The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 21, 2003, Page 6, Image 6
6 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, March 21, 2003 '
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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.