Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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November 12, 1999 Campuswide refurbishing changes the face of USC 1^^—^^M l '. ’ ' ' Bl Sean Rayford photo editor Kenny Powell of WB Guimarin & Co. welds a pipe Thursday outside Sloan College, home of the department of art Student Government New impeachment charges possible by Brandon Larrabee Staff Writer New impeachment charges against Student Body Treasurer Elizabeth Fordham may be in the works, according to Fordham. “That’s what I’ve heard," Fordham told The Game cock. “I don’t know who exactly it is [filing the charges], but that’s what I have heard.” The court of impeachment dismissed charges Tues day that Fordham had violated her oath of office, the Student Government Constitution and the SG finan cial codes by not being involved in various aspects of the financial process. Fordham said she’s heard rumors about new charges being filed similar to those the court dismissed. “1 think they’re just planning to rewrite the same ones [articles of impeachment],” she said. The new charges follow an explosive session of stu dent senate Wednesday in which the SG Court of Im peachment read its decision on the original three im peachment articles. Controversy swirled around the court’s decision TUesday to dismiss all three articles of impeachment against Fordham. The complete decision, made public Wednesday, lays out in detail the reason for the court’s dismissal of the charges. The court systematically ruled that the charges brought against Fordham were either consti tutionally unsound or didn’t rise to the level of an im peachable offense. During the reading of the decision, Sen. Christian Stegmaier asked that Parliamentarian Austin Brown temporarily step aside, because he had served as coun sel to Finance Committee Chairwoman Sally Ann Bal lenline when she presented the chaiges to the court of impeachment Monday. As parliamentarian, Brown is required to give ad vice to Student Body Vice President Brandon Ander son, who presides over the senate, on how the senate should carry out its business under Robert’s Rules of Order, a set of widely recognized rules for governmental meetings. Stegmaier withdrew his motion without a vote. After the decision, Sen. John Tidikis said the court was required by the SG Constitution to make a rec ommendation, rather than being able to drop chaiges. “Is that a recommendation, or what?” Tidikis asked. However, Judiciary Co-Chairman Patrick Gear man, who read the decision, disagreed with Tidikis over whether the court had to make a recommendation. “Maybe I have a different copy [of the Constitu tion) than you,” Geaiman said. “We’re not required to give a recommendation. “The court has summarily dismissed the chaiges," he continued. “We have that option.” • However, SG Attorney General Chris Dorsel plans to issue an opinion that the chaiges can’t be ruled on by the senate, The Gamecock has learned. According to the opinion, the court’s decision ac quitted Fordham of the chaiges. Bringing the chaiges up again amounts to double jeopardy, the opinion says. Impeachment see page 2 Marine urban warfare framing draws criticism by John Huiett Assistant News Editor U.S. Marines performing uttian warfare training exercises in Columbia this week are drawing criticism for sending a negative message to young people about violence. The 24th Marine Expeditionary Company is in Columbia rehearsing military maneuvers in preparation for a Feb. 2000 deployment to the Mediterranean Sea. Marines will be stationed there to intercept any trouble that might erupt in the Balkans because of ongoing unrest in Koso vo. But Rebecca Buigess Rogers, board chairwoman for the Car olina Peace Resource Center, said the negative impact the op erations could have on young people outweighs the need for military preparedness. “How can anyone morally or ethically justify this ‘need’ to train our military, in our cities or anywhere else?” Rogers said. “When our nation is the largest purveyor of violence on this planet, it should not be surprising that our young people are so violent.” Rogers said the Marines’ presence in Columbia sends a mes sage that “might makes right,” when young people should be given examples that words, not violence, are the correct way to resolve conflicts. “We need to stop playing war games, not only in our own backyard, but also in other countries where such training is a fact of daily life,” Rogers said. “Instead, we should be training true peacemakers to go into areas of conflict... people who are intensely trained and committed to work for non-violent reso lutions ... people who do not carry guns.” Rogers dismissed the exercises as “a tremendous public-re lations event to promote violent response to conflict.” However, Marines public affairs officer Lt. Clint Cascaden said Rogers has a misconception of the program. “Our mission is not to promote violence,” Cascaden said. “Nobody wishes for war. We’re here to protect America and follow the orders of our government.” Cascaden said the company met with representatives from the peace center before beginning any exercises. “Wfe took into consideration all their thoughts and feelings,” Cascaden said. “We understand people can have different be liefs.” The peace center, which began as a nuclear-freeze organi zation in Columbia 18 years ago, was also concerned with the possibility of residents being injured during the course of the exercises. But the Marines assured them that blanks would be used for ammunition and the training would pose no threat for the people of Columbia. Cascaden added that the training program is routine for the Marines, taking place three times a year and becoming more necessary with the need for peacekeeping troops in Kosovo and TUrkish earthquake-relief units. He said Southern cities, in cluding Columbia, are often chosen for the program because of the fair weather conditions. And he said public response to the training has been en couraging. At appearances at both the city’s Vietnam War Memo rial and the Freedom Celebration at Fort Jackson’s Owens Field, Cascaden said the Marines were warmly received. “From what we saw at Owens Field and from people on the street, we have gotten a very positive reception,” Cascaden said. “People like to see the helicopters.” While in Columbia, the company has been training in ur ban combat, house-to-house searches, crowd control, check points, weapons confiscation and operation and maintenance of detention camps. They’ve also been working closely with both the Richland and Lexington County sheriff’s departments, the South Car olina Law Enforcement Division and local FBI agents. The exercises will continue until Monday. wusc returns to '80s by Craig Ray Staff Writer WUSC, the campus’ only student-run radio station, will suspend its normal pol icy of “no Top 40 music" this weekend and play the greatest hits of the 1980s for its annual ’80s Weekend fund-raiser. Station public affairs director and me dia arts sophomore Erin de Poix said, with a new state-of-the-art studio, an expand ing music library and the most powerful leadership WUSC has had in years, the '80s Weekend is a symbol for the station’s new attitude. “This is a makeover for us. It’s like we’re being bom again,” de Poix said. “The ’80s Weekend is reflecting this, and will be the fust big event of our ‘new self.’” Fund-raising events all week have pre WUSC SEE FACE 2 SG seeks feedback on painting by Mackenzie Craven Senior Writer Student Government is asking for students to give their opinions of the claw and spur lo cated on the basketball courts next to Wbodrow residence hall before they paint the symbol on Greene Street. Timothy Clardy, Special Projects Coor dinator, and Adam Musgrave painted the yel low and white symbol Monday outside Woodrow. Clardy said he got a “mixed reaction” from other SG members and the Russell House Advisoiy Board about the painting of the claw and spur onto Greene Street. "I want to make sure that everybody is really confident or happy to have this as a new symbol," Clardy said. Students can provide feeback by stopping by the SG office and filling out a comment sheet. Clardy believes it's important for students to approve of the symbol. "It's a big issue because this symbol isn't used very much by the university," Clardy said. "If we put this down on the road and it ends up all the way down at Williams-Brice Stadium, it's really going to be associated with the university," Clardy said. The claw and spur wasn't the only sym bol considered. The committee also looked at using the Gamecock silhouette and USC letters. "We chose the claw and spur because it's really simple to do," Clardy said. Clardy hopes that future adminstralions will paint the design at the stadium. The design was traced off the Gamecock on the second floor of the Russell House. Clardy amplified the tracing onto an over head projector and then composed the sten cil. The stencil was carved into a piece of rub ber donated by Sampson Industrial Co. Next Thursday, Nov. 18, the Gamecock will be repainted on Greene Street. If the Rus sell House Advisory Board approves the sym bol and students don't voice any concern over it, it would be added to Greene Street on Nov 18, as well. "I don't know if we will be able to paint the claw and spur on Greene on Thursday, be cause we wanted to be able to paint it and it will need time to dry,” Clardy said. Clardy said he thinks the symbol will help boost school spirit. "It just builds spirit, that's what it’s all about. People know that [when] you are en tering this area, it's Gamecock country. This is what we're all about. It just enthuses peo ple more about being a Gamecock or a Game cock fan," Clardy said. '1 want to make sure that everybody is really confident or happy to have this as a new symbol.' Timothy Ciardy .• SG Special Projects Coordinator S : 1 \ R 4 > F L.I. Scott Capps shoots basketball on the newly painted bas ketball courts next to the Woodrow residence hall. Weather % Inside Datebook :fi. ■ , X ■ ' ' I Online Poll. Today 69 55 Saturday 78 , 51 Money I banks on j| the NBA. k Page 8 Today • WUSC ’80sWeekend starts, Noon, 90.5 F.M. Saturday • Football vs. Florida, 12:30 p.m., Williams Brice Stadium • Great Gamecock Tail gate Party • Round Table Gaming Society, Noon to 11:45 p.m., RH. • Circle K International Service Day ■4| Are you satisfied with the impeachment decision?