Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ONLINE POLL Did you watch the Page 6 State of the Union speech? Let us Monday, February 7, 2005 know at www.dailygamecock.com. 7 7 Results posted Friday. 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 Show highlights state ’s domestic abuse record South Carolina has the ignominy to be first in the nation when it comes to instances of domestic abuse, so it makes sense for USC to designate this week as for a campaign in support of eradicating violence against women. The Vagina “The Vagina Monologues” Monologues iS addresses many issues important to a perfect women and those who care about Opportunity to them, and is thus a perfect opportu ha educated uc cuuuaicu nity for students to become educat about sexual about the pursuit of sexual equal ** ity. However, the actual perfor mances of “Monologues,” beginning Saturday, are not the only events that V-Day organizers have planned. The carnival on Greene Street froml 1 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday is a great chance for students to get personally involved with V-Week, and all proceeds and ticket sales go to benefit the Women’s Shelter in Columbia. Students are encouraged to wear red Thursday to protest violence against women. Tickets are available all week at the Russell House information desk and at the door for all three performances Saturday through Monday. Opponents of “The Vagina Monologues” often feign sup port, for its stated aims while rejecting its methods on the grounds that the production is unnecessarily vulgar, a poor use of public money, or tasteless and amoral. All these argu- ' ments are groundless, as it is women who ultimately suffer where there is a lack of frank discussions of sexual norms, like in the American South. Progress can only be achieved when people are willing to come to terms with the simple facts of life instead of pretending that silence is sufficient to counter injustice. The only alternative to informed adult conversa tions, like those the “Monologues” promote, is an ignorant surrender to the forces that have thus far allowed only repres sion and fear. Regardless of your feelings about “The Vagina Monologues,” you owe it to yourself and your fellow students to attend one of the three performances this weekend. Ignorance is no excuse. 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 at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. I-1 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 Nielsen, Megan Sinclair 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 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 Garen Cansler CREATIVE SERVICES Burke Lauderdale, Chelsea Felder, Laura Gough, Joseph Dannelly ADVERTISING STAFF Robert Carli, Breanna Evans, Ryan Gorman, Caroline Love, Katie Stephens, McKenzie Welsh -1 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 j Department of Student 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 i Student Media. r [truckimo OP5Mu66t-eo PARR0T5 SACK ToMZXICp| yVousf wants an ^ J (U£6AnMNWANT5 \pgi\ieg's u ce^se/y I7m^ ^LOOKS' A5 g At UP6T0Ve OF ///// * iJ« ^ , BWKr^ ' -Bssagatl CARTOON COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS USC offers eating disorder treatment ■ Those needing help might not even realize they have a problem I swear to God if I hear or read the word “vagina” one more time in the next few weeks, I’ll die right there. Not because the cause isn’t important — I just don’t see its brash immediacy on a college campus. Hear me out, I’m going somewhere with this. National Eating Disorder Awareness Week is on its way. Consequently, this column will most likely be the only mention of it you’ll hear on campus. No one else sees the irony in this all-out war against violence on women while we ignore eating disorders — women’s self afflicted violence. But what does National Eating Disorder Awareness Week mean? Awareness is hot a witch-hunt, nor is it a simple regurgitation of the watered down symptoms or signs that you learned in middle school. Awareness should be learning what an eating disorder truly entails and acknowledgement of the problem. Let’s face it, you probably won’t see a waifish girl slicing a salad in to infinitesimal bits in the middle of the G.Mlk a girl with swollen glands stuffing her face at Bates House or a bag of bones forever glued to an elliptical at the Strom. Maybe, but probably rarely. The reality is it might be the girl you’re sitting next to, with absolutely no visible signs, or the guy you’re sitting next to, as the number of males with earing disorders is steadily climbing. While only 1 percent of Americans suffer from an eating disorder, the statistic is completely skewed. rnipA The only way to ItV;! arrive at this KOLMIN number is for THIRD-YEAR ^ “ COme ENGLISH forward and be STUDENT diagnosed. Experts place the true range at about 5 to 7 percent. However, the same statistic for colleges is approximately 10 percent (and ranging up to 20 percent). This percentage doesn’t even include the number of students with horrible body image and dieting techniques that do not fit the diagnosable criteria for an eating disorder. Maybe you think USC is an exception, that we simply don’t have a problem in this area. I thought so too, given that demographically, Southern states tend to have fewer occurrences. In fact, there is no in-patient treatment fot eating disorders in the state of South Carolina. But that’s good, right? We’re safe! Well, that’s wrong. In fact, USC is within the range of every other college in terms of eating disorders per capita. But here, again, we get in muddy waters with the word “awareness.” No study has been completed on eating disorders at USC because there are not enough people to study. There aren’t enough people to study — not because they don’t exist, but because they don’t know where to go or what to do. They might not even know they have an eating disorder. But don’t be discouraged if you or someone you know has an eating disorder — USC does offer help. The Counseling and Human Development Center offers 12 free counseling sessions for full-time students. The Eating Disorder Multidisciplinary Management Team is a special team at USC comprised of a psychologist, medical doctor and nutritionist, all working toward making USC healthier. But the problem is that if you want help, you have to come forward. They will not . come to you. To the USC staff, I have some suggestions. Passing out pamphlets with hokey slogans such as, “Celebrate your body!’’ isn’t enough. The number of free counseling sessions offered at CHDC needs to be increased or somehow leveled for students with ongoing or chronic problems. I invite you to hold free screenings and group sessions during this week. Educate RAs to be aware of signs and to be compassionate toward students whom they suspect have eating disorders. Eating disorders breed silence and isolation, and USC needs to find a way to break this and work toward a solution. Out of sight, out of mind won’t be accepted anymore. IN YOUR OPINION Whites are the ones who self-segregate The African-American studies major is on this campus because it is not taught in our schools (“Blacks, whites must accept one another,” Wednesday). Can you name a black figure of the Civil Rights Movement besides Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X? Every race has its cliques. People choose who they hang out with based on their similarities. Just because you have not attended black-sponsored events does not mean that other white people have not. I am the president or a black organization. We have members and guest speakers of all races. As far as blacks segregating themselves with their dance steps, that is not true. I saw people with Dance Marathon “Get Low” with the best of 'em at Late-Night Carolina. Black fraternities and sororities are not segregated. If you go to each of the nine black sorority or fraternity Web sites; you will see they do not discriminate based on race. If you would attend a black Greek party, you would notice that there are white Alphas, AKAs, Kappas, Ques, Deltas, Sigmas, Zetas and Rhos. The reason you might not see blacks in white fraternities or sororities is because of pictures we have seen of members dressing up in black face and afro wigs waving the Confederate flag. Blacks might hold a grudge, but let’s look at history. It has been white people who have enslaved blacks, forced the Native Americans off their land and excluded the Chinese. To the young lady, I say you take your own advice and step out of your ignorant mindset. Find a black friend. Matter of fact, they’ll post my info. Look me up in the directory. ALISHA R. HENDERSON Fourth-year biology student Chow’s satire is sad, but truly laughable Before biking to school today, I opened ray e-mail and as usual engaged in a time-honored tradition of reading what’s new at the oT alma mater. Once again, a Curtis Chow satire attempt (“Sarcasm aside, I’m a terrific guy,” Wednesday) led me to seriously consider visiting the local pawnshop to trade my class ring for a high-powered rifle and a ticket to the top of the nearest clock tower. Just kidding — I wasn’t stupid enough to buy a class ring. In any case, comparing Chow’s writing style to meaningful satire should be met with the same level of acceptance as Chuck E. Cheese’s claim that its ball tank won’t give your child typhoid. It’s not that I think Curtis is an evil guy. The simple answer: Curtis’ grasp of humor is poor at best. In tact, he is dreadfully unfunny. The obvious counterpoint might be that his work is not designed to make us laugh. Maybe the intent is to be a failure at self deprecation (Wednesday), boring and pointless (“Dear Curtis listens to your problems,” Nov. 3, 2004), unoriginal (“Don’t just eat cute animals,” Jan. 28, 2004), offensive (“Big-boned students clog gym’s arteries,” Jan. 12), or hypocritical (“Holding opinions can be tolerant,” Feb. 25, 2004). But then again, satire is listed as an interest on his bible of life (aka Facebook profile), and thus these might actually be attempts at generating humor or at least a readership that respects him. i ne uamecocK s poor record ui effective satirists and comedy writers is well documented in the archives. However, in the past semester Steven Van Haren can be commended for actually producing some hilarious satire. Unfortunately, Chow’s especially dense sense of humor continues to drag down the entire Viewpoints section. Please, he must be stopped. He really is just awful. ANDY FRASSETTO Class of2004 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. Anonymous letters will riot be published. Call the newsroom at 777 7726 for more information. COLLEGE QUOTE BOARD DAILY NEWS BAIL STATE UNIVERSITY The bottom line here is that the Super Bowl has gone from the world’s largest sporting event to to world's largest display of marketing and glamour. Will the game ever make it back to its roots? No, and we’re not suggesting nor saying that it can or will. It does make you wonder, though. In actuality, the event has become'a competition between marketing warriors and gridiron gladiators. And in this game, it is up to us who wins. DAILY MISSISSIPPIAN UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI If you need spending money, then by all means get a job. That way you get to sweat for your daily bread and appreciate that money doesn't grow on trees, and of course expand your resume.While we’re on the subject of jobs, why not get a job that will help you improve your career? Although student loans are strictly for your education, there’s no harm in taking out some money from your loan for personal expenses long as you spend it responsibly. U-W1RE Sorensen scores big acting like average Joe ■ ‘Dr.Sor-izzle’getsmad props for bangin’ with unshaven heathens Last Wednesday, I attended USC’s blowout basketball victory over Arkansas. Shamefully, it was the first basketball game I have attended this year. I know you weren’t there, |-^-j because there were approximately 100 fans in the entire building, including the dance team. And anything involving the GRAHAM dan“ team “ CULBERTSON eraba™ssinS a side note: 1 FOURTH-YEAR noticed that one ENGLISH of tbe members STUDENT , , or the dance team was, inexplicably, black. Has integration ransacked the fair values of South Carolina that we’ve reached the point where we allow black dancers on our basketball court? Everyone knows that when it comes to shaking booty at halftime, white girls have a complete stranglehold on talent. I can only assume that the other 24 members of the team are simply the best dancers at USC, and the specter of affirmative action raised its ugly head and allowed a single, token black dancer on the floor. But when 24 out of 25 dancers are white, I remain assured that the selection process is, for the most part, fair, balanced, and in no way weighted by discrimination or lingering racial tensions. My mends and 1, as true diehard fans,, sat in the fourth row behind the north basketball goal and attempted to heckle the Arkansas players. Luckily, one of them had socks pulled up past his knees, another had a circa-1984/Guile from “Street Fighter 2” flattop, and two of them put up huge air balls in the second half, giving us plenty of ammunition. But the highlight of the game was not our blowout victory, or the thrill of watching our shaggy-haired, talentless and lovable 7-foot white guy John Chappell play their flat-topped, talentless and hated 7-foot white guy to a standstill (the two started at center and combined for a whopping two shot attempts (one miss for each) and two points (also one for each). No, the highlight was a visit from the man, that lord of the Facebook photoshop, that bow-tied gnome, that purveyor of alumni giving, nanotechnology and fuel cells, in a desperate attempt to make South Carolina into a state worth living in, Dr. Andrew Sorensen. JUl-UdWg) lining U1V. V.UI U1 UU1 )1U, inexplicably walked up to our seats early in the first half, shook hands with all of us, and proceeded to stick with us for the rest of the half. The dude even stood up with us (very un-old-person behavior), stomped his feet and chanted “de-fense” when the Hogs had the ball, and generally behaved like an undergrad. He told us that his wife stayed upstairs in the box with “a bunch of rich people,” and that’s where he went, doing his job, at the ' end of the first half. But for about an hour, Dr. “Sor-izzle,” suit and all, mingled with us, the lowly peons of the USC community, participated in some of our juvenile antics (I think he drew the line at chanting “Flat-Top”), and might have even badmouthed the referees a little bit. (Note to the SEC: I was lying when I said Sorensen badmouthed the referees. He said they were great). So here you have it, Dr. Andy — you’re the Man. I’m still not sure if this research-campus thing is a good idea, but I got to give you a shout-out. Any guy making six-figures purely to butter up South Carolina’s best (or at least richest) citizens who’ll wander down to court level and chill with a random group of unshaven ruffians yelling out the names of the opposing team’s mothers deserves some praise. For everyone out there, remember this — Sorensen is the shizzle. I’m man enough to admit it.