The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 22, 1999, Image 1
na Community since 1Q08
Five Points Safety
Safe Ride might begin trial runs soon
by Brandon Larrabee
Staff Writer
A new trial Safe Ride proposal has been sent to uni
versity officials and could be in place sometime this se
mester, according to student senators.
The plan proposes using a single Shuttlecock to bring
students back from the Five Points area every Friday
and Saturday night. The Shuttlecock would be obtained
when the university switches to a new set of shuttle
cocks sometime in the near future.
The bus would run from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. Friday
nights and 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. Saturdays. Each trip would
begin at the Five Points fountain, then go to Bates,
the Towers, the Russell House, and Capstone. Students
wanting to ride the Shuttlecock would have to show
their USC student ID card and would allowed to take
one guest with them.
Student Senators Rebecca Ann Payne and Melissa
Fletcher, who co-chair the Student Services Commit
tee, said they believe the month long trial will be ap
proved and will begin this semester.
“Wfe are waiting on various forms of approval,” Payne
said. “ We are very hopeful for it.”
However, Fletcher said: “The buses aren't go to be
available for a few weeks.”
Under the plan, motor pool drivers, who currently
drive the buses during the day, would operate the Safe
Ride bus, Fletcher said.
The trip would lake about 35 to 40 minutes, Payne
said. After one month, the program would be assessed
and could then become final.
Payne said this year's proposal differed from last
year's proposal, which was never approved. That plan
would have allowed students to use vouchers to pay for
taxi rides.
"This is completely different," she said. "It's a bus
system."
However, Fletcher said she didn't know where funds
for the program would come from should the program
become permanent. "I'm not sure exactly where the
money is coming from," she said. "It’s going to be fund
ed on a trial basis only."
She said it’s hoped the program would cost no more
than $200 each night the buses run. But Fletcher and
Payne did say Student Government would fund Safe
Ride should it become a permanent program.
“We will have to allocate money for it,” Fletcher
said.
Payne agreed.
“If things work out, then we will find funds for the
rest of the year,” she said.
Both sounded confident the service would be ap
proved by Derek Huggins, who oversees the Shuttle
cock system. They said they have the supporUof Den
nis Pruitt, vice president for student affairs.
“[Pruitt] did say it looked good,” Payne said. “This
isn't definite, but it's moving in a very positive direc
tion at this moment.”
“[Huggins] seemed interested, but we haven't met,”
^ afe Ride see page 2
| 9rUiiw9t I
Brad Waiters oraphics editor
*
Banks charge hidden ATM fees
by Patrick Rathbun
Senior Writer
Some area banks popular with stu
dents might have hidden charges or stip
ulations within their account agreements.
Bank of America, Carolina First,
Carolina Collegiate Credit Union, First
Union and Wachovia all have fees that
might not be immediately obvious to
patrons.
Some of the banks require minimum
initial deposits. Bank of America re
quires $25; Carolina First, $100; and
First Union, $50. Carolina Collegiate
Credit Union and Wachovia have no
minimum deposit.
Bank of America has a minimum
account balance of $500 and charges
customers $5 per month if it’s not main
tained.
Carolina First’s minimum balance
is $250, but there’s no monthly main
tenance fee. First Union, Carolina Col
legiate Credit Union and Wachovia have
no minimum balances.
First Union and Bank of America
have monthly service charges of $2(with
out direct deposit) and $5.
The other three banks have no such
charges.
Using other banks’ ATMs can cost
customers at the above banks.
Bank of America and Wachovia
charge $1.50. First Union’s fee is $2.00.
Carolina First and Carolina Collegiate
Credit Union account holders pay the
surcharge of the outside bank
When asked to discuss the fees, the
managers of the Gve banks’ local branch
es would not go on the record to discuss
the fees, saying it was against bank pol
icy.
Some banks charge for teller trans
actions or any transaction at the bank’s
actual location.
If you make more than one teller
transaction per month at Bank of Amer
ica, the fee is $3.
Carolina First and the Carolina Col
legiate Credit Union have unlimited
teller transactions.
First Union charges $8 for every
teller transaction over one per month.
Wachovia offers two free teller transac
tions per month and charges $5 for ex
ceeding that limit.
Biology freshman Shannon Lebby
expressed displeasure toward the banks’
fees.
"I think a lot of things they do are
ridiculous," she said.
"They take money away from you,
and I don’t see a reason for that."
Valerie Mitchell, a nursing fresh
man, thought the banks were unjustified
and unfair in charging students.
"Bank of America is charging me $5
a month if my balance is under $500,"
she said.
"It’s supposed to be a student ac
count. Just because they’re the biggest
bank in America doesn’t mean they have
to lake advantage. They shouldn’t put
that cost on students."
Music education freshman Kimberly
Smith also viewed the banks’ charges as
unnecessary.
Fees seepages
Matthew Lukens The Gamecock
Kristin Shaw makes an ATM transaction at the Bank of America
station located by the Russell House.
USC joins health
alliance group
by Brock Vergakis
News Editor
The USC School qf Medicine, Pal
metto Richland Memorial Hospital and
Palmetto Baptist Medical Center an
nounced Tuesday that they’re combining
their research facilities and campuses to
create the South Carolina Cancer Center.
Hospital and school officials hope to
create one of the largest cancer programs
in the Southeast.
Palmetto Health Alliance Chief Ex
ecutive Officer Kester Freeman Jr. said
South Carolinians can’t waste any more
time in their fight against cancer.
“South Carolina has some of the na
tion’s highest mortality rates for certain
cancers. This is simply unacceptable,”
Freeman said.
According to the Palmetto Health Al
liance, about 19,000 cancer cases are di
agnosed annually in South Carolina.
“A collaboration like the one we are
announcing today has the potential to make
a significant difference in increasing the
quality of life and lowering mortality rates,”
Freeman said.
One of the goals of the center is to at
tract renowned specialists to Columbia.
“Cancer specialists want to come to cen
ters that treat a lot of patients and treat
them well,” Faulkner said.
“The S.C. Cancer Center will be
attractive to these folks.”
The partnership’s combined number
of patients will make Columbia eligible
for clinical trial tests, which 'Will pro
vide patients with new treatments and al
low studies to be conducted aimed at im
proving prevention.
Director of Research for the center
Dr. William Woods said the use of coop
erative clinical trials has increased the na
tional cure rate of childhood cancer from
25 to 75 percent.
The cancer center already accounts
for half of all pediatric cancer cases in the
state.
Dean of the USC School of Medicine
Dr. Larry Faulkner said: “Having re
searchers and caregivers work so closely
and in the best interests of Columbia can
cer patients is a relationship that many
other medical facilities in (he nation would
hope to emulate.”
Undeigraduate students might have
the opportunity to learn from some of the
specialists.
Each summer, Palmetto Richland
Memorial Hospital offers students a 10
week internship program.
While students might benefit from the
prestige of working with the cancer cen
ter, the primary benefit will be to the can
cer patients of South Carolina.
“There’s a saying that says nothing
succeeds like success,” Wxxls said. “And,
certainly, our childhood cancer treatments
have made such a difference in the lives
of children in the Midlands.”
1 Details tour visits USC.
,. - " I
Matthew Lukens photo eoitor
George Hoemlg performs bicycle tricks during the Details tour.
Hurricane won't affect academic schedule
by Patrick Rathbun
Senior Writer
USC and Coastal Carolina students son’t face of
ficial make-up days for classes missed because of Hur
ricane Floyd, according to the Office of the Registrar.
USC Registrar Baibara Blaney said, “There is no
plan to change the academic calendar in any way. When
things like this happen, each professor has to work it
out.”
Chris Martin, Coastal Carolina University admin
istrative assistant to the provost, released a similar state
ment.
“For classes that have been canceled or missed at
Coastal Carolina University as a result of Hurricane
Floyd, individual faculty members may arrange make
up times with their classes on an as-needed basis,” Mar
tin said.
"The university will not institute specific make-up
days,” he said.
USC Associate Provost John Olsgaard explained
the reason for not making up the hurricane days.
He said there was very little that could be done to
mandate make-up days.
“A lot of students commute or work, and if we held
classes on Saturday, there would be a significant num
ber of students who wouldn't be able to [attend]. Al
so, people made plans for fall break,” he said.
Some USC students agree.
Advertising sophomore Logan Stewart was happy
about USC's decision and sympathetic toward students
at coastal schools.
Journalism sophomore Becca Whitehead expressed
displeasure at the thought of having to make up days.
“This isn't high-school,” she said.
“It's more of a professional atmosphere, and pro
fessors can make up for lost time.”
Leslie Ianuario, a nursing sophomore, questioned
make-up days.
“Why should we have to make up school? It's not
our fault the weather's bad,” she said.
“I'm glad we don't have to take any days off Christ
mas,” she said.
“I feel bad for my friends at other schools who'll
have to make up days,” she said.
College of Charleston students could be among
those.
They might have to change their plans for fall and
ClM1E« see page 5
‘I'm glad we don’t have to take
any days off Christmas.’
Leslie lanuario
Nursing Sophomore
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