Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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| Page 6 Student prot by Rachel Helwig As z Assistant News Editor fice WC i searchi It's not the quotes or statistics that a speak impress you most when speaking with a youth Jotaka Eaddy, but the passion and emo- she sait tion in her voice as she speaks Thr< against the death penalty. she has Eaddy, a government and interna- edge th tional studies sophomore, works for the tial to South Carolina Center for Capital Lit- tion of igation and the National Coalition to penalty Abolish the Death Penalty in Wash- to one ington, D.C. lawyer Eaddy first began researching the litigatic death penalty in middle school. "I ca "When people ask why I got in- in corn volved, I tell them that I came from a that mj town with two red lights and a serial that it's killer," she said. wrong. "This means that I come from a very : quote 1 small tow. Pee Wee Gaskins lived about Eaddy t 15 minutes away from my home. He The was executed when I was in middle ties in tl school, and it affected everyone. ty, exec "It was something that I had always ly hanc heard about as a child, but in middle impriso T A/1 rv/\nr\l A *?An/i4-A/I 4-rv "TVTai ests death pe ouiiiaji x waitiicu iiu w icaticu tu x*ava the execution of Pee Wee Gaskins, and cent of t I just thought it was wrong, so I de- commit cided to research the death penalty for tims, wl myself." ' cent of This research encouraged Eaddy to and on] take part in a death penalty discussion Death I group her senior year in high school, nonwhi where she met Stephen Hawkins, the "Th: Director of the NCADP. people c Hawkins was impressed with her 35 perc( knowledge of the death penalty and of- whites fered her a summer internship in D.C. I Student Sch ( Fr< Marie-Louij awarded to a freshman who has benef ' Student G< awarded to a senior planning to attem to the Student Body throi Presi awarded to a USC student for outstandi Scholai Due to the Divisi b in intern, Eaddy did a lot of of- committed agains irk, "copying things and re- said, ng as well as eventually being "Maybe the de er at a national conference and OK if flawless, bi organizer for the conferences," tem, and that is i. something. At leas Dugh this work, Eaddy feels that wrongfully execut armed herself with the knowl- pie who have bee; at is essen*bo1*" "I watched how the death and hopes people reacted to day be a the execution of >n?cases.lta Pee Wee Gaskins, n't stand up and I thought it rt and say tvoc wrotlff " 1 Bible says wa5> wron8wrong SO it's Jotaka Eaddy > but I can International Studies sophomore the facts," said. se facts include racial dispari- they religious, cele le application of the death penal- flies, with the san ution of youth and the mental- said. licaDDed, and the cost of life Eaddv has rec nment vs. death. for the S.C. Cent* st people don't know that 90 per- tion, aiding attor he prisoners on Death Row have capital litigation ;ted crimes against white vie- "It is a great ] tiile minorities make up 65 per- and wonderfiil kne the overall victims in crimes, that you do can ? ly 10 percent of the people on she said, low have committed crimes on Eaddy credits tes. parents and teach is means that the majority of me not to stop i m Death Row are there for the what I want." mt of crimes committed against One of these tl as opposed to the 65 percent accomplish is a "E ness Week," whi Governmen olarships fW% eshman Council se Ramsdale Scholarship "ited the Student Body through a leadership pc Brian Comer overnment Scholarship d graduate school who has made a significanl lgh a Student Government leadership positioi Student Body dent's Scholarship ng service to the Student Body through a leade ship recipients will receive S500 on of Student & Alumni Services RH 112 y 5 pm Monday, March 1 The Gamecock naltv HHi J it minorities," Eaddy ^ ath penalty would be it it is a flawful syswhy we have to do >t 23 people have been j led, as well as 70 peon released." With the NCADP, Eaddy has attended rallies nationally and met many H celebrities as well as vicitms' families and ex-Death Row inmates working for the abolition of the death penalty. "It is wonder- ElillFful to work with peopie from all types of backgrounds, be ibrity or victims' famie issue at heart," she Jotaka Eaddy (right Penalty, at a nation ently begun working , , ,, c n u 1 t -a- mented across collt 3r for Capitol Litiga- , , . , , , , % educate students aboc neys in research for Pases: . "Education is the learning experience, , , ,, \ u.u- once people get the i iwmg that everything f, ^ & , ? , ,.r ? can at least make an ;ave someone s life, , , ,, . ? , about the issue, she , , j. ,. , , Eaddy believes h( her dedication to her , J ? i ,u a. ii essary because silen ers because they Told TJ , , , T i-v. I don t want people to until I accomplish j r This expression and p j, , , the issues are what E ungs Eaddy hopes to , c ,, , , . X, ? u * define youth today, leath Penalty Aware- J J ch would be impleit ll rship position RTQ1R V College? iday, March 1 sday, March 2 s* 1 S Formerl Mil *90 MY $2Q P^OIiTIt ATI0I JM Hk Ik ISNfc <*$*** i *m ? 'W '' MS ||| ^ ^ * pPi ^ 'Siiy i 'V''^'-v?^j IllfflfiKi&ay ""j--^-- , ' > v"-^'* ^ > v % f ?%"*' ffiY''}0'-' :) sits with Liletha Davidson, office manager of the al conference in St. Louis. ;ge campuses to "With the millennium approach] it the death penal- we have to realize that we are the n professors, taxpayers and runner: main tool because this country. Why not start tackling nformation, they issues now?" she said, informed opinion Eaddy understands that the ab said. tion of the death penalty isn't an ir activism is nec- sue that everyone believes in, but"{ ce is consent, and pie should fight for anything that tl kill in my name." believe in. Don't feel that because education about are young we can't voice our opinior addy believes will Eaddy said. "People often call us G eration X, but I think that they are k ing off some letters, the N, the E ; ^ IM r I gotta go visit ) yX V M NABI when we // IJ _J___ L A ^ " io-4pm 10-4pm \ Carolina Student J & is accepting appli members. J % Applications are a = Central Housing the Student Qove j^_ Applications are c Student 1 y Campus Judicial Board and Monday, March 1, 1999 m m i M stvdcnt jEiL* I fcj s i^PPf laHHL Special to The Gamecock } National Coalition to Abolish the Death ing, the T. If we get out there and get inext volved, then we will earn the letters to s of be Generation Next." the This summer, Eaddy plans to re turn to Washington, D.C. to work with oli- the NCADP to help organize youth ralis lies around college campuses. For now, ieo- however, she's content with going to tiey school and working for the S.C. Center we for Capital Litigation, is," "I have no doubts right now," she en- said. "Everything in my body, mind, ;av- soul and spirituality is telling me that md I'm doing something that is right." ew donors i earn up to pc.lu ptsr month! t a few hours out of your eek could earn you $65! [elp children, hemophiliacs and heart patients who jceive products made from the plasma of our donors. The Quality Source NABI BloMedical Center i Assembly St., Columbia SC 29201 254-2280 mm le Official Bookstore of USC )0 Greene St. * Russell House * (803) 777-4160 .. JJ * ^1 *1 uuililu ^uuncu cations for new vailable in the Office and in rnment Office. lue March 5 to nent. Peer Conduct Board.