The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 12, 2002, Page 4, Image 4
4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, April 12, 2002
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IN OUR OPINION
More unity,
fewer weeks
Today wraps up Unity Week, which celebrates
connections shared within the Carolina Community.
While the organizers of Unity Week surely had good
intentions, the entire celebration has been anything
but unified.
There was no unifying theme or purpose. Nobody
seemed to understand what the celebration was
about, its timing or the reasons behind each event.
What exactly do a Better than Ezra concert, a
Congaree Swamp cleanup and a
“Big Man on Campus” pageant
have to do with unity? Better yet,
what do these events have to do
with each other?
Instead of having activities to
underscore and focus on USC’s
connections, Unity Week
organizers scoured campus for
already-planned events and threw them under a
banner with little regard for unity.
Part of the problem is that USC — and America in
general — has too many “weeks” already. This week
is also Greek Week and No Boundaries Week, and
next week is Homophobia Awarness Week.
We need a Break Week, to give us time to rest
without thinking about a dreaded disease or social
issue or organization. Are there really 52 issues that
everyone cares about enough to designate weeks for?
Unfortunately, some feel they need to throw their
events to the forefront by designating weeks instead
of letting the issue’s importance stand for itself.
And, as long as that trend continues, the battalion
of pointless weeks will march valiantly on.
Unity Week,
Greek Wfeek,
Homophobia
Awareness
Week... We
need a Give us
a Break Week.
Gamecock Quotables
“A hundred and twenty-five
dollars is a lot of money for
college students to come up
with, especially with no
advance notice.”
MARIA SWINTON
FOURTH-YEAR SOCIOLOGY STUDENT, ON THE
NEW HOUSING SIGN-UP FEE
“We’re just not going to let
them endorse with the money
that students pay.”
GINNY WRIGHT
COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS SENATOR, ON
HER BILL THAT WOULD STRIP FUNDS FROM
STUDENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT PUBLICLY
ENDORSE POLITICAL CANDIDATES
“If it rains, you get wet. You
deal with it.”
JAMIE WALTERS
SECOND-YEAR POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT.
WHO SAT ON A SCAFFOLD FOR SEVERAL
HOURS TO RAISE MONEY FOR CHARITY
“We’re not a very good team
right now. But I didn’t think
we would be, coming out of
spring. We’ve got a lot of
improving to do.”
LOU HOLTZ
use FOOTBALL HEAD COACH, ON THE TEAM’S
PERFORMANCE IN SPRING PRACTICE
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
Glnny Thornton
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Kevin Fellner
Asst. News Editor
Mackenzie Clements
Viewpoints Editor
Carrie Phillips
The Mix Editor
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Asst. The Mix Editor
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J. Keith Allen
Asst. Sports Editor
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Martha Wright
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McLaulin. Katie Smith.
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Copy Editors
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Festa, Jason Harmon,
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Kyle Almond,
Mackenzie Clements.
Chris Foy, Jason
Harmon. Mary Hartney,
Brandon Larrabee,
Carrie Phillips, Ginny
Thornton, Martha
Wright
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Erik Collins
Faculty Adviser
Ellen Parsons
Director of Student
Media
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Creative Director
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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.
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Workers deserve student respect
EDRIN WILLIAMS
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Arrogance shouldn’t be
excuse for disrespect.
Ah, the joys of being in
college. As USC students, we’re
granted so many advantages.
From free pizza to T-shirts to
the respect of our hometown,
we’re all recipients of certain
privileges simply because we’re
in school. Naturally, we have a
tendency to let this go to our
heads. But the line should be
drawn when this arrogance
affects others in a negative way.
Because of that arrogance,
little or no appreciation is
shown toward the service
professionals who work at this
school. Maintenance workers,
housekeepers and dining-hall
cashiers are regularly
disrespected and degraded from
—
students and, sometimes,
faculty and staff.
This isn’t new. I’ve noticed it
for some time, but some recent
events made it clear that
something needs to be done.
Most recently, I saw a
student verbally degrade a
service worker in a residence
hall. The student went on her
way, but I stood there shocked,
waiting for the worker’s
response. The worker didn’t say
a word, but in her expression, I
saw something scary.
She was clearly hurt by the
exchange but tried not to show
it. Perhaps she’s used to such
treatment. I also saw a look of
helplessness; she didn’t know
what to do. I’m sure if she
wasn’t afraid of losing her job,
she would have dealt with it in
the proper way.
However, because this
university seems to place little
value on its service workers,
I’m sure that any conflict
between a student and a worker
would result in the student’s
favor. After all, students
generate revenue.
This is an issue that needs to
be addressed by the
administrators soon. Service
professionals provide a
valuable service to USC, and
they are deserving of much
more respect than they get.
This message should reach
minority students and faculty
with particular meaning
because the overwhelming
majority of service workers are
black.
These workers aren’t very
different from my mother, my
grandmother or any other
member of my family. They
faithfully come to work every
day and work under conditions
that can be uncomfortable to
provide for their families. The
pay isn’t the greatest, and we’ll
save the issue of benefits for
another time.
These men and women are
assets of this university. Given
proper treatment from
students, who are supposed to
be progressive intellectuals,
they will continue to grace us
with their services. Otherwise,
we will be facing problems. No
amount of pay is enough to let
someone compromise your
humanity.
Williams is a third-year African
American studies student.
Fees shouldn’t be used to censor
ADAM BOURNE
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Universities should be
havens for free thought.
As a former Student
Government elections
commissioner, I supported the
right of The Gamecock and
other student organizations to
endorse candidates in the
recent election that I was
charged with supervising.
I wasn’t alone. The Board of
Student Publications and
Communications formally
recognized the right of the
student paper to endorse
candidates.
But it seems that SG
President Ankit Patel stands in
opposition to the basic free
speech rights of all students at
Carolina. I’m no lawyer, but it’s
clear that the U.S. Constitution
protects the freedom of political
expression—particularly from
the institutions and individuals
that receive government money.
Student activity fees must
not be allowed to be used as a
means of censorship.
Suspending an organization’s
right to student activity fees in
response to an endorsement is
tantamount to extortion. The
fees that students entrust to SG
are its only true mechanism for
control of student
organizations, and using that
power of the purse to censor
anyone is just as dangerous as
using the power of the sword.
If you don’t buy that
argument, here is another:
Universities are supposed to be
havens for free thought and
expression. Ideally, students
attend Carolina to debate as
much as they’re here to learn.
Our university’s tenure system
serves to protect professors’
rights to freedom of expression
in their writings and
publications. And, despite the
objections of any student who
pays fees to the university,
professors are allowed to speak
their minds in print and in
person with the aid of
university funds.
If we’re to sign on to Patel’s
argument that student money
shouldn’t be used to endorse
candidates, then we must fire
any professor who’s ever taken
a controversial stance on a
political issue and reduce our
university’s intellectual
prestige to nothing.
USC is on the rise as a
national university. But to
attain true national status, we
must not allow the censorship
of anyone on campus. An
intellectual community is home
to liberals, conservatives,
people of measured wisdom,
and outright nuts. I urge Patel
and the rest of SG to stand up
for intellectual and political
freedom on campus. SG might
end up standing for censorship,
but, once again, it will be
standing alone.
Bourne is a fourth-year political
science student and former SG
elections commissioner.
IN YOUR OPINION
Patel should focus
more on real issues
I’m very pleased that Ankit
Patel is making such wise use
of his time as Student
Government president.
It’s refreshing to know that
in times of budget cuts and
tuition increases — over the
(course of my two years as a
USC student, my overall
expenses have increased by
about $2,000 — that there’s
someone in office focusing on
the real issues.
I’m glad that he’s trying to
ensure that The Gamecock
doesn’t use “taxpayers’”
student activity fees to
endorse candidates. (Please
note my liberal use of
sarcasm.)
It seems that Patel has
already forgotten about the
“student body” part of being
student body president. I
enjoy the fact that I don’t have
to go to the debates in order to
find out about the candidates.
Also, the last time I checked,
the term “student activity
fee” meant that the fees are
paid by students, not by
taxpayers.
Patel needs to start
focusing on real issues like
rising costs and hidden fees.
He shouldn’t have enough
time on his hands to worry
about who gets press in The
Gamecock.
ALAN WOOD
SECOND-YEAB CHEMISTRY
STUDENT
Society is sensitive
about Christianity
I decided to write this letter
after reading Martha Wright’s
column in Monday’s paper.
While I fully support the
separation of church and state,
I’m amazed by the sensitivity of
society when it comes to
matters of Christianity.
Why is society so mortally
offended by prayers to the
Christian God? I’ve been to
celebrations where prayers
were offered to Allah, Mother
Earth and other powers I don’t
believe in, but I wasn’t offended.
I simply listened respectfully
while choosing not to
♦ LETTERS, SEE PAGE 7
SG SPEAKS
Reform is
on its way
ANKIT PATEL
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Student guidance, input,
support are needed first.
We must reform Student
Government. Not a simple
changing of codes, but a
systematic overhaul of the way
in which we govern. Our current
system is failing us.
Student leaders are faced
with a growing number of
hurdles each year that prevent
them from performing their
duties. Twenty percent of the
student body won’t be
represented in the newly elected
Senate. Our codes lack a clear
set of principles and rules. We
haven’t passed any statutes
since the SG Constitution was
ratified. And the list goes on.
It’s easy for us to blame the
administration or even the
students for SG’s inability to
achieve its goals, yet the fault
lies with SG alone.
i ms um geumug piuuiem nas
led to countless editorials
describing SG as weak,
ineffective, isolated and even
pointless. Student involvement
is being replaced with student
apathy, and the voice of the
students continues to be
drowned.
SG should be a reflection of
the students. The vicious cycle of
distrust and apathy must be
stopped.
As our Founding Fathers said
in the Declaration of
Independence: “Whenever any
form of government becomes
destructive of these ends, it is the
right of the people to alter or to
abolish it, and to institute new
government... as to them shall
seem most likely to effect their
safety and happiness.”
While our Founding Fathers
described this as a right of the
people, I call it an obligation.
I make my commitment to
correct these errors. We need to
re-evaluate the duties and
responsibilities of the president,
vice president, treasurer and
senators. We need to bridge the
gap between elected leaders and
student organizations. We need
to change our election process to
make it more representative of
the student population.
This isn’t an impossible task.
SG has made progress in its own
right. Everything from Clean
Carolina to the Strategic
Directions and Initiatives
Committee resolutions proves
our leaders’ desire and
dedication. But reforms this
large can’t be made alone.
I call on not just the student
leaders of this campus to join in
this effort, but also all students.
After Sept. 11, we’ve come to
. better appreciate the freedoms
and liberties that we’ve often
taken for granted.
The ability to make one’s ovm
decisions about law, politics and
society was a radical notion in
the 1700s. For many parts of the
world, it still is. We’re truly
blessed.
Yet, many see democracy as a
sport, with political strategies
and maneuvers. While often this
might often be true, it’s
important to remember that
democracy isn’t a spectator sport.
As SG president, I ask for
your help. Our SG leaders can’t
fulfill their duties without your
input. With your guidance and
support, we can reshape SG into
an institution you can proud of
and fit to serve the needs of the
student body.
This might seem like a
pessimistic outlook, but it isn’t. I
have the highest confidence in
our students and our elected
officials. We might differ in
opinion, but I promise that hope
and optimism will pave our path
for the days to come.
Patel is a third-year political
science student and SG president.
This is a modified version of his
March 20 inaugural address.