Skip to main content

The Daily Gamecock 1/21/15

Page 1

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2015

Benjamin makes ‘Columbia’s promise’

Elisabeth Noblet / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Benjamin laid out his plans for his next year in office, promising education and jobs to Columbia citizens.

Lauren Shirley @SURELYLAUREN

Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin spoke of the city’s advancements in 2014 to a nearly full ballroom Tuesday night. Columbia has seen an extreme cut in total crime over the past four years, he said in the annual State of the Cit y

Address, and police salaries have been increased. Ranging from expanded youth and city sports to extending full employment benefits to samesex couples, the advancements Benjamin spoke of weren’t just economic, but also community-based, as well. He talked about budget cut money being SeeCITYPAGE3

From miscroscope to camera: student exhibits ocean beauty

VOL. 116, NO. 72 • SINCE 1908

Gamecocks fall to 1-4 in SEC after Tennessee thwarts late comeback Brennan Doherty @BRENNAN_DOHERTY

Moral victories just don’t cut it anymore. South Carolina’s woes continued Tuesday night as the Gamecocks lost to Tennessee 6662 at the Colonial Life Arena, dropping the Gamecocks to 1-4 in SEC play. The Gamecocks, who haven’t won against Tennessee since Feb. 17, 2007, have now lost 15 straight matchups with the Volunteers. Trailing by 13 points with only 3:17 remaining in the second half, the Gamecocks mounted a massive rally and South Carolina came within two points after a tip-in by junior power forward Michael Carrera to make the score 64-62. After Tennessee senior shooting guard Josh Richardson split a pair of free throws to make the score 65-62, South Carolina sophomore shooting guard Justin McKie nearly tied the game, but his three-point attempt rimmed in and out. The Volunteers were able to hold off South Carolina from that point. The night didn’t start off well for South Carolina as the Gamecocks struggled on offense against Tennessee’s zone defense. Ten of South Carolina’s first 14 possessions resulted in either a turnover or a missed three-pointer. Meanwhile, the Volunteers shot an outstanding 44.4 percent from three-point range in the first half, and led by as many as eight points. However, South Carolina freshman point guard Marcus Stroman injected some life into the Gamecocks off the bench. Stroman hit the Gamecocks’ first threepointer of the night and that kickstarted a 10-2 run for South Carolina to tie the game at 22-22. As the first half went on, the Gamecocks stopped settling for fewer long-range, started to attack the rim, and extended possessions by crashing the boards. South Carolina had seven offensive rebounds in the first half alone. St ill, t he G amecock s had a tough t ime stopping the Volunteers’ inside-out offense, as Tennessee ended the fi rst half on a 9-4 run to lead 31-26 at halftime. Tennessee head coach Donnie Tyndall’s team picked up right where they left off, and started the second half off with a 23-11 run. Ju n ior p oi nt g u a rd K e v i n P u nter a nd Richardson led Tennessee with 13 points apiece while junior power forward A rmani Moore scored in double-digits as well with 11 points. As a team, Tennessee shot 57.5 percent from the field, including a 55.6 percent mark from three-point range. South Carolina’s rally began with a pair of three-pointers by sophomore small forward Sindarius Thornwell, and McKie. Thornwell led the Gamecocks with 17 points. As a team, South Carolina shot just 34.4 percent from the field. Moving on, South Carolina will host No. 1 Kentucky at Colonial Life Arena on Saturday at noon.

Courtesy of Julia Bennett

USC student Julia Bennett was awarded an exhibit at CMA for winning USC’s Portfolio Photography Review.

Emily Olyarchuk and Erika Ryan @TDG_ARTS

Plent y of science st udent s show their f indings in leng t hy research papers, but Ju lia Ben net t, a fou r t hyear marine science st udent, combined research, her love of photography and the beauty of the ocean to create an awardwinning portfolio. A s par t of w in n ing USC’s Portfolio Photography Review, B e n n e t t ’s p h o t o s a r e n o w on d isplay at t he Colu mbia Museum of Art. The opening

reception of her exhibit “Into the Umbra” took place Tuesday, Jan. 20. After she received a Magellan Scholarship, Bennett used it to fund her research in marine photography while studying at the University of Queensland in Australia during the spring of 2014. Th roughout t he semester, Ben net t worked w it h t he Integrated Marine Observing System to br i ng her project to l ife. Ben net t’s col lect ion captures microscopic planktons’ abstract arrangements to draw

a con nec t ion bet ween t he unknown and outer space. “I a m rea l ly i nterested i n abstraction as a way to engage a n aud ience t h at ot her w ise wouldn’t be engaged,” Bennett said. “People are really curious when they see something they don’t understand, which I think is a really effective way to get people to ask quest ions, stay with your images a little longer and care a little more.” Ben net t aims to engage audiences with the ocean and to remind them of its beauty with SeeBENNETTPAGE4

Kamila Melko / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Sophomore Sindarius Thornwell scored 17 points, which led the Gamecocks Tuesday night.

See page 8 for more shots from last night’s men’s basketball game


2

Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Editor-in-Chief HANNAH JEFFREY Managing Editor SAMANTHA LOCKWOOD Online Editor KATIE COLE Design Director BRITTANY WILT Special Sections Director KELLY VILLWOCK Copy Desk Chiefs DREW MUELLER MARY KATE GARMIRE EMILY READY Photo Editors KAMILA MELKO HANNAH CLEAVELAND News Editor NATALIE PITA Features Editor LOIS CARLISLE Arts & Culture Editors BELVIN OLASOV ERIKA RYAN Opinion Editors BENJAMIN CRAWFORD KATHLEEN SCHIPANO Sports Editor DAVID ROBERTS Assistant Photo Editor CODY SCOGGINS Assistant Design Director BIANCA CORREA Arts Design Director GREY KLEIN Sports Design Director RACHAEL MCGAHEE Assistant News Editors LAUREN SHIRLEY MADELEINE COLLINS Assistant Sports Editors BRENNAN DOHERTY KELLI CALDWELL Copy Editors DEBBIE CLARK, CHELSEA MORRIS, KELLY ELLIOTT, KEVIN KEATING, MADELEINE VATH, MARY HINNANT, SETH ISMAIL, RANA SOBEIH Faculty Adviser DOUG FISHER

Man convicted of attempting to fly drone into prison sentenced to 15 years Brenton Lee Doyle was sentenced to 15 years in jail after he pleaded guilty to using a drone to smuggle contraband into Lee Correctional Institution, a high security South Carolina prison, according to The State. In April 2014, officers found the drone crashed in the bushes outside of the prison walls. Officers found phones, tobacco, marijuana and synthetic marijuana — all items prohibited in the prison. Corrections officials began to install new surveillance towers in December as a response to the threat of drones. In an attempt to decrease contraband at the prison, thermal imaging cameras were installed around the compound. —Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor

DSS reaches settlement in child-support lawsuit

Interim Student Media Director SARAH SCARBOROUGH Business Manager KRISTINE CAPPS Creative Director EDGAR SANTANA Production Manager DEGAN CHEEK Creative Services ASHLEY CROMPTON RANNAH DERRICK LINA LEGARE KODY KRATZER Student Advertising Manager AMBER GRANT Advertising Representatives DAVID CHEETHAM, THOMAS DIGENNARO, MICHELE DRESSLER, DREW HART, IAN PEACOCK, ERIN O’CONNELL, HOLLY HEATON, WRIGHT CLARKSON, JOSHUA DAVISON

South Carolina has paid $73 million in fines and will receive $39 million in order to settle a lawsuit regarding the unfinished computer system for collecting unpaid child support from the Department of Social Services, according to The State. The $39 million could go towards the next stage in developing the child support enforcement system if lawmakers approve it. The program could take up to four more years to complete. It was announced Tuesday that the Department of Social Services reached a settlement with Hewlett-Packard, a vendor recently hired to finish the system. The system has been under development since 1992 after Congress passed a law requiring states to build a statewide system to enforce the collection of child support payments. Fines have been racking up since 1998. —Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor

The Daily Gamecock is the editorially independent student newspaper

Garden commemorates late West Columbia city council leader

of the University of South Carolina. It is published daily 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 Daily Gamecock are those of editors or author and not those of the University of South Carolina. The Board of Student Publications and Communications is the publisher of The Daily Gamecock. The Department of Student Media

A garden was commemorated to Abby Bray, a late West Columbia city councilman, Tuesday in Lexington County, according to The State. Bray played a large role in adopting a no-kill policy for stray animals in Lexington County and helped inspire the city council to take action. Bray died in May 2013 after serving as a city leader for little more than a year. His goal was to improve the city’s parks, and his ambition convinced the other members of city council to take on the issue. The garden is located near the Congaree River at Carraway Park. The playground equipment was provided by county recreation officials, and officials at the Riverbanks Zoo and Garden created the garden’s design and greenery. —Madeleine Collins, Assistant News Editor

is the newspaper’s parent organization. The Daily 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.

dailygamecock.com INFORMATION Offices located on the third floor of Russell House EDITOR editor@dailygamecock.com NEWS news@dailygamecock.com OPINION viewpoints@dailygamecock.com

ARTS & CULTURE mix@dailygamecock.com SPORTS sports@dailygamecock.com PHOTO photo@dailygamecock.com

Newsroom: 777-7726

CORRECTIONS

Editor’s office: 777-3914

If you find an error in today’s edition of The Daily Gamecock, let us know about it. Email editor@ dailygamecock.com and we will print the correction in our next issue.

$

YOU JUST BLEW 10,000. Buzzed. Busted. Broke.

Check out

The Newsroom

Get caught, and you could be paying around $10,000 in fines, legal fees and increased insurance rates.

We’ll be there! dailygamecock.com/blog/newsroom

Buzzed driving is drunk driving. buzzeddriving.adcouncil.org


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

CITYPAGE1 restored to the arts, “as promised.” Benjamin assured the audience he would encourage arts and culture development within the Columbia and make the city “truly seamless” in nature. “The state of our city isn’t just strong, it’s explosive,” he said. But his most important focus — his goal for the city — laid in the people of Columbia. When it comes to the new year, Benjamin said that 2015 would be a time dedicated to the citizens of Columbia. He imagined a future where the people of Columbia could choose a better life, as he voiced his concerns about homelessness, pover t y a nd wages i n t he cit y. Benjamin was adamant, saying he believes a person shouldn’t work full time only to continue living in poverty — in 2015, he plans on raising the minimum wages for city employees to exceed the current $10.10 threshold. “I ask you to help me f u lf il l Columbia’s promise because right now in Columbia over 24 percent of our fellow citizens live in poverty and nearly a quarter of them are

children,” he said. Benjamin recognized the poverty issue both within Columbia and across the state and urged the city to help him change it. “Let us make t his prom ise today — Columbia’s Promise — that if you’re willing to work hard, cont r ibute to you r com mu n it y and respect others you deserve a quality education, a good job and a living wage,” he said, “that your circumstance should not determine your success and that, regardless of whatever past sins you carry with you, if you’re looking to change your life for the better, we will do ever ything within our power to help you reach your goals.” Benjamin urged the audience to stand with him on this platform to support the people of the city of Columbia t hrough 2015 and beyond. “One hundred and f ift y years ago this cit y was burned to the ground. But we have risen from the ashes and we will continue to rise. Because we are a great city,” Benjamin said. “We are Columbia. And our time is now.”

Find a free training class near you. Text CONNECT to 30364 or call 1-855-EVRY1ON.

powered by

© 2013 EveryoneOn

Elisabeth Noblet / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Benjamin spoke to an almost-full ballroom Tuesday night for the State of the City.

STUDENT ORGANIZATION

FAIR

On Greene Street January 21st 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

GET INVOLVED

MEET PEOPLE

HAVE FUN

T&Cs and privacy policy: http://www.eprize.com/terms Message and data rates may apply.

@thegamecock

3


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

4

From the desk of

Wood Thrush Toucan Say That Again Wednesdays 10:00 a.m. - noon Since time immemorial, people have revered the Sun — giver of light, bringer of morning. My show, “Toucan Say That Again,” doesn’t really have anything to do with that, other than the fact that it takes place Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to noon. On that note, “Toucan Say That Again” doesn’t have much to do with anything other than my own constantly shifting tastes and sometimes spur-ofthe-moment musical choices, trying its best to cover the range of sounds I find myself drawn to any given week. That said, I feel like this set, which aired last week, represents a moment of growth in my DJing career, achieving a smooth flow of songs without sacrificing its unique, personal side.

Badly Mixed Beats Vol. 1 anonymous The Candle Deep Puddle Dynamics Time: The Donut of the Heart J. Dilla Whale Song Lemolo What Does Your Soul Look Like (Part 4) DJ Shadow Stickerbrush Symphony Devin Taylor King Fish Sun Kil Moon Dusk Television Show Dusk Warrior On The Ground Rubblebucket Borrowed Time Parquet Courts North Dakota Thrush Hermit Spanish Evening Dusk Warrior You Took Your Time ft. King Krule Mount Kimbie Inspector Norse Todd Terje

Caleb Franklin / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Julia Bennett took the photos on display at Columbia Museum of Art while studying abroad in Australia. BENNETTPAGE1 her portfolio. And if she could take it one step f urt her, she’d add in t he dangers of ocean pollution. She grew up in landlocked Philadelphia, but that never stopped her from developing a strong connection with the ocean, especially since her grandfather was a lifelong sailor. “The ocean was sort of always a constant in my life,” Bennett said. She got her start in photography in high school, but Bennett immersed herself even f urther when she came to college. For her, a creative outlet like photography is a great stress reliever from her rigorous marine science courses. She originally worked with black and white film photography but switched to digital for this project to better portray the view through a microscope. “I was always doing photography and marine science simultaneously but separately,” she said. “This is the fi rst time I have been able to bridge them.” Her experience with plankton during her second marine science class is what struck her interest in the microscopic aspect of the ocean’s

To Here Knows When My Bloody Valentine Heatherwood Deerhunter Shell of Light Burial Oblivion Grimes Easy Son Lux

SeeBENNETTPAGE5

‘Panda’ settles into niche with psychedelic, dubstep album “Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper” Release Date: Jan. 13 Artist: Panda Bear Label: Domino Duration: 51 minutes

C+

Lauren Galida @TDG_ARTS

Silver Caribou

grandeur — she said she was “blown away by the details” and gave her an idea of what the ocean really looked like. It can be tempting, she said, but Bennett avoids editing the images so as to preserve the ocean’s natural beauty. Light is manipulated within the microscope to create the vibrant images and reflection is used to create some of the abstract shapes in her photos. “Most of this was all new to me, too,” she said. “It was sort of an experiment.” As a marine science student, Bennett feels passionately about protecting the ocean from pollution — her photography exhibit is not only to showcase nature’s beauty, but also its fragility. For her, calling attention to the ocean’s majesty doesn’t stop wit h her photography — she’s looking to build a career protecting the sea. “ I t h i n k t h at work i ng i n some k i nd of conservation field would be good for combining my pa s s ion for photog r aphy a nd m a r i ne science,” she said. “It just is important to me that I’m making work that I care about, and I’m conveying messages that I feel are important.” Ben net t’s por t fol io is on d isplay i n t he Columbia Museum of Art’s Community Gallery.

Music lovers tend to associate dub step a nd elect ron ic music with beat drops, harsh s y nt he si z er s a nd ex plo sive lyrics, but Panda Bear (Noah Lennox) has proven to be the psychedelic slow jam of t he electronic world. E x per i ment a l mu sic ia n Pa n d a B e a r ’s s o l o , s t u d io a lbu m “ Pa nd a B e a r Me et s Grim Reaper,” which celebrates death, dropped January 9. “I suppose it sounds like a mixture of the last two albums a little bit,” Lennox said at an interview with the music blog Seventh Hex. “This one has more of a sense of humor and is a bit more playful.” The albu m consist s of mudd led ly r ic s w it h too int ricately layered of beats. T he r e a r e s o m a n y l a y e r s overf lowing with energy and

color, one can barely make out the lyrics of the songs. The stor y and message tr ying to be com mu n ic ated become s lo st a nd t he song is solely an interesting mix of sounds instead of a melodic narrative. The Surrealist dream-like melod ies ca n be at t r ibuted as a unique characteristic of Panda Bear’s sound. This is ideal background music for any trippy adventure. Despite the exclusive feel to the songs, many of t hem a ren’t memorableeit her because t hey are not worth remembering or because few of the lyrics are heard and retained. The melodies are

repetitive and muff led by all sorts of samples, drum cuts, and other instruments. One of the weaker songs is “Butcher Baker Candle Stick M a ker ” wh ic h is pa i n f u l ly redu nda nt . T here a re on ly four versus that are repeated over and over again. “Lonely Wanderer” works in the same way. Genuine sadness cannot be communicated through the static burst of sounds and sappy melody. A not her repet it ive song is “Acid Wash” that gets old very quickly. The lyrics are SeePANDAPAGE5

Courtesy of Domino Records

As a part of Animal Collective, Panda Bear started a solo career in 1998.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015 5

PANDAPAGE4

BENNETTPAGE4 T he mu seu m of fers st udent admission for $5 and free admission on Sundays. “I would like to give students the advice to not be afraid if they are interested in t wo seemingly

opposite things, to bridge them,” Bennett said. “[You] shouldn’t be afraid to go after things ... You don’t have to pick just one interest.”

Caleb Franklin / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Bennett’s exhibit “Into the Umbra” is on display in CMA’s Community Gallery. Courtesy of Domino Records

Release in January, “Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper” is Panda Bear’s fifth album. long and drawn out maybe to appear as if there is more content then there actually is. For the final song, it wasn’t much of a finale. If you’re one to appreciate a musician’s lyrical prowess, this may not be the album for you. The sta nd out song f rom t h is album is def initely “M r. Noah”. This trippy, fast paced track is one of the album’s redeeming qualities. So many different elements are pieced together to produce an interesting c o l l a g e o f s o u n d s . “ Tr o p i c o f Cancer” utilizes a sample of a harp

TDG

from “The Nutcracker” which adds a light, refreshing burst of authenticity in the track. “Crosswords” is very catchy and the song most likely to make you get up and dance. This is very much a niche album for the psychedelic soul that overlaps different music styles, prerecorded samples, and raw music to create Panda Bear’s unique sound. While is music may not be loved by everyone, h is i nt r icate song- const r uc t i ng technique can be appreciated by everyone.

Private Bedrooms & Bathrooms + Furnished Apartments + Private Storage Closets Full-Sized Washer and Dryer + Electricity Included with Generous Cap + Cable TV High-Speed Internet + Trash Removal + 24 Hour Maintenance + Gated Community Individual Leases + Pool & Hot Tub + Hammock Garden + Sand Volleyball Court Basketball Court + Tanning Bed + Fitness Center

StadiumSuites @StadiumSuites

@thegamecock

112 Silo Court Columbia, SC 29201 803.779.3280 scsuites.com


Wednesday, January 21, 2015 6

Haley shows guts on ethics reform after scandals Ben Turner Third-year print journalism student Gov. Nikki Haley took office last week on the steps of the Statehouse surrounded by a dark cloud of scandal. Haley acknowledged this cloud, saying it had shaken the soul of the state. Just that moment, former State Senator Robert Ford was pleading guilty to four counts of misuse of funds. After leaving the courtroom, Ford declared defiantly, “I ain’t no damn crook.” That seems to be the prevailing attitude about ethics in South Carolina politics these days — there is no shame and no common sense. Last fall, Speaker of the House Bobby Harrell resigned after pleading guilty to six counts of misusing campaign funds. Nikki Haley’s fi rst Lt. Gov. Ken Ard pled guilty to seven counts after he resigned. Her predecessor Mark Sanford paid the largest fine in state history to settle an investigation against him. Haley herself was investigated for ethics violations. Although she was cleared in some and settled others, opponents have continued to hammer her for being another dirty politician in the vein of all the others of the last few years in the state. Given her issues, it was a breath of fresh air that Haley herself sounded the call for major reform in her inaugural address. “The people of South Carolina deserve more from us. They deserve honest service,” she said. It sounds simple, but it seems to have been forgotten by the top politicians in this state. She cited her administration’s “duty to restore to the people of South Carolina their faith in their government.” Not everyone was so impressed. “She’s like Barry Bonds talking about reforming performance enhancing drugs in baseball,” said Todd Rutherford, the House Minority Leader. I think, however, that her past questionable history makes it impressive that she is willing to take on this issue. Rather than antagonize the legislature like Sarah Palin did in Alaska, or remain defiant like Robert Ford, she is seeking meaningful change despite the inevitable attacks that will come her way. It remains to be seen whether any significant reforms will come of Haley’s rhetoric. Ethics reform has died in the legislature recently and it will not sail through the current session. However, by calling out politicians — including herself — Haley has shown that she is acutely aware of the wave of corruption that has washed over South Carolina. She sounds ready to do something about it.

HANNAH JEFFREY

EMILY READY

CODY SCOGGINS

ERIKA RYAN

Editor-in-Chief

Copy Desk Chief

Photo Editor

Arts & Culture Editor

SAMANTHA LOCKWOOD

BIANCA CORREA

BEN TURNER

DAVID ROBERTS

Managing Editor

Asst. Design Director

Asst. Opinion Editor

Sports Editor

Benjamin’s vision for Columbia vague on university’s role in city The theme of Mayor Steve Benjamin’s state of the city address was a promise he made to Columbia. “If you’re willing to work hard, contribute to your communit y and respect others you deser ve a quality education, a good job and a living wage.” Quality education was something Benjamin focused on, as he championed a philosophy that “you can’t be a great city without great schools.” Benjamin proceeded to call for pay raises for public school teachers, tout school lunch programs and call for educational incentives. Nothing against the city schools — they are certainly a foundation of the city’s success or failure. But our question for the mayor is this: what about USC? And for that matter, what about any of the other higher education institutions in the city? USC was only mentioned twice in the speech, and no Columbia colleges were mentioned.

ISSUE Mayor makes promise to city of Columbia OUR STANCE How does USC fit in with that promise?

Benjamin did cite the partnership between the city, IBM, Fluor and the university in starting the Center for Applied Research. He also cited the difficulty poor students might face in paying tuition at the university. However, he failed to tie in his larger vision for the city with USC and higher education in general. Last year’s state of the city address focused on all the positives in the city, as the mayor proclaimed that the city “shined.” Those successes are part of the promise that Columbia offers, including USC. The school is a large part of the economy, culture and fabric of Columbia. The relationship works both ways, as the city affects the students, staff and faculty that make up our institution. Along with successes, we share our struggles with the city and those should be addressed as well. Benjamin asked us to “imagine if we made education a true priority in this city.” Education doesn’t just mean the city’s public schools — it means thousands of students calling Columbia home while they strive for the same promise that Benjamin says the city offers. We agree with the promise, we just ask — how does USC fit in?

Morality not dependent on religion Ben Crawford Second-year English and Russian student This is a response to Mr. Terry Burgess’s Letter to the Editor that ran on Jan. 14, 2015. The most prescient phrase in the history of religion, in my view, isn’t the “turning cheek” doctrine of masochistic pacifism. Neither is the “Golden Rule” attributed to Jesus, but actually crafted long before by Chinese thinkers. No, the one that stands out to me the most comes from an obscure 14th century German church figure: Dietrich of Nieheim. The reason we remember him is a quote printed in preface to the second part of Arthur Koestler’s “Darkness at Noon”: “When the existence of the Church is threatened, she is released from the commandments of morality. With unity as the end, the use of every means is sanctified, even deceit, treachery, violence, usury, prison and death.” That is all this hedge-priest version of Fyodor Dostoevsky’s Grand Inquisitor ever needed to say. If a religion’s existence feels threatened, than anything is justified in working towards its survival. As Mr. Burgess says, religion is “very susceptible to being used for nefarious purposes because it claims to have the ultimate source of power and truth.” I would suggest that claiming to have the ultimate authority over all others (an inherent religious trait, no matter what bleating moderates may say) is a thought that will always lead to violence in the long run. When one has the truth in hand, the murder of

French cartoonists that offend the truth isn’t a huge logical step. The difference between our two stances is that Mr. Burgess believes religion “is used” for evil, while I hold that anyone who is able to believe, with certainty, that they posses the final revelation is also capable of overcoming our inborn human decency to protect that revelation. In this way, the stepladder toward fanaticism is built into faith-based religious thinking. An inborn tendency towards evil taints the entire enterprise of religion. Mr. Burgess then suggests turning to the religious texts themselves, and not the actions of its believers, to find the moral pulse of each religion. I will be the first to say that not all religious ways of thought are necessarily morally bankrupt (although I could list many, many instances). But, as every person knows, religious texts can be followed or not followed at any time. The various modern Christian denominations show a pick-andchoose mentality when it comes to the word of God. Notice how every religious denomination not currently being hunted by the police follows the specific policies that fit into today’s society and leaves the “stoning witches and queer people” behind. Christian morality adopts its precepts by regular human morality and crudely writes its name on it. Religion a la carte, if you will. As moderate believers won’t choose to follow laws that command murder, extremists will ignore injunctions against murder. As for moral standards: the simple ones — don’t murder or rape children, don’t mutilate what doesn’t need to be mutilated, don’t steal other people’s stuff — come to us naturally. We are selfish, sure, but we are also able to work together for our mutual interests. Unless it is chased out by horrible abuse in childhood, empathy is in our nature. Were this not the case, we would have murdered each other for our food, and have died out long, long ago. Morality, empathy and self-sacrifice in higher primates is well

documented, and, as far as we know, they haven’t made any religions lately. The mistake Mr. Burgess makes is to conflate the first (and worst) system of thought humans developed for the origin of morality. Just because we can’t remember a time when neither morality nor religion existed doesn’t mean that they are related. In fact, the opposite is the case. Who would be complicit in their daughter’s female circumcision unless they believed that there was an ordinance for it from God? Who would murder satirists unless they believed they had a divine warrant? As to his point on the number of atheistic regimes that had committed unprecedented evil, I believe Mr. Burgess misses a central point: just because one doesn’t have religion doesn’t mean one is necessarily good. You can be an atheist and a sadist at the same time. Humanism isn’t necessarily implied from irreligion. But the basis of Western society, the origins of the “progressive moral standards” which I mentioned, are built on the backs of people like Baruch Spinoza, John Locke, Thomas Paine, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and many others. The founders of our government simply did not need the folksy parables of Jesus or the demented ranting of John. They didn’t need to consult any world religious leaders, who, by Mr. Burgess’s logic, would know morality best. All they needed were their own faculties and a cooperative vision for the future. Thinkers, not priests, built the kind of society that Charlie Hebdo was created by and stood for. I am not “using” their murder by pointing out that religion is the reason they were murdered. (At least, no more than your inclusion of Stalin’s victims in your article “uses” those people.) The sooner we recognize what we are up against — the desperate actions of mankind’s oldest ghost to stay relevant — the easier it will be to stand up against it. My “personal vendetta,” Mr. Burgess, should be yours as well.


Wednesday, January 21, 2015 7

HOUSING

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

EMPLOYMENT

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Lovely condo at Place on the Greene Lovely 2 bdrm/2ba condo avail 8/1/15 Close to everything/ 5 min walk to campus. $525 a person Fully equipped with W/D, all kitch appliances. Lovely view, oversized rooms. Hardwood floors. Cute condo! Very quiet. Nice place to call home. WON’T LAST LONG! Call/text Mike @413-2516 or E to adzonni@aol.com Txs! includes water/parking Email adzonni@aol.com

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is looking for enthusiastic, dedicated undergraduate students to assist with recruitment this year by calling prospective students, admitted students and their parents. Applicants should possess strong communication skills, enthusiasm for USC, good work ethic, professionalism, and basic computer and telephone skills. Students are required to work a minimum of two nights per week during the hours of 5:00pm to 9:00pm Monday through Thursday throughout the school year, except on University holidays. Telecounseling pays $7.50/ hr, and training begins on Tuesday, February 3rd. Applications are available in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions located on the Horseshoe in Lieber College starting Monday, January 12, 2015. Application deadline: Wednesday, January 21st at 5:00pm. For more information, please call Alexandra Scovel at 803-777-9106.

Why USC? Gamecock Connection Positions Available Tell us why you love USC! The Office of Undergraduate Admissions is looking for enthusiastic, dedicated students to assist with recruiting prospective students at Admissions special events. In this role you can share your love for USC with prospective students, admitted students and their parents. Applicants should possess strong communication skills, enthusiasm for USC, good work ethic, and professionalism. We are looking for volunteers to assist with Admissions events this spring, and there will be a mandatory training meeting for new members. Applications are available in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions located on the Horseshoe in Lieber College. Application deadline: Monday, February 2nd at 5:00 pm. For more information, please call Alexandra Scovel at 803-7779106.

GAIN VALUABLE MEDICAL EXPERIENCE Well Established, Fast paced Downtown Columbia Medical practice is interviewing for candidates graduating in May and planning to attend medical school. Gain valuable clinical experience while applying to medical school. The ideal candidate will have a 3.6 and higher GPA, graduate in May 2015, superior work ethic and high energy. On the job training while being paid. This job is full time. One year commitment required. Email resume to: guy@ physicianservicessc.com Email guy@ physicianservicessc.com

Work study opportunities available $9 per hour for Under Grads and $10 for Grad Students. WORK-STUDY OFFICE ASSISTANTS @ SC Vocational Rehabilitation Dept. in West Columbia, near the airport, and a couple in Columbia too. Media Arts, Marketing, Education, Sociology & Psychology students desired. Duties vary but may include: filing & organizing, data entry, reception, & operating various office equipment. Must be proficient in Microsoft Office Suite. Must have Work Study Award. Please call Cathy Smith @ 896-6553 for interview. EOE

Aries

Taurus

Rev iew old mater ia l for new ideas over the nex t few week s w it h Mercu r y ret rog rade. Rev ise you r resu me. Old prom i s e s c ou ld c ome b ac k to h au nt you. Double- cou nt the numbers. Advance your career by finding ways to make it more joyful.

Gemini

Leo

Te a m w o r k a n d partnership thrive with nurturing, and provide g reat resu lt s t h is mont h. Bre a kdow n s o c c u r w h e n misunderstandings go unaddressed and fester. Keep communication channels open. S c h e d u le c a r e f u l l y. Avoid st i r r i ng up jealousies. Thank your crew for their unique contributions.

Virgo

You’re on fire at work this month, and there may be some f ires t o put out over t he nex t few week s w it h Mercu r y ret rog rade. M isu nderst a nd i ngs stop the action. Clear t h e m i m m e d i a t e l y. Share written objectives in a visible place.

Libra

The t ravel bug has b it t e n . Br e a k d o w n s and delays provoked by Mercur y’s retrograde d o n’t s c a r e y o u . I t d o e s n’t n e e d t o b e expensive. Allow extra t i me for i ntere st i ng deviations. Get advice f rom someone who’s been there. Study and explore.

Fo r t h e n e x t t h r e e weeks with Sun, New Mo o n a nd Mer c u r y (ret rog rade) i n Aqua r ius, pract ice, pract ice, pract ice. Work out breakdowns and m istakes. Cut costs by simplif y ing. Improve your playing by putting in the time. Us e p er s u a s ion a nd creativity.

There is no shortage of benef it s, if you apply for t hem. A sk for what you want. Do the paperwork early to avoid breakdowns. An oppor t u n it y w i ndow is open now t hat cou ld benef it you r f a m i ly ’s fortune. Do

Home i s w here you hea r t is, especia l ly over t he next few week s. Brea kdow ns i n domest ic project s (especially regarding electronics and appl i a nc e s) c ou ld require attention. Fix t h i ngs before t hey break. Keep your inf rast r uct u re and

the numbers.

systems functioning.

Cancer

Scorpio

Need legal advice? •Landlord-Tenant •Housing •Consumer Protection •Probate Law •Domestic Relations •Employment Law

BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK $189 for 5 Days. All prices include: Round-trip luxury party cruise. Accommodations on the island at your choice of thirteen resorts. Appalachia Travel. www.BahamaSun.com 800-867-5018

PHD • JORGE CHAM

HOROSCOPES Te a m w o r k p o w e r s your project, so spend ex t ra at tent ion on clear communications with Mercur y retrograde for the next few weeks. Things can get lost in translation. Rev iew you r work o v e r h a b it u a l l y. Speak what’s in your h e a r t , s t r a i g ht a n d unvarnished.

TRAVEL Experienced Personal Trainers needed Pt and Ft hours available. Gym is 1 mile from campus. Contact Anne Marie for details 803.799.9455. Email mfulmer44@aol.com

Sagittarius

Establish new channels of communication this month, and keep them clear and operational with vigilance. Resolve m isu ndersta ndings as they occur. Check i n f requent ly w it h s o c i a l ac c ou nt s a nd conversations. You’ve got the gift of words, but they can still get garbled.

Capricorn

T h e r e ’s p l e n t y o f money to be made, a nd oppor t u n it ies ab ou nd . K e ep g o o d records. Review fi nancial statements to catch errors that could arise wit h Mercur y’s retrograde. Track your t i me a nd m at er i a l s . Keep communications clear. Respond to all inquiries.

dailygamecock.com

boots & bows

1/21/15

Aquarius

Merc u r y ret rog r ade breakdowns in confidence could throw you of f you r st r ide. Don’t pay at tent ion to self-doubt. Remind yourself of your own accomplishments and talents. Create a new theme song. Step into power and leadership this month.

Pisces

For about t h ree week s w it h Merc u r y ret rog rade, rev isit you r old med it at ion or yoga program. E njoy nost a lg ia a nd retrospection. Dance to old songs you used to love. You’re gaining wisdom. Think, plan and review your objectives. Prepare for uncharted territory.

Meet with an attorney for a FREE consultation

Current USC students can schedule appointments on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. by calling:

803-777-6611 www.sa.sc.edu/student-legal-services

Mondays & Wednesdays

Student Legal Services University of South Carolina Student Life

This service is provided in partnership with South Carolina Legal Services and funded through the Campus Activity Fee.

01/21/15

1 2 3 4

For solutions to today’s puzzle, go to dailygamecock.com

or download our app!

NOW ACCEPTING

CAROLINA CARD

ACROSS 1 Indian spiced tea 5 Certain PC laptops 9 Attack baked-on grease, say 14 Posterior 15 Ding-a-ling 16 On the __: no charge 17 Hence 18 World’s longest river 19 “Shucks!” 20 “Just lookee here” 23 Plank in a playground 24 “Exodus” actor Mineo 25 “__ you listening to me?” 28 Genie’s offering 31 Blubbered 33 “But it was working when I left!” 36 German eight 38 “As I see it,” in email 39 Like a pretentious museumgoer 40 2000 Mel Gibson film 45 Transparent 46 Clutter-free 47 __-cone: shaved ice dessert 48 Christmas cupful 50 1980 Olivia NewtonJohn/ELO hit 55 Information superhighway whose abbreviation inspired this puzzle’s theme 58 Comic Smirnoff 61 Lake bordering Ohio 62 “__Cop”: 1987 film 63 Trim whiskers 64 Gullible types 65 Gumbo veggie 66 Down the road 67 Manuscript editor’s “Leave it in” 68 You may be ushered to one

DOWN 1 Works on a licorice stick 2 New staffer 3 Protractor measure 4 Fan favorites 5 “Told you so!” 6 Swelter 7 Gangland gal 8 Depicts unfairly, as data 9 Like kiddie pools 10 Monk’s hood 11 Piece on one’s head 12 Take advantage of 13 Blossom buzzer 21 Electric guitar effect 22 Oregon-to-New York direction 25 End abruptly 26 Lessor’s charge 27 On pins and needles 29 Enjoy a dip 30 Studly dudes 32 Stuff in a muffin 33 Hula Hoop manufacturer 34 Start of a 55Across address 35 Sold-out amount 36 Hole-making tools

For solutions to today’s puzzle, go to dailygamecock.com

or download our app!

37 Goatee’s location 41 Persuade 42 Sign of spoilage 43 Most shiny, as a car 44 Ever so slightly 49 Sharon of “Cagney & Lacey” 51 Pianist Peter and a fiddling emperor 52 Came to 53 Messing of “Will & Grace”

54 WWII attacker 55 Used a loom 56 “Phooey!” 57 Use a rag on 58 Pricey handbag letters 59 “Bingo!” 60 Kit __: candy


Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Shots from last night

8

Gamecocks sweep spring season opener Will Helms @WHELMS21

T

Kamila Melko / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Kamila Melko / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

he No. 27 Gamecocks began t heir spring season by winning both matches of their doubleheader over No. 55 Elon and unranked Furman. South Carolina completed a perfect day Sat urday at USC Field hou s e , s we epi n g b ot h singles and doubles. I n bot h matches, t he Gamecocks (2-0) jumped out to a 4-0 lead to clinch wins before y ielding a point. The strong start allowed the Gamecocks to cruise and get experience in before facing No. 30 Stanford this Saturday. However, head coach Josh Goffi saw room for improvement. “We didn’t play great, which is actually comforting,” Goffi said. “We didn’t have to play great — we just trusted our good stuff. That’s really important for me to see as a coach. I hadn’t seen that from a team this early in the season since I’ve been the coach here.” Senior Kyle Koch, ranked as the No. 118 player nationally, began the season strong going a n u ndefeated 4 - 0 i n h is matches. Koch played his two doubles matches from the top slot with fellow senior Thiago Pinheiro, ranked No. 71, as his par t ner. Koch a nd Pi n heiro made quick work of Elon’s top pair, winning 6-1. Shortly after, South Carolina’s duo of redsh ir t f resh men Harrison O’Keefe and Thomas M ay ron ne won t hei r match 6 -3 f rom t he t h i rd double s slot to clinch the point for the Gamecocks. Later i n t he match, Koch won during the No. 2 spot in singles, 6-0, 7-5. O’Keefe also won his match 6-1, 7-6 from t he No. 5 si ngle s p o sit ion. Sophomore and No. 83 ranked Andrew Schafer also made quick work of his opponent from the fourth position, winning 6-2, 7-5 to clinch the match for the G a mecock s. Sen ior A nd rew Adams also played well, winning a point from his No. 3 position, 6-1, 6-4. Pi n hei ro had a tough day i n s i n gle s . He lo s t a s up er tiebreaker in both of his singles

Kamila Melko / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

Senior Kyle Koch was undefeated against Furman Saturday afternoon. matches playing in the top spot. However, he and Koch bot h played well in t heir doubles matches. The Gamecocks only gave up four points total, winning both matches by a score of 5-2. Of the four points given up, three came in super tiebreakers. Against Furman, the Gamecocks won their doubles point easily. Koch and Pinheiro won 6-2 from the top slot while Adams and Schafer won 6 -1 from the third spot. I n si ngle s , K o c h , A d a m s , Schafer a nd May ron ne a l l defeated their Paladin opponents

in straight sets. Pinheiro and Mayronne each yielded points in close matches. The team will have the week t o prep a re a s t he y he ad t o Gainsville, Florida on Jan. 24 for ITA Kickoff Weekend. They will play No. 30 Stanford on Saturday and either No. 32 Ole Miss or No. 13 Florida Sunday as they begin a grueling part of their schedule that includes five straight matches against ranked opponents. South Carolina plays No. 22 Clemson Jan. 31.

Women’s tennis relies on youth at Michigan tourney Jessica Wood / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

JP West @JPWEST4

Jessica Wood / THE DAILY GAMECOCK

The first day of play in the Michigan Invitational was tough sledding for t he G amecock s women’s ten n is tea m i n t he singles department, where they lost six of seven matches to host No. 16 Michigan. The lone win last weekend came from freshman Hadley Berg who defeated Michigan’s Mira Ruder-Hook 7-5, 6-3. In doubles against No. 31 Texas Tech, the Gamecocks were able to take two out of three with wins coming from the tandems of Brigit Folland/Hadley Berg (7-5) and Ximena Siles Luna/ Caroline Dailey (7-5). After his team’s struggles in singles play, head coach Kevin Epley was less concerned with t he tea m’s ma rg i n of defeat and more concerned with just getting back out on the court. “M ich ig a n is a ver y good team. They have a lot of talented players,” Epley said. “And I know people might look

at that and say, ‘Wow they got their butts whooped,’ but we got a win out of Hadley Berg which is huge for her being a freshman. We also took them to three sets against their three top players. Also, that was our fi rst match against real competition, so t here’s plent y of t ime for improvement. I’m not worried.” Day two on the court was just the opposite, as the Wolverines were took a clean sweep against South Carolina in the doubles setting while the Gamecocks took four victories against No. 39 South Florida. Three out of the top four players in Epley’s rotation got wins, including No. 1 Caroline Dailey (6-2, 6-2), No. 3 Brigit Folland (6-0, 3-6, 6-2) and Ximena Siles Luna (61, 6-1). The fi nal day of play featured a s w e e p i n d o u b le s b y t he Gamecocks over the Bulls with the top two tandems for South Carolina featuring Berg/Dailey a nd Fol la nd / Looney t a k i ng 6 -1 v ictories. In singles, t he Gamecocks lost 3-2 to Texas Tech. The two wins, however,

came against t wo of the Red R a iders’ top t h ree seeds, including No. 89 Sarah Dvorak, who was defeated by Hadley Berg, 6-3, 6-3. Brigit Folland collected the other win (3-6, 6-3, 6-2). Epley said t hat he t hought his team looked a little rusty, but he w a s e nc ou r a g e d h i s underclassmen’s play. “I thought a couple players were a little slow coming out of the gate, but you always expect that the fi rst weekend of play,” Epley said. “Like I said, I’m not worried. I mean, the fact that four out of our top fi ve singles players are underclassmen and t he fact t hat t hey’re holding t h e i r w e i g ht i s i m p r e s s i v e enough, so they’ll have plenty of time to get better and I expect us to have a pretty good season.” Sout h Carolina begins d u a l m at c h p l a y Fr id a y i n Albuquerque, New Mexico, with a doubleheader against Grand Canyon and Northern Arizona.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
The Daily Gamecock 1/21/15 by Garnet Media Group - Issuu