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February 25, 2000_ * ng the Carolina Community since 1Q08 . 1 .. .....".... .""""Il."™..... . . . ' www.camecock.sc.edu UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH Carolina Columbia, S.C. Law school pushes for new building by Phil Watson Staff Writer USC’s School of Law is lobbying the slate for $5 million and a new law center. School of Law Dean John Mont gomery is the driving force behind the ef fort. He has been talking to legislators and rallying support for a new law center, and said he hopes to gel $5 million this leg islative session. This money is needed in addition to $5 million in state funds appropriated last year. The university will ask for another $5 million next year, as well. In addition to requesting state mon ey, the law school is conducting a fund raising campaign headed by Mike Kelley, a local attorney and USC law school alum nus. The goal for this campaign is $30 mil lion to $35 million. Montgomery said between $6 million and $7 million has already been official ly committed to the effort. Another $4 million to $5 million has been verbally committed. With money raised from the state and fund-raisers, the School of Law hopes to build the new facility on Pickens Street, just across from the U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center. Another possible site would be the former Columbia Museum of Art build ing on Senate Street. Parking and other concerns are cur rently being addressed. “We want to be very sensitive to the needs of the neighboriiood. There are con cerns with landscaping and other issues outside of just the new law school. Hope fully we can work with the Neighborhood Association,” Montgomery said. The university has yet to choose an architectural firm, Montgomery said. A design for the building could be in place by summer 2001. Construction would probably last 18 months. Montgomery said one of the reasons a new law center is needed is because of asbestos in the current law center. Renovating the current law center would be too costly and inefficient; a new building is the best option, he said. In addition, the current law center isn’t wired for tlte high teclmological needs of competitive law schools. ^ One of the preliminary plans for the new building calls for Internet connec tions, distance learning facilities, high-end projection equipment, video taping areas, more courtrooms, 1,500 computer ports and a first-class law library, Mont gomery said. The appropriation request will be up for approval in June by the House and Senate before a conference committee. Hodges, Holtz chat before press conference Travis Bell Special to The Gamecock Gov. Jim Hodges and USC football coach Lou Holtz walk out of the Wade Hampton building before Monday’s press conference. Hodges outlined his plan to relocate the Confederate bat tle flag from the dome of the Statehouse to the Wade Hampton memorial on the southwest side of the Statehouse grounds. (Related story, page A4) Eaddy wins SG presidency by Brandon Larrabee Associate News Editor Jotaka Eaddy won a landslide victory in the Student Government presidential run-off held Wednesday and Thursday, doubling the votes of her opponent, Katie Taylor. Eaddy defeated Taylor with 1,268 votes, or 66.7 percent, of the 1,900 votes cast. Taylor had 632 votes, or more than 33.2 percent. Eaddy’s total was just 100 votes short of the more than 1,300 she garnered in the first election Feb. 16 and 17, when more than 2,800 students voted. After the announcement, Eaddy thanked her campaign staff. “You helped tremendously and it’s greatly appreciated,” she said. “I just appreciate every imng, you guys. Eaddy said she was “emotional” after her vic tory. “We fought hard, and I guess people just believe in the contract,” Eaddy said, referring to her platform, which she called the “Con tract for Carolina.” A flnr tlm rnrnllr \l;nrn Auer uie results were announced, Eaddy signed a poster-sized copy of the contract. “I signed it and I really care about it,” Ead dy said. She said she wanted to go beyond an “open door” policy for SG. “We want to go out there and bring people into Student Government,” Eaddy said. She also said she would go back and visit all the oiganizations she visited while running for office. “I want student input right now,” Eaddy said. Eaddy said one of the main reasons she won was her campaign staff. “The campaign staff was very influential,” she said. Eaddy also gave credit to students paying at tention to the issues. « “It wasn't a popularity contest," Eaddy said. “We think that that was the key.” Eaddy said she would consider appointing Taylor to a cabinet position. “I would hope that she would apply for a cabinet position,” she said. “She has a lot of won derful ideas.” Eaddy also said she would enjoy working with all the executive candidates. “Four heads are better than one,” she said. Eaddy also thanked the student body. “I’m thanking students for voting no matter who they voted for,” she said. “I am holding my self accountable to students.” Eaddy said she was ready to fulfill her plat form. “We’re ready to carry it out and we’re ready to lead this university and take Student Government to another lev el,” she said. Taylor was disappointed she didn’t win, but “at the same time, I had a really good lime running,” she said. She also said Eaddy would do well as president. “I think that she’s going to do an incredible job as being president of USC,” Taylor said. Taylor said one negative element of both elections was the lack of publicity. “1 think the Elections Commission could’ve done a much better job” of publicizing the elec tion, she said. “I think that was an injustice to all the can didates,” Taylor said. “It’s a shame that 10 per cent of the people vote on campus. Taylor said she would “definitely” consider applying for a cabinet position. “I would love to be on cabinet, just because I think she [Eaddy) would be fun to work with,” Taylor said. Eaddy, vice president-elect Corey Ford, trea surer-elect Ricky Shall and students elected to senate will be inaugurated March 22 at Rutledge Chapel. 'We fought hard, and I guess people just believe in the contract.’ Jotaka Eaddy SG president-elect Board of Trustees approves arena plan by Brandon Larrabee Associate News Editor The board of trustees gave final ap proval Thursday to the Vista arena and the Strom Thurmond Fitness and Well ness Center, two projects that will cost the university more than $90 mil lion. Board Chairman William Hubbard said the arena would benefit students by adding a “first-class” facility for bas ketball and by bringing larger shows to Columbia. “It will provide an important addi tion to the architectural beauty of the campus,” Hubbard said. The board didn t vote on whether to keep the Coliseum after the new are na is constructed, Hubbard said. How ever, he said the current assumption is that the building will remain. “The Coliseum was not up for a vote today in any shape,” Hubbard said. "There are no plans whatsoever to de molish the Coliseum. “We’re going to explore alternate ways to utilize it,” Hubbard said. He said the board was looking for funding to im prove the building and improve its main tenance. Assistant Athletics Director Kerry Tharp said the Athletics Department was pleased with the decision. “We couldn't be more pleased that the board gave final approval today for that project,” Tharp said. “We believe the project is going to benefit not only the entire university and student body, but really the city [of Columbia] and the state of South Carolina.” In addition to the “national-type” concerts he said would come through Columbia thanks to the arena, Tharp said the city’s new minor-league hock ey team, the Columbia Inferno, would play in the facility. “That certainly is a plus,” Tharp said. He said the new arena would have 18,800 seals, though he said he wasn’t sure how many of those would go to stu dents. “I would not be able to talk about that at this point,” Tharp said. According to Tharp, construction on the facility could begin at the end of this year. He said the building would cost $63 million for the land and construc tion. Other costs, including a “state of-the-art” video-display board, furni ture, fixtures and electrical costs, could push the final price for the building up to $70 million, Tharp said. He said the costs would be split up between the athletics department, the city, and Richland and Lexington coun ties. “It’ll be kind of a joint eCTort,” Tliarp said. Tharp also said the new arena could benefit the university’s basketball re cruiting. “I think this can only help our has ketball program,” he said. Tharp said he believed the arena would be the fourth-largest on-campus facility of its kind in the SEC and the tenth-laigest university-controlled are na in the nation. “It’s going to be a really great place to play basketball,” Tharp said. He said more fans would be close to the floor in the new arena, as opposed to other facilities, which he said put fans farther away. “In this arena, the majority of the fans will be down on the floor, on top of the action,” Tharp said. The board also gave final approval Thursday to the Strom Thurmond Fit Arena see page 2 UNIVERSITY OP SOUTH CAROLINA ARINA Although trustees approved the new arena, they scrapped the original design (above). Dance marathon begins tonight by Kelly Haggerty Assistant News Editor Dance Marathon, a 28-hour fund-rais er to benefit the Children’s Hospital of Palmetto Richland Memorial Hospital, begins at 6 p.m. today in the Russell House Ballroom. According to Dance Marathon Chair woman Kate Stewart, participants don’t actually have to dance, and they won’t ac tually be on their feel for the full 28 hours. However, the Dance Marathon executive committee does ask them to stay the en tire lime. Participants will have the chance to play a variety of games dial include Twister and Red Rover, play video games, do puz zles, play cards, eat free food, get a mas sage, make crafts or dance to the music of a deejay and five bands. “I think Dance Marathon kind of shows you how to be a kid again,” Stew art said. Participants will also learn a short dance created by “morale captains,” peo ple who are supposed to keep everyone’s Dance Marathon set page 3 | QmitMVou*:' ^ Today \ 72 ? 53 Saturday i 75 55 Gamecocks suffer yet another close loss. Page 8 Friday • Dance Marathon • Baseball vs. College of Charleston, 3 p.m. • Rugby vs. Clemson, 8 p.m. Saturday • Dance Maralhon • Round Table Gaming Society, noon to 11:45 p.m., RH • Baseball vs. College of Charleston, 4 p.m. Do you feel safe on campus? Look for results in next Friday’s edition of The Gamecock. *