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The Gomecock Founded 1908 Friday Volume 77, No. 89 University of South Carolina May 3, 1985 *Clemson wins By Ann Farmer USC lost a battle of symbols yesterday when the state Commission on Higher Education refused to rename a graduate engineering program. i ne umversuy \vaniea 10 cnangc tne name ot an electrical engineering doctoral program with an emphasis on computers to computer engineering. Because Clemson offers a Ph.D in computer engineering, ^ changing the USC name would have been a step toward duplicating programs, opposing commissioners said. CLEMSON PRESIDENT Bill Atchley said the commission needed to stand up and say it supported South Carolina's master plan on higher education: agriculture and engineering at Clemson, medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina and liberal arts and business at USC. "If I wanted to get in, say, international business, they General Assembly *OKs compromise M M O M J M it m ^ #% I ^ uii ounuay saies By Associated Prat* The state Senate dodged budding filibusters Thursday and went alona with the House on a comnromise hliip law* hill that would open fctailers' doors for Sunday sales after 1:30 p.m. The bill, which will exempt tourism counties of Horry, ^ Charleston and probably Beaufort from the 303-year-old closing restrictions, will be ratified by the officers of the two chambers early next week and sent to Gov. Dick Riley for signature. "He is expected to sign it," said Riley spokesman Russ Vlrk'innmr "It'c Unciooll.. ...u... ?.? Mvituiiiv; . it .i uu3ivany wuii.^nitiii Willi wuai IIC rccommcndcd." Before the Senate approved the compromise, Charleston County senators threatened a filibuster to get a hastily drawn companion bill passed allowing the county to decide in a public referendum next year whether it should be totally exempt from the blue laws. The blue laws compromise passed the House 6H-40 after only 45 minutes of debate and cleared the Senate 29-12 after more than lour hmirt of wrnnplino "I think it is a very progressive step," said Sen. John Mayes, D-York, chairman of the conference committee that drafted the compromise. "It brings a lot of uniformity to the law. It probably is a giant step." Rep. Lloyd Hendricks, D-Kichland, who has advocated blue law reforms for seven years, said he never gave up on the legislation. "That's the one way we've been able to put this bill through ... we've continued to fight," he said. "I'm happy," said Sen. J.M. "Bud" Long, D-Horry, a vv/diviviiw wiuiiimvv iiivuiuwi wiiu aiuuvj iar>i uu galling lilt total exemption for the three tourism-oriented counties. "My people can grow now." But Sen. Bill Branton, R-Dorchester, who fought the bill down the line as a conferee, said he was disappointed. "I'm not satisified," he said. "I feel we should have kepi the afternoon closing time cap." The Senate version of the bill had called for stores to be open from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., while the House favored a 1:30 p.m. opening with no set closing time. It "is a recognition that better than 60 nercent of the neonlt want a change and they want it to be significant ? not the pat chwork we had in the past," said Rep. Robert Sheheen, a Kershaw Democrat who served on the committee. "I think it's fair to say that all of us found out over the weekend that the people of South Carolina have demanded some meaningful revision of the blue laws for two reasons: they are archaic and outmoded and, most importantly, the) are unenforceable." Sheheen was referring to the governor's promise to strict^ enforce the blue laws statewide if the General Assembly failec to approve some sort of reform legislation. Strict enforcement of the current ban on Sunday sale; ? : -I f T?wu.u iniiuKL I1UII/ v^viinny 111(U ft ICCCHMUII, SU1U 1.0112$. 3Un day is one of the heaviest sales days of the week along th< Grand Strand where the blue laws are generally ignored. The compromise appeared to be in trouble when Republicar Sens. Sam Applegaie and Arthur Ravenel of Charleston raiset objections to the tourism provision, which exempts any coun ty from the blue laws that produces more than $9(X),0(X) an d nually in accommodation taxes. "We arc about to pass legislation that we are not treatinj everyone uniformly," said Applegate. computer e ft Ia*. I1 "pu? should (ell mc no; that's USC's area, not < said. And although the move would have on of an already existing program, Atchley was "important on a philosophical level. m I HvBr^ ?id^F^ j | PHOTOS BY JENNIFf I Nursing junior Michelle Anderson fills Students ov : By Jeri Rowe With the semester's end inching closer, many students will be digging into their pockets to repay outstanding : university payments and fines. ' Debts of more than $30,(X)0 in housing damages and $55,000 in library ' fines and book replacements have been saddled to USC students this past academic year. ' However, at this point in the ' semester, several university officials find themselves scrambling to locate 4 students before they leave for the summer in order to pay these outstanding : debts they have incurred throughout the semester. 1 1 "IT'S PARTICULARLY touchy ihis time of year because students are trying to Mudy for exams," said Linda Saad, university housing director. I But Saad added that collecting the money is not the problem. The only engineering Commission Chain proposal, said (he re inging a name is (ackle duplication at l y way to start somf. commissi ijng " taincd, but not cxpan< decided in the futur n il a? hi roooucs, lor instance, ? Bill AtChley t^c commission woul lemson president emphasis. The proposal didn equipmenl, but Atch "lemson's," Atchley later, complicating th "Wc should work t ly changed the name said, adding that in%l said the disapproval then the other wantec in the circles. L.; J I . ! ?8h I ||* pmpjH urauuom siuutiii ~ ve university problem she f inds is "hassling students all semester iong to pay." T his problem may seem to be an unsurmountable task, but the university has speeded the collection process along by tacking these fines to a student's registration fee for the next semester. If continuing students ignore these fines, any university department can eventually receive these outstan/i;Mn /inU?A u.. ? Ulllg UIUIS \jy UIUWMII^ I lit 11 IL'ghllUlion request until the money is received. In effect, the university has a stranglehold a student's education because they need to pay all bills before they can pursue their degree, Saad said. "STUI1KNTS ARK here to go to school to pet their grades. When they can't register, they have wasted their time," she said. This collection process also includes battle nan F red Shehcen, who supported the jcetion signaled that the group would the highly technical graduate level. ONKRS wantrri the I JSC nrocram sns ied. Opponcnls argued that, if the state e to enlarge the program to include , and both schools had Ph.D programs, Id have to choose where to place the 1't involve adding faculty, courses or ley said USC might decide to expand e problem of duplicity. ogether to complement each other," he le past, if one school adued a program, I if tnn 4,<stat/?c ran'l affnrH that M hp JENNIFER STEIB I The Gamecock P t Charlene Herring checks a 11/r i T nrtiMrtriintr 11 $85,000 graduates and soon-to-be graduates. Even though Saad said there is a "law of being fair," she emphasized that housing can hold back a person from graduating or refuse lo submit a former student a transcript until they pay an outstanding debt. "We're tightening the reins around here really tough," Saad said. Reinforcing Saad's comments, Ken v^orocu, uirecior 01 ousmess operations, said all acadcmic records, registration forms and diploma requests are held if any student owes the university $25 or more. CORBETT SAII) students are billed once a month, but he found that (flirlpntc CPlMtl tn u/uit frt ? ho lot# minnlA to pay their housing fines. "Many students put off this responsibility (of paying the fines) until they reali/c that they have to go home," See "Fines," page 6.