The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 19, 2006, Page 13, Image 13

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. VIEWPOINTS ---=-:-— » AMECOCK EDITORIAL BOARD Editor STEVEN VAN HAREN News Editor JACKIE ALEXANDER Assistant News Editor JOSHUA RABON The Mix Editor ALEXIS ARNONE Design Director chas McCarthy Sports Editor STEPHEN FASTENAU Viewpoints Editor BRINDY McNAIR ; Assistant Viewpoints Editor AARON BRAZIER V IN OUR OPINION Take valuable lesson from pie-ous parents Baby fat is no longer the extra padding in a child’s cheeks that melts away like hot butter on popcorn — it’s growing into a crippling obesity epidemic that dooms kids to a lifetime of bad eating habits. “Honey We’re Killing the Kids!” is The Learning Channel’s new, noble attempt to explore childhood obesity and how parents are dooming their children •to a lifetime of health problems. Included on the show are computer-enhanced pictures that show what kids will look like if they continue their gluttonous ways. A nutrition expert helps families toss the junk food anu get acuvc. Parents must feel less than enthused when they realize they’re not raising children, but fattening up cattle for a future heart attack. TLC is right on the money. Childhood ODesity, it curectiy causea by parents’ overfeeding their kids garbage, is physical abuse, and the shock value of seeing a child as an obese 30-year-old with myriad health problems is ^Bperfect ammunition. These days, it takes a special ^^effect to wake people up. Parenting, as defined by today’s society, is plopping children down in front of an Xbox and putting a stepstool in front of the cookie jar. Not to be outdone, our generation might pass on a dangerous love of brainless Internet surfing and video-game zombie dom to their offspring, gobbling up combined months or even years of their lives in front of pretty picture screens. Students should watch “Honey.” It won’t be long before some of us are out of college and making babies, and children shouldn’t be forced to inherit their parents’ bad habits. After four years of Pizza Hut and Instant Messenger, we all have a few less than-desirable traits. Kids need to be booted outside for a few rounds of ^fcowboys and Indians or running from cootie-infected ^L>oys. Give them carrots instead of carrot cake. Be a real parent when the time comes. If directly caused by parents, childhood obesity is a form of physical abuse. IT’S VOUR RIGHT Voice your opinion on message boards at www.dailygamecock.com or send letters to the editor at gamecockopinions@gumt.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 JACKIE ALEXANDER Assistant News Editor JOSHUA RABON Viewpoints Editor BRINDY McNAIR Assistant Viewpoints Editor AARON BRAZIER The Mix Editor ALEXIS ARNONE Assistant Mix Editor KRISTEN TRUESDALE Sports Editor STEPHEN FASTENAU •sistant Sports Editor EX RILEY Photo Editor NICK ESARES Assistant Photo Editor KATY BLALOCK Public Relations Director ROSE GREENE Page Designers MIKE CONWAY, MEGAN SINCLAIR StaffWriters AJ. BEMBRY, TOM BENNING, JESS DAVIS, TIM MCMANUS, MARJORIE RIDDLE, GINA VASSELLI Copy Editors CAROLINE DESANCTIS, BETHANY NICHOLS, ELIZABETH PARHAM, JAMISON TINSLEY, KRYSTi WEBBER, LIZ WHITE CONTACT INFORMATION Offices located on the thirdfloor of the Russell House Editor’s office hours are from 2-3 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays Editor: gamecockeditor@gwm.sc.edu News: gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu Viewpoints: gamecockopinions@gwm.sc.edu Use Mix: gamecockfratures@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 SCOn LINDENBERG faculty Adviser ERIK COLLINS Business Manager CAROLYN GRIFFIN Advertising Manager SARAH SCARBOROUGH Classifieds Manager SHERRY F. HOLMES Production Manager C. NEIL scon Advertising APRYL ALEXANDER, KATIE CUPPIA, BREANNA EVANS, MARY RACHEL FREEMAN, DEIDRE merrick, mckenzie WELSH Creative Services MIKE CONWAY, JOSEPH DANNELLY, LAURA JOYCE- : GOUGH, MARGARET LAW, MEGHAN WHITMAN t | 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 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 o/THE GAMECOCK. The Department of Student Media is the newspapers parent organization. THE GAMECOCK is supported in part by student-activity fees. One free copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchasedfor $1 each from the Department of Student Media. WrnNGTOR THEBISONE HURRiCANE SEASON 2006 Courtesy KRT Campus Brangelinas baby decision raises questions Celebrities’ intentions imperative for choice to have African child Not only is she saving third-world babies, but she’s actually giving birth to one. Angelina Jolie declared she will deliver her baby in the developing country of Namibia. Everyone’s favorite busty humanitarian and Brad Pitt, her hunky non husband, wooed the press once more. How absolutely luxurious. While millions of immigrants are trying to gain permanent and legal residence within our borders, the Jolie Pitt tribe has decided to offshore their first child’s birth. I suppose, in terms of the developing world and Africa, Namibia is just as good a place as any. There have to be motives involved. A source close to the Jolie Pitt coalition said they wanted to have the baby “in a place where they can also make a statement.” Making a statement they are, but what exactly are they trying to say? First of all, getting knocked up in Hollywood just seems to be so de rigueur these days. When Jolie delivers her baby on African soil, is she committing to African medical facilities as well? Or maybe they’ll fly in American and European doctors? TEClfl Almost a IRRRHOSHV 5Tuarte.r. °f c , Namibia s oecona-year public citizens are relations infected with student HIV, so if the delivery goes awry and she requires a .transfusion, she better be careful. Namibians make less than $200 a month on average, which by African standards is high, but how much are the nurses that are cleaning and caring for her precious, white baby really earning? Or will they do this in truly grande ex-patriot style? They are well on their wav, having rented out an entire resort on the coast for two months, which they’re using as a base-camp between safaris with Maddox, Jolie’s adopted son. What will this mean for the people of Namibia? According to The Associated Press, residents are already complaining of the excessive security measures taken to protect the couple’s privacy. Will this shed some light on the HIV/AIDS epidemic plaguing the area? Or will it offer only false hope from flashbulbs and celebrity journalists that will attract to the story like moths to a flame? What will happen when all those journalists pack up after the Jolie Pitt partnership decides to move on? And the adoptions of the two older children, little Zahara and Maddox — do Brad and Angie know what they are in for? My little brother is adopted, and he’s of a different race. He was a novelty and really cute when he was tiny, but now he is big and black and has been raised in an entirely white world. My family experiences the implications of society’s harsh racial barriers every day. They aren’t easy to abrogate. I wonder if they realize how cruel and racist the world can be. Lest I forget that Jolie and Pitt have the bucks to shield all that. Maddox, Zahara and Baby Namibia will be raised as Ritz dwelling humanitarians. They’ll relish their Technicolor dreamcoat of a family. They’ll continue to grace our front pages for years to come. There is a deep and vibrant beauty in the third world; I know, I’ve lived there. Spending time in other places — even the sick countries where people are hurting — is essential to one’s personal and spiritual development. In choosing to deliver their baby deep in poor, hot, ailing Africa, I only hope that they have the best intentions in mind. IN YOUR OPINION i'Newspaper suuuiu cover official stories I am quite disappointed that The Gamecock made no mention of a report from The Associated Press from Friday that the Social Security numbers of 1,400 students were . accidentally attached to an e-mail and sent to other students. According to The Associated Press, USC “officials are advising students to watch their credit reports,” yet no such advisement appeared in The Gamecock. University spokesman Russ McKinney noted, “There have been a handful that were rather upset that this may have ' happened.” A handful? Maybe that is because only a handful know what happened. i ms story was significant enough to warrant the attention of the Associated Press, CNN, Fox News, and others, yet The Gamecock found it lacking in significance to deserve a column in Monday’s edition? Were the editors pressured or instructed by university officials to hold the story? If the student newspaper is subject to review by university officials who can veto negative stories, then why should students put their trust in it as a source of news? Some may argue that the university needs time to get the situation under control before the students are informed, or that students should just assume that the administration is taking me proDiem seriously. Yet, this is not how those same individuals would argue that newspapers, such as The State and The New York Times, should cover the state government or the Bush Administration. The government does not get a pass or a few days to get (its) problems under control before stories are written and published, usually on the front page. If The Gamecock is merely a pawn of the university administration that does not have the courage to report the truth about good and bad happenings at USC, the students have a right to know. BRAD LEAKE Second-year political science student Winners & Sinners New York Sen. Charles Schumer called for a ^ federal investigation fe* into allegations against P* oil companies’ alleged malpractices. Former Bush supporter Neil Young pulls a Kerry 0 with “Living with War,” an album with a track called “Let’s Impeach the President.” Before bailing beware, of bad possibilities, others feelings Show courtesy, follow unspoken rules when dumping boy/girlfriend I’m sorry, but this just isn’t really working out right now. I don’t know. Maybe I need a little time for me, •_ but I just can’t do this. We need some time "apart. Yeah, getting dumped sucks. T\ _ ___ ‘ _ _ L , . _| i-t u in pint; LIZ someone you WHITE care for, or Second-year once cared for> print sucks too. Both journalism are hazards of student being in adult, romantic relationships. So, if we are going to continue to make -our lives complicated with the muck of breakups, I think there should be some rules. After all, you don’t want to be someone’s worst breakup story. I wrote about breaking up already, but with summer just around the weekend and study abroad approaching, getting dumped is in the back of everyone’s brain. First of all, never, ever breakup with someone online, on the phone or in a Post-it note. If you’re going to break my heart, have the decency to do it in person; iwxv xxx xxx y v y vu »» 11v.11 y w u break my heart. AIM was not created to make it easier on the dumper. If you start having “single” thoughts, don’t string your significant other along. Don’t wait a month trying to figure it out. Let me in on this secret. Don’t postpone until a birthday, Valentine’s Day or any other holiday that could someday make the list of worst breakups ever. Like most other things in life, it’s all in the timing. And dumping someone on a birthday is just cruel and selfish. So think about it. - Remember Scar’s song from “The Lion King” and be prepared. Don’t just blurt it out. No one likes mumblers. “This isn’t working,” doesn’t work for me. Know how and why. It saves headaches and possibly heartaches in the end. Once you know which words to use to break my heart;, why you no longer see me in your future and when you’re going to let me down lightly, don’t touch me. No hugs, kisses or anything else. You’re not entitled to one last goodbye. If you’re going to do it, take Nike’s advice and “just do it.” If I’m getting dumped, I want to spend as little time with you as possible. So, come in, say what you have to say and get the hell out of my life. It’s really sad that when I ask a room full of twenty somethings about their worst breakup, everyone seems to have a story that will make you cringe. Those guys (and girls) are still out there, dating unknowing other significant others. And that unsuspecting, future victim has no clue that he’s the one that dumps girls on AIM after two weeks once he’s met his next victim. Save us a squirmy conversation, and be decent when you bail. Let’s not leave a dusty road of broken hearts in our past and just show care to someone you once cared for. We are your recommendations for the future. __