The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 29, 2006, Page 8, Image 8
VIEWPOINTS
Page 8 f —I B Jk f f B _B 1 B. rN_/ Wednesday, March 29,2006
*
TH#%AMEGOGK
EDITORIAL BOARD
Editor
STEVEN VAN HAREN
News Editor
JUSTIN CHAPURA
Assistant News Editor
JACKIE ALEXANDER
The Mix Editor
ALEXIS ARNONE
Design Director
chas McCarthy
Sports Editor
STEPHEN FASTENAU
Viewpoints Editor
BRINDY McNAIR
Assistant Viewpoints Editor
AARON BRAZIER
IN OUR OPINION
Giving cash to grads
requires reciprocity
■** . .
It was a case of finders-keepers one week ago at
a Student Government Senate meeting as some
members of the finance committee proposed a bill
to keep undergraduates’ money in undergraduates’
hands.
Sen. Scott Spivey’s bill, a response to last session’s
allocation of $40,000 of undergraduates’ student
activity fee money to the graduate schools, would not
eliminate such allocations but would require graduate
programs’ expenditures to not exclude undergrads.
constituents
w ui i c i c; in d i ii i ii g
generous to a largely
ignored portion of the
student body. But even
more should be done to
level the playing field
— namely, lowering
student activity fees for
rprrt rlurt far
D-- —
All USC students pay the same activity fees.
Undergrads, by far the largest chunk of the student
body, reap the most rewards through campus events
such as concerts, lectures and forums — functions that
many grads miss out on because they live off campus.
Cutting grads’ activity fee charges would balance the
system; the less they get back, the less they should
have to pay.
Most undergraduates would not have a problem
throwing money the graduates’ way. It’s not that
undergraduates and graduates don’t get along; it’s that
most undergraduates don’t think of their lab TA’s and
professors’ assistants as fellow students — sad, but
true.
Grads pay tuition just like the rest of us and deserve
the same benefits. But if we scratch their backs, they
should scratch ours.
If graduate students use undergraduates’ money
to bring a guest speaker to campus, those in charge
should consider whether undergrads will be at least
slightly interested in attending. When using large
bundles of someone else’s cash, a little accommodation
is in order.
Grads pay tuition
just like the rest of
us and deserve the
same benefits.
IT’S YOUR RIGHT
Voice your opinion on message
boards at www.dailygamecock.com
or send letters to the editor at
gamecockopinions@gurm.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
Editor
STEVEN VAN HAREN
Design Director
chas McCarthy
Copy Desk Chief
AARON KIDD
News Editor
JUSTIN CHAPURA
Assistant News Editor
JACKIE ALEXANDER
Viewpoints Editor
BRINDY McNAIR
Assistant Viewpoints Editor
AARON BRAZIER
The Mix Editor
ALEXIS ARNONE
Assistant Mix Editor
KRISTEN TRUESDALE
Sports Editor
STEPHEN FASTENAU
Assistant Sports Editor
ALEX RILEY
Photo Editor
NICK ESARES
Assistant Photo Editor
KATY BIAIOCK
Public Relations Director
ROSE GREENE
Page Designers
MIKE CONWAY, KATE
FENWICK, MEGAN SINCLAIR
StaffWriters
A.J. BEMBRY, TOM
BENNING, JESS DAVIS,
TIM McMANUS, MARJORIE
RIDDLE, GINA VASSELLI
Copy Editors
CAROLINE DESANCTIS,
BETHANY NICHOLS,
ELIZABETH PARHAM, KATIE
THOMPSON, JAMISON
TINSLEY, KRYSTAL
WEBBER, LIZ WHITE
CONTACT INFORMATION
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Editor’s office hours are from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays
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Online: www. dailygamecock. com
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HlU,ACY V0W5 To ftUXJc 4f2lAiM(oAUTlH& [IxeoAL- [
I/MWiCfRANTS r-- ~T
—^
Courtesy KRT Campus
Courage isnt only for ballsy men in movies
Politicians, students
need to be more like
fearless superheroes
Backbone, guts,
testicular fortitude — these
are all euphemisms for
courage, a word that you
can’t say nowadays without
sounding like you’re in a
movie where Mel Gibson
is naked and painted blue.
And often, it seems
having courage nowadays
is just as out-of-date.
A couple weeks ago,
a friend and I were
“jamming” on the front
porch of our dorm. My
friend was on acoustic
guitar, and I was on
accordion. After about
45 minutes of singing
three-chord songs, many
referencing “Brokeback
Mountain,” a police officer
came by.
He liked our music,
but that wasn’t why he
stopped.
He said he received
noise complaints, and if
we wanted to continue, we
would have to go across
the street.
We decided to go inside,
where my partner in crime
and music wrote an angry
e-mail to
the dorm’s
listserv.
He got
a response
from the
concerned
citizen, who
after calling
our music
s—t, said,
“third parties
exist so I
don’t have to kick your
ass.”
This shows a stunning
lack of testicular fortitude.
A more courageous
Gamecock would have the
backbone to confront us,
ask or tell us to shut up,
and if we’re unreasonable
about it, kick our ass,
hopefully without breaking
my accordion. And it’s
not only college students
who lack such testicular
fortitude.
Let us look at Sen. John
Kerry.
When he was running
for president, one of the
most overused criticisms
of him was that he quickly
changed his opinion.
His critics pointed to
how he voted to give the
president the right to
declare war in Iraq, but
Tim
mcmonus
Fifth-year
print
journalism
student
didn’t vote for giving the
war more funding.
Did John Kerry have
an opinion as flexible as a
Cirque Voila performer?
Of course not, but it
was extremely politically
incorrect in 2003 for a
senator to speak against
going to war in Iraq.
In 2003, we all heard
perfectly reasonable claims
that Iraq had no ties to al
Qaida or weapons of mass
destruction.
But for one to make such
criticisms in front of all the
other senators, apparently
took the courage Kerry
lacked.
And so, the next
time you’re faced with
something that requires a
backbone, guts or testicular
fortitude, show you have
what it takes.
It may be difficult, but
if you face what you fear,
whether it’s an accordion
or looking different in
front of your peers, you
may keep your country
from starting an unjust
war.
But if you must lack
courage, do yourself a
favor and make sure you
don’t prove it in front of a
journalist.
Commitment stereotypes falsely classify sexes
Modern women want
to have fun in college,
not find future spouse
Unable to decide what
to write about this week,
I started a conversation
among friends about
commitment. The word
had been circling around
the dramatic newsroom for
a little while and everyone
had something to say.
Most girls were quick to
say guys are scared of the
word and, like Chandler
from “Friends,” run away.
A few guys chimed in,
opposing this stereotype.
What about girls who just
want to have fun?
This made me think,
not about commitment
but about stereotypes. Our
media has brainwashed us
into believing certain ideas
about people before we
know them. Blondes are
dumb, redheads are feisty
and brunettes are sensible;
men only want sex. I’ve
met people who discredit
all of these “truths.”
I wrote this column in
class while we watched a
movie about the “blood
thirsty” and godless
Japanese,
and I don’t
think that’s
an accurate
stereotype
either.
What does
this have
to do with
sex? Can
you really
assume a
_ 5
LIZ
(UHITC
Second-year
print
journalism
student
makes them better in bed?
Not all beautiful people
have what it takes to be
a good significant other.
Look at Tom Cruise and
Brad Pitt.
Just because she makes
you stop and stare doesn’t
mean once all that make
up comes off that she’ll
make your knees weak.
Basing our attractions by
our preconceptions could
make ,us miss out on
something wonderful.
I’ve known several guys
that say, “I really like you,
but I want to get to know
you first.” If that doesn’t
discredit half of the male
perceptions, I’ll concede
that I’m a dumb blonde.
And what do
stereotypes have to do
with commitment? If guys
are the only ones running
at Jackie Joyner-Kersee
speeds, then why do guys
complain about girls? You
can’t assume men always
want to play the field
while the women cling to
their arms.
It’s modern America,
and with that comes
modern women. For
most girls, college isn’t
about finding a spouse.
We don’t scour our class
to find the guy we could
see ourselves “settling
down” with. No, college
is a time to have fun, meet
new people and figure out
what kind of significant
other, if any, we do see
in the future picture.
Girls come to college to
find themselves and to
find where they want to
be when “growing-up” is
finally over.
If love is really in the
air and she feels like she’s
ready to say, “To hell with
being foolish, you’re the
one I want,” then great.
But until then, guys and
girls all need to learn the
big-C word is a little scary
for college kids.
If I’m wrong, just call
me a dumb blonde.
Winners & Sinners
' ; •' ' * . ; : '>' \ . ■ •" !
Scarlett Johansson tops
FHM’s “100 Sexiest
- Women in the World”
X reader survey.
Christopher McEneaney
and Andre Mark were
charged in the slaying
of Martin Malone after
Malone mooned them.
Like, language
shouldn't be so
inconclusive,
conventional
Word options are not
strictly monosyllabic,
everyday expressions
Call me anything but a
nice girl.
You better not call me
“hot” or “cool” either,
assuming you
have reason.
Herein lies
my pet peeve:
the intentional
crouching
behind
everyday use
of ambiguous,
two-cent
words.
English
is a precise
1 a n er u a e e .
TECLfl
mflRHOSHV
Second
year public
relations
student
It’s our primary tool for
communication. Like any
tool, it’s best when sharp.
Language shapes our world.
But it’s also a war zone;
loaded with minefields in
the meanings, “nice” could
easily mean “dull.” “Sweet”
could be “saccharine,”
“gentle” as “half-dead,”
“spirited” as “annoying” and
a “great personality” usually
always means “dog-ugly.”
Get it? Good. There’s
more to it.
My best childhood
friend had very particular
(attentive) parents.
Whenever I went over
to play, it was all-natural
(bland as barley) everything
— no beef hormones for us.
More than anything else,
however, her parents were
really anal (selective) about
our vocabularies. The words
“like,” “but,” “kinda” and
“really” were outlawed.
This made life, like, really
hard. In the era of middle
school, using the word
“like” while telling a story is
akin to breathing.
Additionally, they
implored us to use very
specific vocabulary. Instead
of a dish or a party being
“good” we were forced into
describing it as “fanciful”
or “delicious” or “fun but
exhausting.”
So that may’ve been
extreme. But for the most
part, we’re all in accord. To
repeat the world “like” ten
thousand times in a ten
second story is ridiculous.
Nobody wants to sound like
Cher from “Clueless.”
However, I’m noticing
in college the existence of
a distinct pattern. When a
peer describes a colleague
or friend favorably, the same
four words seem to surface.
Hot. Cool. Smart. Nice.
These four words are the
haziest adjectives in modem
English. Not only are the
words temporal, but they
are also essentially lubes of
everyday language. They
glide off the tongue and
provide little information.
How do we fix this
terrible problem plaguing
discourse in bars, cars and
lecture halls alike?
Demand a command
of the English language.
Descriptions don’t have to be
sugary-sweet. But I’d rather
be called reptilian than
“cool.” Be specific! Tens of
thousands of tiny injustices
are woven absentmindedly
into our use of language.
Calling people “nice” and
stopping there is doing them
a grave disservice.
In all, I’m actively seeking
a wordsmith-wunderkind.
And it shouldn’t be too hard
to find, even at USC. In the
age of infinite adjectives and
thesaurus.com, anything is
possible.