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SOUND OFF ONLINE POLL Create message boards at Should Annika Sorenstam be allowed to www.dailygamecock.com or play on the PGA Tour? send letters to the editor to YES, BREAK DOWN THE BARRIERS 39% gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com NO, THAT’S WHY THERE’S AN LPGA 43% IT DOESN’T MAHER, IT’S GOLF 18% IN OUR OPINION Making every penny count The Associated Press reported that former USC President John Palms is still receiving his president’s salary eight months after he resigned his position. University officials said Palms stayed on the payroll to assist Sorensen during his transition. Palms served the USC community for 11 years. During that time, he restored the university, which was rocked by scandals involving former President James Holderman. His achievements and service to The university could use the money that former USC President John Palms is still receiving. the university can’t be overstated, and he probably deserves the $211,923 that, under normal circumstances, would be customary for retiring presidents. But these are not normal circumstances. Facing $41 mrnion m uuugei cuts, me umversuy is reauimig a critical point in providing services. Classes are being scrapped, teaching positions are left vacant, and tuition is constantly increasing. But those being hurt most are those the university is trying to serve — the students. Although $200,000 isn’t much compared to the millions being cut from the budget, it is still taking away from the university that Palms tried so hard to build. If Palms’ commitment and concern for this university is real, he will be willing to take a pay cut while on sabbatical, then return to continue his investments in the future of South Carolina. Gamecock Quotables “Saddam Hussein is a threat to the Iraqi people. He is not a threat to the American people. George Bush is a threat—a clear and present threat—to the American people.” MICHAEL BERG MEMBER OF CAROLINA PEACE RESOURCE CENTER ON THE POSSIBLE WAR IN IRAQ “There is something wrong with an education system where the education of a child is based on geography.” GILDA COBB-HUNTER STATE REPRESENTATIVE ON EQUITY IN EDUCATION FUNDING “I would go so far to call some of them idiots, but that is just because their political views are so far left that it scares me.” JOSH JOHNSON •THE TEEN FORUM SHOW CO-HOST ON THE PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO THE SHOW “I’m just playing every game like it’s my last. It’s my last year, and I’ve got nothing to hold back.” CHRIS WARREN FORWARD ON THE MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM’S FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS In a story Wednesday about MCAT scores, one of the test dates was incorrect. The MCAT will be given on April 26 and Aug. 16. In The Mix on Wednesday, the Counseling Center’s Web address should have been www.sa.sc.edu/chdc. The Gamecock regrets the errors. If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us atgamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Editor in Chief Jill Martin Managing Editor Charles Tomlinson News Editor Adam Beam Asst. News Editor Wendy Jeffcoat Viewpoints Editor Erin O’Neal The Mix Editor Corey Garriott Asst. The Mix Editor Meg Moore Sports Editor Matt Rothenberg Asst. Sports Editor Brad Senkiw Photo Editor Johnny Haynes Asst. Photo Editor Morgan Ford Head Page Designers Sarah McLaulin, Katie Smith, David Stagg Page Designers Justin Bajan, Samantha Hall, Staci Jordan. Julia Knetzer, Shawn Rourk Slot Copy Editors Crystal Boyles, Tricia Ridgway, Emma Ritch Copy Editors Jessica Foster, Alyson Goff, Mary Waters 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: gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Viewpoints: gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com The Mix: gamecockmixeditor@hotmail.com Sports: gamecocksports@hotmail.com Public Affairs: gckpublicaffairs@hotmail.com Online: www.dailygamecock.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 Production Manager Patrick Bergen Creative Services Derek Goode, Earl Jones, Sean O'Meara, Anastasia Oppert Advertising Staff John Blackshire, Adam Bourgoin, . Bianca Knowles, Denise Levereaux, Jacqueline Rice, Stacey Todd The Gamecock is the editorially independent student newspaper of ' the University of South Carolina. It 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-activity fees. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may t?e purchased for $1 each from the Department of Student Media. TO PUCE AN AD Ttie Gamecock 1400 Greene St. Columbia, S.C. 29208 Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS News channels are distracting ROB SEAL GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Viewers are confused more than informed. According to CNN’s own ad vertisements, more Americans get their news from CNN than from any other source. This is all well and good for CNN and AOL Time-Warner, but what does it re ally say about the rest of us? More importantly, what does it say to the rest of the world about us? I can imagine some fellow in Sri Lanka watching a satellite feed of CNN Headline News. Think of the questions about America the poor fellow — let’s call him Fred — would have after just one rota tion of the SportsCenter of American news. In the first 10 minutes, he would have seen a sto ry about the progress of the United Nations weapons inspec tions, immediately followed by coverage of the dispute over whether the United States will be able to use Turkey as a staging ground for a war with Iraq. Of course, Fred would have to con centrate on the upper right comer of the screen so as not to be con fused by the line of tickers at the bottom and the headline taking up the left column. Headlines, such as “Ice Floe Fido — dog saved from floating on ice” and “Spidey’s new foe: Actor found to play Dr. Octopus in ‘Spiderman’ sequel,” scrolling across the bottom of the screen might have distracted Fred from the sound clip of President Bush talking about outlaw regimes, weapons of mass destruction, terr’rism networks and the end of the death tax. Distracting people from other countries from listening to the words of our country’s leader would be the best possible func tion of the little headlines that ap pear at the bottom of the screen above the stock ticker, below the time and to the right of the weath er. Now, Fred would know the temperature in Oakland, the progress of the Dow Jones indus trial and all about the discovery of a 1.8-million-year-old jawbone found on the coast of Africa, or he would be as confused as the rest of us are after viewing a rotation of Headline News. Scarier still would be the effect Fox News would have on Fred, Sri Lanka native and cable-news junkie. I imagine Fred would be come a staunch right-wing Republican, screaming about the death of affirmative action, the in gratitude of Frenchie pansies and the overthrow of the “Axis of Evil.” Either that, or he would switch off his TV, scurry back to his home and curl into a ball, whimpering: “The Americans are coming! General Bill O’Riley is leading them, and they’re all real ly rich and mad!” But enough about the effect of the news networks on Fred. We should support our media. They let us know when Lacy Peterson’s house was being searched, and they were there for us for the dog floating-on-the-iceberg story. They covered O.J., and they cov ered the Menendez brothers. Sure, the media might not have gotten enough votes to be elected, but the Florida Supreme Court said they won fair and square, and we should support them through this upcoming war for American justice. Wait, no. That’s the other thing we just have to live with. Seal is a fourth-year print journalism student. IN YOUR OPINION Article’s preaching wasn’t appreciated I am writing this in regard to an article in The Gamecock (“Band Mourns Death of Pawn Shop’s Front Man,” Feb. 12). Felicia Law, coordinator for Alcohol and Drug Programs at USC, thinks there are lessons to be learned from a situation such as this. “It’s a very sad story, but un fortunately, those are the very real consequences when you drive drunk,” she said. “While it may be an individual’s choice to drink and drive, once you get in that car, you are in fringing on another individu al’s right to safety,” Law said. I did not think this was the time or the place to put that comment in the article. I was a friend of Ryan Beville. I think the article would have been much better if that part were left out. We all understand that this is the consequence, obvi ously. We have lost not only an amazing person but also a good friend. That comment was rub bing it in our faces just a little bit more. It is hard enough to deal with his tragic death, but to have someone preach at the end of a great article was just uncalled for. It seemed as though The Gamecock was try ing to justify Ryan’s death. Though it might not have in tended to sound that way, it did. Trust me, the dangers and lessons of driving drunk have come across loud and clear. It did not need to be reiterated. It is an important issue for future articles. But not in one so soon describing the life of our friend Ryan. COURTNEY CHANDLER LEXINGTON Anti-war protest is amusingly ironic I attended the anti-war protest at the Russell House on Saturday hoping to hear some new argu ment or reason to change my views on the impending war with Iraq. But all I heard were the same half-truths, empty slo gans and misinformed messages. But the trip wasn’t a total waste; I did experience some delicious irony as I sat and listened to the music, panels and speakers. I saw a scrawny little oak with a plaque in front of it. Most people in the crowd had their backs to it, so they did not notice it. The plaque said: “This tree is planted in memory of the sacri fices made and courage dis played by our Nation on Sept. 11, 2001. The strength and longevi ty of this oak is symbolic of our nation’s continued resolve to promote freedom and peace.” As I read the plaque, it hit me: This small group was here to advocate action that would give us a temporary peace by al lowing 14 million Iraqis to re main in the clutches of tyranny. One of them mentioned that an Iraqi life was equal to an American life. Although I don’t disagree, I wonder at the logic. If our lives are equal, then why must they remain in bondage to guarantee our peace? This war is not about the freedom of the Iraqis; it’s about securing an un stable region that is very impor tant to our economic survival by eliminating a tyrant. But is it worth fighting for? Seeing the protesters ignore this tree and the spirit it stands for, I felt the irony of the situa tion, and I knew I had to share it with my fellow students. JAMES D. MILLER FOURTH-YEAR POLITICAL-SCIENCE STUDENT Oil, money not good reasons to go to war After seeing all the news about Iraq and about how the French and Germans are opposing the war, I can’t help but sigh at our own country’s hypocrisy. We supported the dictatorial Shah of Iran, and because of that, the people hate us. So we gave weapons to Iraq to combat the Iranians, and now that has come back to bite us. Now we are plan ning to invade Iraq over some thing as paltry as a violation of a resolution of an agency that only has power economically. We are being drilled with the rhetoric that Iraq is tied to the Sept. 11 attacks. Attacking Iraq in stead of Saudi Arabia, where the vast majority of the attackers came from, would be like attacking Mexico for having cocaine shipped into our country by Colombians. We don’t attack Saudi Arabia because it is serving our interests now, ignoring that the people rul ing it are just about as despotic as Saddam Hussein. We can’t say we’re attacking for the rights of the Iraqi people. The only reason left to attack would be to access the oil fields. We are abdut to embark on a campaign involving urban war fare, which will be much bloodier than forcing Iraq’s military to re treat, and will only be to give big business more money, which is a terrible reason for any war. MATT GONSIEWSKI FIRST-YEAR PSYCHOLOGY 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. Submissions are limited to two per person per semester.Call the newsroom at 777 7726 for more information. Saddam is using germ warfare ANNA LAKE GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM It’s no coincidence that we all have the sniffles. My nose is running, my throat hurts and I have a headache. Cold and flu season, you say? I think not. It’s germ warfare, my friend. The dreaded month of February is upon us, and the weather is changing from 75 de grees to 25 degrees overnight. It’s time for class, and all I can think about is how, suddenly, my head weighs 10 times more than it did yesterday. Somehow, I manage to get up for my economics test, but instead of thinking about the pro duction possibilities frontier, all I can concentrate on is the chorus of sniffles throughout the room. I can handle “One call, that’s all!” commercials over and over again, but the sounds of sniff, snort and swallow are a little much for my weak stomach to bear. Everyone in every class has the same symptoms: runny nose, dry cough and a strong urge to sleep for hours on end. Instead of sleeping and getting well, I’ve been trying to figure out how everyone has the exact same uisease. A friend of mine beat me to it. This is not just something that the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, achy, stuffy-head, fever-so-you-can-rest-and-have-a good-morning medicine can fix. No, she says, this is germ war fare. Saddam is trying to make us look for those weapons of mass destruction that he has actually already used. Bioterrorism has reached a new level: the common cold. Saddam is a clever one. “What weapons?” he says as he pumps a few flu germs into the air and grins mischievously. America’s finest hop into their fighter planes to search for the weapons of mass destruction, but suddenly they change their minds. “I’m not feeling so well, my head is swimmy and my body aches. We’ll look for those weapons tomorrow.” While the entire country lies in bed clutching a Kleenex and some cough drops, Saddam sits back and laughs — without coughing. So here’s the plan: Drop flu-in fected barbecue sandwiches, not bombs. And cough on them. All high and mighty watching me hack up a lung — who thinks mi nor aches and pains are funny now? x eu the protesters at the State House to go home; we’re not fight ing a war today. We’ll have to wait five to 10 days and let our stomachs settle and our noses clear. If our soldiers feel anything like me, they will be asking the guy beside them to “pass me that big gun—and some tissues.” G. Dub should declare it a na tional emergency and mandate that everyone stay home from school and work, drink plenty of fluids and eat some chicken-noo dle soup. Together, we can fight this thing. Saddam might be upset that we’ve got him figured out. So be careful when you drink water from the water fountains at the Blatt. He’ll be targeting them with high-powered streptococcus bac teria, and in a matter of time, we won’t be able to complain at all — or even speak, for that matter. Hey, at least the sniffling in class will have stopped, and all of those annoying people won’t be able to talk anymore. Way to go, Iraq; that was a good one. Lake is a second-year electronic journalism student.