The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 29, 2002, Page 7, Image 7
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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Monday, April 29, 2002 "J
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THE LEADER
Best-laid plans
On Friday, USC President John Palms made his
recommendations about the Strategic Directions and
Initiatives report to the Board of Trustees. When the
SDI report was released earlier this year, many
proposed ideas seemed radical and poorly planned.
But Palms’ recommendations, passed by the board,
now seem rational and feasible after months of
deliberation and compromise between different bodies
of the university community. This plan will prepare the
university for Association of American Universities
membership and an elite national reputation.
Not necessarily right now
Some of the proposed SDIC recommendations are
already well under way, like the merging of the
College of Journalism and Mass Communications
with the College of Library and Information Sciences.
But students should also realize that many changes
could take up to five years to be fully implemented,
like raising the bar on SAT scores or putting in place
a new university budgeting system.
President Palms,
the SDI Committee
and college deans
have put together
a promising plan
for redirecting
the university.
But despite being given little
time to make its report, the
SDIC has developed a realistic
plan for streamlining and
redirecting the university.
In line with deans’ wishes
Rumors in the fall included
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Criminal Justice and expansion of the Honors
College. But the current recommendations
implement well-thought-out plans for both colleges.
Palms proved he listened to key deans and program
heads by making specific suggestions in line with
their wishes. His plan for the criminal justice
program cites its dean’s plan and changes the SDI’s
recommendation that the college become a major
under the Sociology Department; instead, Palms says
it should be its own major under the College of
Liberal Arts. He also took issue with the SDI’s
recommendation for rapid expansion of the Honors
College, up 25 students each year, and said it should
be done this fall and re-assessed in January.
The next president
These recommendations will serve as a blueprint
for the new USC president, who will be announced
this week, and all the candidates have said they trust
Palms’ advice. And despite more budget limitations,
the new president can also use Palms’ suggestions as
a springboard to make his own.
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GAM ECOCK GOODBYES For the nest of the semester, the normal Viewpoints columnists will be taking some time off. Instead, graduating staff
members ofFhe Gamecock will be writing theirfinal contributions, after yeais of late nights and missed classes - all for the love oflhe ’Cock.
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CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Letting everyone know the score
BRANDON LARRABEE
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
Years of reporting have
taught me a few things
about this university.
When you’re a journalist,
you tend to pay more attention
to the workings of your world
than the average person. This
isn’t necessarily a virtue; in
fact, it’s more of a sickness.
Unfortunately, we rarely get
to offer our frank assessment of
what’s happening. That’s
because we have to be fair and
impartial reporters of the news.
If something’s BS, we have to
get somebody else to say it
rather than saying it ourselves.
Not now. I’m leaving USC,
and it’s time to let the whole
campus in on what I’ve learned.
Student Government is
worthless. I apologize to those in
Russell House room 110, but it’s
the truth. It’s not that the
organization doesn’t have great
potential; it does. At the
University of Florida, for
example, there’s a 30 percent to
40 percent voter turnout every
year. That seems puny, until
you realize that almost as many
students at USC probably don’t
realize SG exists. There are a
few SG members who actually
ao some gooa. cut me omers are
too busy worrying about passing
resolutions to undo the seating
chart or creating commissions
that end in “May November” to
actually advocate the student
body’s point of view. We have a
seat on the Board of Trustees
and, last time I checked, we
outnumber administrators
several dozen to one. Let’s do
something with that.
USC President John Palms
was good overall, but that doesn’t
mean he’s immune from
criticism. My main beef is his
personal squadron of tow trucks
and reserved parking signs that
he puts behind Preston every two
or three days. USC apparently
could face a budget shortfall
approaching $18 million; half of
that could be avoided by having
KFC cater the new president’s
meals instead of Marriott.
The Board of Trustees is, for
the most part, whack. Yes, there
are a few shining examples of
sanity, like former chairman
William Hubbard and Darla
Moore. But some of the others
—notably those that, oh, allege
that gays are bent on world
domination — show a streak of
insanity unparalleled even by
state legislators. And can we
please stop putting in green
space? How about we make a
deal: for once, board members
should have to park on their
own. No towing the cars at
Carolina Plaza, no reserved
spaces for the football games —
they’re on their own. We’ll see
how fast the Master Plan
changes then.
Never count on bureaucracy.
Thirty years ago, the College of
journalism ana Mass
Communications moved into the
basement of the Coliseum on a
temporary basis, they said. We’re
still waiting. USC, for years, has
plotted and schemed to come up
with a way to get into the
Association of American
Universities. Short of the hand of
God, that doesn’t seem imminent.
As for sports, I would love to
see a USC football game where I
wasn’t on the verge of having a
heart attack. I love a dramatic
game as much as the next
person, but two years of relying
on Phil Petty’s arm to save us
doesn’t constitute my definition
of a fun Saturday. It’s akin to
hearing your doctor say, “Tell
my lawyer I’ll call him about
that malpractice lawsuit” just
before heading into surgery.
But there are a few other
things I’ve learned at USC.
Friendship is the greatest prize
of all, but don’t let it
compromise who you are. Trust
should be reserved for those
who earn it, not everyone who
comes along. It’s better to have
loved and lost, though
sometimes it causes more
heartburn. Learning is one of
life’s greatest missions. And
people are all that matter in this
world. When everything else —
ideologies, institutions, places
and memories—fade away,
people, will still be here. Except,
of course, for bureaucracy.
Larrabee is a fourth-year print
journalism student. He began
working at The Gamecock on his
veryfirst day at USC and has been
a reporter, a designer, university
editor, Viewpoints editor and
special projects coordinator.
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 Larrahee
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 Editors
Robert Gruen, Candi
Hauglum
CONTACT INFORMATION
Offices on third floor of the Russell House.
Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com
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Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com
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Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com
Online: www.dailygamecock.com
EDITORIAL BOARD
Kyle Almond.
Mackenzie Clements.
Chris Foy, Jason
Harmon, Mary Hartney,
Brandon Larrabee,
Carrie Phillips, Ginny
Thornton, Martha
Wright
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Faculty Adviser
Ellen Parsons
Director of Student
Media
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Creative Director
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Hooks, Earl Jones,
Jennie Moore,
Melanie Roberts,
Beju Shah
Advertising Staff
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Denise Levereaux,
Jackie Rice, Gloria
Simpson, Stacey
Todd
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Carolina and is
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Cov • 777 d A QO
IN YOUR OPINION
Education needed
about character
I picked up The Gamecock
the other weekend. What
really caught my attention
was Edrin Williams’ column
“Workers deserve student
respect.” It caught my
attention because I’m
working on a project on
character education. It
sounds like there needs to be
some character lessons being
put in to play and practiced on
campus.
Maybe it’s time to start
putting character education
classes into action. Maybe
something as simple as a “be
nice” policy or theme needs to
be highlighted by Student
Government to remind
students about respect.
If students are showing
disrespect now, what will
they do through the rest of
their life or when they go into
the real world of work?
Corporations know and
expect new employees to come
not only with degrees but also
with character. Education
without good character traits
is almost worthless.
Thanks go to Williams for
taking the time to notice and
write about this, bringing it to
the attention of students.
TERESA “TIM” MILLER
c.i.ass np ir7a Rnswm.i oa
Patel is destroying
spirit of freedom
College of Liberal Arts Sen.
Zachery Scott has done
nothing wrong—at least not as
long as we’re still considering
Student Government to be a
democratic republic.
The main issue here seems
to be that Scott voted against
legislation that SG President
Ankit Patel wanted passed.
Scott did the right thing. He
approached his constituents
and asked how they would
like for him to vote. It’s more
than any of the other senators
did, as far as I know. In fact, I
think that Scott is the model
senator, one whose example
should be followed by the
other senators.
I’m in the Moore School of
Business, yet Scott still asked
for and listened to my input.
The legislation in question
violated basic freedoms of
almost everyone on campus.
Denying groups the ability to
openly support political
candidates is unacceptable in
the United States—we are
guaranteed free speech, and
no student government can
take that away.
So Scott voted against said
legislation. What did that get
him? Praise from his
constituents for doing the
right thing and removal from
the chairmanship of Patel’s
Election Reform Commission.
This is where I begin to have
serious issues.
Patel, because Scott voted the
“wrong” way, removed him
from an unrelated commission.
This reeks of hot-headedness,
immaturity and dictatorship. I
especially find it disturbing that
Patel will do this in the name of
squelching political ambition
for the betterment of our school.
Is he not fulfilling his own
ambitions by placing on the
commission only people who
share his beliefs?
And as for Patel accusing
Zach of lying, what happened to
“Principal, Not Politics”? Patel,
you lied to us all. Fortunately,
I’m a cynic and didn’t believe it
for a second. I originally voted
for David Bornemann, and now
I have a rock-solid reason to
give to anyone who questions
that decision. Patel is
destroying the spirit of freedom
on this campus. And is anyone
besides Scott willing to fight for
us?
JOHN BRETT NOLAN
FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT
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777 770C
Even gay
students
deserve
protection
-IR|^...
GREG HAMBRICK
GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM
You’d think universities
were places where you
could always be yourself.
The world is actually a better
place for gay people than at this
school. Never in a million years
did I think I’d provide that nugget
of advice, but it’s sadly true.
You’d think that universities
are places you go to be yourself.
Well, let me tell you about where
I work in the “real” world.
At a financial institution
where words like “consei vative”
are a compliment, I’ve been an
openly gay employee for four
years. The company has a non
discrimina.tion policy that
includes sexual orientation.
They include gays and lesbians
in diversity training and policy
making. They even have
Columbia’s gay pride march on a
company calendar posted all
over the building.
Aside from the administration’s
support of a diverse workforce,
my co-workers continue to amaze
me. I’ve seen a father refuse to
donate to the United Way because
it supports the discriminatory
Boy Scouts of America. One
woman wants to punch
somebody at the American Red
Cross because it refuses to take
blood from gay men.
The administration at USC
must know, but not care, that
gay students are being harassed,
even at rallies to end
harassment.
I’ve met some amazingly
forward-thinking people at USC,
but you need to look from the top
down, not vice-versa. Students
shouldn’t need to explain why
they need protection—the school
should offer that without request.
Believe it or not, I can
understand why it isn’t willing
to help. I know it might be
difficult for people who have
never been afraid to know why
they need to protect someone.
I was called a “faggot” and a
“fairy” the other day. The guy
was completely wasted, but his
words had all the contempt and
rage of someone who didn’t
understand me and didn’t want
to. He had three friends who
weren’t as drunk to hold him
back, but his words brought to
the front of my mind the face of a
friend that had been beaten just
after he heard those words.
Until someone calls USC
President John Palms or our
next esteemed president a
“faggot,” this school might
never change.
USC won’t see a dime from me
until it shows that it wants to
protect its gay and lesbian
students. And it should know
that I’m not alone.
Because of my involvement
with the National Gay and
Lesbian Journalists Association,
mi; Cflvnolifir ic nn mir i>nc<nmn
Some told me that would deter
possible employers, but I think it
deters the right kind of
employers. In fact, several
interviewers have jumped on
that point to show me how their
company values diversity.
I wonder what USC could
possibly say to entice minorities
into working and going to school
here.
I had several pieces of advice
and opinion to dispense in this
last column. Unfortunately, this
one took up my allotted space.
For the rest, you’re on your own.
Later.
Hambrick is a fourth-year print
journalism student. He begat}
working at The Gamecock last
summer and has been city/state
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