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Carolina News False alarm leads to Bates West evacuation i by Patrick Rathbun Assistant News Editor A false fire alarm around 10:30 p.m. Wednesday led to an evacuation of the Bates Wfest residence hall. The alarm was triggered after a fifth-floor mechanical room heating unit began to smoke after overheating, ac cording to Assistant Director of Resident Life Andy Fink. Fink said a faulty belt in the heating unit caused the malfunction. No injuries or property damage was reported. , The Columbia police and fire de partments responded to the alarm and as sessed the situation, but found no fire, Fink said. The smoke was cleared out of the building quickly and easily, he said. USC spokesman Jason Snyder said the incident was “not a big deal.” ' “We evacuate buildings fairly fre quently [for non-fire reasons],” he said. Director of Housing and Judicial Ser vices Gene Luna said he agreed that the event wasn’t of great importance. “[This was] one of our most minor in cidents,” he said. Fink said he had a positive outlook on the event. “I think what happened is good,” he said. “The fire system went off as it should have if it were serious.” Fink said the building was evacuated and the police and fire departments re sponded all within half an hour, and the students only had to wait outside for 20 to 25 minutes. He said university machinery is rou tinely checked, but that events like this sometimes happen. USC Maintenance Services repaired the heating unit Thursday. Health Center from page A1 ment in clinical practice and health-care management, ac cording to the AAAHC. For an organization to be accredited, it must first partici pate in a thorough, multistep evaluation process that includes self-assessment and an on-site survey conducted by a group of volunteer medical surveyors. The final accreditation decision is made by the AAAHC Accreditation Committee, also a volunteer group of profes sionals. According to the AAAHC, accreditation lasts three years,be fore the Health Center must be re-evaluated. The duration of accreditation depends on the oiganiza tion’s level of compliance with AAAHC standards. The AAAHC is expected to return in September 2002 to re-evaluate the health center. Tab Henderson The Gamecock The Thomson Student Health Center, adjacent to the Russell House has been reaccredited by a national organization. The Health Center has been accredited since 1982. Fordham from page A1 organizations. I served my tenure with integrity, even after individuals tried to go against ihe unity of an or ganization.” Fordham said she considered the spring budgeting process her biggest ac complishment. She said the committee worked well together and made deci sions almost unanimously. One of the challenges Fordham faced as treasurer was a reduction in under graduate funds caused by a drop in en rollment and the student senate’s deci sion to set aside the School of Pharmacy’s funds. “Despite these difficulties, I worked with the Student Government adviser Students show dorm rooms on Internet by Elizabeth Simnacher College Press Exchange Carri Brodnax recently was talking long-distance from her Florida home to her boyfriend Ryan Scott, a Southern Methodist University senior, when the con nection suddenly went dead. Luckily, Brodnax’s brother had already been on line, so she quickly clicked on Scott’s home page be cause she knew her boyfriend’s dorm room would be visible, thanks-to a Web camera that was up and run ning. There, Brodnax could see a seconds-old photo of Scott. “She saw me leaning back in my chair against the wall,” Scott said. Scott, who was diagnosed as an epileptic when he was in high school, had experienced agrand mal seizure. Brodnax called Scott’s mother, who managed to get medical attention for him in Dallas by calling 911 in Orlando, Fla. He received help fast, thanks partly to the Wfeb camera connected to the PC in his dorm room. College students like Scott are using some of the millions of inexpensive Wfeb cameras to transmit pic tures of dorm rooms and apartments on their Wfeb pages, mostly just because they can. Three popular sites featuring student home pages equipped with Wfebcams are Real College Life (www.re alcollegelife.com), College Cams (www.college cams.com) and WfebDorm (www.webdorm.com). Many feature shots of the staples of college life: messy rooms and dirty dishes in the sink. A 1999 Logitech-Greenfield Online study of teens and college students found that 63 percent keep in touch with their families and friends more now than three years ago, thanks in part to Webcams. The same study found that 39 percent either used or were familiar with Web camera technology. A study commissioned by Intel estimated that 2.5 million Wfeb cameras were sold in 1999, up from 350,000 in 1997. By 2001, the projected sales will be 10 mil lion cameras, according to the same study. Typically, Web cameras capture everyday events in a student’s life. Amanda, 19, is a sophomore at the University of Minnesota and a devoted Webcam user. She asked that her last name not be used. She said she gets messages from viewers such as, “I saw you folding your clothes.” Inevitably, there are long, boring stretches: “I let DeoDle watch me sleeD.” Amanda said. “It’s just fun,” she said when asked why she pho tographs her life and puts it on the Internet. Her friends generally don’t mind, she said. “We’re a crazy bunch.” But why broadcast your life? Lillian Beeson studies communication at the Uni versity of Pittsbuigh’s Greensbuig campus, where she is an associate professor and the director of the Hu manities Academic Village. “I don’t understand this usage myself,” said Bee son. “I guess this is the age of exhibitionism for some. Look at the talk shows.” Or perhaps students are experiencing the same sense of community that mass media generated when a good portion of us watched the same television shows at the same time, Beeson said. Or, simply put, maybe “they get a kick out of watching each other.” For several reasons, college students are a natural market for Web cameras. “College students are consummate communica tors,” said Bruce Friedricks, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Logitech, a company that makes PC peripherals, including a Web camera called Quick Cam. “You’re looking at a generation that grew up on the Internet,” he said. “College students probably are the most Internet heavy group, and they have good Internet connections in their dorm rooms,” said Allison Mahoney, a spokes woman for the college-oriented Web site WebDorm. The Web cameras are “embraced by popular cul ture,” said Friedricks. In the last six months, Web cam eras have appeared on television shows including “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “Ally McBeal” and “Bev eny Mins vu/iu ana in tne movie American ne. These days, a basic Web camera and software cost about $50 — around the price of a college textbook. Besides Logitech, makers include Intel, Kodak and Cre ative Labs. All also offer models in the $80 to $150 range. These offer higher resolution and more features. Finally, college students are psychologically ripe for the Web camera phenomenon. “They’re in a very social part of their lives,” said Friedricks. They may be separated from family and friends for . the first time. Scott bought his Web camera as a way to keep in touch with his girlfriend and mother in Florida. With the increase in geographically separated fam ilies, Webcams have become a new tool. “In that sense, I think it could help families get clos er together,” Beeson said. and rearranged funds from the Student Government account and moved $2,000 of our money to the general budgeting fund,” Fordham said. - If Fordham had had more time, she said she would have liked to get a pro posal for a change in the constitution to make the treasurer the Finance Com mittee chairman. She said she doesn’t think the treasurer has enough power as an elected official to help with the allocation process. “I leave Student Government in the hands of new leaders. They are all new executive officers, and I have faith that they will serve their student body well,” Fordham said. Fordham, who will be graduated in May, said she has thought about apply ing next year for an open senate seat in the School of Law if she attends USC in the fall. Senate from page A1 “The whole point of this was to keep people in senate and not have open senate seats.” Fletcher said she didn’t know whether she would bring the amend ment up again after the new senate begins business. She said she would have to look into some of the ques tions other senators raised about the bill. The senate also approved a bill that adds the administration of Clean Carolina to the responsibilities of the Student Services Committee. The pro gram will split the campus into 36 sec tions, and two student organizations will each be responsible for cleaning it once a month. A kick-off for the program is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Thursday on Greene Street. Wednesday marked the end of the 2000-2001 senate term. New senators BATES HOUSE Maria Deligiannidou Nathan Mitchell Clayton Jones Tim Herndon Lewis Brown Jason Ambrose Roshan Armstrong Tamara Mungin Shamika Cohen Katie DeJongh Teyako Gibbs Sean Chisolm Rodney Johnson Eric Comette Henry Singleton Eddie Black Ra’mon Wideman Vernon Rogers Elizabeth Rhoten BATES WEST Trenten Prioleau Karen Oliver Damian Williams Funmilayo Eke CAPSTONE Adam Humphreys Natalie Guthrie Rachana Desai Carrie McCullough Chris White Dwayne Ajieren Brian McCants Tony King John Smith John Fogarty Katrina Scott Mia Brinkley Markesha Miller James Young Antoine Bryd COLUMBIA HALL Regina Parker Kanika Speach Melissa Morgan Tyson Ray Nicole Mayemik Keyona King Damion Brown Shinique Rivers Ben Wilhelm Anand Jobanputra DOUGLAS Marsden Johnson Joseph Morris Lionel Thomas Ron Wertz Michael Matthews Tiran Thomas Bobby Bellinger Kris Ancone Jerry Edwards HORSESHOE Eric Davis, CA Russell Nurick, CA LaBOBDE Kelly Caine Dan Robert Damien Johnson Uche Anadu Armando Martinez Omni Porter MAXCY Ivonne Goodwin David Smith Melissa Mortimer David Young Aaron Hark Cara Freije McBRYDE Christopher Gardiner Ellis Cammons Chad Owens Chase Colbert Jason Harvey James Kmetz Jess Rapp Joseph Sobieralski Mark Thomas Ryan Foster Brad Martin Michael Scott Trey Duckett Derrick Sullivan McCLIIITOCK Leah Genest Jennifer Shannon Katie Schrock Lisa Edge Beth Harrill Elise Whitman MOORE Tony Stelzner Andrew Jones Ryan Stokes Grant Wooten Skip Imgrund Rob Gruen Cathy Brown Jeannie Schumpert Rcgine Jacobs Audrey McCall Adrienne Supemault Maria Swinton PATTERSON HALL Marketa Bullard Gershona Holmes Adrien Brown Hermania Bulluck, CA Jennifer Gamble Marcia Seawright Rochelle Gaymon Bhavini Patel Deneshia Graham Kristin Koch Malea Johnson Nikki McClean Kenya Carver Genesia Reed Aisha Taylor April Freeman Jessica Thomas Sherrigan Feaster Yvette Duckson Monique Smith Nerice Lochansky Kerrin Duggins La-Tisha Hemingway Hillary Hueghman PRESTON Sarah Murray Ed Knisley James Becnel BOOST Mark Brown Henry Thompson Stacy Mouzon Natolie Gray SjMS Melissa Ford Phelicia Cooper M. 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