Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VN K VOL. LXIV NO. 67 UNIVERSI'IY OF SOUTH CA ROLINA, COLUMBIA. S.C. 29208 June 2,17 Hallways once jammed with students now serve as storage space for desks awaiting transfer to Columbia area schos. Diagnoses Differ On Illness Outbreak By Lynne Perri Gamecock Staff Writer At 8 p.m. on June 20, Belinda entered the Thompson Student Health Center on the University of South Carolina (USC) campus. She had been doubled-over with stomach cramps, severe vomiting and diarrhea since supper. At 5:15 a.m. on June 21, the 36th person with stomach cramps, severe vomiting and diarrhea entered the Student Health Center. By 3 p.m., less than 24 hours after Belinda reported to the clinic, the 49th person entered with stomach cramps, severe vomiting and diarrhea. The nurses knew what to do immediately. The symptoms were the same for everyone. The treatment would be the same as it was for Belinda. The patient was given a shot of composine, some limotel, and would then lie down for at least 40 minutes to see if the medication would take effect. Patient number 49 was fortunate. She would have a bed to lie on. Belinda did not leave the infirmary until almost midnight. She spent her last two hours on the waiting-room couch. Other students needed the beds; some students remained in chairs and held either small blue plastic bowls in front of them or, when those ran out, garbage cans. At least 36 patients, over a period of 12 hours, came into the health center before the first doctor arrived. Registered Nurse, Diane O'Connors phoned Dr. Biser, who was on call the night of June 20, and described the symptoms of the first patient. Dr. Biser then prescribed a treatment for possible food poisoning. O'Connors and nurse Dorothy Rogers worked with the students until 11 p.m., when nurses Martha Kennedy and Alice Shealy came on duty. Shealy said a doctor was not asked to come in because, "We are registered nurses capable of handling the situation. A doctor could do no more than we are doing now." In talking with the nurses and among themselves, students began to speculate about what foods they all might have eaten, because a majority of them said they had eaten at Russell House cafeteria in the last 24 hours. Friday, Dr. Isao Hirata, Director of the Student Health Center, worked with Harry Schultz from the City Health Department. Samples of food from the Russell House were taken and tested. Dr. Hirata said he felt the tests would be negative regarding the food poisoning diagnosis. Schultz also worked with Claude Tisdale, manager of the Russell House cafeteria. Tisdale said, however, that there was not a lot of food left from that day to be sampled. After consulting with Schultz and learning more about the situation, Dr. Hirata changed the diagnosis to viral gastro enteritis. However, Dr. Hirata said, "Dr. Biser was perfectly right in making his initial diagnosis, but you can't prove food poisoning if Please Turn to Page 2 Booker T. 1 School Cos Editors Note: USC has pur chased Booker T. Washington High School following considerable negotiations. The purchase came after Richland County School Board officials decided to sell the property rather than upgrade the facility. BY Lynn Perri Gamecock Staff Writer Although she called the School Board decision "appalling," Doris Greene, chairperson of the Booker T. Washington (BTW) Foundation, said that the closing of BTW High School has brought people together for a common purpose: to preserve the school's unique 58 year history. Greene said people should forget about the school being black and consider what that school has done for the community. For years, BTW was the only school which blacks could attend. "When I was in school there," she said, "I walked past two parks, but I was not allowed to play in either. As a result of this discrimination, over the years Booker bec.ame a community center. We went there for many recreational activities, not just to school." "Booker became a great, good mother to us all," Greene con tinued. "There was a relatively small turnover of students and a tradition of students going there and later coming back to teach." Greene said she and other concerned citizens are .attempting to establish a BTW Foundation to ensure that the memory and history of the school is preserved. Working with many of the alumni, the foundation wants to feature "ongoing community activities," which currently in clude planning a BTW Museum and a permanent BTW Scholar ship. A BTW Homecoming is planned for Thanksgiving weekend of 1974, and the alumni also will ask the University to rent space for the Museum on the BTW property. The School Board of Richland County District Number 1 voted to close BTW earlier this year, based on the school's poor condition and the lowering enrollment trends in the area. But, according to Greene, the school suffered "deliberate neglect" regarding repairs and upkeep. She said, "Most of the repairs, including the construction of one entire building, were done by the vocational students, especially before 1970's in tegration." BTW's former principal, S. A. Heyward, said his repair work requests were continually denied. Concerning deliberate neglect, he said, "We've all thought about that. . . we all came to that con clusion." When Heyward did learn of the closing why did he not fight it? "It was not for me to protest," he said. "I had to try to understand why." Vash ington, ed, Issues R The School Board established that it would cost over $2 million to bring BTW up to par." Also, Booker rests on "four or five acres," he added, "and the School Board requires 30." But any BTW expansion would have been in direct conflict with University of South Carolina (USC) expansion. Carolina has been interested in the BTW property since 1964, according to USC's Vice President for Business Affairs, Harold Brunton. USC is purchasing the school for $1 million plus five years worth of its data processing services. "We all knew that the closing of the school had been considered for years," Greene said. But, she added, the school Board displayed a "lack of sensitivity" by reaching their decision without consulting the 1974 faculty and students. USC's agreement promises that a permanent and visible marker will be placed on the property in the event the buildings are torn down. And, Senator Isadore Lourie, (D - Richland County), has introduced a bill into the South Carolina Legislature which provides that whatever building is constructed there retain the name of Booker T. Washington. Greene said that promises were also made over the years that should Booker be closed there would be another Booker built in the city. Alan Bardin, a 1973 graduate of BTW, expressed concern that the closing of BTW is preceding the closing of Columbia High School, also located downtown. Current BTW students will be bussed to A.C. Flora and Dreher High Schools rather than toColumbia High. Most of BTW's faculty have been rehired, and Greene said that many people see positive things in store "We look at it like something good may happen. Maybe the Insid Opinion ... Travel ..... In-depth/Anal Issues ...... Entertainment 0 emain 1 r{ 7T. closing of the school was the harbinger for something greater to come." According to Greene, had people not decided to work together like they have to save the memory of the school, the School Board could have been in a real mess in not considering how people felt. But, "concerted community action" continues to be strong, she said. "It is so inspirational and exhilirating to see people working together on this." However, most of the students still feel "something" has been lost. Said Bardin, "BTW was the perfect location for a school. It's right downtown and serves the many families in the Five Points and Olympia areas." "We consider that land to be hallowed ground," said Greene. . . . . ................... p6 ysis ........ p8 00000... 0....... p9o