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» Celebration time! Stories by Brock Vergakis Sean Rayford The Gamecock A spirited Gamecock fan struggles his way to the top spot on the toppled goalpost in front of the student section. Read about the the football team’s win in the sports section of The Gamecock. ■ Gamecock victory leads to toppling of goalposts, destruction of hedges For thousands of students, the wait is finally over. USC has won its first football game in nearly two years by defeating New Mexico State 31-0 in front of more than 80,000 fans at Williams-Brice Stadium Saturday night. .0^ For Gamecock fans, it provided the opportunity to do something that had been on their minds since the end of last year’s winless season- tear down the goal posts in celebration of snapping the longest losing streak in the nation. With four minutes remaining in the game, students began amassing behind the fence near the south end zone goalposts, waiting for their opportunity to hop over at the game’s end. As the clock ticked down, the chant of "Goalposts!" echoed throughout the student section, becoming loud er and louder until it was interrupted by a hailstorm of boos when a voice came over the public address sys tem reminding fans lliey were not allowed onto the Geld alter llie game. The only time during die game Utis many boos were heard was when the new spirit song was in troduced. However, the anticipation of tearing down the posts was too much and, with 36 seconds remaining in the game, one fan jumped over the fence and hundreds fol lowed, scurrying up the goalposts as quickly as they could while USC Head Coach Lou Holtz yelled at them to get ofT of the field. Assistant Athletics Director Kerry Tharp said it would’ve been possible for the game officials to call an unsportsmanlike conduct penaky on USC for the dis ruption, but they decided not to. "The officials certainly took control of the situa tion and got the fans back in the stands," Tharp said. The referees had the assistance of a score of po lice officers who arrested two men and ushered others back into the stands. Once the fans were back in the stands and the game officially ended, there was no stopping the thousands who poured onto the field. After the game Holtz ex pressed his disappointment in the students going after the goalposts too early. "Our students don’t understand football as well as 1 thought they did," Holtz said. "1 thought they knew it was a 60-minule game." While Holtz was reserved about the win and the on-field celebration, his players were right in the thick of the celebration. Nose guard Cleveland Pinkney ran onto the mid dle of the field to celebrate will) fans. "This feels real good. 1 was too tired to jump on the goalposts, but I just jumped around with my teammates and the fans to enjoy the moment," Pinkney said. "I wish they hadn’t come out early like they did, but it was good to see the excitement." The excitement was everywhere. Students ran onto the field high-fiving, screaming, and jumping up and down in celebration on top of the goalposts until the posts fell. Even though the fans reached the goalposts oy the student section first, the ones across the field fell quicker. Those who couldn’t get their hands on the goalposts headed for anotlier sou venir, the hedges lining the field. The hedges by the student section were complete ly ripped up as students held them liigh in the air almost in spontaneous unison as lire band played "Celebration." Others decided to take a piece of the field home with them, and began digging up the endz.one and'the Gamecock on the fiftf yard line as their memento from USC’s first victory in nearly two years. While the hedges will have to be replaced, Tharp said lire field fared well through tire melee that followed the game. However, Tharp said he hopes victories will become commonplace and students won’t react the same way after each game. But wide receiver James Adkisson has a different idea than Tharp. "1 can’t wait until next week," he said. "The cops won’t be able to do anything to stop them next time, even if there is time on the clock." ■ Goalposts marched around campus and Five Points as students take a piece of history with them On Saturday night, yellow pieces of aluminum became a highly valuable commodity as students did everything they possibly could to touch the goal posts as they were paraded around the stadium. A mass of people crowded onto the field, pushing, shoving and stepping on others just to get a touch of the “sacred” posts. During the initial rush after the game, several people were trampled, and one suffered a broken leg. The first football player on the scene trying to gel a touch of the goal post was wide receiver Brian Scott. He was joined by thousands of stu dents slapping him on his helmet, cheering, and doing everything imagin able to gel a rare ride on the goalposts around Williams-Brice Stadium. The night-long celebration lasted into the early hours of the morning Sunday as each student came up with their own way of celebrating. Some went back and partied in the dorms, while some went to Five Points. At the Village Idiot in Five Points, highlights oflhe USC game were shown on ES PN’s Sportscenter as the crowd cheered at the top of their lungs. When the final score and the pandemonium on the field was shown, the joyful cries of “Go Cocks!” rang out as the bartender played “2001.” The final location of the goalposts was one of the most popular topics of class discussion Tuesday. Many students pulled out pieces of the field and the hedges they had took with them to prove to their classmates they were there for the celebration. Even more students claimed they were one of the ones who tore down the goalposts, even though no more than 20 people were spotted on top of them helping tear them down. Hundreds, however, did get the opportunity to march, with them. Assistant Athletics Director Kerry Tharp said he wasn’t aware of any plans the university might have in trying to seek out and press charges against those who ended up with the goalposts, or in finding the goalposts and confiscating them. "I haven't heard we were. What we’re more interested in is the Geor gia game,” Tharp said. First year student J. Phillips was one of the fans who marched a piece Goalposts see page 2 I —-—---;- ■ * Governor convenes domestic violence task force By Kristin von Karowsky The Gamecock Willi South Carolina ranking third in the nation for deaths of women at the hands of their abusers, Gov. Jim Hodges on Aug. 24 announced the creation of the Governor's Task Force on Domestic Violence in an effort to battle the problem. "In my Stale of the Stale address, I said that we needed to intensify our effort .igainst domestic violence," Hodges said. "This Task Force will develop a uniform, coordinated system that will prevent domestic violence and improve the ^ quality of life for all South Carolinians." According to a 1999 study by the Department of Pub lic Safety, approximately 1 million incidents of domestic vi olence were reported to South Carolina law enforcement over a three-year period. One change the Task Force will bring about is that "do mestic violence" will be defined in the larger sense of the term, rather than applying to abused women only, said Malis sa Burnette, a Columbia attorney appointed by Hodges to chair the Task Force. "We will be looking at the broad view of domestic vio lence, which includes household members such as children, the elderly, and women as well as men," Bumette said. The Task Force will make recommendations encourag ing public-private partnerships to raise awareness of and pre vent domestic violence, as well as facilitate the develop ment of local domestic violence coordinating councils. The recommendations will also strive to improve coor dination, communication and funding among existing do mestic violence initiatives and utilize relevant data, evidence and best practices to strengthen community response efforts. Bumette said that she hopes the recommendations, which must be submitted to the governor no later than Dec. 1, "will help educate the public to recognize victims of do mestic violence so they can respond." She explained that churches, schools, social organiza tions, hospitals, and staffs in doctors' offices need to be able to recognize the signs of domestic violence and respond appropriately. This includes training staff members to in quire into the nature of the potential victim's injuries while the perpetrator is not present to avoid intimidation and gel to the truth. Linda Davis, Assistant to the Executive Director of Sis ter Care, an emergency shelter service, said that 4,947 calls were receivetWon their crisis line last year, representing a 14% increase over 1998. She also said conflict resolution should be taught in schools to help deter violence, beginning in pre-kindcigarten. Victims of domestic or dating violence are encouraged to call Sister Care's 24-hour Crisis Line at 765-9428. . ^ _ _ i Common characteristics and signs ol men who natter • Has low self-esteem. • Believes all the myths about battering relationships (battered women deserve to get beaten; battered women are masochistic; batterers wiil cease thetr violence “when we get married," etc.) • Displays cruelty towards animals. • Blames the victim and others for his actions, which he believes are justified. • Is pathologically jealous. • Has severe stress reactions during which he uses alcohol/drugs and battering to cope. • Presents dual personalities at times. • Frequently uses sex as an act of aggression to enhance self-esteem in view of waning virility. • Does not believe his violent behavior should have negative consequences. • Views his partner as lus "property" or possession. $w*ce Suras Owe or Coivmbui hwhwmwi wo SAM MttMCS ?_ , Weather Inside Datebook Online Poll Today 72 68 Tomorrow 81 4 66 Read about USC’s ^ victory I Page 12 Wednesday Volunteer Fair, RH Patio The Improv Asylum Comedy Club, 8 p.m. Epsilon Sigma Alpha ser vice sorority recruitment Thursday Student Organization renewal and treasurer’s workshop Epsilon Sigma Alpha Ser vice Sorority Recruitment Can USC beat Georgia this weekend? Vote online at wwjv.gamecock.sc.edu. Results will be pub-ished each Friday.