Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

Center's Future Uncertain; Funds Major Obstacle BY KAREN PETIT of The Gamecock staff Plans to create a Center for Cultural Development at USC have apparently become stagnant in the turnover between the Jones and Patterson administrations. University officials admitted Tuesday to not knowing what was happening with the Center idea, an idea to raise academic standards at USC. "I have absolutely no idea what is being done with the Center," William H. Pat terson, USC President, said. "Just what kind of purpose do you think the Center should serve? We have many ways of creating an academic atmosphere with visiting professors, professors in residence, and organized colleges and departments." Proposals for a Center for Cultural Development began in 1971 at the Gravatt Conference, a conference on academic atmosphere by those who felt something was lacking in the intellectual learning experience at USC. Former USC President Thomas F. Jones asked Professor Lawrence Giles to study recommendations for the Center and a committee was formed. Bert Dillon was named director for the proposed Center. Dillon resigned last August and was told the Center was being reviewed by a committee chaired by Dr. James Oliver. At present, another director has not been appointed. Dillon said he talked with Oliver several times during the fall term but doesn't know what has happened to the Center now. "I really don't know what has been done since I left," Dillon said. "My association and resignation make little difference now. If you don't want a particular in dividual to administer it, then the sensible thing to do is to resign. If Jones wanted it, it would have been fine and may have gone through. Patterson may not want the Center. I just don't know." According to Dillon, the idea behind the Center was to bring together people who were doing original and challenging wirk in the University. This include. profu.sors, graduate students, and= * dergraduates. To provide a congenial atmosphere, there was to be a Cnmmna Room for coffee where students and faculty could go. In addition, these people were to have access to the senior fe1mws for discussion on projects they were doing. The Center was supposed to be an internal way to provide an intellectual stimulus for life at the University. On the student level, Center advocates felt there was not enough genuine interest in learning by the student community as a whole. Plans for changing student apathy Please Turn to Page 3 University AU South Carolina 95 Volume LXV No. 67 SGA President Steve Hill al Columbia City Council yesterds present the University's proposi Merchant BY TOM COONEY of The Gamecock staff With the economic crunch being what it is these days, the Student Government Association (SGA) has been working in conjunction with many merchants in and around Columbia to provide USC students with special discounts on merchandise sold at participating stores. Over the past four weeks, SGA administrative aide Mike Honeycutt has been dontacting merchants in Dutch Square, downtown and Five Points areas Minority Gi BY JOHN SHARKE of The Gamecock sta A report on the recruitment of n in USC graduate programs is being Minority Affairs Committee (MA committee to the president. Charles McMillian, co-chairman the report will be based on a st student participation in assistani and other graduate programs. 1 mittee will be working directly v Graduate Schools. The report will include how USC recruiting and what can be done al of minority students, McMillan sa "I don't think USC has done recruiting minority graduate stud said. He said a few departments, Work and Psychology, have dono recruiting. The new medical sch 4i >peared before Green Street altei iy morning to until further stud, il for handling s May Giv( asking them if they would give discounts at their stores to USC students. So far, approximately 20 mer chants have agreed to give discounts ranging from 5 to 10 per cent to students showing a special discount card and a USC ID. The cards will be distributed at registration and afterwards will be available at the SGA office. Honeycutt has been talking with merchants in Dutch Square, Five Points and downtown because he believes these are the areas in which the majority of students shop. He said he has gone pretty 'ad Enrollm tively recruiting said. "My philosophy uinority students something to offei compiled by the recruitment is no C), an advisory average minority backing at the unc of the MAC said had." This indic idy of minority extra incentive t ship, fellowship Too many mino e said his com- to attend graduat iith the dean of he said. He cite( Carolina State st has gone about by the USC Thea >out recruitment offer was not as g: id. students did not i a good job in like to see more ents," McMillan Carolina. including Social The report, onc . a good job in President. Mc ool "will be ac- probably be com Dane Eens 'ations. Council delayed action is conducted. Students much from door-to-door in Five Points and used an old discount card from two years ago to locate other places where a discount might be given. He has approached shopowners hoping they will realize that USC students provide them with much of their business and assuring them their only cost will be the amount of the discount given to the students. SGA will defray ex penses incurred by the printing, advertising and distribution of cards. Honeycutt said he anticipates about 20 merchants in all to sign ent Studied minority students," McMillan of recruiting is you have to have them," McMillan said. He said t the whole problem because "the student has not had the monetary lergraduate level that others have ates that minority students need > stay in school, McMillian said. rity students are leaving the state e school because of better offers, I as an example a group of South idents who were being recruited tre Department, but because the -eat as those from other states the iccept. McMillian said he would of these students stay in South e prepared, will go directly to the Millian predicted that it will leted sometime in September. City Counci Action On C BY TOM COONEY of The Gamecock staff The Columbia City Council yesterday delayed voting on USC's request to ejose the east side of Sumter Street between Devine and Green and also postponed voting on the proposal to widen Green in order to build a median there. The Council recommended to Harold Brunton, vice-president of operations, and SGA President Steve Hill that they work out a final plan to be submitted to the City Traffic Committee. Then, upon the committee's recommendation, the Discounts contracts and a variety of stores have been already contracted: department, gift, jewelry, stereo equipment, men's clothing, home furnishing and a few eating establishments. The goods to which the discount will be ap plicable will also depend on the individual stores. The idea of special discounts for students is not a new one. A similar discount system was available two years ago. However, many students failed to take ad vantage of it then. Honeycutt attributed this failure to the fact that students either did not know of the discount cards or those that knew did not bother to use them. This year SGA hopes to better inform students of the discount card. "We hope students won't think they're just another card you get at registration," Honeycutt said. SGA plans to run an ad in the first or second fall issue of the Gamecock listing the stores that give discounts. For the first time they will be free. Previously students had to pay a nominal fee for the discount cards. The scheme has been revived because, according to SGA President Steve Hill, "It's a good service and should help students save some money." With in creased tuition fees and a still uncontrolled inflation rate, students may decide to take full use of the discount cards. f Postpones reen Street Council will vote on the plan. Action was delayed partially because the University's com prehensive plan for Sumter and Green Streets is not yet complete, but more importantly, the Council seemed to reject some facets of the plan. The primary objection to the plan by members of the council as it was presented by Brunton was the yielding of the east side of Sumter Street to the University so the University could enlarge the Longstreet Theatre parking lot. The Council said it would rather see the University obtain an En croachment Ordinance and have USC landscape what is now the east lane of Sumter Street. Under this provision, the city would retain ownership of the closed off portion of Sumter Street and would be able to reopen that traffic if it wished. Councilman Kirkland Finlay said he is reluctant to yield a city street to the University just so it can-increase its parking capacity. "I'd rather give it up for grass," he said. The Council also took issue with Hill's request to erect stop signs at the crosswalk on Green Street in front of the Russell House. Councilman Finlay said he could not recall any person ever being hit by a car there and does not feel there is enough potential danger to pedestrians to warrant putting up stop signs. He added that because the University is only in full session for about two-thirds of the year, he could not see instituting such fixed conditions as stop signs that would only serve a purpose when USC is Please Turn to Page 6 Last Issue For Summer This is the last edition of The Gamecock for the summer. The Gamecock will resume publication August 28 with the fall orientation special issue. It has been an enjoyable ex perience to serve the USC com munity this summer, and it is our sincere hope that everyone has benefitted in some way from the job we have done. Good luck in your exams and -have a good vacation before school opens again in the fall.