Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VIEWPOINTS _ AM E COCK EDITORIAL BOARD Editor I MICHAEL LaFORGIA News Editor STEPHEN FASTENAU Asst. News Editor JUSTIN CHAPURA The Mix Editor ALEXIS ARNONE Sports Editor JONATHAN HILLYARD Viewpoints Editor ' BRINDY McNAIR Copy Desk Chief STEVEN VAN HAREN Design Director chas McCarthy IN OUR OPINION Anti-hazing program wont solve problems Proponents of National Hazing Prevention Week, prepare to assume the position. Last week marked the end of the anti-hazing program put on by USC’s Office of Greek Life. As part of Hazing Prevention week, the sorority and fraternity councils passed resolutions, Greek leaders sat in on roundtable discussions, there was free pizza and loud music on Greene Street, and that was it. It’s good that USC’s Office of Greek Life is acknowledging this year that hazing is something we need to stamp out in fra ternities and sororities on campus. But it’s too bad that nobody’s really doing anything about it. The program represents little more than lip service. It’s hol low cheerleading, a ra-ra for an empty ideal. Its not difficult for us to National Hazing imagine a member of a Greek Prevention week „r„3nl73r;nn j -n„ anf: . organization donning an anti is little more , . T ,. ,, ... . hazing I-shirt, blowing up an man iid service. ., . . r anti-hazing balloon, then going home and smacking the hell out of a pledge with a wooden paddle. Or making pledges hold themselves in uncomfortable positions for minutes at a time. Or •some other stupidity. It seems that every year one Greek organization or another gets reprimanded for some type of hazing violation at USC. Everybody’s heard stories about the trials and tribulations pledges must undergo as rites of passage to join various groups. We don’t know whether hazing really goes on inside Greek organizations on campus. But if it does, programs such as National Hazing Prevention Week won’t do a thing about it. A program such as this doesn’t represent a legitimate, concert ed effort to combat hazing. It merely presents the illusion of addressing a serious problem. If hazing, as the prevention week’s literature suggests, “is a national problem on college campuses,” take action. Crack down. Put aside the koozies and the T-shirts and the free food and go do something about it. IT’S VOUR RIGHT Exercise your right to voice your Create message boards at wwu>. dailygamecock. com or send letters to the editor to gamecockopinions@gwm.sc. edu CORRECTIONS If you see an error in todays paper, we want to know. E-mail us at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. ABOUT THE GAMECOCK Editor MICHAEL LaFORGIA Design Director chas McCarthy Copy Desk Chief STEVEN VAN HAREN News Edisor STEPHEN FASTENAU Asst. News Editor JUSTIN CHAPURA Viewpoints Editor BRINOY McNAIR The Mix Editor ALEXIS ARNONE Sports Editor JONATHAN HILLYARD Asst. Sports Editor ALEX RILEY Photo Editor NICKESARES Sports Photo Editor KATIE KIRKLANO Page Designers MIKE CONWAY, JESSICA ANN NIELSEN, MEGAN SINCLAIR Graphic Designer LAURA-JOYCE GOUGH Copy Editors CHELSEA HADAWAY, KRISTY LAUBE, MELISSA MAULDIN, KATIE THOMPSON, JAMISON TINSLEY LIZ WHITE Online Editor RYAN SIMMONS Creative Services JOSEPH DANNELLY, LAURA-JOYCE GOUGH, MARGARET LAW, MEGHAN WHITMAN TO PLACE AN AD The Gamecock Advertising: 777-3888 1400 Greene St. Classified: 777-1184 Columbia, S.C. 29208 Fax: 777-6482 L CONTACT INFORMATION Offices on thirdfloor of the Russell House. The Editor's office hours are Monday and Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. 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; Sports: 777-7182 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 Advertising Staff BREANNA EVANS, RYAN GORMAN, KATIE CUPPIA, APRYL ALEXANDER, MARY RACHEL FREEMAN, MCKENZIE WELSH, OEIDRE MERRICK i 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, J 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 0/THE GAMECOCK. The 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 Student Media. K IY V CAUTHe v ^ QVV i ,vnraw)< \ l'Q5!j$5>lJlpY rv'-' 1 tYrV/?/^ & Mates set sail on 13-hour tour of campus Paradoxical paradise of USC is great location for cruising college life I would like to suggest that the visitor center staff change campus tours to include the side of USC that future students and other inquisitive minds never get to experience. On Friday, I had an out-of town visitor and gave him a spectacular tour of USC — a tour only a student could truly give. I wanted my visitor to get an experience as close to students’ ordeal as possible, and I think I succeeded. Our 13-hour tour began how every USC student’s day begins, with a moment for prayer. “Please let there be snow today so classes are cancelled.” Without snow, our tour continued. To be as close to a student experience as possible, our tour allowed 15 minutes to go from Bates to Gambrell Hall. We strolled the long oak covered pathway through beautiful fields, wildlife and parking garages. It was a walk through Eden, really. Once we got to class five minutes late, I pointed out that the registrar strives to put two annoying kids who will not shut up in every class. One knows all the answers riidreid ,and uwants “ BERTZ et the w°r know that, Fourth-year whiJe the Qther international , , . studies and one doesn 1 have music student a clue where he is and asks the stupidest questions. My friend was trying to stay awake in class, but sure enough his eyes began to close. I could see mm trying to convince himself that if he closed his eyes he would be able to listen much better. Unfortunately, his soporific self won. He closed his eyes and lost control of his head, which fell and hit his desk, waking him up violently. He looked around to see if anyone saw him and began to laugh, trying to cover it up. By now it was time for lunch, so I took him toward the Russell House. On our way, I looked down at my watch and noticed we had only five minutes until class. So our tour had to forgo lunch just like so many USC students. Class was somewhere in the science buildings — really people-sized versions of the mazes used to test rats. I watched as my friend wandered around, trying to figure out if he was in the PSC building, the Earth and Water Sciences Center or the Life Sciences Building. “Where did these fish tanks come from? I don’t remember fish tanks. Oh look, there’s a door.” By this time, the class was over anyway so we headed toward the door. I could see him trying to figure out which side of the door to push. Left? signer ne commiiicu aiiu pushed, smashing into the door. To make a long story short, our tour continued with dinner at the Russell House where we had some wholesome turkey-fried chicken-steak in a delicious ham sauce. The tour ended in front of the Russell House by thanking my friend for visiting USC. I asked him if he had any questions. He had one. “What does that sign under the tree say?” “It says, ‘The Tree of Knowledge.’ This used to be Eden,” I answered. Then out came President Sorensen to greet us, clad only in a fig-leaf. IN YOUR OPINION Brazier should value opposing opinions I am writing in response to Aaron Brazier’s article Friday (“Professor-student debate enriches learning”). Though I agree with Mr. Brazier’s assertion that a university education should include challenges to one’s traditions and beliefs through exposure to ideologies and educational principles which might cause them to call their previous pedagogies into question, I am troubled by this article and must respond. First, the statement, “I had to sit through a disclaimer in a geology class to not upset the poor, little creationist,” is not endearing to his argument. While preaching throughout the article the idea of “thinking outside the box” and acceptance of opinion differences, what Mr. Brazier has done is the opposite. Though he might regard the consideration of fundamentalists (upon discussion of something, scientific or otherwise, which might jeopardize the entirety of their belief system) as “excessive,” I do not. The university’s policies of lightly treading through certain material and dynamic issues are respectful and necessary. Part of the Carolinian Creed is non discrimination and respect for others’ beliefs. Yes, the students themselves (“excessively”) in their discussion of opinions should not be censored, but a professor should represent a neutral yet engaging part of higher education and needs to restrict its presentation of ideals and information to sustain objectivity. Were it not for the current manner of treatment on these issues, those “poor little creationist” could become alienated and afraid to challenge opinions. Then where’s the fun of the debate? Overall, the idea that classroom settings need not be so “PC” I can agree with, but the statement that we, and especially professors, should not recognize or respect the beliefs of those whom its lessons might offend is absurdly intolerant. If you want to be a “better person” as a result of your stay here at the university, then I suggest you take a huge lesson from these professors in consideration and understanding for those whom possess beliefs you deem “ignorant.” AMANDA BERNARD Fourth-year philosophy student 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. Be grateful: Policemen keep order, protect lives Cursing crowd lacks refinement, courage, corrupts game for fans Picture this: You are driving down the road at 100 mph, but the speed limit is 40. You know you are driving too fast, and if you see a cop it is all over. Your blood runs cold when you ..... ...... see those uBLEne dreaded blue SimS lights behind Third-year you. When the Ppnt cop pulls you journalism r 1 student over- y°u going to say to him, in not-so-nice words, “screw you, police”? Unless you were a student, you wouldn’t confront a policeman like that. So, why at the football game against Troy was everyone screaming obscenities at the police? The police officers at that game had a lot of self control to just stand there while the crowd shouted at them.If it were me, I would have taken out my club and taken care of business. The lack of respect blew my mind. When the police escorted fans out of Williams-Brice Stadium, they were doing their job. The police are there to keep YOU safe. Yelling at them is a great way to show gratitude. They are not around to ruin anyone’s good time. On the contrary, it’s the drunken idiots who ruin everyone’s fun. At the last game, I was sitting in front of a guy who had a lot to say about the police. He arrogantly boasted about how much better all of us are because we went to college and the police didn’t. I’ve got news for him: No matter how big your brain is, they still have more power. Those of us with a college education are not above the law. Even if you pull that degree out of your back pocket, you are still going to jail. He really got on my nerves. I am relieved that policemen are there. If they weren’t, it would be complete chaos. And I do feel bad for them, because they have to deal with stupid people every game day. The police deserve a great deal of respect. They choose to serve and protea the ungrateful population. Even though you cussed at them, they will still help you when you need it. Of course everyone hates them until they need them. That self control is something to be respected. I don’t know anyone who will stand by and do nothing after they’ve been yelled at unjustly. Try to have a little more respect for the people who might save your life someday. Those people are the ones who have the power to arrest whoever broke into your car and will show up when you press “help” on the call box. Be a little nicer at the next game, or just keep your mouth shut. Like the old saying goes, “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” □ Do you think National Hazing Prevention Week fulfills its purpose? www. dailygamecock. com I