The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, April 19, 2006, Page 13, Image 13
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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
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SINCLAIR
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BENNING, JESS DAVIS,
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BETHANY NICHOLS,
ELIZABETH PARHAM,
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WEBBER, LIZ WHITE
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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. __