Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Studen BY GF:ORGE MORRIS Of Te Gamecock staff While most students were off campus for spring break, Columbia City Council voted last - Wednesday to leave Green Street open to traffic. Green Street has been an issue at USC for more than 20 years. Student attempts at having the street closed have ranged from formal protests to demonstrations. Two years ago a few hundred students staged a sit-down rally that blocked the street to traffic. Whether council's decision was timed to prevent anoi:er student reaction is not known, but an in formal survey of the student opinion found a majority of those interviewed opposed to council's action. Students opposed to the decision give the same reasons as those students who first fought for the street's closing-the inconvenience caused by traffic and the street's potential as an entertainment area. Those supporting the decision said closing Green Street would make worse an already bad parking problem. "I think Green Street should be closed," Kevin Denman said. "It runs right through the center of activity and when it was closed there was more opportunity for music groups to play there," he said. Scott Beck also cited concerts as a reason to close the street. The street was closed for 45 days last year on an experimental basis, allowing use of the area for such activities. "I think they should close it for the students' sake," Beck said. "We could have more concerts and parties there, and people wouldn't be hassled by traffic. You could cross the street without being hit," he said. During the experiemental closing a study of the traffic flow on Green Street was made by Campco Engineering of Rock Hill. The study concluded that Green Street should remain open during evening hours, but did not recommend either closing or leaving the street open during other parts of the day. Not all students want the street closed, however, "I want it open so you can have transportation through here when you need it," said Charles Tolbert. "You have to go around and around already to find a parking spot and that's unnecessary. This would just take away more parking spots," he said. "I agree with the decision, because it's already hard to park and it is more convenient to come] down to Green Street to park," said Jane Aslund. Other students said the loss of Filmmaker to' Marcel Ophuls,, director of several documentary "The Sorrow and the Pil visit is being jointly sponsored by th and English, Media Arts, and the Rusi Two events will be open to the Univ the Russell House Auditorium there Ophul's latest film, "A Sense of L temporary troubles of Northern Irelai and talk about the film informally. At six p.m. in the Nursing Auditori Sorrow and the Pity." The film lasts but, as one critic put it, "in terms of m absorption, it is one of the shortest n again answer questions about his wo At two in the afternoon, in the tele Center (in the law school basement), question and answer session about 4 Pts angr marking sapce was not a major lifficult. "I disagree highly with the decision, said William Hare. "They should close it so the students would have more of a passageway through campus. If it Nas left up to me I would block it )ff from Sumter Street to Pickens. It would take away maybe 100 parking spaces and that's all. rhey could provide that ;omewhere else. I wish they put a ark there," Hare said. "It won't make that much dif erence," said Thelma Harris. "I hink they should make more marking spaces, but they could nake them on different parts of the :ampus." While opponents of the closing ;ee the council's decision as a rictory, proponents see it as mother loss in an old fight. Man THELMA HARRIS )f those interviewed said they did iot know what course of action ;tudents favoring the closing ;hould take. John Loftis sees the issue dif erently from others interviewd md said he didn't really care what Nas decided. "People here just go to school md go back home. This issue :ould be a rallying point, ;omething that could bring tudents together. It seems like it Nould make it more convenient for tudents, but it doesn't really matter one way or another to me," le said. Barbara Mathias and Mary Brannigan both said they opposed the decision, but neither was sure what could be done about it. "I don't like it open with the cars everywhere. It would be a better campus atmosphere if it were closed," Mathias said. "We could protest or get up petitions. We need to get students' parents behind it, the people who use the street. We really need to get some big people behind it," she said. "It would be nice to be able to valk where you wanted without Aorrying about the cars and it A'ould make more of a campus," Brannigan said. "But I don't know Ahat else we can do. We've done just about everything. We'll have .o just keep trying," she said. visit USC eatures including the acclaimed ty," will be at USC Monday. His e departments of Anthropology ell House University Union. ersity community. At 10 a.m. in will be a special screening of oss," which concerns the con ad. Ophuls will answer questions um, Ophuls will Introduce "The nearly four and one half hours, oral, intellectual, and emotional iovies of the year." Ophuls will rk or of filmmaking In general. vision studio in the Media Arts a videotape will be made of a )phuls' work. about KEVIN DENMAN The "Aurury by Arthur R up-dated.denir fashion and ca ... a must for the i Cup...the Masters, about any occasic Cool, fresh and spirit carefree luxury in every inch. 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