The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 21, 2003, Page 6, Image 6
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IN OUR OPINION
Allegations
hurt Greeks
As the Greek-run USC blood drive draws to a close,
news has surfaced of the suspension of USC’s chapter
of Sigma Phi Epsilon on drug use charges, underage
drinking and fake IDs. This group’s actions aren’t
going to do anything to help the already deeply
rooted stereotype of Greek life on campus.
Such activities go against everything fraternities
Sigma Phi
Epsilon’s
actions aren’t
going to do
anything to help
the already
deeply rooted
stereotype of
Greek life on
campus.
should stand for. Underage
drinking and drug use is a
problem throughout campus, and
the Office of Greek Life works to
make sure USC fraternities and
sororities hold themselves
responsible for their members.
The Gamecock runs stories
throughout the year about the
many positive activities
fraternities and sororities take part in for USC and the
community, whether it’s organizing the blood drive or
fund raising for charities. Students shouldn’t jump to
negative conclusions about Greeks because of the
allegations surrounding Sigma Phi Epsilon.
We are not advocating what the chapter did,
however, and if they are found to be guilty, the
members should be held accountable.
It is this kind of story that tends to stick with
people when it comes to Greek life, especially
fraternities, and that serves to perpetuate the
stereotypes Greeks have been working to combat.
Gamecock Quotables
“In the past, we’ve gotten
carried away with the lighter
fluid.”
BRANDON SZMIDT
TIGERBURN CONSTRUCTOR ON THE SPEED
OFTHETIGERBURN
“... I think the Greek
community here at USC really
has a negative stereotype
associated with it, and this
event helps to show that there
are good things that come out
of the Greek system.”
RAY COMER
CO-CHAIR OF THE 19TH ANNUAL USC BLOOD
DRIVE EVENT COMMITTEE. ON THE
IMPORTANCE OF GIVING BLOOD.
“I feel I need to lead by
example. If I don’t park there,
I guarantee you no one else in
the building will.-”
ANDREW SORENSEN
use PRESIDENT, ON CHOOSING TO
ABANDON HIS RESERVED PARKING SPACE IN
FRONT OF THE OSBORNE ADMINISTRATION
BUILDING
“War photography exposes a
necessary truth that the public
deserves to see, that will
continue for years to come.”
SETH PETERSON
FIRST-YEAR BUSINESS STUDENT, ON THE
WORK OF PETER HOWE, WHO LECTURED AT
THE RUSSELL HOUSE THEATER MONDAY
GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS
In her column Wednesday, Julie Cook should have been listed
as an art history and political science student.
The Gamecock regrets the error.
If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us
at gamecockopinions@hotmail.com.
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Managing Editor
Adam,Beam •
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1400 Greene St.
Columbia, S.C. 29208
MUVCIliaillg. / I I -jooo
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<fwownM CAWRO
CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Bursey is political prisoner
JOEYOPPERMANN
GAMECOCKOPINIONS@HOTMAIL.COM
' * ' V * .
A case of ‘security’
versus free speech.
A fight is brewing in our coun
try these days, and believe it or
not, Columbia has become one of
the key battlegrounds.
Last October, President Bush
visited South Carolina to rally
support for Republican candidates
in the upcoming election. As sign
waving party faithful waited to
greet Air Force One at the
Columbia Metorpolitan Airport,
Brett Bursey and a group of
protesters brandished signs de
crying Bush’s Iraq policy. They
were approached by airport police
and later a Secret Service agent
who informed them they’d have
to relocate to the designated “free
speech zone." Bursey replied, “I’m
in it. The United States of America
is a free-speech zone.”
He was not without legal justi
fication. In 1969, the South
Carolina Supreme Court ruled
that the Columbia Metropolitan
Airport was public property when
they threw out a trespassing
* charge levied on Bursey — while
he attended a Nixon event under
nearly identical circumstances.
Court precedent notwithstand
ing, Bursey was arrested for the
audacious act of asserting his con
stitutional rights by refusing to
leave public property. He watched
Air Force One land from the back
of a Lexington County paddy wag
on and spent the night in jail.
Now, brought to you by U.S
Attorney J. Strom Thurmond Jr.
(whose dad pressured Tricky Dick
into issuing deportation orders on
political rocker and ex-B6atle
John Lennon), the Justice
Department has charged Bursey
with violating the president’s re
stricted security zone. I guess
they’re worried he could have tak
en out Air Force One with a sur
face-to-air poster stick. Bursey
could spend six months in prison.
America is venturing into dan
gerous territory when citizens ex
pressing one political view are
left unmolested while others are
shuffled away like lepers or,
worse than that, tossed in the
clinker. For all the Justice
Department’s sound and fury
about presidential security, when
a horde of frenzied Republicans
are permitted in His Majesty’s
presence but a few unarmed
peaceniks are intimidated out of
the way or into jail, it’s fairly ob
vious what’s going on. Bursey
posed a political, not physical,
threat to President Bush, and dur
ing last week’s trial, he was pros
ecuted for a political crime.
Prosecutors argued Bursey
knowingly violated a restricted
zone after being told to leave.
Bursey and his lawyers contend
ed he was unconstitutionally ar
rested on public property sup
ported by his own tax dollars.
Institutional order vs. individual
liberty. Unlimited “security” vs.
free speech. Didn’t we fight and
wjn a war about this in South
Carolina 220 years ago?
If Bursey’s case were an isolat
ed incident, it would be less sinis
ter. Unfortunately, the forces of
Tory order are stabbing their bay
onets into the backs of outspoken
Patriots of all political stripes
these days, silencing critical voic
es in the name of security, and an
often tepid, ratings-driven press
ignores or marginalizes them.
Bursey now awaits the judge’s
decision, expected in two weeks.
I’ll be lighting a candle for this un
derdog soldier in the night, and I
hope when the decision comes
down, as Bob Dylan sang when
Brett was a kid, we’ll gaze upon
the chimes of freedom flashing.
Oppermann is a fourth-year
history student.
IN YOUR OPINION
Students should
appreciate USC
I feel upset that there are stu
dents that have such negative
feelings towards this universi
ty. I, for one, love this school!
So I feel that I have to apologize
to these negative students for a
couple things. If you’re not a
freshman, you should know
there are parking garages. I’m
sorry if you are too lazy to ap
ply or have bad luck getting
one. I know it’s a pain toj)ark
at the Coliseum, but I’m sorry
that the university won’t let
you have your own private
parking space right outside
your dorm. I’m also sorry that a
fourth-year student needs to
complain about the university
taking away parking spaces
that he knows he isn’t allowed
to park in anyway. I’m sorry
that you didn’t go to Midlands
Tech, where you could park al
most anywhere. I haven’t no
ticed many freshmen com
plaining though; maybe be
cause they are too busy thank
ing USC for even letting them
bring their cars.
I want to apologize that
USC isn’t a small tech school
in the middle of nowhere but
is instead a large university
trying to grow in a fairly-sized
city. I’m sorry that Mr. Boyce
feels USC doesn’t have quali
ty teachers and that the uni
versity doesn’t put students
first. Yet USC has award-win
ning professors and oh, that’s
right, a brand new Strom
Thurmond Wellness and
Fitness Center, Greek village
and food courts.
The things I am not going to
apologize for are those students
like me who love this institu
tion. Students who like a beau
tiful campus, who don’t mind
walking, and who applaud
growth so more students can
come and take your precious
meter spaces. All you anti-USC
people can simply get over
yourselves! Go Cocks!
LEVI BOUDREAU
THIRD-YEAR CHEMISTRY STUDENT
Criticizing school
paper is healthy
As it seems The Gamecock
has become a forum for com
plaining about complainers, I
thought I would toss in my two
cents’ worth that no one on this
campus wants to read, but I will
be arrogant enough to waste
space to say.
Do not worry. I will not hesi
tate to be redundant or hypo
critical either.
As I read a' complaint from a
complainer about a complainer,
I thought there is nothing I Jiate
more than people who prejudge
people. My last encounter with
this obnoxious person was
while reading Whit Ashley’s
complaint in reply to Bysshe
Easton’s critique of The
Gamecock.
I felt insulted by Ashley’s ig
norance of Easton’s vocabu
lary. Really, how dare Easton
actually use precise words to
convey what he wanted to say?
Clearly, “egregious” and “bad”
mean the same thing and there
exists two words for some arbi
trary reason (wait maybe I
should have written “meaning
less” because “arbitrary” is an
other one of those words that
Ashley probably had to look up
in the dictionary, and thus no
college student knows).
After assuming Easton is ar
rogant because he has actually
mastered the English language,
Ashley judges Easton on his sec
ond major when Ashley does
not even have one. We should not
listen to people like this because
they have no college experience
and are unproductive as unde
clared first year students.
I propose we solve this prob
lem by putting all undeclared
first-year students in boxes so
they cannot bother the rest of us
with their pointless babble. I will
help by duct taping the boxes
closed. We do not want them to es
cape to Virginia and tell the gov
ernor, Howard Dean, that USC ac
tually lets people critique the
school paper.
So, Ashley and all you other
people who have nothing better to
do with your time, try to actually
think before opening your mouth.
(Of course this a sarcastic, satir
ical piece, if you did not get it).
ELIZABETH KELLER
SECOND-YEAR POLITICAL SCIENCE
STUDENT
GOT
SOMETHING TO
SAY?
WE WANT
TO HEAR IT.
wmm? !
GAMECOCKOPINIONS
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Submission Policy
Letters to the editor should be less than
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Living it
hip in a
square
world
LAUREN ADAMS
GAMECOCKOPINIONS@HOTMAIL.COM
Let this guru of cool be
your guide to mass
appeal.
On a scale of one to Lauren w»*h
Lauren being the coolest you,
possibly be, I think it’d be safe to
say I’m firmly between a nine and
a Lauren. This makes me an expert
in bad-assedness, which in turn
makes it my obligation to share
this knowledge with the campus,
nay, the world. Here are some help
ful hints in optimizing your own
personal mass appeal. Take notes.
Vernacular. Language is crucial
when introducing the badass with
in. When speaking of locations, ab
breviate abbreviate “abbr.” Take
California or San Francisco: “I
headed up to Cali to hang out with
my bros from Frisco” is the appro
priate usage. You’re basically go
ing to want to talk like a business
man from 1983. Say dated things
like gnarly, radical and interface.
People are impressed by what*’
don’t understand. Avoid u. *,
names and settle instead for play
ful nicknames like “dude,” “man”
and “guy.” This gives you a jolly,
whimsical air but reminds people
that you don’t “do” names. If you
can, try to assume an accent. I have
settled on a delightful combination
of British and Indian that is both
musical and functional. Americans
rl-irr fAroinrtnro nr oc urn lmnnorlit m.
fer to them, “the needy, the poor
and the sick.” That’s your ticket in,
baby. Thank you, Lady Liberty.
Clothing. Good news! Unhip is
the new hip, so feel free to pull out
the old acid wash. Your clothing
makes a strong statement about
what you’re wearing, so make
them pop. Use clothing in un<
ventional ways—think sock.
or. tassels. Imagine, if you will,
that Mister Rogers’ and Liberace’s
closets exploded and you had to
dress with the debris. People will \
applaud your daring and shower
you with money and food. Wear
clothing from any decade but the
present — civil war uniforms, go
go boots, and Cosby sweaters are
your canvass. The world is your
oyster, kids; wear it.
Friends. You don’t want
friends so much as posses/en
tourages/homies. They should all
dress alike and applaud every time
you say something particularly
deep: “President who? I had waf
fles for breakfast.” Clap clap cJar>.
Make sure they don’t clash ^
what you’re wearing (see clothing).
Pets.'Don’t settle for a square
pet, i.e. dog or cat. Get yourself
something wacky like one of those
monkeys with the blue behinds or
an inchworm. You should take
them with you to class and train
them to take notes for you. You’ll
be mayor of Coolville then — oh
mo\ts\* r*_i..;n ~
Job. Who needs a job when
you’re a badass? Being awesome
will take up a lot of your time. You
should really weigh your priori
ties; I know you’ll make the right
decision. However, if you abso
lutely have to have a job, then
make it is one where you can
frown a lot (security guard, jani
tor, a guy that gets paid to sit
around and frown). Studies have
shown that people are though r
as more attractive when they ^
really pissed off. Make me proud.
Welcome to Badass Town:
Population: you. Friends, imagine
how fabulous you’re going to be
with your blue-keistered baboon
and puff-painted sweatshirt. People
will be tom between wanting to
date you and be you. Practice your
autograph now because it wont be
long before you’re running for gov
ernor of California. Try to use your
powers for good and not evil.
Adams is a third-year
anthropology student.