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VIEWPOINTS_w._ AMECOCK EDITORIAL BOARD Editor Sports Editor MICHAEL LaFORGIA * JONATHAN HILLYARD News Editor Viewpoints Editor ' STEPHEN FASTENAU BRINDY McNAIR Asst. News Editor Copy Desk Chief 1 JUSTIN CHAPURA STEVEN VAN HAREN The Mix Editor Design Director ALEXIS ARNONE CHAS MCCARTHY * IN OUR OPINION Despite longer lines, seating policy for best Students should be patient while stadium employees check tickets on game days this season. When the athletics department last weekend implemented the new system, which requires students to sit in the sections assigned to the tickets they hold, it had the students’ best inter ests at heart. In the past, ticket employees didn’t scrutinize seat numbers; they only required that students had tickets in hand. As a result, students and non-students alike would pour into the student sections, making for an exciting atmosphere — but not much elbow room. More serious were the restrictions this overcrowding posed to those who might find themselves in need of medical attention during games, as emergency workers would be hard pressed to Afiy USC grdd will trac^ d°wn an ailing individual tell you that in the rowdy throng a Certain energy And let’s face it: Who hasn’t emanates from the been splashed by some anony student section. mous liquid or shoved by an unruly fan while rooting for the Gamecocks on a Saturday? Fewer fans packed into one place would certainly make watching the game more comfortable. Only one lamentable point accompanies a more orderly situa tion in the student section. The added comfort comes at the cost of some of the dynamism, the raw energy that comes from pitching together all . the most die-hard Gamecock fans, 18- and 48-year-olds alike, to beat the bleachers and scream their lungs out as one. Any USC grad will tell you that a certain energy emanates from the student section that fans can’t find anywhere else in the stadium. While the new ticket-checking system ultimately benefits stu dents, we hope that, when our time is done at USC, we’ll be able to score some student tickets from our undergrad buddies, slip past the security guards with our old IDs and take a seat. IT’S VOUR 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 CORRECTIONS If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know. E-mail us at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK MICHAEL LaFORGIA contact informat, on Offices on thirdfloor of the Russell House. nuifc uTSS*TUV Tht Editor's °ffi“ h°UrS are M<>ndaj and Wednesday CHAS MCCARTHY ^om i.3p_m_ Copy Desk Chief Editor: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu STtVEN VAN HAREN News:gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Viewpoints: gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu CTCDUCUCACTCM All The Mhc: gamecockfeatures@gwm.sc.edu oTtrMtN l-Ab 11NAU sports: gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu Asst. 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Catchy war slogan just doesnt cut mustard ‘Support our troops’ ambiguous, offers little comfort during Iraq war Last week in The Gamecock, I read a column that mentioned the term “support our troops.” This column came to the conclusion that it is impossible to “support our troops” and not agree with one particular war they’re fighting. I thought the issue was settled once and for all, but shortly after finishing the article I heard the phrase “support our troops, bring them home.” I spat out my coffee, fell out my chair and nearly went into a state of shock. It was all very unsettling. So I decided to put on my monocle and get to the bottom of this mystery. Then I thought about the verb “support.” One form of support is providing money — financial support. I myself pay a small part of their 'salaries with every taxed-hour I work at a local bakery. “Support our troops, pay taxes.” That’s not a bad slogan. Now, I don’t want to sound like a hippie or anything, but perhaps with the phrase “support our troops, bring them home,” they’re on to something. If troops were home rather than fighting overseas, they’d be a lot less likely to get be killed or injured. Life support, so to speak. 71 Country fncmillllis legend Toby Keith is unquestionably Fifth-year . print a stron8 advocate journalism of the support student our troops” movement. Hardly a day goes by that he doesn’t sing about how sticking a boot in somebody’s ass is the American way or how an American soldier will always do what’s right when liberty’s in jeopardy. These, or at least the latter, are very nice thoughts. And making it known in an extremely loud way that you agree with what the troops are doing is a form of support, so “support our troops, be their cheerleaders.” Two, four, six, eight, who do we incinerate? Insurgents! Watch out Toby. Another way to support our troops is to enlist in the Army and go over to Iraq and fight alongside them. Why, come to think of it, one could even say that if you think a cause is worth our troops risking their lives, you could almost be expected to do the same, as long as you’re in the right physical and mental condition to do so, of course. “Support our troops. Support what they’re doing. Go enlist.” But then again, everyone like cookies — including our troops, I’m sure. Suppose I cooked up a big batch of cookies and brought it to our boys in Iraq. Now suppose, hypothetically, that I did not support them killing and dying in Iraq. I guess I’d still be supporting them in the most delicious way possible. “Support our troops, bake them cookies.” But clearly the term “support our troops” must be more substantial — something more definite. How could something so shallow be so popular? Perhaps its lack of substance is what makes it so popular. Perhaps because “support” could mean about a gazillion things, people are more willing to say “Support our troops” than a phrase of substance. It’s easier and less controversial. Furthermore, when a person says “support our troops” to his adversary — someone who disagrees with him on an issue regarding troops — it implies that his adversary doesn’t support our troops. And imagine what would we think of someone who actually said, “I don’t support our troops.” Technology Services — the bug in my system As price of tuition rises, students deserve more than sub-par support Recently there has been a lot of complaining about parking on campus. There has also been lots of complaining about how complaining about parking is dumb, and that is true. There are so many other facets of USC that need our criticism. Take University Technology Services (and I use that term loosely) for example. After receiving my 50th pop up promising a free PlayStation or Hawaiian vacation if I send in my credit card and Social Security number, I figured it was about time I got my computer checked out. This was also around the same time I started to get about 100 spam e-mails on my school account every day. And while it might be good for my ego to think that “MegluvXOXO” and all her sorority sisters really do want me to check out their 24-7 web-cam, sifting through all those invites every day gets kind of annoying. So imagine my surprise when I went to computer services the first day of the semester, only to find out they were closed until after Labor Day. “No, were really closed until after Labor Day,” the secretary repeated. She used her polite-but-exasperated voice. You know, the one that school officials use when they think www. daily & they are dealing with a dumb, punk kid. “So there’s absolutely no one at the mrnn university who noiiic can me a computer Third-year problem?” I Pnnt asked. I used my journalism ’ student polite-but exasperated voice. You know, the one that you use when you’re asking the cop what you did, when you really want to be screaming “my taxes pay your salary” and “whats your badge number?” Let’s see, 25,000 students, including the largest freshman class ever, will soon return to school with classes revolving around Blackboard, and the official school entity that deals with computers is closed the first month of the semester. That makes about as much sense as say, oh, I don’t know, Budweiser shutting down production during football season. Well, needless to say, I left the office pretty salty, but with numerous reassurances they were only closed temporarily to “re-tool and re- organize.” I consoled myself by thinking that, whatever they’re doing, it can only mean better service for me later on. But if that turned out to be the case, you wouldn’t be reading this column, now would you? It turns out the “new” imecock.com computer services are a little more interactive. Now, instead of dropping off your computer to be fixed, you sign up for a time when you and a technician will sit down and they will, and I quote, “help you fix it.” I’m sorry, but if I call a plumber to unclog my drain, and upon showing up he hands me the tools and says, “let’s get to work,” we’re going to have problems. It’s funny — I don’t remember signing up for any computer classes this semester, but I do remember a fairly hefty technology fee always showing up on my bill. Now, I’m a print journalism major, which means I’ve spent the better part of three years avoiding math of all kinds, but even I can multiply. With 25,000 students paying their technology fees, it sounds like the university might have a little bit of money to focus on computer problems. I’m sure there is some kind of official university explanation for this. And much like their explanation of the new “four-strikes” drug policy, I’m sure it is completely inadequate. The point is, with higher fees and increased tuition, we should be getting more services. Heck, my computer is still messed up. I will setde for the same old services at this point. Don’tforget Lou Holtz’s contributions to Carolina Despite NCAA trouble, 2 Outback Bowl wins warrant USC’s respect Now that football season has once again hit this great college town, many are starting to reflect on past seasons — wins, losses and yes, even niCOLE c°aches' . niinnc Remember BUKIIb Lou Holtz? Fourth-year Yeah, he was the suy yho was here last year. But why has no one bothered to mention him? Last I heard he was taking the blame for everything that went wrong with the NCAA, and that was It. Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure Lou, as well as many others, knew what was going on, but why are we going to throw Lou to the wolves and not think twice about it? Everyone has already forgotten what Lou did for USC and is all Spurrier-fied now. Lou took USC from having one of the longest losing streaks in college football history to being an actual competitor with other SEC colleges. Now, because of several NCAA violations and several players going astray, we forget that, yes, Lou Holtz was one of the better USC football coaches. With all the problems that have arose because of these violations, players losing scholarships and others gaining them, I really believe we need to take a minute and reflect on the greats of our university and its football roaches. Don’t get me wrong — I’m happy USC was able to get a nationally ranked coach to take the Gamecocks under his wings, but don’t forget many years ago we were all so excited about what Lou could do for us. I am more than willing to give Spurrier a chance just like everyone else, but I just don’t understand why we would shaft one great coach without so much as a goodbye. In December, all I started hearing was how much people wanted Holtz gone, how bad of a coach he was, blah, blah, blah. Lest we forget the 2001 2002 season when we were 9 3, finishing 13th in the national polls? I also thought we won the Outback Bowl, twice. It might not have been for a national title, but hey, that was much better than what we had before. Fans are quick to call Spurrier the greatest Gamecock coach of all time, at least according to certain newspaper polls. And that was before the season got under way. I am sure Steve Spurrier will be a great USC coach. Will he be the best? I’m not going to say, because we’ve only had two games so far, and I really don’t want to jump the gun. But what I do know is that Holtz is one of the best, and we as a university should not be so quick to cut him out of our memories just yet. 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 not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for more information.