The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 23, 2000, Page A2, Image 2
.Carolina News
Florida colleges told to achieve diversity
by Jack Wheat
College Press Exchange
Orlando - State universities entered a
new era Friday when the board of regents
directed them, by unanimous vote, to
achieve diversity on campuses without
taking into account the race or gender of
applicants for admission. ,
After an emotional public hearing last
ing four-and-a-half hours, regents approved,
12-0, Gov. Jeb Bush’s Talented 20 plan,
which guarantees a spot somewhere in the
10-university system to public high school
seniors who graduate in the top 20 per
cent of their class and complete 19 col
lege-prep classes.
The policy now bans racial and gen
der considerations in the admissions
process, but allows the schools to use such
factors as socioeconomic status, whether
a student’s parents went to college and
the quality of the student’s high school.
State University System Adam Herbert
said the plan creates “a climate in which
everybody is being judged not on the ba
sis of race or ethnic background, but what
they have done with their lives.”
The board changed admission rules
despite the powerful objections of hun
dreds of supporters of existing policies.
Opponents said Bush, Herbert and regents
are dead wrong in their pledge that the
new policy will increase opportunities for
minorities to attend state universities.
Some said they fear a return to segrega
tion on university campuses.
In response, regents passed a resolu
tion saying universities should continue
aggressive affirmative action to increase
diversity, such as using scholarships to re
cruit more minority students.
Before the vote, the state university
presidents said they expect no problem in
maintaining minority enrollments under
the new policy.
“A lot of people are focusing on a plan
they’ve heard about, but haven’t read as
closely as they might have,” said Talbot
“Sandy” D’Alemberte, president of Flori
da Stale University, the state’s second
most selective public university.” I actu
ally see the governor’s plan as a very
competently drafted plan for us to take
further steps for diversity.”
But officials at the University of Flori
da, the state’s most prestigious universi
ty, worry that they won’t have tools to
make sure significant numbers of minor
ity students are selected when they eval
uate more than 23,000 qualified appli
cants for 5,900 freshman slots.
UF Interim President Charles Young,
who was chancellor of the University of
California at Los Angeles when that state
banned consideration of ethnicity in ad
missions, said UF officials are consulting
with counterparts at UCLA, California at
Berkeley and the University of Texas at
Austin to learn how those schools re
sponded to similar policy changes.
“We’ve got to do all the things to
gether that will enable us to maintain di
versity,” Young said.
Critics of Talented 20 call this a sad
day in Florida history.
Q&A
from page A1
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TflYLOR
they are with someone and there is a venue
and there is a place where that person can
sit with another person and wait until APO
physically comes to pick them up.
Gamecock: I think it’s a safe assumption
that both of you would want as much stu
dent input as possible, should you be elect
ed. What, specifically, do you have in mind
that would let students know that your
aoors are open ior mem/
JE: I am a very big advocate of student
activism and student input. One thing I
want to make sure of with the “contract
for Carolina” is that students are aware of
what it is that Student Government is try
ing to do and to really get input from stu
dents on these particular initiative^. And
one way to hold ourselves accountable to
the students is to have the contract
drafted in public places, and as each ini
tiative is met, we’ll have it checked off.
But also I think SG has somewhat of an
open door policy, but I thinly it’s impor
tant that SG walk across that threshold
and bring people into it. One of my pro
posals ... is to have town hall meetings and
let SG go to several different venues on
campus and open up shop and find out
what students want. And I also think that
SG needs to be evaluated every year by
an outside source. Wfe also need to get stu
dent input from student organizations.
And as president, I would like to visit each
student oiganization on campus. You know,
as a senator, I chaired “Meet Your Stu
dent Government Day,” and this year was
a lot bigger than it’s ever been. We real
ly.tried to reach out to all the students,
and we want to increase “Meet Your Stu
dent Government Day.” We’re looking
into wonting wun me Residence nan As
sociation and creating an SG documen
tary, having a television show and making
sure that an SG newsletter goes out where
students could find out what’s going on.
Another idea is creating an interactive In
ternet site and chat room, where students
could meet. And I myself and members
of the Cabinet would be there for the stu
dents to interact online in an open venue.
KT: I personally find that SG says that
they’ve had open doors, but it’s not very
open. As you’ve noticed, many of the stu
dents on this campus feel that senate has
not gotten in touch with its constituents.
If you go into Gambrell and you look at
the SG poster, it shows members of sen
ate from {wo years ago, and it’s got sen
ate minutes from 1998.1 think it’s im
portant for people to know what goes
on and what bills are being passed. I think
if Student Government has an online site,
maybe senators can post the bills that
are up in senate. Also, like Jotaka said, it
is so important to get organizations in
volved because you can’t really expect
student organizations like AA AS [the As
sociation of African-American Stu
dents] and sorority and fraternity coun
cils to fmd out what’s going on in SG. You
nave logo 10 mem ana leu mem wnai you
think and find out what their input is. Al
so, part of my safety task force is wanti
ng people to have input and having a town
hall meeting where people come in and
say, “I think we need this” or “I think
we need that.” They’ll discuss privacy is
sues, safety issues. And I think that’s the
way to get students involved in one part
of my platform. Another thing I think
that’s really important is just to make sure
SG doesn’t do things without talking to
the students, because not many people re
ally care about what goes on. And I think
if they knew a little bit more, then maybe
they would care. I think just saying that
it’s an open SG is not going to bring peo
ple in, because it’s been open and nobody
really cares. There’s just a laige amount
of apathy, and I really would want to try
to change that.
Gamecock: If you had to tell USC stu
dents why they should vote for you, what
would you say?
JE: I think that experience speaks. It’s im
portant that you have experience when
you’re trying to lead an organization,
because you can Want the necessary
Q&A SEE PAGE A3
Feb. 21
• Suspicious fixe, Capstone. Officers re
sponded to the incident location,
where unknown persons set fire to a mag
azine. An investigator was notified and
responded The investigation continues.
Feb. 19
• Burglary second degree, McMaster
Collie. The complainant reported hear
ing the sound of glass breaking and called
USCPD. Officers arrived on the scene
and found that persons unknown used
unknown means to
processed me crime ^
scene. An art department employee said
nothing appeared to be missing. The in
vestigation continues.
• Simple possession of marijuana,
Wide Hampton, Responding officers went
to the incident location with the resi
dence hall director to investigate a sus
picious smell. When the suspects’ door
was opened, a strong odor of marijuana
was detected. The second suspect gave
up two bags of a green, leafy substance
believed to be marijuana. Both of the sus
pects admitted to using marijuana and
were arrested and charged with simple
possession of marijuana. The evidence
was placed in storage.
Feb. 18
• Bomb threat, Russell House informa
tion desk. The responding officer was
met by the complainant, who said a male
called and stud, “Yeah. A bomb is about
to go off. Get out by 12:45.1 am going
to blow the bitch.” Many USCPD em
ployees were notified. The building wasn’t *
evacuated, but was swept, with negative
results.
• Grand larceny of laptop computer, Rus
sell House Book
store. The com
plainant said
unknown persons
removed a Macin
tosh Powerbook,
valued at more than
$2,000, and a note
book security sys
tem, valued at $50,
and secured the
computer. The
cuiuyuwi Witt I
moved from the top of a display case.
Feb,17
• Assault and battery of a high and ag
gravated nature, Bates House cafeteria.
An officer responded to a fight in progress
at the incident location and found the
victim in the cafeteria Hie victim com
plained of pain in the left arm and was
taken to the Richland Memorial Hospi
tal. The officer picked up the subject at
Wfirdlaw. The subject also complained
of pain in his left arm and was taken to
the Richland Memorial Hospital. An in
vestigator was notified and responded.
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DUI
from page A1
“What we want to do is send a clear
and convincing message that we don’t
want people to drink and drive,” said
Sen. Mike Fair, R-Greenville, a supporter
of the bill.
But Hutto said if supporters were so
concerned about highway safety, they ’
should ban the use of cellular telephones
in cars and require seat belts.
“What we’re saying is we really
don’t care about truly improving high
way safety,” he said.
Fair asked why Hutto was trying to
protect drunken drivers.
“I’m trying to interject fairness,”
Hutto replied.
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break out a glass pan
el in an office door.
The subject then
used a chair to stand
on, reached inside,
opened the door, en
tered the area and
then fled the area. An
investigator was
notified and re
sponded to and