University of South Carolina Libraries
' A The South Carolina Library Campus Volume LXX,No.3 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. August 31,1979 1977?\ Mishandling funds Gamec By Mark Piatt# and Carl Babcock Asaiatam N*?n Edhor Graduate Aaalatant ? copyright 1979 Oamacoofc Mid-Amfirinnn Trnval Sapwira while acting as travel agent for the Gamecock Club, was found guilty of mishandling funds by the U.S. District Court in Arkansas in July 1977. rne service had broken the Civil Aeronautics Board regulations for tour operators and by failing to deposit $226,000 collected by people Soinfl on the* tour in An psfrnw account as required by the CAB regulations. Mid-American Travel deposited approximately $20,000 in an escrow account and later withdrew all but several hundred dollars, according to the complaint filed. No other money was placed an niv. cguvn avvvuin. THE CAB in its complaint said: "On information and belief, MidAmerican Travel Service through its agent the University of South Carolina, doing business as 'Gamecock Club', (club) has sold fka Uourolion C4am Tmm1*iaU*a vuv iianaiinii viicAJlvp IIIVIUOIVC Tour Charter to the public. "However, after the club received approximately $226,000 from tour participants and deducted commissions there from, it failed to remit checks or money orders payable to the escrow acMmmw*MM Blue ,A>' ' v. j By Chris Sosnowski Garrwoock Staff Wrtt*r "Tunnelvision'; an intriguing and disillusioning wall mural on Taylor and Marion streets, captures the attention of : passing Columbia motorists. The true-to-scale painting of a tunnel through a mountain road is the work of its creator, artist Blue Sky. ! Blue Sky, a Columbia native and graduate of USC has been painting all his life. HnurAVAP ttio 4A_i;oorJll/l artiat XAVVT VT VA ^WIV IV J VUl ViU MUOi has other vocations - dance instructor,gas station at-; tendent.sign painter and writer. ! Art has always been a big part of his life and is now his fulltime occupation. Blue Sky has a name that is a curiousity to some people. It is his legal name,not just a ; pseuaonym used oy professionals or a stage name. Blue Sky was not his given name;he had it legally changed at a point in his life when he" changed everything." The name itself "Just came out of the blue,"he joked. Blue Sky said that "Tunnel vision" is probably his most successful work,In a commercial sense. Photographs of the wall have appeared in People Magazine as well as international design magazines nrl nAtiMnnttAM Clni uw ><viT0Uil|>v< ? osvjf MMWWW the idea for the mural. He was not contracted for It. The South Carolina Arts Commission supplied him with a $3,000 grant for the work.Then he negotiated wiin ine reaerai Land Bank on Hampton and Marion Streets, one wall of which became Sky's canvas. The bank also supplied the lighting effects involved in ;ock Club count, whicn had been established for receipt of such funds at the First National Bank of Eastern Arkansas. '^Mid-American Travel Service deposited approximately $20,000 in (hp IMPPAw an/iniin> am<I auk ?v wv.wn hvvvuih aim ouir sequently withdrew all but several hundred dollars. The remainder of the monies were not placed in the escrow account." a ??tml a.i 1 iriEi vvmriiAini cununuea: "Mid-American Travel Service, Inc., its officers, agents (Gamecock Club), servants, and employees and those persons in active concert or participation with them who receive actual notice of this order, are hereby if pci niaiicuuj eiijuiuvu in connection with One-stop Inclusive Tour and Advance Booking Charters in which Mid-American is the One-stop Inclusive Tour Operator or Advance Booking Charters Operator from violating the Board's Regulations governing surety bonds and escrow ac A. ? counts. The U.S. District Court Judge in Arkansas ruled that there would be a close examination of all MidAmerican Travel Service operations toy CAB until July 1962. 'The service must maintain a minimum balance in escrow of 20 " V' V' ' jjfj.';! I!, , j's unique -iKS'^^sSScSBffM ' * '?! ' S^HHfHE^SI Blue i. Blue Sky got the idea for "Tunnelvision" from a dream last year. The National Highway Commission awarded Bhie Sky with a citation for incorporating the environment of tne highway with the building. "I get these ideas and I try to tell people and somehow it just doesn't work so I paint/'he said. With regard to "Tunnelvision" Sky said: "It is an attempt to punch a hole through a wall,to make it like there's really a hole there all the way from one end of the building to the other." His hope is that first glimpses by individuals wili> travel age percent of all the money of future I tour participants. Under a i Memorandum of Understanding H between the CAB and Mid- I American Travel Service, no fines I were assessd as long as the tour H operators follow the board's H regulations. ! In his final judgement, the U.S. B judge repeated almost verbatim n the wording of the CAB's com- | plaint but didn't mention the | Gamecock Club. D USC attorney Timothy G. Quinn, said: "I don't believe we're con- 0 nected with this case. I hope not. l! the Gamecock Club wasn't served || witn ttiis notice." || HOWEVER, the CAB complaint, H the U.S. District Court's final H judgement and the Memorandum |j of Understanding between the CAB Q and the Arkansas travel service were in the legal affairs depart ment of the University. Ed Pitts, secretary of the Gamecock Club, said: "We were hoping this whole thing would be dropped. I don't think anything has been done on this case in about a year." The Civil Aeronautics Board in Washington D.C. will not disclose when checks are made upon organizations which have violated CAB regulations. NO PRESS releases were issued s 'Vision' f: 9k - >* <* > JjPr * . . ? : 5<.:> -.f JL ' * ;vN ^jfllb'- * s's f V js& y -111 ||?ll|$' 'y-ZS'^s' ^16^ ?v-' ^ v ^1% HHiiMl 1 i MB??i - ? m 9M nH^JHi, ;''r" ; sj?i W<"1^L sm mm &Nfy convince them for a moment what they see is real. Sky said he feels as soon as the viewer realizes it is a mural,the essence of the moment is gone,but the interest and ; curiousity remains beyond the illusion. 1 The Federal Land Bank is directly behind the wall, and an unused bank vault lies directly behind the sun in the mural. Blue Sky produced a poster version of "Tunnelvision" for \ commercial sale. In the process he and a friend took 4 ~ _a a. * - ^ * - * - ii Mwniy camera snow cogei ine effect he wanted. Ss&3ium Sky, - >nt found No. IN THE UNITED QTJ COURT FOBTHEEA OF ARKANSAS I CIVIL AERONAUTI BOARD, __ Plaint ! v. MID AMERICAN TB SERVICE, INC. Defend by CAB or the U.S. District ot Arkansas about the case. The present breach of contract suit against the Gamecock Club was filed in October 1978 by the International Travel Group, Inc. of Raleigh after Edward H. Pitts, executive secretary of the Gamecock Club, gave International Travel exclusive rights i._ i >? - ^ - - w nanoie a cnarier trip to Hawaii. The Travel Group was given an oral agreement by Pitts to arrange for all travel agencies in South Dorm imp\ schedule By EUse Onrwcock Improvements on 19 USC dormiti Bob Stewart, director of auxiliary s< Funded almost completely by s Services estimates a full year in needed for the renovations and pres who must approve the estimate. "We try to be conservative with into debt," Stewart said. "When w? goes back into the dormitories for on the Horseshoe receive outside ? said. REQUEST FORMS are sent out ment presidents, residential staff ai summer's improvements. This past at $642,000. ovewcti i aaiu vapowiic auu oait because, "Bates House has been be needs some cosmetic work." Auxill on a bond issue to pay for these reno may not be a large enough issue, bt added. AUXILIARY SERVICES has se improvements. The highest priority health and safety reasons. Following be done but could be postponed and dormitory a better facility, but co?, Stewart While most of the renovations tal carries over into the school year, because many of the buildings are o said. "Look at the Horseshoe; we're ABOUT 50% of the bousing fees services, or mortgage. Also drawii must go towards vandalism. Stew disturbing" to "make the students elude McBryde Quad and Bates Hot dormitories is nil. "It's an operatis wiiica i rum un; suiucnui uwn pocxe The breakdown on how much is h follows: South Tower, $23,325; South Bu Sims, $9,800; Wade Hampton Do $42,000; Capstone, $10,600; Columb $520; 814 Henderson St., $10,000; I Hotel, $15,670; Douglas, $26,300; Bu Snowden, LaBorde, $2,000; McBi $50,000; University Terrace, $10,81 $3,600. A total of $25,000 has been sp students.' v \ I guilty L 1 IiD JJ1D 1 xvIU l i STERN DISTRICT || CS COMPLAINT | iff F0B injunctivbJ RELIEF j AVEL I o -r? f . %jm JUL u ' ! 1 *' ' 1 Mllgggg. Carolina to be able to offer the Gamecock Tour for USC's trip to Hawaii for the USC-Hawaii football game in November 1977, the suit said. THE GAMECOCK Club broke off negotiations wiin international Travel and entered into a contract with Mid-American Travel Service which apparently led to an estimated $85,000 loss for International Travel; including promotions, advertising, and reservations in Hawaii. rovements d this fall La Porta Staff Writ** [>ries will cost $282,725, according to srvices. tudent housing fees, the Auxiliary advance how much money will be ents it to the USC Board of Trustees, our estimate in case we should fall . U?? :i -1 ; uu nave uiuiiey icu over, n always improvements." Only the buildings (rants for historical restoration, he in November to dormitory governnd area managers for the following : year, the total cost was estimated s House need to be reconditioned a ten up pretty badly, and Capstone ary services has requested a study vations from the administration, "it ut it's still got to be done/' Stewart t up three priorities for dormitory is renovations that must be done for g this are improvements that should improvements that could make the lid get along without, according to te place over the summer, often it "It's impossible to get it all done ccupied over the summer/' Stewart still cleaning up out there." i go directly for utilities and debt ng on the funds is the money that rart described it as "difficult and t understand." Problem dorms in 1.11 i-ii ? isc, wmie vanuausm in uie women's ig cost," stressed Stewart, "and it ts." eing spent on each dormitory is as ilding, $2,850; McClintock, $8,260; irmitory, $3,000; Horseshoe area, >ia Hall, $2,400; Nada Apartments, k. A A- ? -*w ?. * - raws area, $i,uuu; waae Hampton roey, $3,900; Baker, $3,100; Moore, *yde, $28,500; Woodland Terrace, DO; South Marion St. Apartments, tent on renovations for handicapped