Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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SOUND OFF T1VT1? or.T T Create message boards at LINE www.dailygamecock.com or Is Homecoming too Greek? send letters to the editor to www.daiIygamecock.com. gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com Results published on Fridays.. ___^_ ■ -- ■ - IN OUR OPINION | A beautiful waste of cash The recently announced Five Points Beautification project is already showing promise. The project will not only beautify the area; it will also improve safety. But while the city of Columbia plans to make some vital changes, some of the expenses seem unnecessary. Intended changes include repairing sinkholes and the sewage system and adding new lighting. Increasing nighttime visibility in Five Points by adding some mucn-neeoeo lights will serve as a greater crime deterrent. These safety measures are appreciated, especially considering the number of students who frequent the Five Points area. But, though students who frequent Five Points will no doubt appreciate the extra lighting, the main purpose of this project is beautification. The Vista, which has gone through similar beautification renovations, is sustained, for the most part, by area businessmen; Five Points, however, is sustained, for the most part, by college students. Its proximity to campus and its beer specials are the major attractions for most USC students, not grassy medians. Considering current budget restrictions, the expense of beautifying Five Points seems unnecessary. Columbia and USC have both wasted enough money on beautification projects. Perhaps it’s time they turned their attention — and wallets — to more important concerns. Winners and Sinners Considering current budget restrictions, the expense of beautifying Five Points seems unnecessary. SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH Receives $2 million federal grant for new building. Does anyone know where the old building is? HOMECOMING Despite the controversy ! surrounding this year’s Homecoming, we ' salute those taking the time to participate. SMALL-MARKET BASEBALL TEAMS Angels, Twins and Athletics among those to make the playoffs. Tell Bud Selig what he can “contract.” PARKING Will be a “utopia” with addition of 1,000 spaces. Or so say the people with reserved spots on central campus. RANDY MOSS Vikings football player apologizes to everyone but the police officer he offended. SONY Wants list of USC students who have shared music files. You’ll never catch us alive, coppers! We got our MP3s right here, see. ---pr GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS In Monday’s story about university development, the campaign brought USC’s endowment to an all-time high in part by bringing in 70 gifts of at least $1 million each. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us at gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Editor in Chief Mary Hartney News Editor Adam Beam Asst. News Editor Emma Ritch Viewpoints Editor Chris Foy Asst. Viewpoints Editor Erin O’Neal The Mix Editors Justin Bajan, Charles Tomlinson Sports Editor Kyle Almond Asst. Sports Editor Matt Rothenberg Photo Editor Candi Hauglum Head Designer Katie Smith Page Designers Samantha Hall, Julia Knetzer. Sarah McLaulir Shawn Rourk, David Stagg Copy Desk Chief Jill Martin Copy Editors Jennie Duggan, Tricia Ridgwav. Holly Totherov Karen Vaught Online Editor Bessam Khadraoui Community Affairs Kiran Shah CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@hotmail.com News Desk: gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com The Mix: gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com Online: www.dailygamecock.com Public Affairs: gckpublicaffairs@hotmail.com Newsroom: 777-7726 Editor's Office: 777-3914 STUDENT MEDIA Faculty Adviser Erik Collins Director of Student Media Ellen Parsons Creative Director Susan King Business Manager Carolyn Griffin Advertising Manager Sarah Scarborough Classified Manager Sherry F. Holmes Creative Services Derek Goode, Earl Jones, Kimberly Myles, Melanie Roberts Advertising Staff Adam Bourgoin, f Justin Chappell, Amanda Ingram, Bianca Knowles,. Denise Levereaux, Jacqueline Rice, Stacey Todd TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888 1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184 * Columbia, S.C. 29208 Fax:777-6482 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. BEELERS Good day, young Americans TYLERJONES GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Everyone can use a PR agent - even terrorists. I awoke at a disastrously early hour Saturday morning in hopes that I could revel in the world’s second greatest international sporting event: the Ryder Cup. Of course, I would never be smirch the character and gal lantry of the World Cup—for it is the greatest sporting tournament on the planet — but for a washed up golfer and foolish white man like myself, the Ryder Cup is a great chance to see men in turtle necks buckle right before your eyes. Some might call this a sadist mentality. Call it what you will; it’s pure joy, lads, so I set my alarm clock for 8 a.m. and paid the price. As I stepped out to scoop up the morning paper, I noticed that my neighbor was having a garage sale. Being the thrifty consumer I am and considering that we are in the crusty bowels of a reces sion, I thought I could find a deal. Upon arrival, I noticed a stack of books titled “The Road to Peshawar,” “The 41st Hadith” and “The Three Little Terrorists.” Next to the books were jet-black canisters with biohazard signs spray painted in a phosphorescent green. “Good day, young American, what can I sell you today?” The phrase “young American” struck me surprisingly as the man’s phenotype, with his gold hair and peach skin tone, was similar to that of a Southern Californian surfer. What made matters worse was his Midwestern accent. “Excuse me?” I said in a grog gy morning voice. “You have got to be kidding me. Is this some sort of ‘Candid Camera’ show, be cause if it is...” “No, I am with Hezbollah. We are a highly funded terrorist or ganization that is looking to change our marketing strategy.” “You’re what? Terrorists have marketing strategies?” “Oh yes. We even have a PR firm that suggested the plastic surgery and docile Kansas ac cents. Now, would you like to read some of our anti-American literature, or perhaps you would like some uranium?” Brain-dead actors and pop mu sicians throw the word surreal around too often, but if ever it needed to be used this was the time. I simply turned around, dragged my house shoes along the sidewalk and contemplated which agency to call. But as I opened my door and reached for the phone, I heard the low hum of a Volkswagen Cabriolet bolting down the street with a blond man with a sack of uranium driving. As I opened the newspaper and turned on Ted Turner’s stream ing news, I caught a glimpse of a breaking story. According to the report, America’s least favorite son, John Walker Lindh, was do ing more than fighting with the Taliban; he’s been suspected of having a homosexual relation ship with an employer. Surgically altered terrorists? Gay terrorists? Suburban ter rorists? Terrorists with strategic marketing? The wickedness of it all was making the blood rush to the front of my head, and here it was 8:15 a.m., and I still had not wiped all the crust and cold out of my eyes. I felt like Kurtz with bedroom slippers when all of a sudden the phone rang. The caller ID read “Rice, Condoleezza” and so I ran, bedroom slippers and all. Jones is a graduate mass communications student. IN YOUR OPINION Homecoming judging is fair and unbiased I read the article about the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s concerns (“NAACP argues over court finalists,” Monday) over how few minor ity students were in the final round for this year’s USC Homecoming king and queen. I stopped by the Homecoming office and talked to a few people and here is what I found out: This event is open to all stu dents regardless of race, creed or age, and there is no prefer ence given to anyone belonging to any group. The Student Senate ruled that this is how the king and queen should be chosen (instead of the popular ity contest it used to be, with a good portion of the votes being cast along racial lines). Jerome Bryant, president of USC’s NAACP chapter, thinks “students who are not involved with a fraternity or sorority should be encouraged to par ticipate.” What should we do? Perhaps we should have every one fill out these forms and se lect 50 white non-Greek, 50 white Greek, 50 nonwhite non Greek and 50 nonwhite Greek candidates and tell them they have volunteered to run for Homecoming king and queen? The application form for king and queen asks for your name (which is removed from the ap plication when it goes through the screening process), social se curity number, age, sponsor, phone number, address, e-mail, and official grade point average. There is no space asking for race or religion. And here is where I make my point — there should not be a block to check off race. Bryant seems to have for gotten that this is a purely vol untary competition. No one was forced to apply for this competition. Students who do apply are scrutinized by a panel of judges and have their accomplishments compared to others’. The most qualified candidates are crowned Homecoming king and queen. They should really be crowned USC students of the year. If he wants to be sure there is a better representation of non whites and non-Greeks in next year’s finalists, I suggest he ap ply himself and convince sever al of his friends to apply (there were only 55 total applications this year). Mr. Bryant, you should be asking all those who sign your petition whether they applied (and whether they were eligible) to run for Homecoming king or queen. Furthermore, you should taking the petition to the Student Senate, which set up this policy, not to the Homecoming Commission. I found all of this in about two hours, Mr. Bryant, so what is your excuse for being so un informed? JIM GERRICK FOURTH-YEAR HISTORY STUDENT Student body voting won’t solve problems It’s always interesting to note that the more things change, the more they stay the same. I recently subscribed to The Gamecock online after not see ing a campus newspaper in a few years and, not surprising ly, once again, the issue of Greeks and the Homecoming queen is a headliner. Here is some advice from the been there, done that department: To the non-Greeks who still complain about the Greek domi nance of Homecoming: Participate and have fun. Enjoy and make the most of your college experience. It’ll be over before you know it, and the Greeks won’t go away. I was Greek, and I can tell you why we had an advantage back in my day. Greeks were organized, well funded and large in member ship numbers. We never waited for anybody to program anything for us. We ran our own activities, and as a result, we were probably bet ter prepared than some organiza tions to mount projects such as float building and Cockfest skits. Look no further than the new Greek village to see how resource ful and motivated we can be. To the National Association of the Advancement of Colored People regarding Homecoming queen and king selection: It ap pears the committee selection method has replaced the voting tnnfhArl ITamo o/ka +Via H-n/lonfc voted. Non-Greeks, however, con sistently complained that Greeks won because of suspected block voting for one candidate, even though there was usually more than one Greek on the ballot. I think the black Homecoming queen during those years was Greek as well. I don’t have an an swer, but keep in mind that, while student body voting might seem more fair, it carries its own share of problems. LEIGH GUNTER use GRADUATE, 1987 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 new<ji*oom at 777-7726 for more information. Living in the wake of Napster DAVID STAGG GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM To think that once, all it took was a cootie shot. I was young once. I lived in a time when we had to walk to the store to buy merchandise, when we had to call our friends fronl a telephone inside the house, when I always had to get a circle and dot to prevent me from being infect ed with that vicious virus that plagued elementary schools around the nation. But as I age, I have realized that I am taking part in the evolution of culture, the very change of eras to the Information Age. My par ents, having grown up in the Noninformation Age (before it be came the Lack-of-Reliable Information Age that preceded the As-Long-As Our-Hair-Stands-Up We-Don t-Have-To Age), continu ally reassured me. “At least you don’t have to walk 30 miles in the snow without shoes because ev ery state in the nation had con- • stant blizzards, including Arizona, and had horrendously overpriced shoe stores, not to mention ugly shoes,” they would tell me. “And while you’re at it, get a job that re quires YOU to walk 30 miles, de spite its actual distance, so that you can tell your kids you had to walk 30 miles to get to work.” They have made me realize the superiority of the epoch we live in. The true genius of our culture today lies in its ability to fully op erate itself via remote means. You no longer have to go to the store to buy a CD — oh no! — you can download it right to your com puter without paying a cent. Some people of little or no , knowledge of how the world works, however, mainly the gov ernment, have decided that this practice should be illegal. The children of the Information Age (the dot-coms, the dotted-coms, the circle-and-a-dot-coms, the pol ka-dot-coms) were all forced to sell their businesses in order to sal vage any type of profit whatsoev er. And still be home in time to cook dinner for their mothers. We all know who the first to fall was: Jerry Springer. But the sec ond was Napster. Before filters, firewalls, government agencies, communists or the New York Yankees, you could download any song you wanted without hassle. But once Napster had fallen, the f owners had to consult their effi cient businessmen (by business men, I mean college students with cific room (by specific room, I mean the bathroom) in their of fice building (by office building, I mean dorm rooms). The owners were devoted entirely to continu ally making money, despite being shut down. “How can we contin ually make money, despite being shut down?” they would ask. As Yogurt would say, “Merchandising!” Which is ex actly what they did. The Napster moniker was worth something now. They began selling every thing: T-shirts, mugs, towels, le gal documents, toothbrushes. And now, Napster is even sell ing its name. Who, you might ask, would be interested in the rights to Napster? You guessed it: pom. ' What doesn’t it have a handle on (no pun intended) already? We get the e-mails every day: “Teen love awaits you,” “Remember me?” or “I’m sorry I spilled your coffee on your carpet, I will come over and clean it for you. Naked. With a vacuum cleaner.” Oh, the beauty of our lives. Oh well, what’s the worst that could happen? I’m already pro tected from cooties. Stagg is a second-year media ar(s and art studio student.