the was missmg for almost three perfect example. days before the police were contacted. By that time, someone had broken in and stolen some CDs from a lab in the building. Katy Dunlap and Sam Walker also have reported possible violations of OSHA’s policy for removing asbestos, and they informed the fire department that ; the fire alarms in the building aren’t working. Irresponsibility to the extreme That the university would allow a building to nearly break down before doing anything about it is disappointing. That it would allow students to continue attending class in a building where life saving equipment doesn’t work is alarming. And in a time of budget cuts, that it would fail to report missing keys, and thus give a free pass to would-be . thieves, is irresponsible. But the height of such irresponsibility is allowing lives and health to be endangered by maintenance work that’s been put off for years. It’s time for the university to close Sumwalt, make it safe, and then ■ re-open the building. And then it’s time for USC to get to the business of fixing other potentially dangerous buildings on campus, before something goes horribly wrong. 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 r , Kevin Fellner Asst. News Editor 4 Mackenzie Clements r, 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, i Jill Martin. Paul Rhine Mark Hartney i Online Editor Corey Davis Photo Assignments Photo Editors Robert Gruen, Candi Hauglum Kelly Petruska ■ Community Affairs CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com University Desk: gamecockudesk@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, Gloria Simpson, 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 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 ^ ; -0 * % ’• V -v- . . STAINED GLASS CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS SG SPEAKS Future of SG lies with students COREY FORD GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM The next SG president needs student support to accomplish goals. I’d like to begin by thanking you, the student body, for electing me to serve as Student Government president this past term. It was an honor to represent your interests before the Board of Trustees and defend your quality of education before the South Carolina General Assembly. SG faced many new and difficult challenges, namely the budget crisis with the Legislature. I was particularly proud of the SG Cabinet and Student Senate uniting to address the issue. Yet you, the student, deserve the credit for the success of our protest. You held us accountable by showing your dissatisfaction with the proposed cuts, and we acted upon your calls for action. SG tirelessly met with legislators and organized an effective letter-writing campaign; thousands of student letters were delivered to the Legislature. With the help of Gov. Jim Hodges, our protest was heard and our victory won. This incoming SG will again face this critical political issue. The new president, Ankit Patel, needs the support you gave me. He is a passionate, reform minded leader who will work diligently to improve the quality of life on campus. But, as even Patel will tell you, he needs not only your support throughout his term, but also your help in accomplishing his goals. \ Throughout his campaign, Patel outlined the problem areas in the Student Life Department and SG that desperately need reform. Organizational funding, minority representation and even the SG budget itself are areas that either need to be strengthened or reviewed altogether, arid I support him in this endeavor. The SG president is primarily a liaison between the students and the Board of Trustees, voicing our concerns at meetings. The administration, while not entirely at fault, often neglects our opinion simply because it hears only the SG president defending the students. This must change. They need to hear your voice, not just Patel’s. It’s your responsibility to hold SG accountable and to ensure that it stands up for the student body. I call on all of you to aid Patel, Vice President Katie Dreiling, Treasurer Becky Floyd and the Senate in their endeavors this term. Once again, I want to thank you for my opportunity this past term. I enjoyed listening to your concerns, serving as your voice before the administration and even going crazy with you on Saturdays at Billy-Brice (and at Sanford Stadium in Athens, too). Former Vice President Nithya Bala, former Treasurer Hydrick Harden and I can’t be happier to turn over SG to such able, intelligent and committed leaders. They will not let you down. The future of SG lies with you, not the executive officers. I urge all of you to become involved in this process. Theodore Roosevelt’s legacy in this nation is one of commitment and sacrifice. I leave you with his words: “It is not the critic who counts, or how the strongman stumbled and fell, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion, and who spends himself in a worthy cause. If he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly so that he may never be one of those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.” Ford is a fourth-year political science student and former SG president. IN YOUR OPINION lecnmcai colleges offer many classes In response to Franky Brown’s letter to the editor in the March 6 issue of the The Gamecock, I believe Brown had good intentions, but she appears to be unaware of the curriculum required at South Carolina’s 16 technical colleges. The general education requirement for any associate’s-degree program includes English 101 and 102. There’s also a requirement for an approved humanities course. In addition, the general education curriculum for most associate’s degrees have a required psychology or sociology class. Math classes are also part of the general education curriculum. Arts and sciences programs at Technical Colleges are offered for students who are planning to transfer to a four-year college. As stated in the Midlands Technical College catalog, “The primary function of arts and sciences at Midlands Technical College is to broaden students’ understanding of themselves, their culture and their universe, thus providing a strong foundation upon which they may build throughout their lives.” Associate’s degrees in art and science require that students take 12 credit hours of humanities courses, 14 credit hours of analytical reasoning/science courses, and six credit hours of social/behavioral science courses. These are in addition to the electives of the intended four-year program. I’m not sure what Brown was implying by saying, “Reed belongs in a technical college and not at a university,” but, as you can see, by enrolling in an associate’s degree program at a technical “school,'’ Reed would be exposed to math, philosophy, reasoning and logic. CHRIS PORTER STUDENT RECRUITMENT COORDINATOR FOR MIDLANDS TECHNICAL COLLEOE, SECOND YEAR HIGHER EDUCATION AND STUDENT AFFAIRS 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. E-mail letters to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. Letters will be edited. Anonymous letters will not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for more information. Gamecock Quotables “We need creative, alternative solutions if we’re going to fix this problem. Even ones that sound outlandish.” DARLA MOORE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEMBER, ON DEFERRED MAINTENANCE “We would like to have somebody, obviously, in place by the time Dr. Palms retires.” WILLIAM HUBBARD TRUSTEE AND PRESIDENTIAL SEARCH COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN ✓ “Imagine you seeing your name with racial words next to it and having to wipe off your own name. It’s pretty tough.” DEMETRIUS JOHNSON ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF RESIDENCE LIFE, ON VANDALISM AT SIMS "Someone is going to have to beat Corey out.” LOU HOLTZ USC FOOTBALL HEAD COACH, ON COREV JENKINS BEING THE FRONT-RUNNER FOR QUARTERBACK I “If they’re going to institute a new plan, they should do more planning and research first.” CASEY WHITE ' SECOND-YEAR PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT, ON HOW HOUSING SHOULD HAVE ANTICIPATED MORE HONORS COLLEGE WOMEN TO SIGN UP FOR HORSESHOE APARTMENTS “This is a special group of women, and I’m just blessed to be a part of this team.” JOCELYN PENN use WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYER b When college years are over BETHANY MITCHELL GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Going to graduate or medical school is just avoiding the inevitable. At times, I wonder where my life is headed. I wonder where I’m going and how I’m going to get there. I look back at the past years of college, and I’m awed at how the time flew. 1 The truth is, I’m scared. What happens when I leave here and graduate, not only from college, but also from childhood? Young people love to say, “I’m grown.” They’re the first words out of your mouth when someone challenges you or when your loved ones hold on too long. But we don’t realize that we’re going to miss long hugs and family talks. I found my first love in college, something I’ve never gotten over. I can equate that to many college experiences. I never got over my first time living in a dorm with a stranger. I never got over my first drunk ( experience. I never got over being away from home for the first time. I have a close-knit family, but I don’t want to be like my sisters. I don’t want to be what my parents were. Sometimes, parents pressure us into jobs even though they have nothing to do with our passion in life. Some of you might go to medical school only because someone said you would be a good doctor. Or maybe you joined a fraternity or sorority because your parents were members. Maybe you came to USC because it was a family tradition. But what do you want? It was easy to graduate from ( high school because it meant I could really party. But for my college graduation in May, I would rather wait. Some try avoiding the graduation monster by attending graduate school. But you’re just prolonging the inevitable. None of us can run. I wish I could offer a solution on how to swallow this bitter reality. But I don’t have a remedy for myself. There’s one thing I can suggest: Blaze your own trail. New doors are opening, and those are the doors I run to with hope. But I have one last fear. The thing that scares me more than 1 graduation day is the feeling that my life might not amount to anything. My African-American Studies professor says our generation has nothing to fight for and that we don’t care about anything. We all want to make a difference. But how? You might want to be a world-class athlete, find a cure for a disease or just grow up and be better parents to your children than your parents were to you. Whatever your plan in life, do it. Don’t be stopped by haters. I assure you mine will eat their words; make yours do the same. ------- ) Mitchell is a fourth-year electronic journalism student. -- --1 What’s missing from this page? Have an opinion or a correction? Send letters to the editor to gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com.