Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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* ONLINE POLL THE GAMECOCK • Wednesday, June 15,2005 g Do you support the Board of Trustees’ tuition increase? Let us know at www.dailygamecock.com. THfll&AMECOCK CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. * Editor: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Viewpoints: gamecockopihions@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 STAFF EDITOR Steven Van Haren NEWS EDITOR Taylor Smith VIEWPOINTS EDITOR Patrick Augustine THE MIX EDITOR Shana Till SPORTS EDITOR Alex Riley COPY EDITORS Laura-Joyce Gough Brindy McNair PAGE DESIGNERS Jessica Ann Nielsen Megan Sinclair Mary Pinckney Waters ONLINE EDITOR Ryan Simmons 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 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 Office 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 Office of Student Media. GAMECOCK CORRECTIONS If you see an error in todays paper, we want to know. E-mail us at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888 1400 Greene St.’ Classified: 777-1184 Columbia. S.C. 29208 Fax: 777-6482 EDITORIAL BOARD EDITOR SPORTS EDITOR Steven Van Haren Alex Riley NEWS EDITOR THE MIX EDITOR - * Taylor Smith Shana Till VIEWPOINTS EDITOR Patrick Augustine IN OUR OPINION Trustees’ tuition hike secures USC’s future When the Board ofTrustees preliminarily approved tuition hikes for the fall, it meant that many students would receive a nasty sur prise when they return to campus in August. The increased burden of $379 per semester for in-state students and $1,016 for out-of state students might make some reconsider pursuing a degree at USC, but in the long run the nearly $17.8 million extra can only be a benefit for the university’s fledgling research effort. Along with funding USC President Andrew Sorensen’s research initiatives, the new money will be used to make a tangible impact on students now and in the future through the hiring of new facul ty and retention of current top employees. Also, the board has taken students’ safety concerns to heart by earmarking some of the new money for safety upgrades on USC’s largely urban campus. The trend of reduced public funding for higher education, cou pled with USC’s push to increase its status among public institu tions, means that students must take advantage of every opportuni ty to pay for college, like South Carolina’s LIFE scholarship, which provides tuition from the state’s lottery proceeds for any in-state . student with a B average in high school, i---1 v. Despite wacko Jacko, I still like to ''Beat If I have a confession: “Beat It” still gives me musics glorious goosebumps. Michael Jackson was found not guilty Monday. Did he do it? I don’t know. I_ can’t ignore the truckload of fishy crap going on at Neverland, but I also can’t ignore the truckload of fishy crap with STEVEN the accuser, his VAN HAREN family and those Third-year disgruntled mechanical engineering employees. student Smell sometning: it reeics. i m jusi giau its over. No more suggesting the harmless phrase “Jacko goes Wacko” for Page 2 headlines and being rejected by my peers. But again, my confession: As much as the guy defines “eccentric lunatic,” and whether he’s guilty or not, I still love his music. I can’t help it. So sue me. Dangle me from a balcony. When I drop a Jacko album onto the phonograph, the thought flashes through my head: “Hey, ---- \$j&J I - ILLUSTRATION BY MARY PINCKNEY WATERS this guy’s a bleached albino child molester if I’ve ever seen one.” But then I hear that sweet, spare “Billie Jean” drum intro, and then that grooving, moving bass line, and then those 1980s synth violins that should sound dated but don’t, and ... oh dear. I’m confused. God’s judgment might be a litde shaky here. His conduit for some of the catchiest pop songs in the world is Mr. Potato Nose. Is this a test? Do I have to choose between my conscience and what my pelvis finds impossible not to thrust to? Damn you, “Thriller.” 1 remember waking up early in the morning as a kid and playing that album on my cassette player. I lapped up the ghoulish cheese of the title track, even though Vincent Prices narration scared me. I still have appreciation for that album. Whenever a get-together needs livening up, I put on the vinyl and speed it up. Jacko sounds like a chipmunk, and Eddie Van Halens “Beat It” solo is even more insane. Just as people steamrolled Sinead O’Connor albums after her Pope-ripping on live TV, I’m sure Jackson’s catalog is about to get similar treatment. I understand; the man could’ve done everything he was accused of. But I challenge those who burn him in effigy to ignore the twitch his music creates. If it moves you, move. I’m sorry. I know I’m weak. I usually bring my conscience to my wallet (i.e. not buying Maurice’s Lynch-Lovin’ Hick Sauce), but this time, I can’t help it. w m iny kjua ever go ro Neverland? You bet your sweet ass they will — if they pick the padlocks on their bedroom doors. Either way, I reluctantly raise a glass of Jesus juice and toast that disgusting freak.