Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ONLINE POLL J THE GAMECOCK • Wednesday, June22,2005 Would you use a university-sponsored “f ^ ~w ~wr y ■ ■v s~\ -r yrri Si:. IEWPOINTS * CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor: gamecockeditorOgwm.sc.edu News-. gamecocknewsOgwm.sc.edu Viewpoints: gamecockopinionsOgwm.sc.edu The Mix: gamecockfeaturesOgwm.sc.edu Sports: gamecocksportsOgwm.sc.edu Public Affairs: gamecockPROyahoo.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 Simmon 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 today’s 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 I 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 File-sharing program would benefit USC USC’s research into campus-sponsored file-sharing is a com mendable example of university officials catering to students while trying to eliminate potential illegal downloading. However, the price won’t be anything to scoff at, and USC must do its home work to find the most student-sawy package. While the University of Virginia directs students to a Web site and requests they make only legal downloads, USC must look deeper than an honor system. USC should use North Carolina schools as ideal models, as many provide various file-sharing pro grams and allow students to pick the one they prefer. Since students will share the cost, officials should take polls to gauge what kind of program students want or how much they’re willing to pay. If more students are happy with the program, USC will have fewer headaches with illegal downloading. The research must be thorough enough to avoid a cosdy invest ment in an unpopular service. In turn, snidents must recognize that university-sponsored file-sharing, while reducing the illegal down loading, will require more sacrifice from their wallets and an adher ence to legal file-sharing. r-:-7*-;-<-:-\-17-^ - / uo0*1 Krneoy m /°LU>. y ro^o M6- it 5A^C*^ r^^' COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Student media shaped my college experience When I was a USC freshman, The Gamecock ran a series of columns at the end of the year from seniors who had devoted their time to student media. They discussed _ how that involvement had enriched — or in one WUSC station manager’s case_ practically saved MEGAN — their lives. TREACY As a former 2005 USC WUSC deejay, P™journalism ’ 7 graduate The Mix editor and Carolina Reporter veteran, I can’t say that any of those experiences contributed to one dramatic change in my life, but I owe something to each for helping me learn so much beyond academics during college. My WUSC days made me a flat-out cooler person. Within the first year, my CD collection doubled, I had a working vocabulary of obscure genres and a knowledge of buzz bands not being buzzed about yet. People started to treat me with more respect because I wasn’t just listening to and talking about music for hours, like most music lovers — I was doing it on air. Even a month and a half past graduation, if I mention I was a college deejay, people look at me with a sort of reverence that nothing else I could say would cause. 1 become “that cool chick” instantaneously. When I was The Mix editor, I finally had the opportunity to combine my love for music and writing. I had a clear vision of what I wanted the section to be like: more band interviews. I was using this experience to build my portfolio, after all. After that summer, I knew for sure that I was going into the right profession. There was nothing like that feeling of seeing something that you created from scratch, published exactly as you envisioned it. The Carolina Reporter was the most stressful and ultimately rewarding thing I’ve ever done. My skill levels went through the roof, and I finally got to really know my strengths and weaknesses. I never thought I’d say I miss it, but I kind of do. Every day, I read two newspapers, researched articles and listened to what everyone else in the room was working on. I have never been so informed ip my life, and I now know how much that matters to me. We experienced a level of deliriousness and camaraderie that I’m sure is not found anywhere else in the world. No windows, a small cramped space and plenty of deadlines will do it to the best. It was then that I realized that us wannabe journalists have to be inherently masochistic. We don’t just put up with the pressure, the lack of sleep and food, and definite lack of money — we choose it.