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6 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, March 21, 2003 ' SOUND OFF TT^TTTT')/^v" Vimo ONLINE POLL Create message boards at I ^ / fl fl B I I Should USC charge students for tuition www.dailygamecock.com or B I ' J ■/ ml B fl fl fl I by the credit hour? send letters to the editor to fl fl J W W fl X ^ ^1 fl L / YES, IT WOULD BE SIMPLER 24% gamecockviewpoints@hotmail.com M,. —I——w w M S — L- l —®^—S NO> IT WOULD COST TOO MUCH 48% WHO CARES? 28% in our Opinion Protest vital forfreedom The Food Not Bombs student organization held a protest outside the Russell House yesterday that was specifically scheduled to start the day after the United States attacked Iraq. Some have criticized the organization for its timing; after all, the war has started, whether these activists wanted it to or not, and right now, critics say, is the time for solidarity. The critics do have a point; protest isn’t likely to Our country was change much at this pomt and built on the one the trooI>s “ mdudln8 nearly of the very 40 usc students—wh0 have principles that been sent to fight need all the govern our support they can get. Having current fighting: an entire nation behind them the preservation and their mission would Of democracy, certainly be a morale boost. And the last thing anyone wants is another situation like the Vietnam War, when soldiers were villified rather than cheered. The irony in the current demonstrations is that activists are protesting a war that could further the very right they are exercising: freedom of speech. Other motivations for the war, such as oil, political geography and failed assassination attempts, have been posited—though in no way confirmed—but whatever President Bush’s intentions, this war will most likely end with the Iraqi people having greater democratic freedoms. Yet our country was built on one the very principles that govern our current fighting: the preservation of democracy. That’s why it’s important that peaceable protests continue. Protest is a hallmark of a democratic society. Gamecock Quotables “The president understands and respects the thoughts of those who disagree, but the United States and the coalition of willing will not be deterred from the mission to disarm Saddam Hussein.” ARI FLEISCHER WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARY ON OPERATION IRAQI FREEDOM “We knew after a bad couple • of games against Arkansas, we had to come out and swing the bats, and today we did.” BRYAN TRIPLETT GAMECOCK INFIELDER ON BEATING THE WOFFORD TERRIERS WEDNESDAY “Children spend less time with adults than any generation in human history. Are we going to be as serious a society as the entertainment industry wants us to be a silly society? ” RALPH NADER FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE ON THE EFFECT OF REALITY TV ON AMERICAN YOUTH “We’re fairly comfortable that we can make it comparable, neutral, no change, to that 16 hour mark.” RICK KELLY CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER ON THE POSSIBILITY OF PAYING TUITION 8YTHE CREDIT HOUR GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS If you see an error in today’s paper, we want fo know. E-mail us at gamecockviewpoints@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 Alyson Goff, Mary Waters, Jessica Foster 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 The Gamecock is the editorially independent Faculty Adviser student newspaper of Erik Collins the University of South Carolina. It is Director of Student published Monday, Med,a Wednesday and Friday Ellen Parsons during the fall and spring semesters and Creative Director njne times during the Susan King summer, with the exception of university Business Manager holidays and exam Carolyn Griffin periods. Opinions expressed in The Advertising Manager Gamecock are those of Sarah Scarborough the editors or author and not those of the Classified Manager University of South Sherry F. Holmes Carolina. The Board of Student Publications Production Manager and Communications Patrick Bergen is the publisher oKThe Gamecock. The Creative Services Department of Student Derek Goode, Media is the Earl Jones, newspaper’s parent Sean O’Meara, organization. The Anastasia Oppert Gamecock is supported in part by Advertising Staff student-activity fees. John Blackshire, One free copy per Adam Bourgoin, reader. Additional Bianca Knowles, copies may be Denise Levereaux. purchased for $1 each Jacqueline Rice, from the Department Stacey Todd of student Media. TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888 1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184 Columbia, S.C. 29208 Fax: 777-6482 CARTOON BY HANNAH ANGSTADT/THE GAMECOCK Entertainment TVfights back DAVID STAGG GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAlL.COM Even with its pop-ups, news can’t win the war. Two days ago, the United States began a war with Iraq by firing strategic cruise missiles at leadership targets. This came amid growing concerns among Americans that “American Idol” would not be seen on Fox. Despite the imminent threat of war coverage, American tele vision continued on in the face of danger of little boxes with peo ple’s heads popping up, of con stant news tickers that you can’t help but read, and of long car chases involving white Broncos and former NFL superstars. “We will prevail,” my televi sion said in the beginning of a speech. “What the heck was that?” I said because I was the only one in my room. “Survivor” also withstood the onslaught of television pop-ups. In a weird twist, however, the people of the Jaburu tribe voted Saddam Hussein out of the Amazon. “He was getting awfully fresh with the ladies once the tribes were switched around,” one con testant said. In past shows, he was seen building miniature sand palaces, setting stocked animals — the tribe’s only resource — on fire and constantly referring to him self as Supreme God of the Land. “They only wanted me for my pimp juice,” Hussein said to Jeff Probst as he left the tribal council. On native news stations, Fox News won the ratings battle over CNN and MSNBC. Bill Gates tried to pay Saddam a crapload of mon ey to talk to an MSNBC corre spondent to earn ratings. He then realized he could just buy the country, but was told he would not be allowed to because it would give him a monopoly on Iraq. It’s also worth mentioning that news correspondents are the cra ziest people in the world. Although many have left the area because of the inevitable “shock and awe and flag-waving and gigantor and big as crap” bombing campaign—as the news have come to call it — some still ride with military units, others hide in bunkers in Baghdad to report firsthand experiences, and others make sure to pick up a Big Mac with extra pickles for mil itary officials. When the bombing campaign begins, it is expected that the United States will drop the 21,000 pound MOAB, or Massive Ordnance Air Bomb, somewhere in Iraq. It is affectionately known as the “mother of all bombs” to military leaders who are worried that the father of all bombs is go ing to come back and ask for cus tody of the kids, setting the moth er back with court appearances and legal battles, thus rendering MOAB useless in the current war. In other developments: ♦ The Coalition of the Willing, the group of nations that support President Bush in his endeavor to disarm Iraq, is now in excess of 45 nations. This has forced the smaller Coalition of the Somewhat Willing, the Coalition of the I Wish I Were More Willing and the Coalition of the Good Will Hunting to make a quicker deci sion on whether to admit they didn’t really inherit $50 million. ♦ Saddam Hussein has ap peared twice on Iraqi television since the beginning of initial strikes. They have been taken with a grain of salt, though, as Hussein appeared older, more haggard, had glasses on and was wearing women’s clothing. Stagg is a second-year media-arts student. IN YOUR OPINION Merchants have safety obligations I am alarmed about the in crease in assaults and robberies, reported by The Gamecock on March 7. Cooperation between police jurisdictions is certainly warranted, as are the advisories for students to take precautions. But the Five Points mer chants are an overlooked, yet critical set of players in this sce nario. They are profiting from the USC population, putting ef fort into attracting us to their stores, shops and restaurants. They formed the Five Points Association to ensure the suc cess of their enterprises. Columbia has contributed to this growth by putting them on the trolley route. C/Uiicerueu uoc siuuejns should attend the next Five Points Association meeting and urge merchants to be proactive in preventing these crimes. Many stores'hire security inside their businesses. Why not coop erate and hire additional secu rity, broadening the scope to ar eas surrounding their stores? The merchant interviewed for The Gamecock’s story asks what more can the police do? I think the question should be, what more can he do as a mer chant —what more can they do as a merchant association—to protect the safety of their cus tomers and clients? If these assaults, coupled with the recent nightclub tragedies, have told us any thing, it should be that busi nesses have an obligation to guarantee safety and security. It’s clear that we need to remind them of this from time to time. CATHERINE BRUCE THIRD-YEAR DOCTORAL STUDENT Music listeners should branch out After reading Ben Angstadt’s column (“When Music Snobs Attack,” March 7), I felt the need to launch another assault against “mainstream” tastes. If you and millions of peo ple are genuinely happy en joying the mass-marketed, over-produced, sales-oriented, simplistic trip that the media tells you to like, then more power to you. But I dare you to look beyond your current tastes for music that you truly enjoy. Music, as art, is to express emotion, and often reflects the personality of the listener. I fail to grasp the appeal of most mainstream mu sicians, with their shallow mes sages, simplistic and recycled sounds, and their fear to differ entiate because sales will fall. I found little pleasure in the mainstream or even in most “underground trends,” so I looked elsewhere. Although I am open to most genres, it is my love of indus trial music, an underground genre, which makes for the dif ference between being just a snob and being an elitist. By doing a radio show for WUSC 90.5 FM, I am also attempting to educate listeners about my obsession. It is my way of re paying the snobs who helped me find the music I searched for my whole life and the artists that make it. I encourage everyone to go check out the underground, tune into noncommercial sta tions and look for music that they truly enjoy, not just music they’re supposed to enjoy. STEVE SUCHOMSKI 2002 IISC GRADUATE Students rely on HOPE scholarship Enough is enough with the idea that everyone can fork up the cash to pay for school. There are some of us who desperately need the HOPE scholarship mon ey (“HOPE cuts not total loss,” March 7). Why is that so hard to under stand? The writer obviously does not need the HOPE scholarship money to go to school. If he did, he would realize how offensive his comments are. There is not enough money for some students to go to school. If you eliminate the HOPE scholar ship, some students will have to drop out. How is that benefiting the state? My question is, if they are go ing to make cuts, why don’t they cut the $60 million in funding that is going toward research and en dowed chairs, which are paid for by the lottery? If we are going to force students out of school, why shouldn’t these areas have to make cuts as well? In the meantime, to the edi tors of The Gamecock — and to Ankit Patel — stop commenting on issues you are totally clue less on. JASON C. STEPP FOURTH-YEAR ADVERTISING 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. Don’t forget to be true to you ALLYSON BIRD GAMECOCKVIEWPOINTS@HOTMAIL.COM Sometimes you need a reminder to stay real. Everything was in slow motion already as I stared at the bright neon lights in the window and kept pushing on the door to enter. Then I realized that I was using the wrong door. Eventually making my way in side, I ignored all the muscular guys gawking at me. I also ig nored the painful expressions in cubicles in front of me. Amid the bright fluorescent lighting and the unnerving buzzing of needles making their way through people’s skin, the thumping metal-core music in the shop fit perfectly. “I like that one. What do you think?” I asked my father, point ing at a bird that was part of a larger design. > “Yeah, that’s it. I’m gonna sign you up because it’s going to get busy real soon,” he answered mid-step while approaching the desk. Are you sure i snouian i iuok at the other 99,999 designs adver tised? Or even if I should do this today? Or ever? “Allyson, this is one of those things you have to do on im pulse,” he said, and within three minutes I was sitting in Brian’s booth at California Tattoo Company in Savannah. I explained to him that I want ed my hummingbird to have a reddish-peach chest and mint green wings, a description every one within earshot seemed to find entertaining. I noticed a sign on one of the booths: “No sniveling.” “Just give me some warning before you start,” I said, unsure if he was going to shoot ink into me then. But luckily, I got to sit down first. And about 40 minutes later, I walked out of the tattoo parlor, us ing the correct door on my first try. “You’re living a lie,” one of my friends told me when he found out. When I ran into a few people from my old high school a few days later, one remarked: “What is the world coming to? Our vale dictorian got a tattoo.” And that’s the beauty of it. Although the only thing anyone would expect me to get over spring break is an internship, I got a tattoo. rrn_*„_iu;_tVirni ing unpredictable, but I didn’t get a tattoo for everyone else. I got it for me. I got it because my family name ends with me. Once I’m married or dead, there will no longer be any Birds. I also knew that-when my fa ther told me that he waited until he was at least 24 to get his tattoo, that I might not be able to do the same. I think I’m headed to the corporate world, and once I get there, I don’t know how appro priate I’ll find my impulse. You get a tattoo to remind you of where you’ve come from, where you’ve been or where you’re going. Sometimes all three. I don’t ever want to become just another suit in a busy office. And if I ever do start to become one, I’ll have a pretty reddish peach and mint-green taboo to that world looking up at me, re minding me of who I am. So maybe I did get an intern ship over spring break, but I also got a tattoo—not because I’m liv ing a lie, but so I never do. Bird is a first-year print journalism student.