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_Vol, 94, No. 72 Wednesday April 4, 2001_ e Carolina Community since 1Q08 WWW.DAILYGAMEC0CK.COM UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA, S.C. Burroughs & Chapin Flooding potential concerns Council * ■ Burroughs & Chapin representatives field development questions by Valerie Matchette The Gamecock . A Burroughs & Chapin official tried to ease Richland County Council’s concerns on the Green Diamond development Monday night as planning for the project enters its final stages. Jim Wiseman fielded questions from Council about some of the controversy surrounding the project. The area Burroughs & Chapin seeks to develop into Green Diamond, a research triangle similar to North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, has been criticized because it’s on a flood plain. The Federal Emeigency Management ™ Agency was asked to review the project. A FEMA report found that 70 percent of the proposed development lies on a flood plain. Richland County land ordinances prohibit the constniction of buildings on a flood plain. At Monday’s meeting, Wiseman assured Council members dial flooding wouldn’t be a problem if the existing levees were upgraded. The levees, which prevent flooding of the Congaree River, have been a focal point for the project’s detractors. Critics have wondered whether the levees would be enough to ensure the property’s safety. Wiseman said his company had made extensive studies of the area and found no environmental reasons why the land shouldn’t be developed. He % also addressed concerns that the region’s wetlands would be lost, asserting that tlie project would actually add wetlands. Councilwoman Joan Brady asked about tire area’s soil composition, citing studies that have shown there are four to six different types of porous soil Burroughs seepages HAVING A PARTY: Marriott gets festive at canned-food drive Aaron Hark/The Gamecock Education major Sarah Nichols, a graduate assistant for the Department of Greek Life, tries to throw a football through a swinging tire Monday at the Pf Kappa Alpha booth of Sodexho Marriott's canned food drive. First-year College of Hospitality and Retail Management student Brock Murphy (left) and third-year College of Journalism and Mass Communications student Michael Rayfleid look on. The canned-food drive was a first for Sodexho Marriott. - % Budget Cuts Palms asks legislators to spare USC ■ Says cuts to USC would hurt recruiting efforts by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock Highlighting USC’s vision to become “a great university,” USC President John Palms went before the Senate Education Subcommittee on Monday to beg legislators not to cut the university’s state funding. A projected shortfall in the state budget could prompt legislators to cut as much as 15 percent from the university’s state funding. “I am compelled to state that the university is in no position to absorb either a reduction in stale appropriations or additional unfunded mandates,” Palms told the subcommittee. He said the university’s bond rating and accreditations depend on state support of the institution and that cuts had already caused the university to lose faculty and had hindered recruitment. One example Palms gave was the search for a dean for the College of Budget seepages Palms’ Senate run wouldn’t affect USC funds, senators say ■ Senators say a bid by USC's president wouldn't affect state allocations by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock USC President John Palms’ possible political ambitions were a source of some of the lighter moments of Monday’s Senate Finance Higher Education Subcommittee. “Based on the lack of brevity in your presentation, you would be an excellent senator,” joked Sen. Nikki Setzler, D-Charleston. Sen. Harvey Peeler, R-Union, mentioned the Clemson president’s dual role as president and mayor of the university. “The USC president had to one-up him,” Peeler said. But legislators said when it gets to the business of allocating state funds, Palms’ possible bid won’t hurt the university’s budget. Palms wrote a letter to USC trustees this past Wednesday informing them he might run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Strom Thurmond in 2003. On Tuesday, Sen. Robert Hayes, a member of the subcommittee, said he didn’t think Palms’ position would hurt Palms see page 4 Ford names choices for SG Cabinet Cabinet members Chief of Staff Candice Braddock Chief Administrator Susan Hunter ^ Attorney General Brian Hunter Elections Commissioner Adam Bourne Freshmen Council adviser Brooke Vickery Freshmen Counal adviser Manasi Sinha Academic Affairs Ben Edwards Institutional Affairs Ricky Shah Multicultural Affairs Brandon Ray Campus Activist Network Charaka Cook Campus Activist Network Lee Gaillard Marketing Martin Salisbury Public Relations Jeff Poulin Environment Lauren Szathmary Greek Life Amanda Boatwright Safety Kris Hodgkinson ^ SCSA Liaison Aarti Shah Student Services Christanne Hoffman Chaplain Katie Laird Special Projects Bobby Tran Special Projects Travis Thompson Infl Student Affairs Ahmed El-Seddawy Research & Development Erin Burfield Technology Daniel Patrick Cooper by Brandon Larrabee • The Gamecock Student Government President Corey Ford has named his choices for SG Cabinet. Ford’s choices, which student senate is likely to approve Wednesday, include Candice Braddock for cltief of staff, Susan Hunter for operations chief, Brian Hunter for attorney general, Adam Bourne for elections commissioner and Brooke Vickery and Manasi Sinha as Freshmen Council advisers. “I was looking for people ... who are ready and enthusiastic about serving and about leading,” Ford said. He said the Cabinet was the right combination of experienced SG officers and new members. “It is the perfect mix, the perfect combination, to start tilings off,” Ford said. Ford said it was critical his Cabinet hit the ground running before the school year ends. He said one of the first initiatives of this administration would be the creation of a Campus Activist Network, the cornerstone of Ford’s platform in the SG elections. Ford said he hopes to create the network, or at least name its executive board, by the end of this semester. He said having at least the board in place was imperative. SG Cabinet see page 4 ‘It is the perfect mix, the perfect combination, to start things off.’ Corey Ford SG president Fliers advertise Hodges’ speech at USC; governor doesn’t show ■ Aide says Hodges wasn't scheduled to speak here by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock Bright yellow fliers posted across campus earlier tiiis week claimed Gov. Jim Hodges would speak Tuesday night at Russell House on his plan to fund higher education. But the governor didn’t make it. Actually, the appearance was never formally on the governor’s schedule, Hodges’ press secretary, Cortney Owings, said. According to a weekly schedule released by the governor’s press office earlier this week, the governor wasn’t scheduled to speak at USC on Tuesday night. Owings said Hodges had been scheduled for at least three weeks to meet with Francis Marion University President Luther Carter. “I don’t know what this is about, but if we are supposed to go somewhere, then the governor goes Hodges see page 4 Ann Marie Miani/The Gamecock Frank Fusco, Gov. Jim Hodges’ deputy on budget Issues, spoke to a crowd at Russell House on the ways Hodges Is trying to preserve funds for higher education. Fusco was found at the last minute by College Democrats, who thought they had scheduled the governor to speak. Weather Coming Up Quote of the Day Online Poll Today 70 51 ■ Thursday 73 58 | EdVenture sets goal for .., . fund raising ^Venture 2002 , Friday “Thou canst not joke an enemy into a friend, but thou may'st a friend into an enemy. ” — Benjamin Franklin \ Which player was most impressive at the spring football game? . Vote at www.dailygamecock.com. 9 Results will be published Friday.