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_Vol. 93, No. 45Monday November 29, 1999_ na Community since 1Q08 % frwW OaM^COCK^.ItOtf WMStxMMIMX :.f##!j::!:f U K 1 V E It 5 I T Y I/O F f S 0 U T fi CAROLINA : ]gi<jJ: • COOiM6J*, S..C< .~~| The Christmas spirit arrives in Columbia Sean Rateord photo editor Top and bottom left Christmas decorations adorn the Statehouse grounds Sunday afternoon In prepara m tion for the annual lighting of the Christmas tree. Bottom right A local television news cameraman pre pares to film the festivities. Residence Life Dorm temperatures cause complaints by Kelly Haggerty Senior Writer Winter is bringing cooler tempera tures outside — and inside, to the chagrin of some students, according to the de partment of Housing. This time of year, numerous students call the Department of Housing to com plain that the temperature in their rooms is too low or too high, Housing director Gene Luna said. He said different residence halls have different systems, and although housing tries, it’s hard to please all 6,000 residents. “The most common concern from students is about the heat in their rooms. We invest a tremendous amount of re sources to respond to these concerns,” Luna said. Some residence haUs have thermostats, which allow residents to individually con trol room temperature. Other residence halls let students control airflow in their rooms, but not the temperature, because the entire building has to have either heat or air. Still other residence halls only let students turn the air or heat on or off. “Most of the buildings can either have heat or air conditioning but not at the same time. It has to do with the mechanics,” Luna said. Because students asked to have more influence over the temperature in their rooms, residence hall governments now decide when to turn the heat on and off for their own buildings. « “It all depends on what the students want. It’s not at all related to cost,” Luna said. Moore resident Hiten Patel said she would prefer her room to be warmer than it is. She said she has to wear jackets in her room to keep warm. “It’s too cold. We need some heat. We never have heat. Everybody I know in Moore has cold air coming out,” Patel said. On the other hand, Douglas resident Ashton Haynie has had to deal with constant heat in his room. “We have to keep our balcony door open at night because it’s so hot and un bearable. We always have to keep the heat Dorms see page 2 USC teacher gets professorship by John Huiett Assistant News Editor A national Revolutionary War soci ety has awarded a USC history professor and author with a prestigious professor ship as a part of its celebration of the life and ideals of Geoige Washington. Tire Society of the Cincinnati of the State of South Carolina named Walter Edgar as its first Geoige Washington Dis tinguished Professor on Nov. 12. The so ciety, with chapters in all original 13 Amer ican colonies as well as in Ohio and New Mexico, began the professorship on the 200th anniversary of Geoige Washington’s death in 1799. As part of the three-year professor ship, Edgar will give lectures at various schools in the state in an effort to educate and renew South Carolinians’ interest in George Washington, the Revolutionary War and the U.S. Constitution. Society member David Rembert said Edgar was chosen because of his ex haustive research efforts into both South Carolina and Revolutionary War history, as evidenced by Edgar’s 1998 best-selling book “South Carolina: A History” and his new book on the American Revolution to be published in the summer. “We selected the most active research historian,” Rembert said. “It had to be an active, current researcher in Americana.” Rembert said Edgar’s work represents the society’s mission to raise awareness about the founding of the American Re public and George Washington’s found ing principles through publications and civic leadership. Most of the society’s chapters have awarded a George Wash ington professorship this year, and Edgar said he’s honored to be among the elite group. “It’s based on a person’s area of ex pertise,” Edgar said. “It made me feel pret ty good. There are only 12 in the coun PROFESSORSHIP see page 2 Texas A&M students continue to mourn by Jason King Knight Ridder News Service Although we have never met, I feel like I've known you forever. As we pulled your lifeless bodies to freedom from the logs, God pulled your souls to the heavens, where all men, women and children are free forever. — Bryan (Texas) firefighter l College Station, Texas—They say it sound ed like a roar of thunder when the logs fell last week, a sickening rumble that will forever haunt supporters of Texas A&M Uni versity. After Ute collapse of what was to be the Ag gies’ 55-foot-liigh bonDre, people saw legs stick ing out from the pile of oak and cedar. They heard screams, then they heard cries. Then they heard nothing. Since that Nov. 18 day, A&M’s polo fields, where tire accident occurred, have stayed silent. Shrines and knee-high crosses have been con structed to honor the 12 who were killed and the 28 who were injured. Still, aside from the steady harmony of sniffles from the daily bar rage of mourners, all remains quiet here. “I was speechless when it happened, and I still am,” junior James Humphreys said. “Every one is. We all walk around like zombies. It’s just an awful, awful feeling.” The Aggies, though, are dealing the best way they know how - together. On Thursday, while so many others bowed their heads to say thanks, about 10,000 A&M followers attended an evening candlelight vigil at the site. They came to say goodbye. Goodbye to Nathan West, who loved noth ing more than the days he spent tinkering with his beige Volkswagen Beetle. Goodbye to Tim Kerlee, an Eagle Scout who once dressed like Cher for a church youth-group skit. Goodbye to Chad Powell, who cried as he addressed his parents during his high school valedictorian speech. Goodbye to the nine others. Texas A&M played its most anticipated game of the season Saturday, a 10 a.m. show down during which they beat instate rival Texas. Bowl bids were at stake, recruiting wars were affected and rankings were altered. Still, who won and who lost had become secondary. From the football players to the turf grass sci ence majors to the cafeteria workers, every one associated with Texas A&M was still dazed and grief-stricken from last week’s tragedy. For now, at least, College Station has lost its sense of normalcy. No one knows when it will return. “This was a college town, a party town,” Aggies receiver Matt Bumgardner said. “But things are different now. Everything is so...” He pauses. “Everything is so quiet.” Taken from earth your hand seems unfair But You have Your reasons, so here is my prayer God, take our Aggies into your care For people like these are indeed very rare — a mourning member of the Class of2001 Texas AIM SEE PAGE 2 Join Or (5nmcock in expressing our heartfelt sympathies for the 12 Texas A&M students killed Nov. 18. On Friday, we will be sending letters and cards to the editors of The Battalion, Texas A&M’s daily student newspaper. Student organizations may send letters or cards that represent the as a whole, sions should be ^ A km**™? or,^mailed toT GCKED@sc.edu. All submissions must be received .:|||||| 3 p.m. Thursday, tFuture of America's children in jeopardy, study claims by David Mark Associated Press Poverty, violent crime and absent parents are some of the gravest threats facing American chil dren, according to a new report by children’s advo cacy groups and civic organizations. “The problems confronting our children truly are challenges to all of America,” said Mary Ellen Maxwell, president of the National School Boards Association. “Either we meet these challenges or they will become obstacles to our future.” The report is the result of combined efforts of the National School Boards Association, the Na tional League of Cities, Hollywood, Fla.-based Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital and Youth Crime Watch of America, a national nonprofit oiganiza tion. The report, “Ten Critical Threats To America’s Children: Warning Signs for the Next Millennium,” will be presented today at the National Press Club in Washington during a news conference with rep resentatives from each of the oiganizations. Among the most critical threats against the na tion’s children are abuse and neglect at home, sub stance abuse, teen pregnancy, inadequate child car, lack of health care, poor schools and dangers in the environment. For each problem detailed in the document, there’s an accompanying list of solutions. Some solutions prescribed in the report, like raising the minimum wage and universal health care, are potential political hot-button issues. Ron Sachs, spokesman for the coalition that put together the report, said the purpose of the report was to bring awareness to the problems, not to ad vance specific legislation. “What these groups have done is to say there needs to be a national agenda on children’s is sues,” Sachs said. “These problems are not new. They are chronic; they are pervasive.” Universities could still face Y2K problems by Tiffany Black The Daily Tar Heel Chapel Hill, N.C_For the past two years, universities nationwide have scram bled to ensure their computer systems work well into the new millennium. Now, with only one month to go be fore the Y2K bug is expected to strike, the U.S. Department of Education has re leased a report indicating that all that work might not pay off for many schools. The report, based on a survey com pleted by 1,352 universities nationwide, indicates that many institutions might not be prepared to combat the technologi cal troubles Y2K is expected to cause. Researchers estimated that 210 universities wouldn't be ready to fight the glitch, which start ed years ago when scientists programmed the first computers to record years using only two digits, not four. According to the survey, only 61 per cent of universities reported that their most critical computer systems were Y2K ready in October. However, by Jan. 1, 97 percent of schools reported they would be. Presi dent Clinton's top Y2K officials aren’t as confident. Y2K SEE PAGE 2 jWeather lillliB Inside SiliMMBMBiflHaoor ~' - BMMBlBHi'' Onunb Poll ■ ;| Tod\y > 62 ? 45 Tuesday 52 35 Men's basketball goes 1-2 in Shootout Page 10 Today • Fraternity Council, 4 p.m., RH 322/326 • Sorority Council, 5 p.m., RH 322/326 • Carolina Productions, 3:30 p.m. Tuesday • AAAS, 6 p.m., RH Theater •FOCUS, 8:15 p.m. Women’s Club • S.C. Student Legislature, 9 p.m. • Dance Marathon, 8 p.m. • Spring Board, 5:30 p.m. • RHA, 7 p.m., RH 307 How do think Student Government has done this semester? Go to www.gamecock.sc.edu to vote in this week’s poll.