The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, February 25, 2000, Image 1
February 25, 2000_
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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.
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