University of South Carolina Libraries
February 2, 2001 BUDGET: Business leaders oppose across-the-board budget cuts ‘Penny-wise and pound foolish’ by Jarvis Holliday The Gamecock ■» Local business leaders said they think the state wouldn’t be able to sustain a large, uniform budget cut. Gov. Jim Hodges has proposed a 15 percent budget cut for every state agency except K-12 education to meet a projected budget shortfall of $500 million. Ike McLeese, president and CEO of the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce, used an old saying to describe Hodges’ proposal. “It’s just penny-wise and pound foolish,” he said. "A 15 percent cut would have a very seriou§ effect on the state, and would be especially difficult for higher education when they are only funded at 80 percent of the formula that was created by the state.” McLeese said the budgets of state agencies should be looked at individually and the reductions should be made accordingly. “Most agencies cannot withstand a 15 percent cut," he said. McLeese said he thinks it would be very unwise to cut all programs the same percentage when they are not all funded at the same level — some of which, like higher education, are already underfunded. Budget stt page 2 Potential tuition increases USC President John Palms has proposed up to a 32 percent tuition increase if Gov. Jim Hodges cuts USC’s state funding by 15 percent. n 2000-01 What tuition would be if it tuition increased by 32 percent Resident 51,884 tuition $2,487 1 ' Out-of-state tuition $6,636 Out-of-state $2,875 tuition (with e _ scholarship) $3,795 ■ Hundreds sign letters urging Legislature not to cut budget by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock Hundreds of students signed letters Thursday urging the House Ways and Means Committee not to cut USC’s budget by 15 percent, according to Stu dent Government leaders. The letter-signing event was part of a drive by SG to minimize the cuts the university could suffer as the state tries to avoid a $500 million budget shortfall. University President John Palms has said the university would be forced to raise tuition by as much as 32 percent if the cuts go through. According to SG Vice President Corey Ford, the event drew more than 950 signatures. “It was great participation,” Ford said. He said SG held the event to help students let their legislators know how they feel about the budget cuts. “Wfe thought it was important for the Petition see page 2 Discrimination BGLA wants policy change by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock The Bisexual Gay and Lesbian Al liance asked Ihe sludenl senate lo support them in a bid to change USC’s anti-dis - crimination policy lo include “sexual ori entation.” BGLA members are planning to pe tition the board of trustees to change the policy, but first came before SG Senate to ask for their help and support in the pe titinn Currently, USC’s policy says, “USC provides equal opportunity and affirma tive action in education and employment for all qualified persons regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or veteran status.” BGLA members are hoping to add the words “sexual orientation” to the policy. According to BGLA Vice President Bran don Ray, adding the words would assure the equal rights of students at USC. “We simply want the university to protect gay, lesbian, bisexual and trans gender students from discrimination,” Ray said. “Let us not forget that they are all members of this Carolinian community.” In his presentation to the senate, Ray brought up the murder of Matthew Shepard, a college student who was killed because of his sexual orientation. Ray also told the senate about a re cent incident at USC where three students returned to their dorm to find “get these faggots off of our floor,” written on their message board. More than 300 universities in the na tion already have such language in their school policies. BGLA lias been an official student or ganization since 1981, when a group of gay students, after being denied permis sion to start the group, won a lawsuit against the school. The university desk can be reached at 8amecockudesk@hotmaU.com use UNVEILS HEMINGWAY COLLECTION Papa s Papers USC shows special collection of Ernest Hemingway material valued at $1.8 million by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock C opened the doors Wednesday on its newest pecial collection, the Speiser and Easterling lallman Foundation Collection of Ernest Hem ingway. The sneak preview, given to friends of the uni versity, revealed what the university says is one of the last great private collections of Hemingway materials. The materials will now be catalogued before being publicly unveiled as part of a presentation of the spe cial collections in fall 2001. In his remarks about tire collection, Provost Jer ry Odom joked about always having to tell the bad news, while USC President John Palms, who was in Washington during the presentation, always got to tell the good news. “When he’s away, 1 get to talk about the good news, (and] this is indeed a good-news day for the Univer sity of South Carolina,” he said. The collection was bought with public funds do nated primarily by Edward Hallman, a USC alumni from the class of 1950. Hallman gave the university $750,000 of the $900,000 the university needed to buy the collection from Ellen Speiser Katz, grand Special to The Gamecock Patrick Scott, associate university librarian for special collections, looks over part of the collection of Ernest Hemingway materi als bought with money donated to USC. daughter of Hemingway’s lawyer, Maurice Speiser. The collection is valued at $ 1.8 million. In addition to the Hemingway materials, the col lection includes Speiser’s correspondence with writ ers such as William Faulkner, John Steinbeck, Henry Miller, Ezra Pound and E. E. Cummings, and com posers Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Igor Stravinsky. University officials made certain they thanked Hallman and pointed out what they said his donation meant about the quality of USC. “This is something we could never expect,” said Patrick Scott, associate university librarian for special collections. “This is the kind of thing that only great universities get.” Scott said acquiring the new collection reinforced the positive image of the library, which was recently ranked among the top 50 research libraries in Amer ica. He said the new collection would add another dimension to the university’s link to a worldwide body of knowledge. “This will bring scholars from around the world,” Scott said. “Our students get to meet those researchers.” He said the collection made USC one of the ma jor sources for materials on Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. “This makes us the best, most comprehensive re search center for those two authors, perhaps anywhere,” Scott said. George Terry, vice provost and dean of libraries and instructional services, also praised the collec tion. “This is a national collection that will attract na HeMINQWAY see page 2 New golf course built over gravesites ■ Officials say site was resting place for mental-health patients by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock A golf course being built in the northeast part of Columbia has unmarked graves beneath it, according to slate officials. It’s not certain how many bodies are buried at the site, but estimates run from 30 to 300. The golf course being built in the Washington Heights neighborhood, just off Harden Street Extension, is being built as part of a program sponsored by the World Golf Foundation and the Tiger Woods Foundation. The golf course was planned to bring golf to the mostly African American area of the city. The course will be a 9-hole par-3 course and feature a driving range. Most of the bodies are in the area in which the balls would land when hit from the range, records show. The project is on hold until state and city officials figure out what to do with the bodies. The bodies were discovered when Department of Mental Health officials were reviewing records on the graves of patients who had died while they were being treated in state mental health hospitals. Some of the deceased were buried in stale plots after going unclaimed by family members. The bodies buried at the golf course, which was formerly known as Sleighs Avenue Cemetery, was the resting place chosen for mental health patients who died between 1848 and 1926. City officials are waiting for information gathered by the Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology at USC. The information will determine what course the city will take, said S.C. State Archaeologist John Leader. Leader, who will oversee the information gathering and consult the city on what actions need to be taken, said Golf set page 2 [ Weather Today 57 29 Saturday 52 36 More on what the budget cuts could mean to USC students Next Week Quote of the Day “There is no cruder tyranny than that which is perpetu ated under the shield of law and in the name of justice.” — Montesquieu Online Poll Can you afford a raise in tuition? Yes: 13% No: 57% I will transfer: 30%