University of South Carolina Libraries
Winner of the 1996 CMA Pacemaker Award ? ? r WEATHER WW I 4 1^^^^ II INDEX Hi %k (Samccock n Serving USC since 1908 Dickei t CEDRIC SCOTT Staff Writer The Student Government Elections of 1997 concluded Thursday night, and nnvf n*'n finnl nvAAiifiirA iiCAi jecu o imai CACtuwvc unite waa filled. Liberal Arts sophomore Km Dickerson defeated Liberal Arts junior Michael Phillips in the run-off" elections to claim the title of SG vice president. In winning the SG's second-highest fe office, Dickerson credited her victory to the hard work of her "staff and supporters." First on the agenda for SG Vice Presidentelect Dickerson is strengthening the SG legislative body, she said. "I'd like to develop a strong senate," Dickerson said. "I will also work with new and returning senators for a great new year." In the Feb. 20 general elections, Dickerson led all vice presidential candidates with 1,100 votes. In yesterday's ^ election, 1,102 total people voted Dickerson received 728 votes, and Phillips received 374. Elections Commissioner Manisha Shroff said the low voter turnout was because there was just one executive race. "Ihere are usually many more runoff elections," she said. I will also work with new and returning senators for a great new year. Kim Dickerson Vice President-elect vv ? Goals for next year's SG vice president include making a course guide complete with professor evaluations available on the Internet, improving communications with the Faculty Senate and improving advisement. Dickerson said she will also address the issue many students are most concerned with?food."I plan on sitting in on meetings regarding the new dining service," she said. ^ Nevertheless, Dickerson said, "academics are the most important thing." With such a wide range of goals, Dickerson said she realizes she will need the assistance of others. She said the relationships she formed with members of the senate "will help me to accomplish my goals. "Incoming officers [senate and executive] are enthusiastic and everybody is ready to make a difference," she said. Student leac KAREN LAYiYE News Editor Leaders of Student Government, AAAS and the campus chapter of the NAACP spoke at a press conference Wednesday in the Russell House to ^ protest articles published this semester in The Gamecock. SG President Patrick Wright and Sen. Michael Phillips joined AAAS President Kimberly Baxter and NAACP President Gretchen Durrah to "clarify misconceptions" concerning coverage of Phillips' run-off eligibility and Baxter's SG rRSnonsihilitipQ arrnrHinP to Sen. Maroous Gardner in introductory remariss. Wright opened by saying The Gamecock reported the complaint letter sent to the Elections Commission concerning Phillips was official, and anonymous complaints can only be unofficial. He reaffirmed Phillips' candidacy and said the Election Code had not been violated. "We're not here to whine," Wright said. "We're here to inform, educate and stand united so our voices will be heard." Phillip* said The Gamecock's coverage m \vyVy / The YTV sh?V /?A wui FM WUSC Don Listen and Leant soul 0) into Session" and the "Calm Before tl talked to ETC. last week. See ET< son swe I .1 Student Government President Patricl presidential runoff against Michael Ph lers protest art of the incident report filed against him with the University Police was reported Tei under "false pretenses." th( He said he gave no official statement to The Gamecock when interviewed about to the report because he was unaware of rat the allegations. He said he pleaded with a reporter to understand the story had su] no validity. 'The aftermath of what The Gamecock sh< has started and begun is an attempt to no derail my opportunity to become your We vice president," Phillips said. "But Fm not worried about that now. Fm not Dv worried because Fm a victim of yellow stv journalism." Chris Dixon, editor in chief of The the Gamecock, said he stands behind the sai newspaper's articles. "One role of the media is to serve as pr< a check on the government," Dixon said, ret "That is the very foundation on which du journalism was built. "We have to be the eyes and the ears sei of the public. The public has a right to know what their leaders are doing," he Ph said. rel CALM BEFOI THE STOI 90.5 features all types of , from funk to slow jams and to hip-hop-oriented K&H. The show is two parts, the "Screw Your Wig o le Storm" session. The show's host, Do C. for the scoop. eps ru n k Wriifht congratulates Kim Dicl mips. icles in The Baxter said she, Phillips and Sen. rrance Levine had been victimized by eir "so-called student newspaper." She also called on The Gamecock staff participate in the press conference her than cover it. Durrah encouraged students to pport Phillips on election day. "It's no longer about The Gamecock ," i said. "[The Gamecock members] are t the University of South Carolina. ; are the University of South Carolina" Closing remarks were made by vayne White, who also called on idents to vote for Phillips. "What affects Michael Phillips affects i entire African-American race," White d. With Senate Pro Tern Gene Willis ^siding, the student senate called a :ess until after the conference, held ring its regularly scheduled meeting. Some senators disagreed with the late's decision to recess. "It represents, on the part of Sen. illips, an exceptional grasp of public ations. But on the part of the student RE BE \m pi divided iS^SBSfSsI bK inoff .1 ?: >*'lt I'i I I i ? -- I | * p MKKI THORPE The Gamecock kerson on her victory in the vice1 Gamecock senate, it shows a lack of leadership and a lack of fortitude to attend a political candidate's conference," Sen. Graham King said. Sen. Curtis Brown said Durrah's comments were a political endorsement for Phillips. "My question is, since she was introduced as the president of that organization, isn't the organization endorsing the candidate?" Brown said. Baxter told senators the press conference was organized by a group of concerned students and was not endorsing any organization. "That conference was concerning the attacks by The Qamecock. They were there to discuss their attacks," Sen. Kenneth Baxter said. King said the press conference was forcing unfair racial allegations. He said the issue was "not a matter of race, but an allegation of criminal abusive behavior." "What we saw today was a campaign rally, not a press conference," King said. Cara Pellatt contributed to this story. The Gamecock basketball team clinched at least a tie for the SEC title with their 74-53 victory over Vanderbilt Wednesday. For 8 all the play-by-play and stats check out C| SPORTS. CHAMPS J PAGE 6 Greeks joi for week o: KRISTIN RICHARDSON W Staff Writer ] Bt Greek organizations are uniting rr, m i c.ii r j j j ^ wiui cuiuriui uaxuiers, ioou unves anu ^ community service projects in celebration of Greek Week at USC. "Greek Week is basically used to M pull the Greek system together as a ^ bigunity project," said Chuck Jenkins, ga co-chairman of Fraternity Council. ^ Different fraternities and sororities l who usually do not work together are put into a team. Throughout Greek Week, the teams ^ compete in different events, collecting paints needed to be named Greek Week Champions. "This is a good week of community tol service and it sparks those students pj at USC who want to join a Greek organization," Jenkins said. co Greek Week began with a banner ^ contest and blood drive. ^ Continuing with a food drive, the ^ Greek organizations collected canned Qn goods and displayed them along Greene street. ^ "About 4,000 cans were collected jn and will be donated to the Harvest Qj Hope Food Bank," Sorority Council President Melanie Mcalister said. Sharon Whittaker, director of ^ student affairs at Stillman University ^ in AloKamo titoa fVin miner anoa 1/nr xxx ixiauQiua, nao vxxc guuot op^aacx Q Dickerson campa filed complaint aj with SG Elections REGINNA GREEN Asst. News Editor wi th Dan D'Alberto, SG Executive ap Cabinet chief of staff and campaign manager for Vice President-elect Kim th Dickerson, filed a previously undisclosed complaint with the Elections to Commission last week regarding the eligibility of Michael C. Phillips to run vi< forthe office of vice president. st In the letter of complaint, dated c< Feb. 24, Dickerson said he received a i\ call on Feb. 19 from a woman who did not provide her name regarding an ^ (m incident involving ? , Mips taking place Opposing campa in the Alpha Phi ?l?nldn't dbn Alpha fraternity opposition in house. brighten their According to the complaint, the woman said an Michael P altercation with 1997 vice-presiden Pliillips took place, a nd she filed a # report with the USC / j Police Department though she had not, and still has not, re pressed criminal charges. oc Before the woman ended the call, stj according to the letter, she told Dickeraon she wanted him to know this th information in order to use it to defeat 0f Phillips in the race for vice president. "Whatever that girl's name pj was...[she] called Kim and said, 'here's what happened' basically,'' D'Alberto [w said. ar "And Kim talked to me about it? W] obviously, I'm ho- campaign manager? and I said, What do you want to do? ei, and Kim said, 'I don't know what I want to do."' sh "I told Kim, 'Since you're the oxcandidate, you can't file a report," sa D'Alberto said. "So basically what I wanted to do to was to verify, either way, whether he 0f had done it or not," D'Alberto said. D'Alberto said he filed the complaint p] How many hours would i the Coke ever produced tc Niagara Falls ANSWER: 23 Source: Harper's Index n forces f service ednesdav night in the Russell House illroom. Whittaker, a member of Alpha ippa Alpha sorority, said everyone the Greek organizations should join id try to make a difference. "She spoke about Greek relations id being proud of the organization which you are involved," Jenkins id. "[Whittaker] was very good and ere were a lot of positive responses out her speech," he said. A talent showcase Thursday night ive the different organizations a ance to show off their talents in skits id other acts. The Greeks will show their athletic lents when they play volleyball ornament finals tonight in the Blatt S Center at 5 p.m. The teams will participate in abig mmunity service project Saturday th into the Streets" at 10 ajn. Later at afternoon, at 4 p.m., the teams 11 compete in a tug-of-war contest the PE field. Greek Week will end Sunday with e Greek Olympics at 2 p.m. on the tramural Field, and the Order of nega Awards Banquet. The banquet will be held at the lam's Mark hotel at 7 p.m. The liners of this week's events will be inounced, and the 1997 Greek Week lampions will be awarded. ign manager gainst Phillips 5 Commission th the Elections Commission to verify e truth of the information and take ipropriate action, if any. Because of the serious nature of e complaint, the Elections Commission imediately transferred the complaint , SG advisor Woody Carothers. mothers decided Phillips was not in :>lation of the election codes and was ill eligible for the race, Elections jmmissioner Manisha Shroff said lesday. Michael Phillips commented yesterday on the I statements made ten members mtheUSCWioe credit the Department : order to mordent report campaign. [events stated in the incident ?? report] were . totally and tial candidate unequivocally untrue," Phillips I said. ' "What the incident report ad as what occurred, the events that curred, that is not true. I did not rike [the woman]." Phillips said he is disappointed that e complaint was filed by the manager the opposing campaign. "I believe in Kim Dickerson, I do," lillips said. "But we are practicing politics rhenJ we should be practicing moral id ethical politics. And the candidate ith the best message and with the udents' concerns at heart should be acted to office. "Opposing campaign members iouldn't discredit the opposition in der to brighten their campaign," he id. "I am veiy disappointed that it came this, but I truly do wish her the best luck. "I do believe in Kim Dickerson," lillips said. it take all JUST ) flow over w FOR - FUN