Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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TH E E K VOL. LXIV NO. 28 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CA ROLIN A, COLUM BIA, S.C. 29208 NOVEMER,17 Lawsui Agains in Circu BY BETTY WOODRUFF Gamecock Staff Writer A lawsuit has been filed against the University of South Carolina Board of Trustees by Robert Clarkson, USC third-year law student. Clarkson's suit seeks to have the state Circuit Court judge declare illegal the use of mandatory student fees for political and charitable uses, directly or in directly, and to restrain the collection and expenditure of such fees until "proper guidelines"have been drawn for the usage of these fees. "I did not want to have to take this action," Clarkson said after filing the suit Nov. 1. "But I've been investigating this fee question for almost two years. Lately, Jones has refused to see me and discuss the problem, Eston Marchant, Board of Trustees chairman, refused to let me speak to the board, Fidler in student affairs refused to talk with me, Brunton just told me to come back in two or three weeks. "Since no one would see me and discuss the problem, I felt I had nc recourse but to take the question t( the courts for settlement. "The bureaucratic runarounc students get around this universit3 is horrible," he added. Clarkson said he believes thi case will have an informa hearing in the Court of Commoi Pleas and be turned away. In tha case, he said he would be willing t go to the State Supreme Court, a his expense. "This political and charitabl '...the USC delegation had virtually been eliminated from the proceedings of the SCSSL.. .' Rita MKinne)r IFiled t Board it Court use of student funds is not legal and is a gross injustice to the rights and sensibilities of the students," he states. "I don't have anything against Carolina Cares, for which some student money was donated, or charity. I just think giving should be voluntary," he said. Clarkson said his goal is to have the mandatory student fee of $210 reduced. 'The bureaucratic runaround students get around this university is horrible.' Robert Clarkson "This university is-getting $8.5 million from these fees, and that's enough to have guidelines for its expenditure. I hope by the time this whole thing is over, I will have accomplished three things: Forcing the administration to form these guidelines, halt the political and charitable use of public funds and required the administration to open its books to the press and students," he said. University officials' reaction to the lawsuit was limited. Harold Brunton, vice-president for business affairs, would make no comment and President Thomas Jones was out of town. Legal counsel for the University t Michael Grier said, "It is 3 premature to give a response now. t The University will make its response in the next 20 days, which e is the time allowed by the court." Allen, Bei Cited in C BY BOB CRAFT Gamecock Staff Writer Rita McKinney, SGA president, addressed the student senate Wednesday on the USC delegation's decision to leave the South Carolina State Student Legislature (SCSSL). McKinney said 17 of the 2( members of the USC delegation walked out in protest of the SC SSL's Credentials Committee's refusal to seat the Allen University and Benedict College delegations, Another reason McKinney cited was that "the USC delegation had been virtually eliminated from the proceedings of the SCSSL although USC is the largest school in the state as well as the host school in Columbia for the conference. The avowed purpose of the SCSSL is te i dafnt and pass legislation of par nedict's Exc elegatio V ticular interest to South Carolina Un college students. Students have a cor strong potential voice in lobbying ma for issues like the Equal Rights est Amendment and changing the Blue ' Laws. - Sel Following McKinney's ad- Co dress, the Senate took up business. the A bill by Senator Eileen Berlin wo and the Academic Affairs Coin- Br mittee called for the establishment Pla of a "Committee on Academic wa Fairness and Teacher Respon- 6 sibility." The committee would me serve as appeal board for students ViC in questions of academic fairness. Ha The bill was passed by ac- an' clamat ion. Un Two other bills were passed by stu the-Senate. One, authored by Sen. Bri Robert Clarkson, would provide pai that all funds remaining in the bui Student Allocations fund at the end the of the fiscal year would revert to cai te SA .a not to the general me U vestyf. This bil,ac i s k ese 0 VahePikns taka ildvet knon aThe Hil,aol into Meorate Bridge"sbyna ke tslahat woi affiedyh ablid runrhist cosistent nteontwas responsibletfore "US ki fAl i e I o o lpus ioeSnpsdth dingro ha namtinnesan 'ack Backer, lack Packer Dr Pack Back? USC's loss to North Carolina tate Saturday night was not a articularly easy one for amecock fans to stomach. Not nly did the possibility of a bowl id fly out the window, but the ffort everyone expected following ast week's near win over ouisiana State never naterial ized. But the Pack ackers from Raleigh had a great leal to cheer about, whether it was or their team, their band or one of he backs of a Pack Backer (or heerleader.) See the story, Page zussell Jeffcoat A Bill providing that the Pickens Street walkway be known as The Harold Brunton Memorial Bridge passed by acclamation.