The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 30, 2004, Page 4, Image 4
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4 THE GAMECOCK ♦ Friday, January 30,2004
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en the Monday after Easter should be excused.”
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In.Our.Opinion
USC key to
city’s image
Next Tuesday’s Democratic presidential primary
in South Carolina gives USC the opportunity to
show off what is good about the state.
Following the negative media attention this state
has received over the last two years during the
Confederate flag controversy and the recent
attention over. Strom Thurmond’s illegitimate child,
we need to present a positive image to the visiting
national press corps.
Taking note, Columbia has launched a public
relations campaign to coincide with the arrival of
the media circus that
?0lumb'f ,Sb0b d includes a publication
partner with USC to ....
r. .. . ... distributed to visiting
show the rest of the
nation that South members or the press.
Carolina is more 1116 packet h'"h:k;ll,s
than the asPects °f the city other
Confederate flag than the ones the national
press seems convinced
define South Carolina. The project is a good idea, but
misses the mark if all it has to offer is the Vista and
Riverbanks Zoo.
USC should be the focal point of any similar future
campaigns. USC comprises a significant portion of
downtown Columbia, and its position as an
emerging major research campus is proof that the
state can offer more than a legacy of slavery and
segregation..
While public relations campaigns are essential to
changing the opinion of outsiders, one has to wonder
at the effectiveness of a program put in place by the
city that has been unable to come up with a new
slogan for over two years.
Instead of wasting funds on a campaign that has
no central focus, Columbia should partner with USC
to show the rest of the nation that South Carolina is
a national innovator in more than politics.
Gamecock.Corrections
In Wednesday’s Sports, a photograph should have been
credited to Mark Schilling,
In Wednesday’s Viewpoints, the editorial cartoon should have
been attributed to Mary Pinckney Waters.
In Thursday’s Sports, Olga Gritsaeva should have been
identified as the leading women’s basketball scorer with 19
points. Kelly Morrone scored 16 points.
Critical Mass will begin 5:30 p.m. today.
The Gamecock regrets the errors.
If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us
at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu.
About.The.Gamecock
Editor in Chief
Adam Beam
Copy Desk Chief
Gabrieile Sinclair
Design Director
Shawn Rourk
News Editor
Michael LaForgia
Asst. News Editor
Alexis Stratton
Viewpoints Editor
Patrick Augustine
The Mix Editor
Meg Moore
Asst. Mix Editor
Jennifer Sitowski
Sports Editor
Wes Wolfe
Asst. Sports Editor
Jonathan Hillyard
Photo Editor
Morgan Ford
Asst. Photo Editor
Johnny Haynes
Page Designers
Erin Cline, Staci Jordan,
Brian Ray. Brad Senkiw.
Mary Pinckney Waters
Copy Editors
Allyson Bird, Jennifer
Freeman, Jessica Foster.
Steven Van Haren
Wire Editor
Z’Anne Coveil
Online Editor
James Tolbert
Senior Writer
Kevfa Fellner
CONTACT INFORMATION
Offices on third floor of the Russell House.
Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu
News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu
Viewpoints: gamecockopinlons@gwm.sc.edu
The Mix: gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
Sports: gamecocksports@.gwm.sc.edu
Public Affairs: gamecockpr@yahoo.com
Online: www.dailygamecock.com
Newsroom: 777-7726
Editor’s Office: 777-3914
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Director
Scott Lindenberg
Faculty Adviser
Erik Collins
Creative Director
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Advertising Manager
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Sherry F. Holmes
Production Manager
Amber Justice
Creative Services
Whitney Bridges,
Robbie Burkett
Advertising Staff
Adam Bourgoin,
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Johnson, Caroline
Love
Public Affairs
Kimberly Dressier
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
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One free copy per
reader. Additional
copies may be
purchased for $1 each
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of Student Media.
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The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888
1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184
Columbia. S.C. 29208 1 fax: 777-6482
*
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WHAT
* CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Say no to an ugly candidate
South Carolina has come into
the media spotlight, being the
third state to hold a primary for
the Democratic Party. This, how
ever, is news to South Carolinians
who, although
the election is
to be held next
Tuesday, have
already elected
former Repub
lican Strom
Thurmond to
the Democratic
ticket. DAVID STAGG
In all seri- Third-year
ousness, the media arts
, student
word on the
street is it’s a
race between John Edwards (a
South Carolinian by birth who
moved to North Carolina when he
was old enough to realize he lived
in South Carolina) and John
Kerry (commonly referred to as
“The Future Ugliest President of
AH Time”).
Well, I’ll be darned if an ugly
man is elected president under
my watch. How can I change that,
you ask? Simple: I’ve learned
from what the first two primaries
have taught us about elections.
Therefore, I will share with you
insights into my Kerry On My
Wayward Son Campaign, so there
will be peace when he is done:
1) The winner of a primary
gains what those of us privy to
media-friendly terms used to
make us feel smarter like to call
“Momentum.” This swings voters
of future primaries to the suc
cessful candidates’ sides. This is
comforting to know — that most
people vote a certain way depend
ing on what the rest of the popula
tion thinks and not upon what
THEY think. That’s why
California doesn’t have a prima
ry until well into the political sea
son; if they voted first, the
“Momentum” would shift all vot
ers to not only NOT elect a
Democrat to the Democratic tick
et, but also to elect a high-profile
actor commonly known to NOT be
from this country.
In our attempt to ensure Kerry
is beaten, we have already failed.
Kerry has “Momentum” on his
side, since he has won both Iowa
and New Hampshire’s primaries.
However, his wins might have
been worth it if every time Dean
loses a state he goes on a tirade. I
would pay money to put Dean on
a stage and watch his reactions.
And when he fails to be elected to
any office, I’ll organize a nation
wide crusade to give Dean his own
reality TV show.
2) Merely participating in a pri
mary, you are endorsed. Pairing
this up with What I’ve Learned
No. 1, the endorsement means
“Momentum” means more votes
strictly based upon what other
people think. Because of endorse
ments, I’ve come to grips with the
fact that our next Democratic can
didate will be LeBron James.
3) If you fare poorly in a state,
you drop out of the race. Gephardt
did it after Iowa. Carol Moseley
Braun did it before she was em
barrassed in an actual election.
Dennis Kucinich hasn’t figured
out he’s running for president yet,
so he’s excused. Therefore, if we
can ensure Kerry is absolutely
decimated in an upcoming pri
mary, he’s required to drop out.
How do we do this, you ask?
Easy : We create our own state. Not
only will the 51st state (to be in
habited by me, of course, where I
will be the sole endorser and voter
in elections) attract a media fren
zy, but it will allow for me to use
the word “Momentum” more
than I could possibly imagine.
So join me in my endeavor,
friends, to put a stop to John
Kerry. And if you need me, look
me up — I’ll be in Puerto Rico en
dorsing LeBron James for presi
dent.
In Your Opinion
FCA welcoming of
all USC students
I understand that satire re
quires an amount of negativity
to be funny.
However, I want everyone
to know that FCA is always
thrilled to see a new face come
in the door and welcomes any
one to come out one Thursday
night.
We’ll try our best for you to
have an enjoyable and rele
vant experience.
This is why we are thrilled
when school leaders like USC
President Sorensen, coach Ray
Tanner and coach Lou Holtz
come to speak at our meetings.
At FCA, we are serious
about having fun but also se
rious about our purpose: to
present the challenge and ad
venture of Jesus Christ in
your life.
JAMES MELCHERS
THIRD-YEAR EXULISH STI.’DEXT
Culbertson column
is poor journalism
This letter is in response to
Graham Culbertson’s column
(“What would Jesus name it?”
Monday).
I realize that the main rea
son Mr. Culbertson wrote this
column was that so he would
receive a response and there
by verify that people actually
read his work.
I decided to oblige him.
It is probably best to say up
front that I’m not a member of,
nor do I attend meetings of, any
of the religious groups he
named in his column.
Culbertson has a right to his
opinion; I’m not disputing that.
However, what I wish to take
issue with is his shoddy jour
nalism.
When you attempt to write
a credible opinion piece, you
base your opinions on factual
information. Journalism, of
course, is based on such minor
things. But in this work, there
are no facts—though he did at
least get the names right.
You want examples. The
Shack; “I’ve never actually
been there, and I don’t know
when they meet, but I’m sure
it’s great!” Another favorite
is when he talks about the
PALM Center: “I’ve never ac
tually been there, although I
have walked past the building
several times.”
May I suggest, Mr.
Culbertson, that if you are go
ing to judge a campus organi
zation, spend some time find
ing out what they are about be
fore you start making as
sumptions and jokes at their
expense.
But you know, if those were
the only two things in the arti
cle that bothered me, I proba
bly wouldn’t be writing. The fi
nal straw for me came right at
the end when Culbertson com
mented that FCA is “lots of real
ly trendy people who offer tons
of chances for quick, completely
Christian dating hookups.” I do
wish Mr. Culbertson would re
frain from questioning the mo
tives of people he does not know.
When you feel the need to label
a group of people, think first
about what kind of message that
is sending out about yourself.
Let me congratulate you for
giving people a reason to believe
that “no self-respecting homeless
person would even read The
Gamecock, let alone sleep on it.”
WILLIAM KING
KOl imi-YKAIt JOURNALISM STUDENT
The Gamecock’s
Public Affairs
e-mail has
changed:
gamecockPP@
yahoo.com
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
gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. Letters
will be edited for space, possible libel
and style. Anonymous letters will not be
published. Call the newsroom at 777
7726 for more information.
Franken
falls flat
in search
of laugh
I’ve always thought that Rush
Limbaugh is a big, fat idiot. But
something happened in the year
2000 that made me realize that the
liberal media were no better.
I was a confused high school
sophomore when I watched A1
Gore “win” Florida — and hence
the election — the night before,
only to wake up to Bush’s victory.
Once it was finally explained to me
that the networks had called the
election early and erroneously, my
□ faith in bal
anced journal
ism faltered.
But even if I
don’t trust the
bull, I still like
the fight. I think
Ann Coulter is
ALLYSON over-the-top in
jjlPU her vicious at
„ tacks on liberal
tecond-ymr bias>butIthink
journalism Bernard Gold
student berg’s research
is haunting.
And I decided to give A1 Franken
the benefit of the doubt last week.
USC gave the “Saturday Night
Live” alum quite a warm recep
tion. Franken was entertaining.
His stories about his experiences
with Cocky on his last visit to the
campus and his Strom Thurmond
imitations were great and gutsy.
I didn’t agree with a lot he said,
but I can handle outlandish accu
sations against the right. He start
ed to annoy me during the ques
tion-and-answer session, though,
when he dodged questions by at
tacking the askers personally, and
for the ultimate question, by
launching into his treasured
“SNL” character Stuart Smalley
and a pun on Cocky. That’s great,
because he’s a comedian and we
wanted to laugh, but at a certain
point I stopped laughing.
One gushing woman stepped
up to a microphone with the sin
gular objective of telling Franken
she was a fan. But Captain
Obvious did manage to raise an
other point when she notified
Franken of Brett Bursey’s pres
ence that night.
Bursey is the Columbia man ar
rested for holding up a “No War for
Oil” sign in an area that was pro
tected for the president at the
Columbia Metropolitan Airport in
October 2002. Franken liked this
story and even tossed around the
idea of getting his lawyers in on it.
He also said he might return to
Columbia this week for a grass
roots convention. I’m not holding
my breath on either.
Franken enjoyed this story, be
cause he hates Bush. But love him
or hate him, that pursed-lipped,
ill-spoken daddy’s boy is our pres
ident. And presidents afford cer
tain protections, whether we like
them or not.
I was disgusted at how
Franken handled a query from a
Young Republican complaining
about unfair treatment on cam
pus. First, he let the crowd laugh
at the kid for a while. Then he
prodded the obviously nervous
student to the breaking point.
After Franken had moved to the
next question, he wanted to call
back the Young Republican for
one last blow. When the next per
son at the microphone signaled
that he left crying, Franken said
in his absence, “You’re a f—kin’
idiot,” to which the crowd erupted
with laughter. Nice. Very nice.
So Franken’s going to be the
new liberal mouthpiece; it’s about
time they got one who will actually
be labeled as “analyst” and not
“journalist.” I just wonder how
well people will respond to having
their political questions thwarted
by insults and “SNL” characters.
Conservative or liberal, they’re
all big idiots. And Franken is cer
tainly no exception.
Online.Poll Should USC retire basketball player B.J. McKie’s number?
Yes 49% No 25% Who is B.J McKie? 26%
“Not really, it shows “Who the heck is
“Yeah.” a ,ot of recognition that?”
HOPF BARBER and h® ^USt^ d'd h*S ANDREAS SCHLOEMANN
FIRST YEAR PHARMACY STUDENT Part” I WM HETH-YEAR POLIT.CAL SCIENCE
KENNETH FERGUSON
SECOND-YEAR HRTM STUDENT
RESULTS FROM WWW..UULYCAMECOCK.COM