Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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/ GAMECOCK LXX1V, No. University of South Carolina Monday, April Zf> Abel Works For Gr By PATTY MCCARTHY ~~ Asst. News Editor The issue of whether to close Greene Street in front of Russell House University Union has been debated by each USC student body president for the past several years. SG President Ashley Abel has continued the debate and has outlined a six-point plan to generate support for the permanent closing of Greene Street. Concern was raised after USC student Louise Murphy was hit by a car on Greene Street April 8. She is now recovering from a fractured pelvis incurred in the accident. The road is now closed between Thomas Cooper Library anH Rllll Sitroot hntiuoon o m nr>rl A >V1 *U.?..^u Wv? vv-v uvtn vvii . uu u.in. auu -I p.m. muuud^ tl 11 UUgll Friday. Abel said he wants the road closed permanently so accidents such as this do not occur in the future. "Our biggest problem is Mayor (Kirkman) Finlay," Abel said. "He's saying that what we want to do is put parking in that area. "Our plans do not call for adding parking places. What we want to do is create a mall effect that will be safe as well as a means to beautify the campus." Finlay remains opposed to closing the street, saying he wants time to study the matter further. "I think some problems are caused by the way the university has handled it uy peimilling parKing on ureene sireet ana not designating crossing points," he said. Abel's six-point plan includes soliciting help from various university committees and other groups. Litter Becoming P By JIM LaFEMINA provides refreshment from SUN Writer thehotsun. Recently, however, springtime. The weather problems have arisen which gets warmer and students' may lead to the closing of the minds begin to wander out of rapids by their owner, South the classroom to thoughts of Carolina Electric and Gas the beach. Co. However, being hours According to Fritz Jolly of from the beach, many USC the state Wildlife Departstudents are content with a ment, the problem of litvisit to the rapids. tering the rapids is on the ml 11 ? 1 - r - - * ? ine smaii sireicn 01 river rise. off Interstate 126has become "The problem is more popular with students growing," Jolly said, "and every passing year. The the litter is becoming very many large rocks provide an noticeable along the shore as excellent area for tanning, well as in the water." while the cool rushing water Jolly also said there have && ^^8^^ M:9B^BBHSB^i^SsB^isMSBs^^lSssi^^&<<k^^^!II^^B^!^U ||-^ "& 1HI ^ Hha Bkr ^JB ^hBk|| The owner of the rapids off Interstate 126 aj 5 B* A A me excessive liuering. eene Street Support "We hope to get up enough backing from the staff, faculty, alumni, administration and mostly the students to have city council finally back down once and for all," Abel said. The first step in Abel's plan has succeeded. The USC Student-Trustee Liaison Committee has passed a resolution asking city council to permanently close Greene Street between Bull and Sumter streets. Support for the Student Senate, a move Abel calls the Student-Senate resolution, is expected to pass at the Wednesday Student Government meeting, Abel said. An Alumni-Council resolution passed April 24 calls for the same thing ? an appeal to city council for the permanent closing of the road. Further steps include creating a Faculty-Senate resolution as a means to show city council faculty support for the closing. Also, ADel said a state senator and representative have drafted legislation for a joint General Assembly resolution, calling for support from the General Assembly to convince city council to approve permanent closing of the street. Abel is "encouraging all students, faculty, administration and concerned citizens" to participate Tuesday and Wednesday in a petition drive to be held on Greene Street. Abel said he hones to 0ot 10 OOO sit>natnrf?<i frnm ri#?r?r?lo tr? n*^it\r 1 o 1 -o--~ ? " rvl/l"v vv council to close the road. Abel said he will present the results of all of these resolutions to city council members at the next city council meeting May 5. He said Student-Trustee Liaison chairman John Beasley and (JSC legal counsel Paul Ward will also attend the meeting. 'roblemAt Rapids been reports of cut feet and for the litter. What we want other minor injuries due to to do is make them more the increasing litter aware of the problem so that problem. it doesn't get out of hand." Andy Nelson, a junior at Of those who frequent the USC, said he visits the rapids rapids, most are USC regularly. students looking for weekend 11T tU / O/^l7> B- f \ i mum ii icy V0^n?i*Vjr; iciaAauun. should put more trash cans Jolly said there is a out there for the students to possibility of the rapids use because there really is being closed to students if no place to put it. The the littering problem conproblem isn't very bad right tinues. now, but inevitably it will get Judging from past exworse unless something is periences with SCE&G, done." Jolly said he would not rule Jolly said, "I'm not im- out the possibility of plying that the USC students restriction to the public, are 100 percent responsible iiifll Ifa lr jfc 'ZStJ - .V"--'- - ' Bk/: . .... #$*.> ' ' JB may close the area to Students because of Student Government President Ashley Abel ? hopes to gain university-wide support for the closing of Greene Street. Bad Checks To USC On Rise By FORREST BROWN SUM Writer With the cost of going to college ever increasing, it is getting easier for college students to yield to temptation and write bad checks. Since the beginning of the fall semester, USC has been given more than 7,000 returned checks worth about $1,250,000. The university recovers between 95-97 percent of the lost money. According to Howard Rhodes, university treasurer, many of the returned checks are written for tuition fees at the beginning of the semester. Some of the others are written to the university for cash at the check-cashing room in Petigru. Many people feel that writing a bad check is not all that bad, but Rhodes said that type of thinking is a dangerous fallacy. Rhodes said, "A check returned from the bank can becomepart of your criminal record. This law was passed by the Smith Pamlinji I .poiclahiro a pnnnlp r?f voarc onn " Jv"' "&" Rhodes added, "Once a warrant is served on a student, and we do serve warrants, this goes on his criminal record. And once this is on his criminal record, it stays there. This is a very serious offense." There is a returned check fee of $7.50, a $5 late fee lor each day that goes by without the check being covered, with a maximum late fee of $30. Rhodes warned that additional costs occur if the student is served with a warrant and has to appear before the magistrate court. That fine amounts to $20. Rhodes outlined the procedure the university uses in dealing with the returned checks. "First we send a certified letter to the student explaining the situation," said Rhodes. "We give him 15 days to pay the check off along with the fees. If he does not pay by that time, a warrant is served." Rhodes said the problem is so extensive the university has hired an employee who deals with nothing but returned checks. Rhodes said, "She works full-time, and that's all she does. Sometimes she get so far behind that we have to hire floaters to come in and do the typing. This business of returned checks involves tremendous amounts of time and money for the university." Rhodes said he believes the problem is getting worse due to the current state of the economy. If the economy does not pick up, Rhodes said he sees the problem only getting worse. Rhodes said, "There is no excuse for this offense. We want to offer a service to those who use it like it should be used."