Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VIEWPOINTS AMECOCK EDITORIAL BOARD Editor i Design Director STEVEN VAN HAREN CHAS MCCARTHY i ■ ~ News Editor ; Sports Editor JUSTIN CHAPURA STEPHEN FASTENAU Assistant News Editor j Viewpoints Editor JACKIE ALEXANDER BRINDY McNAIR The Mix Editor j Assistant Viewpoints Editor ALEXIS ARNONE AARON BRAZIER IN OUR OPINION Attacks on homeless show need for change Homeless people have one more thing to worry about besides hunger and harsh weather: being beaten to death. In a disturbing trend that makes anti-solicitation laws look downright cordial, homeless people have become the flesh-and-blood punching bags for sniveling teenagers, whose penchant for violence is only outweighed by their boredom. As if sick Web sites such as www.bumfights.com — in which pictures and videos are featured depicting people accosting and attacking hobos -- weren’t enough, three teenagers have been Homelessness is £t aassX la°tf the uncomfortable week on homeless people . . , . . in Florida. ShadOW Of society One of their victims and can only be di?d frPm head injuries . . While we support some eliminated with a cities’ recent efforts to one-two punch. is needed to help the homeless help themselves — and avoid becoming victims. i ne r ive romts solicitation Dan is in place ror a reason, and with a heavy heart we support Columbia’s efforts to put money that would’ve gone straight to a homeless person’s hands to better use. The Midlands Area Consortium for the Homeless strives to eliminate homelessness in Columbia with a helping hand. But the more than 15 MACH shelters need volunteers to do everything from play with children and sort donations to cook and build. That’s where we come in. Programs are in place to help homeless people find jobs, housing and medical services, but community volunteers help them along. If MACH is to ever achieve its goal of building a community without homelessness, they’ll need as many sets of hands as possible. Amd it’s not only their goal. Homelessness is the uncomfortable shadow of society and can only be eliminated with a one-two punch: strict punishments against those vermin who would blindly flail away at a hobo using a Louisville Slugger, and a helping hand to remove those opportunities. IT’S YOUR RIGHT Voice your opinion on message boards at tvww.dailygamecock.com or send letters to the editor at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc. edu CORRECTIONS If you see an error in today’s paper, we want to know about it. E-mail us at gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu ABOUT THE GAMECOCK STEVEN VAN HAREN Design Director Editors office hours are from 2-3 pm. on Tuesdays and Thursdays chas McCarthy Editor: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu Copy Desk Chief News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu AARON KIDD Viewpoints: gameiockopinions@gwm.sc.edu .. _ The Mix: ramecockfeatures@rwm.sc.edu News Editor c u ^ j IIKTIN PHAPIIRA gamecocksports@gwm.sc.edu JUSTIN CHAPURA Public Affairs: gamecockPR@yahoo.com Assistant News Editor Online: www.dailygamecock.com JACKIE ALEXANDER Newsroom: 777-7726 ; Sports: 777-7182 Viewpoints Editor Editor’s Office: 777-3914 BRINDY McNAIR Assistant Viewpoints Editor STUDENT MEDIA THE GAMECOCK is the AARON BRAZIER editorially independent The Mix Editor Director student newspaper of the ALEXIS ARNONE SCOTT LINDENBERG University of South Carolina. Assistant Mix Editor It is published Monday, KRISTEN TRUESDALE Faculty Adviser Wednesday and Friday during Sports Editor ERIK COLLINS the fall and spring semesters STEPHEN FASTENAU and nine times during the Assistant Sports Editor Creative Director summer with the exception of ALEX RILEY SUSAN KING university holidays and exam Photo Editor periods. Opinions expressed in NICK ESARES Business Manager THE GAMECOCK ** those Assistant Photo Editor CAROLYN GRIFFIN of the editors or author and KATY BLALOCK not those of the University of Advertising Manager j South Carolina. The Board Page Designers SARAH SCARBOROUGH of Student Publications MIKE CONWAY, KATE and Communications FENWICK, MEGAN SINCLAIR Classifieds Manager is the publisher o/THE SHERRY F. HOLMES GAMECOCK. The Staff Writers Department of Student A.J. BEMBRY, JESS DAVIS, Production Manager Media is the newspaper’s TIM McMANUS, MARJORIE C. NEIL SCOTT parent organization. THE RIDDLE, GINA VASSELLI GAMECOCK is supported in part by student-activity Copy Editors fees. One free copy per reader. KATIE THOMPSON, Additional copies may be JAMISON TINSLEY, purchased for $1 each from the LIZ WHITE Department of Student Media. , , ;-y,. . ; : ^ : " ' «> Courtesy KRT Campus MLKs inspiration keeps shining brightly Despite death, words opposing oppression live on, promise hope Before I dive into the sap of this week’s column, allow me to warn you, that I am in fact an idealist, as is the man I am going to discuss this week. However, my idealism is nowhere near as great or impacting as this gentleman’s. Being that Monday was our national day of recognizing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s accomplishments and message, I felt the motivation to discuss him in my weekly address. I’ll first admit that I did not celebrate King’s holiday in the respectable manner of performing community service, I was sadly rather sick and at home in bed. Luckily, I picked up the strength to shortly research King and gather ideas. In my research I came across a quote by Dr. King that I had to share and work from further. “But I know somehow, that only when it is dark enough, can you see the stars.” I started to recognize just BOIDV howpowerful, Fourth-year and even more elementary important education King S student message was. It seems that recently King and his legacy have received harsh criticism of hypocrisy and lies, and I find that sad. Some journalists report on Dr. King’s extramarital affairs and his disagreements with fellow civil rights leader, Reverend Jesse Jackson. Let’s not forget that in the ‘80s during Jackson’s presidential campaign, he wasblastedwithaccusations of anti-Semitic remarks and beliefs. Perhaps it was these feelings that King had a problem with. As for the extra-marital affairs, are the revelation of these supposed to motivate us to bring judgment against a man who preached not to judge? Last time I checked, King did not go parading around in support for upholding the sanctity of marriage, we already have fools to do that. King’s message was universal to all, it was simply ... hope. In a time when all seemed to be changing and America had lost its footing, came a man from Atlanta, Ga. with a passionate belief of hope. A man who was so passionate about non-violence that when faced directly with violent opposition to his march on the Alabama State Capital, took his marching further to Washington, D.C. King may have died an untimely death, but his message never will. Even in the face of criticism and doubt, where ever there is oppression, injustice, or hardship, King will be there preaching his message of constant hope and inspiration. When the world is dark, and it seems as though that hope is lost, we can always look up and find King shining over us. Post-break-up semester has its advantages Friends, being single, new relationship hype eases broken hearts If I’ve noticed one thing in the week that classes have been back in session and those catch-up chats have progressed into heart to-heart conversations, it’s that a number of people are facing a “suddenly-single” post-break-up semester. Despite my usual pessimistic outlook, I will put on a genuine smile and tell you truthfully that you are better off. Maybe it’s a little hard to believe, but trust me, underneath that dim outlook that break-ups seem to cast over life, they can be one of the best, most liberating experiences. Post-break-up is a time when you no longer pull away from the people you truly love. It is the time when best friends really are best friends. For the past — however long you wasted with that ex — you know you have neglected friendships. We all do it. We get caught in relationship fun and forget that boyfriends/ girlfriends come and go but friendships last forever. Of all those guys I dated I and all my crushes, my best friends are my true loves, my soul mates. LIZ Getting WHITE dumped c , makes you second-year ' print reallze that journalism And those student best friends will listen to you whine, complain, scream and vent for as long as it takes to get the ex toxins out of your system. Eventually you will come to see all (from now on I will use the male pronouns as unisex) Mr. Ex’s faults for what they were — annoying quirks that drove you crazy. You will take off the rose colored glasses and see his faulted walk and talk, his whiny attitude, tantrums and snobby friends. You will see it all and one day you will wonder, “Why did I ever date him?” Hopefully, by this point, you’ve embraced singledom. For some people “single” is a curse. They spend their time looking for that significant other, but for those young’uns not ready to settle down, being single is the best state to be in. No worries. No commitments. No strings. And best of all, no guilt. Singledom is unrivaled. On a campus of 3,000 plus, you will find that it is easy to occupy your “lonely” self with plenty of other fish in this college sea. And then one day the viscous cycle will repeat itself. One day you will find a shoe that fits. A shoe that makes you laugh at its really bad Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, a shoe with a really ticklish stomach and one piece of hair that always seems to stick up. It makes you feel silly and special. If there is only one good thing about breaking up, it is that eventually—whether it’s one week, one year or five months — you will find another perfect match that makes your knees weak, your stomach flip and gives you that old-Hollywood ankle-popping kiss. In cliched words, relationships come and go but best friends last forever; you’re better off without him; there are plenty of other fish in the sea and Mr. Right is just around the corner. Winners & Sinners In London, Ziggy the Three Florida teens are Parrot tattled on his arrested for brutally owner’s girlfriend, beating homeless men, revealing her adulterous j one of who died as a relationship with a co- result of his injuries, worker named Gary. J Racial game fails to show unique aspects of human face Human Race Machine leaves students looking for more ethnic insight If you were looking for a life-changing experience that put race relations in a I new light last week, you may have made your way into the □ Russell House to try out The Human Race Machine. And if you did, you were probably disappointed. mcmnnus The Human Fifth-year Race Machine print is a computer journalism that takes a student picture of you and runs the picture through a program to show what * you would look like if you were a different race. This is a potentially enlightening experience that could make us look at ourselves in new, humbling ways. It was located in the Russell House last week, just outside the theater. When my first friend used the machine, while not enlightened, I was perhaps humbled to see her as if she was of different races. Humility disappeared when my second friend used y the machine, however. It showed that she would look almost exactly the same as my first friend if she was of Hispanic, Native American, African, Middle Eastern, Asian or Caucasian descent. A third friend of mine found this offensive, saying that the machine is saying everybody of a particular race has the same face. I wouldn’t go that far, but I say the machine promises an enlightening experience and offers little more than what one of your art major \ friends can do with Adobe Photoshop in five minutes. The Human Race Machine also comes with three other programs. One is The Aging Machine. But from what I saw, the machine changes the photo to black and white, and if you’re lucky, it adds a rew wrinkles to your race. The machine does, however, offer many cheap laughs. For example, when using a program called The Couple’s Machine, which tries to show what a child between two people would look like, my friends and I had the idea of . seeing what it would be likel " if two of our cell phones had a baby. Just then, a stranger walked by and asked about the machine. We told him what the machine did and about our radical experiment in cell phone breeding. We let the machine take pictures and saw what it would look like if our cell phones had a baby. The fuzzy, psychedelic photo it gave us was about as enlightening as anything we saw with the Agings \ Machine or the Human Race* Machine. Submission policy Letters to the editor should be less than 300 words and include name, phone number, profes sional title or yea- and major, if a student. E-mail letters to game cockopinions@gwm.sc.edu. Let ters will be edited. Anonymous letters will not be published. Call the newsroom at 777-7726 for^ more information.