Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Hear The Candidates For Student Body Office Tonight 7 p.m., Room 302 Russell House mooV UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Vol. LV No. 26 Columbia, South Carolina, April 19, 1968Found 1908 Flames *Strike Again The USC Field House, after nearly half a century of basketball, was virtually destroyed by fire (luring spring break. Heavily damaged by a blaze IgMarch 25, the Field House burst into flames for the second time April 13 and was ravaged beyond possibility of repair. The fire climaxed a week of tension for Columbia following the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King April 4. CAUSE? The cause of the fire is still under investigation but officials told The Gamecock that from the intensity of the blaze, apparently the fire was set. Investigators said this week that "although the cause is not yet known, arson is not being discounted." Vice President for Business Af fairs Harold Brunton told The Gaiecock that the building was completely destroyed and nothing at all could be salvaged. Because the Field House repre sented a "potential hazard," Brun ton said, administrators decided the building should be demolished immediately. Brunton said insurance on the building was $375,000, "and we are now in the process of settling with the insurance men." 'IMPOSSIBLE' "After the first fire the build ing was 50 per cent destroyed," he said. "To rebuild it would have ' been expensive, but it was possi ble." He estimated demolition costs for the structure that is now "im possible to repair" at "less than $10,000." "The University's 20-year plan," the vice president said, "has vis ualized that particular b I o c k would be used for the future ex pansion of the sciences. "The long-range plan was to put in a student athletic center, preferably by the playing fields. "The fires have precipitated the need for faster action," he added. AWS Elect Plans To Gi Carolina coeds recently elected Linda Burton to lead the Associ ated Women Students next year. Miss Burton ran unopposed in the April 8 election. She suc ceeds Pat Traylor as AWS presi (lent. Run-off elections last Wed nesday completed the slate of 1968-69 women officers. Linda Jo Mangum was elected first vice president; Becky War ren, second vice president; and Tracey Bennett, secretary. New treasurer is Jane Iverson. Dorm officers include Frankie Gwinn, Capstone president, andl Lindla Delrosso, vice presidlent; Kathy DeLancey, Sims president, andl William Anne Barnes, vice presidlent. Also chosen were South presi dent, Bunny Watters, and vice Carol By SALLY ZALKIN Managing FEditor The Carolina campus resumed its normal pace this week as stu dlents returnedl from spring break following a tense week of cur fews, fires andl fights in Colum bia. USC closed two days early for the holiday to prevent the chance of trouble or panic in the wake of rioting that hit the na tion after the slaying of Dr. Martin Luther King. Word of early dlisraissal spread like wildfire over the campus, and studlents left in droves. Mnss pandemonium resulted na End Of A Board Of Hears Par A student government represen tative presented a "solution" to Carolina's parking problem to the Board of Trustees last week. Executive Parking Committee Chairman Allen Thames explained the committee's proposed solution to the Board's B u i I d i n g and s Officers; rve Awards president, Joanne Oettinger; South Tower president, Janie Dugger, and vice president, Pat Tallon. Under the leadership of Miss Traylor, AWS held a watermelon cut for new women studlents last September, sponsored Halloween parties in the women's dorms for children from a local orphanage, andl served coffee and doughnuts in the dorms (luring exams. Their major project this year was raising money through two Penny-a-Minute nights for AWS Awards. They will present three $250 awards, one each to a ris ing senior, junior, and sopho more, and a $250 scholarship to an incoming freshman woman. Also initiated this year was the AWS Newsletter, edited by Linda Jo Mangum. ma& Ca everyone headed out of town, but police said there were no traffic accidlentsi In regardl to class cuts for last week U n ive r si ty President Thomas F. Jones issued the fol lowing statement: "D)ue to the confusion last week, I am asking through this statement in The Gamecock that faculty members excuse all ab sences from noon on Monday, April 8, through the end of spring break last Tuesday eve ning, April 16." One of the first local mncidlents occurredl Saturday nigh', April 6, when USCO stm(ent Ashley Carter Staff Photo by Mike Tyler Tradition Trustees 'king Plan Grounds Committee. The plan calls for a 500-space high-rise parking garage on the corner of Pickens and Pendleton Streets. Thames said the garage would cost slightly more than $750,000, according to an engineering con sultant. The proposal asks the General Assembly to issue an en abling act for a revenue bond to cover the cost. "The University would repay the debt over a 20-year period," Thames said, "at about $70,000 per year." According to Thames, USC would pledge $100,000 per year. He listel the following as sources of income: -$31,500 from the garage itself at $7 monthly rental fee per space over nine months. (Thames said the income would be sl1i g htl1y higher than stated as the figure (lid not include summer rental.) --$40,000 from normal parking revenue (decals, f i n e s, meters, etc.) -$35,000 from the C a m p u s Shop p)rofit. The University would still have a $30,000 reserve fund, Thames saidl, to use as Campus Shop funds are presently used. The Parking Committee is cir culating a petition to inform the studlents of their plan and to gain student support. apus R was shot in the thigh after he andl a companion refused to fight with three Negro men in Five Points. An incidlent that resulted in a broken car window near the Men's Towers Sunday night, April 7, had National Guards men, highway patrolmen, city police, camplus police, adminis trative officials and a large group of students out on the street in a matter of minutes. The incidlent was soon under control, but rumors quickly spread-and with them spread alarm. Campus police workeA in USC 0 1 To Ai By CARL STEPP News Editor Reacting swiftly to the assas sination of Dr. Martin Luther King, members of the Carolina Community have launched a mas sive program to help underprivi leged persons help themselves. Known as the Metropolitan Ed ucation Foundation (MEF) and aimed at providing educational, recreational and work opportuni ties in Columbia's deprived areas, the program is seeking a wide public base, including students, businessmen and community lead ers. The Student Government As sociation is currently sponsoring the program, but efforts are being made to obtain a state charter for it as a non-profit organization. "It is hoped the program will expand into the community," Dick Goldie, one of the organization's originators, said this week. "For years Clemson has been concerned with agricultural problems, and we hope the Foundation will begin a trend of the University's involv ing itself in the urban problems of the state." MEF was the creation of a "con cerned" group whose idea of a memorial to the late Dr. King was rejected by campus Negro leaders as hypocrisy. "The traditional approach of tipping our hats to the Negro community and mourning for a moment the ;oss of a leader was just not appropriate," Bob Alexander, Wesley Center chap lain, explained at a meeting of concerned persons April 5. He said a program was needed to provide a "positive response' to legitimate Negro g4evances and to show "good faith that wt are struggling to do something.' At this meeting, the idea ol MEF was born-an organizatior working with established organi zations like the Urban League or Carolina Si Has Busy S One of America's top basketball prospects signed with Carolina this week as USC athletics returned to the spring scene. Tom Riker, a 6-10 Long Is lander, signed with Coach Frank McGuire T ue sd ay after being sought by more than 150 schools. ITrial Set Two Carolina fraternities go on trial Friday afternoon before the lnterfraternity Council Tribunal. Pi Kappa Phi, charged with drinking in the fraternity lodge, and Phi Epsilon Pi, accused of improper activation practices, will present their defenses to the seven-member t r i bu nal. IFC President David Meadow will pre side as Chief Justice. etu rns dlouble shifts, but other than a firecracker and a false fire alarm in South Dorm, they reported a quiet evening. Early the next morning (Mon. (lay, April 8) a fire "of unde ter-mined origin" broke out ir Hamilton College, causing $40, 000 in damages. The cause is still being investigated, but of ficial sources said the fire was apparently set. President Jones said no par. ticular incident was responsible for Carolina's early dismissal. "The generally unsettled na. ture of things plus the problern mtiatc d Dep Office of Economic Opportunity to help underprivileged persons, Negro and white. The following day, in a spe cial session of Student Senate called by Student Body Presi dent Sammy Drew, senators unanimously approved a meas ure establishing the MEF. The bill authorized the organi zation to obtain funds for "recrea tional, educational and work proj ects in the economically deprived areas of Greater Columbia, pro vided that the main emphasis of the Foundation be directed to wa-d funding and cooperating with established structures . . and provided that students be of fered employment in these proj ects." A second purpose of the Foun dation was "to implement pro Broaddu Planning Broaddus rns Big Man, 'ports Week A unanimous high school All American and the Eastern Player of the Year, Riker has been called "the best center in the country." Two other star athletes were named to grants-in-aid during the past week. They included Bob Carver, an outstanding guard and unanimous choice for all-New York City cage team; and Jack Parry, all-state football end from Columbus, Ohio. In tennis, the USC squad swept to its 13th straight win Wednesday by blasting Toledo, 9-0. The day before, the G a mn e c o c k netters trounced Virginia 8-1, losing only the number two doubles match. The baseball Gamecocks did not fare so well, as they dropped a 6-5 decision Tuesday to ACC rival Clemson. Clemson built up a 5-0 lead, then held off a Carolina rally to post the victory. To Nor dlismiss school early," he told T he Gamecock. "As a consequence, we decided Mondlay morning to close school Tuesday evening. "After further study it was de cided it would be wise for thos4 studlents who were alarmed, oi whose parents were deeply con. cerned, to leave as soon as poe. ble." A mfen:or,d servce for Dr King, planned for noon April i by the USC Student Religiouu Association, had to be cancellec after the mass exodus Monda) afternoon made it unfeasible. The RA is pnesently circnlat s ro grams to educate the University and non-campus communities to the facts of the economic and racial problems of the Greater Co lumbia area." A 15-member board of direc tors has been established, in cluding five students, five fac ulty - administration personnel and five representatives frogn the Columbia community. The group is presently seeking student support, including per sons to solicit funds and to work with the projects themselves. It is also presenting its program and ideas to the public. Goldie said members of Omi cron Delta Kappa had agreed to spearhead the Foundation's appeal to students. He said solicitation would be gin before the end of spring se Begins For Fall 1968-69 Student Union Presi dent Ra Broaddus said this week he is "working toward a program that will appeal to the entire stu dent body." Broadus was elected by the stu dent body in a special election April 4. "The turn-out at many Student Union events this year has been poor," Broaddus said. "I can't help feeling the reason is because we're not bringing in the events the students want." In a statement to The Gamecock, the new president proposed that the Union hold fewer dances and concerts, leaving more weekends open. On the other hand, he said more popular groups should be engaged for big weekends. A thorough analysis of Student Union spending should be made before future budgets are ap proved, Broaddus stated. He expressed the desire for a better working relationship with s t u d e n t government and The Gamecock to prevent overlapping of activities. Other Student Union officers for 1968-69 will be appointed within the next two weeks from applicants presently being inter viewed by the president, subject to the approval of the Board of Governors. IUSC students may still for the Russell Distinguish~ Each student may nomii consideration by a special iThe award is given for i I teaching field and will be p I Fill in the name of you Iown name, clip the coupon, cock, Box 5131, USC. Or di 308 of the Russell House. Signed: mal... A ing a statement of sympathy on campus. After getting the signa tures of USC students and staff, the group plans to send it to Mrs. King. A 7 p.m. curfew was placed on Columbia Tuesday (April 9) and remained in effect throughout the week. Dean of Men L. Eugene Cooper reported some broken dorm and car windows, but said the situa Ition was kept fairly well under control during the week. A raging blaze last Saturday night, though~t to have been de liberately set, completely de stroyed the USC Fiel Huse crram Areas mester. Several projects are under consideration, including programs in the Camp For nance, Cayce-New Life, Wheeler Hill, Liberty Hill and Drew Park communities. The projects are to be designed to help the communities become involved in helping themselves, Goldie said. Mixed Up Mixed up. That's what this issue of The Gamecock is. It was originally planned to come out Wednes day, April 10, the day before spring recess began. Then, with half the paper printed and half blank, things began to happen. School closed. So, our editors decided to hold the part of the paper al ready printed. That was pages 2-7; and that explains why some stories are out of date, some are old, and some say "today," meaning April 10. This week we completed the paper by adding pages one and eight, the only really up-to date pages in the paper. If you get confused, please excuse us. A lot happened. We're still mixed up. Student Senate Student Senate c I e a r e d its agenda Wednesday with the pas sage of a bill urging the Student Government General Welfare Com mittee to investigate the sale of students' names in mailing lists. The bill, authored by Sen. Barry Koplen, also asked that students be allowed to have their names deleted from the student directory or that solicitations be limited to mail. Also passed were bills recom mending the lighting in DeSaus sure College be improved and a public on-campus telephone be in stalled in McKissick Library. In a report from the Rules Com mittee concerning Student Body President Sammy Drew's compro mise bill on fee allocations, Sen. Dick Goldie said the bill is "too much of a compromise, bordering on a sellout as far as the student is concerned." submit their nominations ed Teacher Award.I ate one faculty member for student-faculty committee. ndividual excellence in the resented at commencement. I r nominee below, sign your I and send it to The Game- I ~op it by our office in Room imost Already damaged by fire less than a month ago, the 41-year old structure was a total loss, and firemen fought to keep flames from spreading to the nearby science buildings as the walls collapsed, Class ae s and quizzes began again last Wednesday, and stu dents and teachers settled back into the familiar routine. Almost. The sounds of the wrecking equipment fazing the Field House and the sight of the ugly smoke scarred walls of Hamilton Col lege remain to mar the spring scene at Carolina.