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WEATHER SG cand ADAM SNYDER Asst. News Editor ALLISON WILLIAMS Special Projects Candidates for 1996-97 Student Government executive and senatorial positions have set goals to establish evaything from $2 parking meter pennits to a voting student member on the Board of Trustees. But are candidates aware of how to implement these ideas and changes? Administrators and current executive SG officers foresee problems in setting unreachable ideas in motion. Current SG Vice President Darcie Shively said candidates should have attainable goals. SG presid .1 1 tneir man EMN REED Staff Writer | Many USC students can't name their current Student Government president, much less describe what she has accomplished for the university during her term. Although students may not realize it, the work of many of USC's past SG presidents is still reflected today. They didn't do it to look good on their resumes. To some of them, it had absolutely no effect on their careers. To others, serving as president inspired and enriched every part of their lives. In 1968, Civil Rights protests were flaring up everywhere. When an Orangeburg bowling alley rejected some black students, students protested intensely to attract policemen to tne scene. During the protest, policemen shot and killed three students. Sam Drew, USC's SG president at that time, took it upon himself to organize a campuswide memorial service. "It helped to define who we are and what we stand for. We stood up for the rights of students and helped keep the university peaceful. It was a turning point in the role SG played and established it as a force," Drew said. Before Drew's administration, SG had only attended to typical duties, and it was questionable whether he even had the authority to organize the service. There was "heavy student unrest" about integration, and the memorial service helped to "initiate talks between students and administration about the integration of black students," Drew said. "This thrust us all into a much more real world." After graduation, his leadership experience inspired a span of jobs for the community. He worked in business, then joined the Teacher Corps, which was set up to attract people from different fields to education to make up for a lack of teachers. Drew taught for two years, was a principal for five years, headed an atrisk school, was a school superintendent in Union and is now director of community education in Columbia, which concentrates on adult education and literacy. Having served as SG president "provided me with a level of insight, vision SG Senate passes budget STAFF REPORT The Student Senate met for the next to last time this term in a meeting that could be deemed short but sweet. Three bills were passed in the 20-minute meeting, all by acclamation. A spectator in the gallery described the officials as "lame duck" senators. The main legislation passed was the budget bill. Student activities fees totaling $744,422 were allocated to different student organizations across campus. A total of $300,000 will go to support salaries of the staff working directly with student support functions. The senate also decided the $100,000 administrative fee for 1996-97 will be paid in June of 1997. IN ETC: idiates' p "Candidates should focus on issues 4 you can do, that are not too hard to goir implement," Shively said. For example, SG advisor Woody if th Carothers said a voting student stuc representative on the Board of Trustees ] has been an issue for many years, ont Currently, the SG president sits in on cam Board of Trustees meetings, but cannot sucl vote. ligh This has been hashed and rehashed on f for the past 10 yeans. Itfs a complex issue," SG Carothers said. fina Current SG President Amy Bigham incn said that although the president cannot esco vote, trustees take the president's opinions qua into consideration. edu ents left 1 is at USC and leadership skills I couldn't have gotten elsewhere," Drew said. Harry Walker was SG president in 1972. He installed a student court system at USC. Did his experience help further his career? "Probably not," he said. After graduation, he attended graduate school at USC, worked in education for two years and now works for IBM. Walker said it was difficult to achieve a position like president of the school as a black student in the 70s. But he came out "with strong credentials," he said. His greatest benefit from the experience was "involvement in decisions." Leigh Leventis' 1975 administration closed off Greene Street during the day, which is still in effect. He also set up a different plan for the distribution of tickets to sporting events. Students had been camping out overnight by the Russell House to get basketball tickets, which were distributed on a first come-first serve basis. "There : had been student pickets about this," Leventis said. Serving as president "steered me towards politics and enhanced my notions of going to law school," said Leventis, who is now a lawyer. 1 was able to work with issues that concerned me during that time." The night Marie-Louise Ramsdale won SG president in 1989 she sang "We Are the Champions" on a bar stool at the Elbow Room, she said. She had a good reason. During her administration, call boxes were installed all over campus. "Before I became student body president, there were no call boxes. When I left, there were 25," she said. Ramsdale also installed the Permanent University Safety Committee and put together the lightways Map, which shows the locations of the call boxes and the safest paths to take. She also established the Freshman Council. After college, she went to Harvard Law School, where she was also student body president. "I learned so many skills ? how to get things done," Ramsdale said. But "anyone who becomes student body president to further their career needs to think twice," she said. T? 1QQQ On oc Vnnnrr iil Xk/iAJj kAJ pWlUUUK J.llUiUUU IVUIig PAST page 2 |_ Scholarship pi MARTHA HOTOP News Editor At least 15 students will receive science res? this summer. The UNCF-Merck Undergraduate Sc scholarship award supports African-Am eric are life science or physical science majors. Scl are a component of the UNCF-Merck Scien "The goal of the scholarship is to signif the pool of highly-trained, well-qualified Ai research scientists in the biomedical scier scientific disciplines," said The Merck Comp Scholarship winners receive academic ? tuition assistance and research opportunitie art laboratories. Recipients will also wor' mentor. Scholarships are worth a maximum of $1 amount of the award is broken down into th Recipients may apply a maximum of $15,(XX and room and board. Recipients also receive course of two summer internships. An additional $10,000 grant is awarded U in which the recipient is majoring. Departm* be used to purchase research supplies and ? activities. The grant can offer scholarships tc Danielle Howie and the Tantrums roc, Serving USC since 1908 ilatforms n They are veiy much aware of what's improved adv ig on," Bigham said. ID cards and Fhe South Carolina legislature decides Police patr e Board of Trustees can have a voting more call We lent member. through thi [n addition to having a voting student Enforcement he Board of Trustees, presidential Committee, 01 didates are running on platforms university ad^ i as more police patrols, increased T think po ting, more call boxes, student input their rounds, bod, higher education funding, an the safety issi newsletter and forums, student on education ncial aid, a cap on tuition and fees, Bigham as eased funding for Alpha Phi Omega's issue that SG rt service, a volunteer patrol, higher More money, 1 lity campus food, increased higher such things i cation funding, syllabi on line, helping Alpl w it'' i i Hr . v ig Tho Dragon Danes was part of tho Vlotnamoi Cetebmtim ( puay viiy o*?? \Af?i^. mil oidii vviuei It's the year of the rat for those who go by the lunar calendar. Rats, people bom in 1996,1984,1972,1960,1948 and 1936 are imaginative, charming and generous but are quick-tempered and critical. A legend explains that Buddha invited all the animals of the world to visit him but only 12 came, so he named a year after each of the loyal animals. Vietnamese students helped organize this year's Vietnamese New Year's celebration last Saturday at Richland Northeast High School. Feb. 19 is New Year's day based on the cycles of the moon. The celebration included traditional dancing, singing and honoring the ancestors. New Year's is the biggest holiday in Vietnam, and the celebration lasts a month. The Vietnamese community in Columbia only has one formal celebration. For one day, families stopped working and got together with friends from Myrtle Beach, Greenville, Spartanburg, North Augusta and Atlanta. Queen Vo, one of the dancers, was born in the United States. Her New Year's wish came true the night of the celebration because she got to spend time with her friends and meet new people. She said that for Vietnamese who were bom in America and can't speak Vietnamese and those who have recently arrived and are learning English, working on the dances taught them about one another. "We learned about each other, not as individuals, but as groups ? like she's really Americanized, but romotes science Sch ath opportunities institution! WmAiUl^^X i or physicals ience Research W^kf 1 in physical; an students who Bflpf j jjwM j two semes lolarshipawards Applicants icantly increase **AHilCOrtOI# rican-American UAIVIeUUUK of Merck s ices and related GREENBACKS rev^ew ^ any Foundation. be based o support through to conduct s in state-of-the- in advancing scientific educatior k closely with a Applicants must be officially president of their academic insti 35,000. The total Applicants must include a fin ree components, and three letters of recommends ) towards tuition should address the applicant's $10,000 over the abilities and their potential to pi of the letters must be from the heai ) the department Applicants should also include i mtal grants may that is no more than three pages support research describe their career interests an< > other scientists. u k Columbia, pabe4 cock ii9if not I IIUJ IIVI I. isement, expanded use of services. Alph an off-campus meal card, money from th ols, increased lighting and activity fees decic s are safety issues handled Committee, s Department of Law "Ifyoulayc and Safety or the Safety it, it (crime) is go le of more than 50 special said, insory committees. Parking is ? lice do a good job on doing be worked out th Candidates need to drop according to Bill lie and concentrate more One presidents for safety," Shively said. $2 parking me ud safety is an important said this is so: can have influence over, "hashed" out tl 3igham said, is needed for Food issues i is lighting and possibly university com la Phi Omega increase committee is air jHk*. '*0*> &^' l!|. | 1 m Now Year's celebration. This Is the $r culture she's OK, and she's really Vietnamese, and l can accept ner, vosaid. Vo said she is always learning about her heritage. Last summer, while studying at Carnegie Mellon University, she discovered a Vietnamese Internet relay chat. She got kicked out the first time she logged on because the Vietnamese from all over the \vorld thought she was making fun of them when she wrote that the Vietnamese symbols on the computer screen must be a bad connection. They let her back on, and they helped her learn the language by letting her write out words phonetically. Vo also credits karaoke as helping her learn the language. Thuy Nguyen has been dancing in the New Year's celebrations for fours years. She says it's unfortunate she's too old to get money in red envelopes from older people, a Vietnamese tradition. "Little kids know a lot of elders, and they get rich quick," Nguyen said. "If you're my age, 22, you try to get it from the guys." Nguyen was born in Vietnam, lived in a refugee camp in Thailand for two years and arrived in the United States when she was nine years old. Her father was in the U.S. working family to join him. But for the two years he research vsm The folic olarship recipients must be Serviced students at four-year " Pm *oc s. They must be life science science majors; those majoring 2hd science must have completed Crimin ters of organic chemistry. Health must also have a minimum PhanT Scienc Section committee consisting cientists and educators will Honor h application. Selection will Libera nGPA, interest and ability ?$A laboratory work and interest Bus!n( Cotiseur r nominated by the dean or Contini turion. Journi ancial statement, transcript Lib ran tion. The recommendations Sweaflfl i laboratory and academic En aim irsue scientific studies. One i of the students department. : Lavv S a statement about themselves long. The statement should 1 goals in the field of science. lYlgQIC SCIENCE page2 INDEX SNEWS 1 VIEWPOINTS 3 ETC. , 4 COMICS 8 SPORTS CLASSIFIEDS 8 Clipping the.eagles, PAGE 6 ie attainable a Phi Omega receives on-campus dining services, e allocation of student "I hope they (new senate and executive led by the Senate Finance officers) will work with what we already have set up," Shively said, lown and shut up about Other committees are also already ing to get worse," Bigham discussing issues candidates mentioned in their platforms. An example is on-line mother issue that must syllabi. The Curricula and Courses rough special committees, Committee, one of more than 20 Faculty 1 Baker, head of parking. Senate committees, is currently working d candidate wants more on the logistics of setting up a way for ter permits, but Baker students to access course descriptions [nothing that must be and syllabi via the Internet, tirough the committee. Caroline Eastman, chair of the are also handled through Curricula and Courses Committee, mittees. Shively said a eady set up to talk about PLATFORMS page 2 v f it SHIN YUN The Gamecock yoar of tho rat, In tho Lunar calondar. [ ft *" *aB 0^ s ; HHP^ jn 9 SHnpPii^^H Vr Jm t* ~ li *" mmk IFlPr HM ^B f " J Mf. ''mI iHhSI . Ji^ Jk I Sk a iii SHIN YUM The Gamecock Sophomore Mary Nguyen participated Saturday In the traditional Vietnamese New Year's dance. brothers and sister were in Thailand, they didn't ,. celebrate New Year's because there wasn't anything o ge is to ceiebrate wjth and they didn't have the time. ;r mother, ; _ _ NEW YEARS page 2 C SITES >wing are the voting locations and the colleges by each. The voting sites will be open from 9 am lay. )t Russell House j ai Justice Education Music lacy Social Work :e and Math it ^. <->- rr :"s3 N s College Baccalaureate Nursing I Arts " Interdisciplinaiy Studies ass Administration n % w - . >1 uing Education APS alism / and Info Sciences gen I? :T= i:-:i ' Nl :ii?l Bering 10Oi J " - " ' =':' I? Si iMUllI 1*1 * chool .. School B :/v 'k:'14l;:l:4:11W al School ETHAN MYKRSON The Gamecoc