The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 18, 2004, Page 8, Image 8
o THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Hnlinp Pni! Jofour colleges were sort
'-'I 'III 1C. gypped as far as Senate
Should there be a representation goes.”
Constitutional amendment GINNY WRIGHT
banning gay marriage? sg presidential chief of staff oi ‘
www.dailygamecock.com. IN apportionment of sg senate
Results published on Fridays.
In.Our.Opinion
Serving USC
by endorsing
The Viewpoints page looks a little different today,
but it’s no less interesting.
At The Gamecock, we take pride in focusing on
campus issues. We figure we’re one of the only news
organizations that strictly covers USC, so we might
as well take advantage of it. But we’re also the only
news organization that covers Student Government
on a regular basis. Because of this, we feel it is our
duty to let the USC community know about what is
going on in SG and how they can participate.
For the last several years, The Gamecock editorial
board has been endorsmg
executive candidates for SG
elections. These endorsements
are not predictions of who will
win the elections and they are
not directions on whom to vote
for. They are only
communicating to the student
In the opinion of
The Gamecock
these candidates
would do the best
job of serving the
student body as
SG officers.
body that, in the opinion ot The Gamecock, these
candidates would do the best job serving the
students. We hope that you will read these
endorsements and begin thinking about the issues
that are important to you and make an educated
decision on whom to vote for.
On Friday, the editorial board interviewed all the
SG candidates for 30 minutes each. We asked them
questions regarding everything from parking to
safety to the newspaper readership program. After
the interviews, we closed the door and debated who
we thought would be the best candidates for the
executive offices. We went around the room and
every board member gave positive and negative
points about all of the candidates before casting
their votes. Votes for all of the offices were
unanimous.
So read our endorsements. Whether you agree or
disagree, you still need to vote. Voting opens Monday
at www.vip.sc.edu. Don’t let someone else decide
who your leaders will be.
r i
Gamecock.Corrections
In Monday’s The Mix, Sara Thomas’ name was misspelled in a
photo credit.
In Monday’s News, the Alpha Delta Pi formal should have been
identified as the Black Diamond.
In Monday’s Page 2, Sharon Osbourne’s name was misspelled.
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.
AboutThe.Gamecock
Editor In Chief
Adam Beam
Copy Desk Chief
Gabrielle 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,
Chas McCarthy
Copy Editors
Allyson Bird, Jennifer
Freeman. Jessica Fostei
Steven Van Haren
Wire Editor
Z’Anne Covell
Online Editor
James Tolbert
Senior Writer
Kevin Fellner
CONTACT INFORMATION
Offices on third floor of the Russell House.
Editor in Chief: gdmecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu
News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu
Viewpoints: gamecockopinions@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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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 StudelTf
Media is the
newspaper's parent H
organization. The
Gamecock is
supported in part by
student-activity fees. ^B
One free copy per
reader. Additional
copies may be
purchased for $1 each
from the Department
of Student Media.
TO rLAUt AN AO
The Gamecock
1400 Greene St.
Columbia, S.C. 29208
0
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CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Scott has manageable vision
After serving in the SG Senate
and as SG vice president,
Zachery Scott has a pragmatic
view of what he can accomplish
if elected president.
While some might feel his SG
experience is a hindrance in un
derstanding issues confronting
the average
student, it is to
Scott’s advan
tage as he
works with
USC’s adminis
tration and the
state govern
ment to fight
for students.
Scott’s ideas
for USC’s fu
ture distin
guish him
from the other
/ HHBbuJHpi
ZACHERY
scon
receives our
endorsement
for president
candidates, who, while desiring
to work hard for the student
body, are less prepared, with
platforms that fail to-explain
how their goals will be realized.
After working with Katie
Dreiling for a year, Scott wants
to continue the success SG has
been able to achieve under her
leadership, as well as expand pro
grams like the readership pro
gram and ensure its solvency
through guaranteed funding. He
proposes including the faculty in
the newspaper distribution, on
the condition that they help pay
for it. Scott cites this program as
an example of how leadership
can be creative in finding pro
grams to serve the students.
Scott’s proposal to make the
SG president a voting member
on the Board of Trustees, if en
acted, will give students a say in
the decision-making process.
The absence of a vote on the
Board reduces SG to little more
than a debating society, so this
would be the first step in ensur
ing the Student Senate’s resolu
tions have weight.
An understanding of the im
portance of collective action per
meates Scott’s emphasis on
growing the lobbying associa
tion formed for South Carolina’s
universities and colleges.
Especially in light of the budget
problems that USC is facing be
cause of state revenue shortfalls,
it is important to remind the leg
islature that higher education
must be a priority.
Even when it comes to peren
nial matters like the parking sit
uation on campus, Scott under
stands that progress is depen
dent on cooperation with the ad
ministration instead of high-fly
ing proposals that will be ig
nored by the Board. He points
out that the proposed GPS sys
tem for the USC shuttles will al
low the university to tailor
routes to avoid trains and ensure
efficiency, along with the stated
goal to give students a better idea
of where the buses are at any giv
en time. This is yet another ex
ample of how Scott wants to en
sure continuity from the previ
ous administration in securing
the program’s implementation.
Student safety at USC is an im
portant plank of his platform,
and Scott would make the fund
ing of programs like the safety
walks and evening shuttles a
yearly appropriation once the
current grant expires. He is also
committed to working with the
Columbia Police Department to
step up patrols on Greene Street.
Scott understands that to lead
the student body as president
means he will represent all stu
dents, including graduate, law
and medical school students. He
wants to increase communication
with these schools and ensure
they are fully represented in the
student senate, so that their at
tendees understand how their ac
tivity fees are being spent.
The fact that Scott’s platform
is easily accessible on the
Internet is proof that he values
communication with students.
Because of his SG experience, at
tention to feasible if not flashy
goals and his grasp of the issues
facing USC, The Gamecock en
dorses Zachery Scott for SG
President.
Senate experience aids Wayne
As a Student Government
Senator and an RA, vice presi
dential candidate Brian Wayne
understands the complexity of
campus issues.
He is aware of what it will
take to not only fulfill his job obli
gations but to address any of the
unplanned issues that might
arise while he
is in office. |
Wayne’s ex
perience as an
RA has solidi
fied his aware
ness of, and
ability to ana
lyze campus is
sues beyond
the immediate
concerns of SG.
He has had
flvnQrinnf'fl
BRIAN WAYNE
receives our
endorsement
for vice
president
meeting the needs of the everyday
student that will enable him to
perceive and address “real” issues
— issues that directly concern
those living and learning at USC.
He also shows a willingness
to work with whoever is elected
president. Wayne recognizes
that serving as vice president is
to be part of a team. Instead of
advocating a rigid personal
agenda, Wayne expresses a de
sire to fulfill the duties of the po
sition first and foremost.
The other candidates have
agendas that seem too big for the
office of vice president. When
questioned, they seemed eager to
go around the president in order
to accomplish their goals.
But Wayne understands that
the vice president’s principal
duty is to oversee the Senate—a
task that he is well prepared to
manage, considering his SG ex
perience.
His thorough understanding
of the senators’ duties will allow
him to better evaluate the work
ings of the group from an ad
ministrative perspective.
Wayne also aims to enforce
the rules that delineate a sena
tor’s involvement in the campus
community. He believes for a
senator to truly represent and be
in touch with the student body,
he or she must attend the requi
site number of organizational
meetings.
As part of his platform,
Wayne wants to ensure senators
are held to their responsibilities
or are replaced by someone with
the desire to fulfill the role.
Representation, to Wayne, en
tails not only knowing, but ex
periencing the interests of one’s
constituents — involvement is
key, as is holding representa
tives to their commitment.
Aiming to make the Senate
more efficient and functional,
Wayne wants to adopt more thor
ough methods of training sena
tors to write resolutions. He also
hopes to increase SG’s lobbying
efforts within the South Carolina
legislature, believing that if SG
hopes to affect a change, they
must make their voice heard.
Although Wayne possesses a
clear grasp of what the vice pres
ident is obligated to do, he also
expressed more unrealistic goals
such as keeping the Thomas
Cooper Library open 24 hours a
day while classes are in session.
While the feasibility of such a
plan in this period of budget cuts
is questionable, the idea shows
that Wayne is indeed responsive
to the requests of his con
stituents.
Wayne’s understanding of
Senate procedures distinguishes
him from his fellow vice presi
dential candidates — he is the
only one with SG experience.
Considering that the vice pres
ident is to preside over the
Senate, Wayne’s familiarity
with its workings makes him
the most qualified choice.
His dedication to assuring the
student body has a voice sets him
apart as the candidate with the
drive to make a change.
Navy life
prepares
Burnette
for role
As a nuclear technician in the
U.S. Navy’s submarine service,
Cameron Burnette gained expe- •
rience in leadership and manag
ing a budget. Serving on the USS
Jimmy Carter, Burnette super
vised the creation of a voluntary
canteen for sailors who couldn’t
return home to eat during the
day. His budget expanded from
$35 to more than $42,000 in a year.
While Burnette is a nontradi
tional student, owing to his
fpnnrp aQ an pt».
listed sailor in
the Navy, he
embraced
Carolina upon
arriving here
almost three
years ago.
The third
year political
science student *
ran for SG '
Senate last year,
and after being
elected was ea
I A: '
CAMERON
BURNETTE
receives our
endorsement
for treasurer
ger to team aoout me pro Diems
facing students who live on cam
pus, a group he did not previously
have experience with. This desire
to understand the situation of oth
ers exemplifies Burnette’s lead
ership style of quiet determina
tion to make a difference where
he finds himself.
Through discussions with on
campus students, he found that
USC’s meal plan does not allow
students to eat more than one
meal in a set time period, which
he feels is unfair to those who are
paying for a meal plan that
should cater to student needs and
not to an abstract time restric
tion. His lack of experience as a
student on campus has not been a
liability, but rather an asset as it
has given him a unique, objective
perspective on the issues.
Burnette said the impeach
ment debacle in Student Senate
a year ago motivated him to run
for Senate to make the system
more of an effective advocate for
students. It is this desire that is
again motivating him to run for
treasurer, a position he feels is
less political, but in which he
can make more of a substantive
difference.
He opposes making the trea
surer the chairperson of the
Senate Finance Committee, be
cause he thinks that it would give
too much power to the position.
However, Burnette wants the
treasurer to be more involved
with the budgeting process by
holding more frequent, intensive
workshops for student organiza
tions as they draft budget pro
posals to receive funding from
SG. He believes there is no rea
son for student activity fee mon
ey to sit in a non-interest bearing
account when it could be used by
student organizations that miss
out on the disbursement process
simply because of confusion over
the process.
Burnette wants to ensure the
Readership Program is solvent
next, year past the end of the
grant that created it. He would
also involve faculty members in
the program in an attempt to se
cure partial funding, as well as
finding money in the SG.
Burnette is the best choice for
SG treasurer because of his prior
experience with a large budget
and his maturity, evidenced by
the Navy’s faith in paying for his
college education. Having been
in the Senate, he understands
the inner workings of the body,
and will be able to step into the
job with an awareness of the bud
geting process.
Finally, his desire to serve
without a political motive as
sures that students can trust his
neutral leadership in funding or
ganizations on campus.
Winners.and.Sinners
GARNET & BLACK Celebrates 10-year
anniversery with party on Greene Street.
Popcorn at no extra charge.
DISNEY Mickey overjoyed to keep his job as ||
board rejects merger with Comcast. ^ „
USC BASEBALL Pounds Charleston Southern
in second game of season, starting the long
road to Omaha.
' ' <. v-i' ■ ’ '■ - i, , '
. . , ,. •• f .
HAITI Caribbean nation devolves into violence
as its president refuses to allow elections.
A-ROD Swithces to pinstripes in buyout deal
from the Rangers. In other news, Steinbrenner
buys World Series trophy from Marlins.
VLADIMIR PUTIN Russian president maintains
editorial control over the nation’s news outlets
1 —Can you say “Communist?”