University of South Carolina Libraries
Writing Center offers help to students By TOM SMITH Staff Writer In the midst of budget cutbacks, the English department has manag-ed to keep one of USC's educational resources open: the Writing Center. To break the heat of class assignment deadlines this summer, a visit to the center can cool anxious nerves. Already this session* four tutors have assisted students ranging from undergraduates working on short essays to doctoral candidates polishing their dissertations. The center's work is not limited to class assignments. The staff is trained to help with cover letters, creative writing, and other extra-curricular work. "Particularly in the summer sessions, paper deadlines can - - * i ; r sneaK up on siuuems. oui, n they schedule appointments with us early, often we can help them with each stage of the writing process. We'll help them brainstorm, organize their thoughts, and revise drafts," said tutor and doctoral candidate Hayes Hampton. Chris Helms, an English doctoral candidate and the center's associate director, said the tutors Ar\ nrvt r\rr\\TiHo o r\rnnfroorlin n uw nv/t put iuv/ a pivv/iivuuiu^ service, even-though they are eager to help all clients. The effort in the Writing Center is two-fold: to help on specific tasks and guide students in applying the lessons of that task to future work, Helms said. Students gain confidence in their ability to develop their own ideas into papers. The center offer strategies that will encourage independence, rather than correct grammatical errors that would encourage dependence on the center, Helms said. Tom Waldrop, English professor and Writing Center director, is convinced the summer hours will be a valuable resource for students who feel they need a 11 ttla o v tro Knln TKo nfar' e liiitw VAua iivip. t uv vviuvi o tutors are willing to arrange seminars with professors who want specific topics addressed. You can avoid the heat of summer deadlines and visit Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. An appointment with a tutor can be made by calling 777-2078 and the nationallyknown Writer's Hotline is 7772070. ROTCo. Belangia said he seemed to n< attitude among cadets toward hi "At anything I went to, it se< cadets knew about me and I w? ignored or made the object attention," he said. During the same time, he s more telephone threats, which 1 added to the police investigatioi THE ROAD GETS BUMPIE On Feb. 18, Belangia sa Carpenter again. In this meeting told his commanding officer tl harassed and treated different that Carpenter reacted by tellir have Belangia disenrolled. But Carpenter said he met w part of regular procedure for ev "I only met with Mr. Belan< following the direct Army rei meet with all cadets every seme am required to counsel all scl period. We're in the people bus "Developing officers is more ing up in class at any given p takes a substantial amount of < to love them and shelter our cac Carpenter said cadets meet t and academic advisement. "Oi see that these cadets succeed," 1 But for Belangia, chanc appeared to be running out. Abie probation, and struggling to requirements to keep his sch< already stopped attending physi by the end of January. By Apri classroom sessions as well. "At this point, I had to de going to do. I've been in th enough that if you want to get are enough articles in the U Code to do it," he said. Still, he complained there w or assistance for him from the c "They didn't want to help was) no support in studying," 1 with academic problems is enti absence, he continued, but thai offered. "I don't usually offer lea\ Carpenter explained. Belangia said he stopped al classes that spring because tht ment and physical threat was b for him, even though several lesbian organizations urged ROTC an excuse to disenroll hi "They encouraged me to ke< and to have the most exemplar to make it harder for them to said. "But the harassment got to tl it was a question of human dij had done all I could do from the next logical step would tx Fight from outside ROTC." TO THE PRESIDENT... AND THE MEDIA When Belangia arrived fron the heels of the Great Blizzard sat down and wrote a letter t itinued from page 2 otice a change in cially announcing his homosexuality. C m at this time. were routed to USC President John Palm jmed that all the Vice President for Student Affairs D is treated rudely, Pruitt. of everybody's He said he hand delivered those lett each office and never received any reply o ;aid he received firmation from any of the officials, vere notated and Two days later, The Gamecock brol i. story on the front page, including the disc /-vf hie iHAntifv oc tho enhi/^f nf on onant U1 Alio IUV?UIJ CAO UJV OUl/JVVl VI Ull UIIVHJ !R interview advocating lifting the gay ban tf Feb. 1. The local media picked up the id he met with immediately, and Belangia eventually apj g, he said that he in the news section of The Advocate, the r tat he was being al gay and lesbian newsweekly. ly. He also said Meanwhile, Vice President for St ig him he would Affairs Dennis Pruitt told Gamecock staff J. Michelle Schohn he had not received h ith Belangia as a ter. ery cadet. But Palms had, and according to >ia as a result of spokeswoman Debra Allen, he then me quirement that I Carpenter on March 19. While the conte ister," he said. "I the meeting were private, Allen said the u lolarship cadets, sity told local media later they were "lc iness." into" Belangia's charges of harassment. ; than just show- u5u spokesman kuss Mciunney tate lace and time. It Palms, when asked whether he and Car] iollars. We have discussed a university investigation durinj lets." meeting, "could not remember that." o get counseling McKinney also said Palms may not ur business is to acted on the "ME" letter ecoming to much involved in the Army ROTC program." national gay and While USC was deciding how to resp him to not give the charges, Belangia said he received im. harassing phone calls, and then moved ;p going to class, the next week to Columbia Hall, y record possible Piers Torday, Belangia's roomm kirk me out" he. Columbia Hall, said Jav kent a loe of calls that would come to their room. 1 he point to where said he only recalled answering one call ?nity. I felt that I the remainder of the semester. That calle inside ROTC but up before speaking, s to continue the Belangia said he still received some including one telling him not to attend training exercise at Ft. Jackson or he "wi make it back alive." He said he didn't att< exercise because he was afraid. In early April, Belangia met with Dark a spring break on initial interview concerning an investi of '93, he said he into a possible violation of his civil rights o Carpenter offi- On June 8, almost two months after th ie explained. that outed Belangia in es for success the fall because he prob- 'I WclS n eady on academ- ably never saw it. "Dr. agenCV O meet contractual Palms gets a lot of letters i ccm olarship, he had like that," he explained, D^r^SSm ical training class referring to crank, politi- Of cinyor 1, he had skipped cal and unsigned letters. of cUlV C< Dennis Pruitt, vice anv qf.,, cide what I was president of Student v ie military long Affairs, said he thought the Arm] somebody, there Carpenter requested an niform Military investigation from USC. Lt. L-Ol "As I recall, Jay and he as little attention had requested one previlepartment. ously," he said, adding i me any, (there that Lawrence Dark, te said. Someone head of USC's Office of Equal Oppoi tied to a leave of Programs, would know more about any ii leave was never gation. Carpenter said he didn't know aboi res of absence," harassment charges. "I was never aware 1 agency or person involving harassmer tending labs and Belangia, or anyone," Carpenter said. "I; : level of harass- aware of any complaint made by any s !opies view, Belangia got a letter from Dark asking is and him if he wanted to continue to pursue an invesennis tigation into alleged harassment by the ROTC unit. The letter, and Belangia's response, ers to arrived more than two weeks late because' r con- Belangia had moved several times since the end of the spring semester, ce the Dark said he was informed he could not pur losure sue an investigation of the cadet's charges, mious Instead, like other university departments, he latran said Affirmative Action will look into the story charges involving instances in the residence reared halls. lation- "Anytime we have any kind of harassment cases," Dark said, "they become priorities." udent writer HEARING AND OUT? lis letFor Belangia, the month of May was also a ITCP ?:?A u_ : A i?^ ujv, piiuiuy. wti i\iay lie wd^ iwucu a liicniu pmct with ing him on leave of absence pending the outnts of come of the ROTC disenrollment board's invesniver tigation. >oking The board's investigation was scheduled for May 27, but later moved to June 2 by r said Belangia's request, so that he could attend the penter National Association of College and University g their Residence Halls conference. He made other requests: one seeking a conhave tinuance so he could make up previously uncompleted coursework; another asking for o\ror anv a rhanee of venue IV V vx u?? WXV J ? ? o r person involving because of the media L a a r? i publicity surrounding his ent, Mr. Deiangia, case. The continuance te. I am not aware and change of venue amplaint made by we^e 1x3111 denied. , . J Instead, a panel of dent involved in officers was appointed Y ROTC program/7 from other schools in South Carolina, rather . Walter Carpenter than the customary selecUSC Army ROTC tion of participants froir Commanding Officer ^ university. Military counsel was appointed to Belangia, tunitv although he was able to select civilian counsel nvesti- at his own exPenseOn June 2, the members of the board, counsel, witnesses and observers gathered in Legare ut any , College for the session to decide Belangia's y ., fate. The chaiges included breach of contract, it, Mr. - . 6 . . . . failure to maintain minimum academic require ments and indifferent attitude or lack of interest tu ent in military training. The meeting, which was to be open to the ond to pUbiiC) was closed upon Belangia's request. more jater ^ ]ega] counsel's advice was tc durmg resign> partly because it could influence the board's recommendation and his possible miliate in an(j financial obligation to repay scholarcrank monjes after jjjg judgment, rorday Belangia also said he couldn't mention his dunng homosexuality, since disclosure would immedir hung atejv _ t in vio^tjon 0f the "homosexualitv is incompatible" provisions of his contract and : calls, jgj Up ^ removai a field por his defense, he said he read a short stateouldn t ment about the harassment and attitudes of his ;nd the superior officers. Belangia's future remains uncertain as he : for an awaits the disenrollment board's decision, igation Kevin Menken is also a correspondant e inter- for Q Notes. % . . hV - . 1 t, ' . J . - V?M