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THE GAMECOCK ♦ Wednesday, March 17, 2004 13 oniine.Poii TATTTAA VTmrN fcfcESSKS Should the U.S. have sent I B A 1 /I / B B m 1 I f B 1 ’ we are getting an education. “ troops to Haiti to stabilize ■ B^l 1/1/ I I I \ II . PRIYASARATHY the Caribbean nation. B B J ml ml B IB ^1 B i B fourth-year psychology student c www.daiIygamecock.com. Bfl^VVB \ W ^ B k / responsibility to ensure that sti Rpsolts nuhlished on Fridavc —■-* ^ f f —■— — L. 1 r\—/ feel free from racial insensitive Kesmts puDiisnea on rnaays. following an incident at a zta eve In.Our.Gpinion Preparefor advisement As the time for advisement rolls around once again, students have many options about the direction they will take in their education. Twice a year, we get the chance to discuss our goals for the future, both when it comes to the classes we will take and how our major will help us fulfill our dreams. Unfortunately, many students don’t take this 15-odd minute meeting seriously, or don’t understand the power of a good adviser. Make sure you go and sign up for an advisement time, because failing to be advised during the set The more time you invest in preparing for advisement for next semester, the easier the process will be. interval puts you at the end of the line in trying to get classes. Missing an appointment to sign up for the fall term might mean that you have to wait until you get back on campus in August to register, when you will have to fight it out with incoming freshmen for a paltry selection of remaining classes. It is best to enter your meeting with a good idea of how you want your schedule to run for the next semester, keeping in mind your standing and how easy it will be for you to sign up for small or popular classes. The more time you invest in preparing for advisement the easier the sign-up process will be. Also, remember to have alternatives in mind, since it is unlikely you will be able to get into all the classes you want if you are an underclassman. Finally, your adviser should be able to tell you about classes that will fit your interests, or get you into a class that would be impossible otherwise. A good adviser is an invaluable resource in helping you navigate the confusing process that is earning a college degree. At USC, students have no excuse for getting a poor schedule or being confused about the requirements for graduating in a major, as your adviser can easily answer these questions. Ultimately, the burden rests on you to use the time you have with your adviser wisely. Gamecock.Corrections If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. AboutJhe.Gameeock Editor in Chief Adam Beam Copy Desk Chief I Gabrielle Sinclair Design Director Shawn Rourk Asst. Design Director Staci Jordan 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, Brad Senkiw, Mary Pinckney Waters, Chaz McCarthy Copy Editors Allyson Bird, Jennifer Freeman, Jessica Foster, Steven Van Haren Wire Editor Z'Anne Covell Online Editor James Tolbert . Senior Writer V Kevin Fellner CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor in Chief: gamecockeditor@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 STUDENT MEDIA Director Scott Lindenberg Faculty Adviser Erik Collins Creative Director Susan King Business Manager Carolyn Griffin Advertising Manager Sarah Scarborough Classified Manager Sherry F. Holmes Production Manager Amber Justice Creative Services Whitney Bridges, Robbie Burkett, Burke Lauderdale, Paul Koska Advertising Staff Robert Carli, Kate Femino, Latoya Hines Carolina Love. Jesica Johnson, David Weatherford Public Affairs 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 Stude * Media is the newspaper’s parent organization. The Gamecock is supported in part by student-activity fees. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 each from the Department of Student Media. Kimberly Dressier JQ PLACE AN AD The Gamecock 1400 Greene St. Columbia, S.C. 2920fi{ Advertising: 777-3888 Classified: 777-1184 Fax: 777-6482 THAIS WHAT HE GETS FDR FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT/ \ ! arts^ - CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Some people should shut up Having now endured two days of post spring break “going back to class sucks” syndrome, I am once again reminded of why it is I so loathe class. It’s not tests, workload or stress — it’s the an noying people. I’ve managed to identify and lic+ flan ^rormnc classes of these people for your convenience and their edifi cation. The busy haired tool: You know this guy. He has big bushy hair, hemp necklace, sandals and CURTIS CHOW Third-year political science student dresses exclu sively from Hollister and Abercrombie & Fitch. He is al ways accompanied by his female counterpart — the princess. Together, the tool and his queen rule their sovereign realm of ‘class room’ by directing dis cussion in the most inane route possible. Like trained monkeys, they tag-team the professor with stupid questions and complain that the test/course material is too hard or is unreasonable, and demand simplification. Sorry your majesties, but some of us go to class for a reason other than because our parents make us. Maybe instead of demanding sim plicity and blaming the professor for your lack of understanding, you should stop being so darned whiney and try to bring yourself up to par with the rest of the class. Old guy: every class has one. Old guy has venerably returned to college to complete his higher education. Unfortunately, old guy always knows everything except when it’s time to be quiet and lis ten. Every time I think the profes sor is about to say something in teresting, old guy will invariably interrupt with his irritatingly in coherent and irrelevant opinions. Every once in a while, he’ll in terject random facts just to sound more intelligent. Just for the * record, old guy, no one cares. Your opinions based on life ex perience might be valuable in many arenas, but are rarely so in fields of academia unrelated to your experiences. Pseudo-intellectual: Always says things with the vocal inflec tion of a Shakespearean actor to compensate for lack of substance in his statements. He basically takes an otherwise informative class, and attempts to turn it in the direction of a profoundly shallow philosophical discussion. Moreover, his threshold for deep insight is incredibly low, and the only way he can continue the dis cussion is by abandoning the pa rameters of reality and becoming a “free thinker.” He’ll talk and talk, marveling at his insightful intellect, when in reality, he’s just talking about stupid stuff that’s not even real. What’s worse — in our P.C. soci ety, no one will attempt to correct him. Everyone wants to be “open minded” and will entertain and encourage his behavior. So now that we’ve identified the groups of annoying people, you might be thinking, “Wow, that’s me. What should I do about it?” Well, you can begin by commit ting the following phrase to mem ory: “No, it’s not interesting. It’s stupid. Shut up.” If this doesn’t work, record your comments during class and play them back to yourself. Eventually, you’ll think, “I’m re ally annoying, why don’t I shut up?” You’ll either quit being an noying or beat yourself to death for being so irritating. Either way, you’ll spare your classmates un due frustration and noise pollu tion. ; In.Your.Opinion Gay marriage isn’t equality question Regarding the commentary posted by Melinda Oliver (“Gays should be free to love,” Feb. 24), she proposed that gay marriage was an issue of equal rights under the law. To my knowledge, current ly, under the laws of most states in the United States, a heterosexual male is not al lowed to marry a heterosexual male or a homosexual male. The same goes for a hetero sexual female attempting to marry a heterosexual female or homosexual female. If this is true, then how can this be considered an equal treatment Your opinion matters. So make your voice heard. Send letters to the editor to: gamecock opinions@gwm. sc.edu under the law issue? This said, I do not think gay couples should be restrained from loving each other or forming civil unions that should provide them the same rights as most married cou ples. I personally think, though, that gay couples shouldn’t be given the title of married. KEVIN DISMUKE CHARLESTON Parking problems persist on campus Once again, this semester I got a $15 parking ticket. First of all, there were other cars parked in the same area that I was and these cars didn’t get parking tickets. This is not fair. They closed off a lot of the additional parking across from the Strom Thurmond Wellness & Fitness Center. The univer sity would not be here if it weren’t for the professors and students, and yet we get poor service at the university for the parking areas. Then in some areas we have to pay to park — that isn’t right. If they want to improve the university, first of all, they need to improve the parking problems. The president seems more concerned about building a USC hotel than he is about the parking problems. I think pro fessors and students should de mand better parking. This is the third parking ticket I have gotten this semester. I will fight this park ing ticket. I argued last week with a parking lot attendant about the parking problems. He tried to give me a ticket but I refused. I showed him who the boss was! ED BRECHT FOURTH-YEAR HI1TM STIJDKNT 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. Fastfood quarrel example of idiocy I was embarrassed for our country when, on March 10, the House had to vote to ban lawsuits against fast food restaurants for making Americans unhealthy. 1 wds even more embarrassed that the ban was widely reported as a partisan issue, a Republican de cision that Democrats intend to stall in the Senate. We laughed a few years back when a woman sued for her cof fee being too hot; but now it’s a se-" rious consider ation that fast food is the evil responsible for making us all obese; personal responsibility seems to have fallen through the grates of the deep fryer. This lawsuit — just like the tobacco law ALLYSON BIRD Second-year print journalism student ally meant to help out the common ‘man. It’s aimed at crippling big business. And if the lawsuit moves forward, it’s the common man who will be hit hardest if he is faced with extra taxes and fewer options when all he wants is a big, cheap burger—in moderation, of course. But for the sake of discussion, let’s assume this lawsuit is for our benefit. If so, it’s even more offensive. Nowhere does the idea of “Big Brother” become more appropriate than in issues like this where the government is breathing down the neck of per sonal decision. The fast food and tobacco is sues might be the starkest exam ples of potentially intrusive leg islation, but the same concept is reflected in seat belt law current ly being debated in the S.C. legis lature. Eyes rolled when Sen. Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, filibustered a proposed crack down on people not wearing seat belts, a law that would undoubt edly save lives. But the nature of the legislation affords little au thority over police officers issu ing the tickets, which in turn could spell an abuse of power. On a grander scale, the political pet issue of gun control comes from the same vein. While making guns illegal would certainly pro mote a safer society, it would also relegate guns to the black market where the “bad guys” we’re so afraid of would still have access to them. Plus, the right to bear arms is the Second Amendment to the - Constitution, instituted as a means of citizen protection from — oh yeah, the government. Guns, car crashes, cigarettes and even cheeseburgers kill peo ple, but risk does not justify regu lation. If people began suing mu sic concerts for causing hearing damage later in adulthood, I would hope the government would not step in to regulate rock shows. In a sue-happy society where in dividuals challenge Janet and Justin for their Super Bowl indis cretions which 130 million other people could have been “damaged” by as well, I shudder to think that legitimate concerns enter the same arena as these circuses. Filmmaker Morgan Spurlock is working on a controversial docu mentary of his physical and mental disintegration after eating only fast food for an entire month. Obviously, eating three square meals a day at Burger King tips the good judgment balance, but at least Spurlock straightforwardly says his aim is to attack big business. And so are these fast food law suits, admittedly or not. So enjoy your right to indulge on a burger, fries and a soda — ironically the meal most associated with America. A Winners.and.Sinners SEDNA Planetoid narrowly beats out Ruben Studdard as newest celestial body in the solar system. MEN'S BASKETBALL Makes it to the Big Dance for the first time in six years; team is busy learning new steps. SUPREME COURT Agrees to hear case on gay marriage, showing judges are still hip. SPAIN Allows terrorists to dictate foreign policy in withdrawing troops from Iraq. » ROCK HALL OF FAM E Cleveland museum proves fart doesn’t matter by inducting ZZ Top, Prince. AL SHARPTON ‘Endorses’ John Kerry while remaining in the nomination race, raising questions about the contents of his hair care products. ■ JL . X