Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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ONLINE POLL THE GAMECOCK •Wednesday, July 13, 2005 ^ Should the U.S. send manned Ihghts "Y T”T “1—ITT T I “ k y rpi VTFWPO VTS www.dailygamecock.com. * -■—■—^ * T —Vy - >- 1 —/ ThU&AMECOCK CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on third floor of the Russell House. Editor: 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 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 Rvan 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 CORRECTION In a July 6 News article, Steve Spurrier was misquoted. The quote should have been attributed to Lisa Merriweather. The Gamecock regrets the error. 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 Steven Van Haren NEWS EDITOR Taylor Smith SPORTS EDITOR Alex Riley THE MIX EDITOR Shana Till VIEWPOINTS EDITOR Patrick Augustine IN OUR OPINION Shuttle launch renews exploration emphasis Barring foul weather or unforeseen delays, the space shutde Discovery will launch from Cape Canaveral today at almost 4 p.m., marking NASA’s first manned foray into space since the Columbia disaster of nearly two and a half years ago. The delay was inevitable following the death of seven astronauts upon Columbia’s re-entry, as the space agency re-assessed the risks and engineering of their aging fleet of orbiters. However, during his re-inaugural speech, President Bush announced an initiative to return to the moon with the goal of eventually sending humans to Mars. Just as it took the political willpower from President Kennedy to set off the attempt at putting a man on the moon, continued sup port is needed from the White House if the United States is to be the first to land people on Mars. Central to the Mars mission, though, is the completion of the international space station, which will allow long-term space research and spread the idea that space is the provenance of all mankind, owned by no nation. Space explo ration is cosdy, as is often pointed out by its detractors, but must be pursued for knowledge’s sake, and for the many technological advancements that have come as a result of NASA’s research. I “me crutch. COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS USC would benefit from women V center “I went to a party my freshman year with a friend. Somebody slipped something into her drink. Luckily, I got to her before he did; otherwise, wno Knows wnat would’ve happened?” “He would constantly degrade me, insult me, put me down. I put up with it for years. I didn’t know what else to do! When I -ii-. i l • he came to my house in the middle of the night, breaking whatever he could find, threatening me. I had to call the police.” Unfortunately, these are not singular occurrences — they happen quite frequently. According to the annual crime report, compiled by campus police, there were 12 incidences of sexual assault reported on campus and 38 incidences of reiationsmp violence in 2002. This does not mention all the crimes that went unreported, as it is said that 40 percent of sexual assaults or rapes go unreported. It ' is becoming more apparent that women and men can greatly benefit in their college careers if they are offered a refuge where they feel supported, empowered and safe. On campuses / all across the country, we/ are seeing the advantages that such centers offer students and faculty. Yet at USC, np such place exists, despite the fact that S.C. consistently ranks highest in teems of domestic violence cases and incidences of sexual assault (ip fact, we are ranked sixth nationally for the number of women killed by abusive partners), where pay inequity remains a huge problem (in our state, women make $0.76 to every $1 that men earn) and date-rape drugs are rampant at campus parties. It is for this reason I propose the creation of a women’s center on campus. I believe this is absolutely vital in order for our university to progress. Many campuses in the region — most notably Duke, the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt — have vibrant women’s centers well funded and well-supported by the university. We, too, must show our students that we support them, seek to empower them and will ensure their safety. The women’s center would be a space open to all students to hang out, study, discuss new ideas or find a sympathetic ear. It would provide resources on a variety of issues, as well as hold events and meetings. More importantly, though, the center could be used to advocate for equality, celebrate the contributions of women to our university and empower all students and community members to reach their full potential. There is a definite need of a women’s center at our university. Now is the time to work together on this. CHRISSIE FAUPEL Fourth-year International Studies/French student