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VOL. LXV NO. 3 UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA. COLUMBIA. S.C. 29208 SEPTEMBER 12, 1974 ..JOHN NELSON: 'NiOU shouldn't have been pardoUed because he's aworst criminal than others.' Officials clairi Student pi Places on BY MARK MORROW Gamecock Staff Writer While it may seem that there are more cars than ever on campus and fewer places to park, figures released this week by campus security officials show the total number of available student, faculty'and staff parking places has increased by 802 spaces in the past year. USC students have 3,996 spaces available in student parking lots, at the university garage and the city meters. Last year there were 5,097 spaces available for students and faculty. This year there are 5,899 spaces available which in clude all lots owned by the university, the university garage and the city meters, figures released this week by campus security show. The only major change In parking since last year was the loss of the intramural field A to com muting students, and the com pletion of the student garage, according to Danny Baker, assistant director of campus security. Field A is located across from the Physical Education Center and Is now used as a practice field for sports activities. The figures showed students lost 300 spaces and gained 338. A net gain of 38 snaces. However, the students gained 506 spaces in the university garage when it was completed. There are 908 garage parking spaces available. Baker said 890 students, faculty and staff park in the garage. Baker said due to the parking situation more people were parking at the Coliseum. "More people are finding that a walk of Presiden Drawse BY BETH PADGETT Gamecock Staff Writer Most Americans, including University of South Carolina students, were quick to respond to President Gerald R. Ford's decision to grant ex-President Richard Nixon "a full, free and absolute pardon." "It's the biggest mistake Ford ever made," Chuck Faulk said. "if Ford grants anmesty to Nixon, he should do so for all people involved in Watergate and the draft resisters in Canada." Lon Lester said Ford's granting urking icrease three or four blocks is man. datory," he said. He said the Coliseum parking lots are being used much more than a few years ago. Coliseum lot one has 601 spaces available and Coliseum lot two has 488 spaces. A special bus runs a regular route from the Coliseum lots to campus to en courage students to park in this parking lot, he said. Director of Campus Security, George Key said more decals are sold than there are spaces because an individual student is not likely to occupy that space for an entire day. He said the parking system is based on turnovers in available parking space. Many suggestions have been made to aid the parking problem at USC. At one time a tramwayovas considered that would run on the ramp between Bates House and campus, but the idea met with complications and it was dropped. Traffic officials are now promoting bus riding from the more distant parking lots to campus. The Bates House bus service was ruled out this year because of economical reasons, Key said. He said the new Bates West would have made it impossible to provide enough buses for all the people. In planning now is another garage to be built on the block of Pendelton and Sumter Streets. This garage would provide 1000 more spaces, but construction is not expected to begin until next year. The university is also said to be considering a plan converting the parking lot at Booker T. Washington High School into a student lot. The gravel lot behind has the capacity to hold ap proximately 250 cars and is currently used for only faculty and staff parking. Lt's anmestj ampus crit Nixon a pardon is a stigma on the legal system. "Nixon should have to go to court like everyone else would have to do," Lester said. Ken Timmerman was among those in favor of the pardon. "The nation has got more important things to do than try to get Nixon. It would be a waste of time to draw and quarter Nixon," Timmerman said. Helen Royall also thought Ford's decision was justified. She said, "Nixon's been through enough. He should be allowed to live in peace now." Disagreeing with Royall, Joe Perrone said, "Nixon's a crook. Midday break One of the most pleasurable campus is the few areas of open sp There are no bulldozers to dodge, i leap over and no construction woi Bates Ho" BY BILL PRATT A Tuesday morning fire on the third floor of Bates House dor mitory has left one USC student slightly injured. The student, Dean Hughey, received minor leg burns, but was not hospitalized according to Columbia Asst. Fire Chief James F. Steadman. The fire was confined to room C 306 and part of the study area, and began about 112:20a.m. Edward Rylant, sergeant with USC Campus Seurty, attributed offer icism He should be in jail." Perrone said it was wrong to punish the little people for their actions in the Watergate scandal, while letting the big people escape punishment. Barbara Ettus said that since Nixon was granted amnesty, all the people in prison, especially draft resisters, should be granted amnesty also. Daniel Terry described Ford's action as a big rip-off. "Nixon is a private citizen like the rest of us and he should be subject to the same laws as the rest of us are," Terry said. Please Turn To Page :1 Taking a well-es things about this knthat has come aces we have left. students relax oi to mud puddels to weather has mi -kers to Dother. USC. Staff se blaze in ej the cause of the fire to smoking in bed. Hughey, who was the only oc cupant of the room at the time of fire, fell asleep without ex tinguishing a cigarette, police said. The fire began in Hughey's bed and spread through the room; damaging the carpet, beds and some personal effects. "At this time, there has been about $500 damage to the building, and an estimated $250 to the contents." olumbia Asst. Fie ROBERT ASHLEY:'The country will be free to settle other problems now.' rned break from the daily routine to be known as "classes" these two A the Horseshoe. The recent warm ide such scenes commonplace at photo by Steve Valk. 0 Fures one Chief, H.W. Evans said. "However, estimates may be lowered by the University," Evans said. The University damage report is incomplete at this time. Carpet and smoke damage were largely responsible for the damage to the building. The Columbia Fire Dep&rtment responded to the call at about 12:30 a.m., and had the fire under control within 15 minutes. Clean up procedures lasted about an hour and residents were then able to return to their rooms.