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, AMECOCK
EDITORIAL BOARD
EDITOR
Michael LaForgia
NEWS EDITOR
Jon Turner
VIEWPOINTS EDITOR
Wes Wolfe
THE MIX EDITOR
Jennifer Freeman
ASST. VIEWPOINTS EDITOR
Patrick Augustine
SPORTS EDITOR
Jonathan Hillyard
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Chas McCarthy
COPY DESK CHIEF
Steven Van Haren
IN OUR OPINION
Wireless Web
helps campus
While network problems are a frequent concern for on-campus
students, Computer Services continues to do an excellent job of
expanding USC’s already-formidable IT resources by unveiling an
expanding campus-wide wireless network “bubble” this month.
Dovetailing comfortably with the university administration’s over
arching goal of improving USC’s national reputation by building a
research campus and consolidation of the arts and sciences,
Computer Services has used resources wisely to stay at the forefront
of technological advancements for campus data access. Instead of
waiting unui me scnooi racea a
Wireless Internet crisis of capacity with more stu
is essential in the dents than ever using the campus
modern academic nltwo,k ^ incteaSi„g w
landscape. fottmdwid*,uscisaie*ie,
access-wise among its peer institutions. The lack of significant prob
lems upon students’ return to campus after winter break proves
Computer Services’ success.
This all translates into better, more reliable access nearly anywhere
on campus. The wireless cloud will not replace physical connections
in residence halls, but will be a boon for those studying outside who
need Internet access for research or recreation. Some on-campus
areas, like the Horseshoe and the Thomas Cooper Library, are
already wireless, but the first phase of expansion will cover the areas
bounded by Pendleton, Pickens, Sumter and Rosewood — a signifi
cant portion of USC and downtown Columbia. Eventually, Phase II
will include the areas from Capstone to the Horseshoe, and from th<
Horseshoe to the Colonial Center and Greek Village.
Students who already have access to the existing wireless network
will still need to attend wireless training classes along with those who
have never previously used the system. Details about the hardware
requirements for using the network, along with sign-ups for the
mandatory training classes, can be found on Computer Services’
Web site.
Although high-speed Internet access is not a- right, it is no doubt
essentia] in the modern academic landscape, and the wireless networl
is yet another intangible improvement in the lives of all students on
the Columbia campus.
IT’S YOUR RIGHT
Exercise your right to voice your opinion
Create message boards at
www.dailygamecock.com
or send letters to the editor to
gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu
GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS
If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us a
gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu.
ABOUT THE GAMECOCK
EDITOR
Michael LaForgia
DESIGN DIRECTOR
Chas McCarthy
^ COPY DESK CHIEF
Steven Van Haren
NEWS EDITOR
Jon Turner
ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Kelly Cavanaugh
VIEWPOINTS EDITOR
Wes Wolfe
THE MIX EDITOR
Jennifer Freeman
ASST. THE MIX EDITOR
Carrie Givens
SPORTS EDITOR
Jonathan Hillyard
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
Stephen Fastenau
SENIOR WRITER
Kevin Fellner
PHOTO EDITOR
Jason Steelman
SPORTS PHOTO EDITOR
Katie Kirkland
PAGE DESIGNERS
Jillian Garis, Staci
Jordan, Jessica Ann
L Nielsen
COPY EDITORS
Jessica Foster, Brindy
McNair, Daniel
Regenscheit, Jason
Reynolds, Katie
Thompson, Shana Till
ONLINE EDITOR
Ryan Simmons
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
Jane Fielden, Katie Miles
TO PLACE AN AD
The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888
1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184
Columbia, S.C. 29208 Fax: 777-6482
» 4
CONTACT INFORMATION
Offices on third floor of the Russell House.
The Editor's office hours are Monday and
Wednesday from 3-5 p.m.
Editor: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu
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The Mix: gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu
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Public Affairs: gamecockPR@yahoo.com
Online: www.dailygamecock.com
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Editor’s Office: 777-3914
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FACULTY ADVISER
Erik Collins
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ADVERTISING STAFF
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Caroline Love, Katie
Stephens, McKenzie
Welsh
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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
anu mui mube oi me
University of South
Carolina. The Board of AW
Student Publications |
and Communications is I
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Gamecock is
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One free copy per
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CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS
Sarcasm aside, Vm a terrific guy
■ Misguided Chow
haters lack respect,
senses of humor
The long expected day has finally
arrived. Week after week 1 rant and
rave about something or other with
characteristic satirical mockery. This
line of writing leads to one inevitable
denouement — I have run out of
things to make fun of. So as I struggle
to find something to fill my 600
word-plus weekly quota, I’ve resorted
to turning my sights to one target I
have avoided since the conception of
my writing. Yes, this week’s column is
making fun of the infamous Curtis
Chow.
Just kidding. I’m freaking
awesome. In feet, I remind myself of
this fact each morning when I wake
up, give myself a hug, and tell myself
that I like me and that’s all that
matters. I then groggily make my way
to the shower, where I bathe myself
with environmentally unfriendly
chemicals. I groom myself, preparing
for my daily appearance on the
“Curtis Show," where everything is
about me and how ridiculously
awesome I am. I’ll make my way to
Bed Bath & Beyond, where I
systematically rip the “Do not remove
under penalty of the law” tags off the
pillows — all in time to catch my
daily 9 a.m. appointment to punt my
roommate’s cat, smoking and
swearing while I do so.
■ After my morning routine, I’m
ready to begin
my day, which
typically
involves
picking on
children and
pillaging Third
World villages.
I always make it
Qjjpyjg a point to laugh
OHOW sardonically as I
leave them in
FOURTH-YEAR devastation.
ECONOMICS oil
STUDENT Ihroughout all
my encounters,
I use my
uncanny ability
to single out insecurities to store up
ammunition for my weekly column.
After all, the display of grace is for
ballerinas and small girls. After a few
hours of loafing about, I go to bed,
satisfied with my day’s work.
I’ve found much of my
inflammatory writing stems from my
unhealthily large head. It was brought
to my attention a while ago that in
addition to my fan club, someone
took the liberty of establishing an
anti-Curtis Chow club on
thefacebook.com. At first I was
amused, even somewhat proud that I
could elicit such a reaction. I joined
and was promptly kicked out. As I
thought about it more, I became
upset that I was singled out as an
individual (my columns never
targeted anyone by name). But as I
thought of it still more, I just became
introspective. How much of my
written and verbal expression simply
expresses disapproval of people, rather
than an endorsement of positive social
change?
I’m reminded of a passage from
one of my favorite books, “Blue Like
Jazz” by Donald Miller. He recounts
an anecdote of when he attended a
protest, waving a sign and advocating
political change. If only we could
change our buying habits, or elect
socially conscious representatives. But
as he followed this line of inquiry, he
arrived at the conclusion that the
problem doesn’t lie in the system —
the problem is the same it’s always
been. “I am the problem."
* My large head has convinced me
that everything else is a problem — we
need to fix everything else, or at least
ridicule it to make it less mainstream
and cool. Admittedly, there is a degree
of personal responsibility amiss in this
line of thinking. Sadly, I see the same
pattern amid our campus. From
politics to religion, everyone (myself
included) is so adamandy expressing
their disapproval of everyone else’s
views that we have forsaken a-vital
element of humanity — human
dignity.
This isn’t to say that we cannot
maintain our own views and stand
steadfastly to convictions of truth, but
rather to say that there is a desperate
need for insightful discourse between
political, religious and cultural barriers
rather than merely bashing the
“opposition” within our own
respective cliques.
IN YOUR OPINION
i
Blacks, whites must
accept one another
^ One day I was riding the shuttle to
Y class, and just like it always is, there
was standing room only. Next to me,
a black girl, who was sitting down,
said to a black guy, who was also
sitting down, “You should let that girl
sit in your seat," to which he replied,
“If she was a black girl."
I have been insulted many times in
my life, but never has an insult
degraded me like that one reply did. I
am sick and tired of the reverse racism
that is so rampant on this campus.
It isn’t epough that the black
student population has its own major
(USC would never allow a white
history major). They segregate
themselves with their own cliques,
parties, clubs, student organizations,
dance steps, fraternities and sororities.
They also segregate themselves with
mindsets like that one black guy has.
I think I speak for the general
white student population when I say
we’re tired of it. Color does not matter
— it only matters to you, but you
make it evident to us with this
segregation and rub your “differences”
in our faces.
The black population always
espouses equality, that they want the
racial line to go away — to “belong”
to society. Well, if you want the line to
go away then learn to integrate
yourselves and stop the self-separation.
If you want the line to go away, then
stop harboring ignorant mindsets. If
you want the line to go away, then let
go of whatever grudge you have
against people who aren’t like you.
You are missing out on so much and
on so many great people by closing
yourselves off and sticking “to your
own kind." We are not just black,
white, red, yellow, green or blue. We
belong to one race, and only one (no
matter how naive it sounds), and that’s
the human race.
STEFANIE BOPP
Fourth-year biology student
Vaginas have joined
left-wing conspiracy
I was appalled but unfortunately
not surprised to read in The
Gamecock that the university and its
Student Government representatives
are hosting a “Vagina Day” ("V-Day
carnival to benefit women’s shelter,"
Monday). Even more bizarre is that
the leaders of this event are under the
ludicrous assumption that displaying
the female sex organ in a shocking and
disrespectful manner will somehow
advance the women’s-rights
movement. While I agree that it is
absolutely necessary to highlight the
very real problem of domestic
violence, I am steadfastly opposed to
the way USC is choosing to do so.
Instead of actually benefiting
victims of domestic abuse, the
organizers of this event are trivializing
an important issue. The event raises real
questions about public decency and the
legitimate use -of students’ money. Can
the taxpayer-funded university
administration and the activity fee
funded Student Government actually
force students to accept such a display?
There is no doubt that this event’s
liberal supporters will wrap themselves in
free-speech arguments. The truth is that
they are free to discuss sensitive issues,
but they are not free to spit in the face of
decency and morality all the while
coercing the student body into
compliance with their left-wing
ideologies.
1 dppidUU IdUUlg IlUJllCy IU1 CllclIlUCS
that desperately need it. However, for the
many students who are appalled that
their student fees are being used for such
purposes and for the taxpayer whose
hard-earned dollar is given to the
university, this is an outrage. I propose
instead an alternate fond-raiser, one that
raises money for the same charities but
isn’t burdened by the extreme minority’s
outlandish ideas.
PRESTON GRISHAM
Fourth-year public relations
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
gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. Letters
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be published. Call the newsroom at 777
7726 for more information.
WINNERS AND SINNERS
BUSH ADMINISTRATION Requests that the
death benefit for U.S. soldiers be raised to $100,000.
IRAQ Millions of Iraqis participate in first democratic
elections in decades.
DON FOWLER South Carolina native and USC
professor is among the top candidates competing to be
the next chairman of the Democratic National
Committee.
JAMES DOBSON Conservative minister launches anti
gay crusade against SpongeBob SquarePants.
JOHNNIE SMITH Greenville bishop sentenced to
a three years probation for having sex with a 12-year old girl
more than 30 years ago.
KING GYANENDRA Nepalese king sacks elected
government, cuts off phone and Internet lines to other
countries and declares martial law.
V ' - \
Ice storm
sends S. C.
into state
of terror
■ A little winter weather
has a habit of causing
Carolinians to go nuts
Americans are praying for overcast
skies today as Punxsutawney Phil emerges
from Gobbler's Knoll and determines our
Spring Break plans.
But it seems
I South Carolina is
always rooting for
the groundhog.
After all, we’ve
got nothing to
lose. Six more
weeks of cold is
42 potential days
off given this
ADAM state’s paralyzing
BEAM fear of winter
weather.
FOURTH-YEAR , , ,
PRINT Just °°* at
JOURNALISM this weekend’s
STUDENT . ,
joke ol an ice
storm for an
example. Retailers
were on red alert Friday night as scared
South Carolinians packed the grocery
aisles for milk, bread and buy-one-get-one
free DVDs. By Saturday the panic was on.
When I left for work Saturday night, it
was 40 degrees and raining. But that was
more than enough to close restaurants
early and cancel USC’s Saturday classes
and Sunday’s church services.
I’ve seen a lot of South Carolina
winters, and they’re all the same — bitter
cold in the mornings and evenings and 55
to 60 degrees during the day. I remember
snow falling on my birthday in the second
grade. It snowed for 10 minutes, and
school was canceled. I lived across the
street, so I walked home. The snow had
melted by the time I got there.
Then there was the time in middle
school when forecasters predicted record
lows. No chance of precipitation, but
school, along with everything else, was
canceled anyway, because it was cold.
My dad was a pastor for almost 20
years, and he never canceled church
services, even when it really was
dangerous. His thinking was if Jesus
Christ could carry a cross, naked, up a
hill, we could at least drive to church in a
snow flurry.
dui asiuc irum me, my uau was aionc
in his thinking. Every church in the area
would cancel services at the drop of a
flake, and this weekend was no different.
“But," you might say, “South Carolina
just doesn’t have as many resources as
northern states."
While northern states have bigger
budgets for snowstorms, South Carolina
has plenty of resources for clearing the
roads. The State newspaper reported
Saturday “public works trucks have been
serviced and loaded with sand and salt."
The newspaper also quoted a Columbia
official who said workers were on call all
night, and all they had to do was “show
up and jump in the trucks."
Let’s get real here. We’re not worried
about blizzards snowing us in for weeks at
a time without bread and/or milk. All we
really want is a day off.
And if the majority in this state wants
something, they can usually get it. South
Carolina politicians would face enormous
pressure if they didn’t close all state offices
at the first hint of snow. I’ve worked at
the State House for the past three years,
and when meteorologists say snow is
coming, the legislators — and the staff
that serves them — stay home.
As a state institution, USC is in the
same situation. Two years ago there was a
threat of an ice storm. USC canceled
classes at 4 p.m. on a Wednesday. The ice
storm never came. I was supposed to take
a final exam that Saturday but because of
the cancellation had to drive back to
school from my house a week later to take
it. All because of a winter-weather
paranoia.
I love my state, but sometimes it drives
me crazy — which is a lot further than
most South Carolinians drove this
weekend. I’ve had about all I can stand of
feigned concerns for safety. Even if Phil
doesn’t see his shadow, South Carolina
will probably figure out some way to
extend winter.