The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 17, 2000, Image 3
Carolina News
Budget
stumbles
on First
Steps
by Jim Davenport
Associated Press
Four Democrats on Thursday
helped House Republicans reject Gov.
Jim Hodges’ request for an extra $10
million for his early childhood edu
cation program.
Hodges’ First Steps plan failed to
get the extra money on a 62-60 vote
as Republicans railed against it during
debate on the $5.8 billion state budget
bill. In addition to $20 million allo
cated to the program in next year’s bud
get, Fust Steps has about $17 million
in unspent funds from this year’s
budget.
First Steps Director Marie-Louise
Ramsdale said early childhood educa
tion programs statewide need millions
of dollars in grants. Greenville Coun
ty is asking for at least $2 million, she
said. In North Carolina, a similar pro
gram awards grants averaging $3 mil
lion per county, Ramsdale said.
House Majority Leader Rick Quinn,
R-Columbia, said the debate over Fust
Steps is less about early childhood
education and more about politics.
“Wfe’re talking about how we’re shap
ing the election that we are moving in
to in November,” he said.
Hodges said House Republicans
were the ones playing politics.
“You shouldn’t support First Steps
Just because Jim Hodges wants you to,”
he said “You should support Fust Steps
because it is the right thing to do.”
However, one Democrat voting
against the extra money, Rep. Ted
Brown of Georgetown, said he opposed
the measure in part because of pres
sure from Hodges’ office.
Other Democrats voting against
Hodges’ proposal were Tun Wilkes, of
Winnsboro, Harry Stilley, of Due West,
and Herb Kirsh, of Clover.
But House Minority Leader Gilda
Cobb-Hunter, D-Orangebuig, was quick
to point out that seven Republicans
voted for the extra funding. She also
said that despite controlling the House,
Republicans needed four hours of de
hate to kill f’.ie measure.
“Look how long it’s taking them
to win,” Cobb-Hunter said.
But the vote also took its toll on
one Democrat who sided with Repub
licans.
After the vote, House Democrats
were circulating copies of a news sto
ry published Wednesday about Brown
being sued by a woman who borrowed
money from him.
Brown wouldn’t discuss the law
suit, but said he was frustrated by his
i - a — L ‘ .._» .1 L, > tKrt
|Jcii ly a lcatuuu w uu unu uj v..v
expectation that black Democrats
should vote as one block.
’ “I haven’t seen very many black
legislators question white Democrats
for voting on other sides of issues,”
Brown said. He said he supports First
Steps and expects it to get full funding
when the bill comes back from the Sen
ate. “The process is not over yet.”
House Republicans were quick to
seize on Democrats’ infighting.
“There are things going on in this
chamber and outside this chamber that
are despicable,” House Speaker Pro
Tern Terry Haskins, R-Greenville, said.
The House continued debate on
the budget bill into the evening.
Studies show students divide
into drinkers, non-drinkers
by Dane Schiller
College Press Exchange
Dallas - College campuses are becoming
more divided into camps of serious drinkers
and non-drinkers, a new national survey
suggests.
The number of frequent binge drinkers
and the number of students abstaining
from alcohol both are increasing, according
to a national survey by the Harvard School
of Public Health released Tuesday.
The survey of 14,000 students showed
that almost one-fourth are frequent binge
drinkers and almost one-fifth abstain from
alcohol, said Henry Wechsler, director of
college alcohol studies at Harvard.
"Revulsion against the more extreme
forms of drinking may be driving some
students away from the binge-drinking
scene entirely," he said.
On South Padre Island, Nadia Trevi
no, 23, said she agreed with that conclu
sion, even as other students around her
celebrated spring break as a traditional
drunken rite of passage.
"I have cut down. People are saying
no," said Trevino, a junior at the Uni
versity of Texas at Austin. "I am having
more fun sober and watching everyone
else get plastered."
Wechsler's study did show that seri
ous college drinkers are getting drunk
more often. The study was conducted at
119 four-year schools in 39 states.
Binge drinkers account for two-thirds
of alcohol consumed on campus and were
defined by the study as men who chug
at least five drinks back-to-back or women
who have at least four drinks back-to back
at least every other week.
Wechsler concluded that frequent
binge drinkers increased from 20 to 23
percent from 1993 to 1999, while the
number of abstainers increased from 15
to 19 percent during that same period.
Schools have had some success with on
campus programs to reduce drinking, but
more could be done to counter estab
lishments that offer low-priced, high-quan
tity drinks, said Wfechsler, the study's chief
investigator.
In North Texas, some students said
drinking has played a lesser role in their
lives in recent years, but for some of their
classmates, getting drunk seems as
much a college pastime as ever.
"I can have fun without alcohol," said
one Southern Methodist University pre
med student who gave up alcohol his fresh
man year. He asked not to be identified.
"There's a lot of people who party a
lot and go to the bars. It is pretty normal
at a college," he said.
The University of North Texas chap
ter of Theta Chi fraternity was suspend
ed by the school and by its national head
quarters earlier this month after several
arrests for violations of alcohol and haz
ing policies. According to police, some
underage pledges were given alcohol dur
ing hazing.
Jay Perrin, who is pursuing his doc
torate in speech and hearing science at the
University of Texas at Dallas, said there's
little time to drink among his friends.
"I am around more serious people," Per
rin said at the Coffee Haus on Hillcrest
Avenue. "But I get a glimpse of the
younger people, and it seems they are do
ing just as much partying."
Gage Paine, SMU's dean of student
life, didn't have ready statistics on drink
ing by SMU students but said binge drink
ing "is still a concern, no doubt about it."
Paine said students are at least talk
ing more about choosing not to drink.
"I am hearing more conversations by
students choosing to abstain," she said. "It
is becoming more of an option."
Among the steps SMU has taken to
encourage sobriety are a zero-tolerance
policy at residence halls and programs
to help students combat alcohol abuse and
understand the risks of heavy drinking.
Mandalyn Clark, an SMU sophomore,
said she believes figures on binge drink
ing are overstated. She said she believes
most binge drinking occurs at get-ac
quainted parties and rush parties at the be
ginning of the school year.
"But then it goes down-," she said. "As
far as I have seen, people don't sit around
partying.... They drink, but it's more so- .
rial drinking."
Shawn Fouch, a senior at SMU, said
the amount students drink depends on
their social circle.
"You see more of it on fraternity row,"
he said. "I'm part of the theater depart
ment, and there's more problems with
drugs than alcohol."
« .
Conference seeks to
improve college
'climate' for women
by Tabari D. McCoy
College Press Exchange
Cncvnoi—Students and faculty pant
ing to help advance the careeis of women
in higher education will get their chance,
by participating in a national telecon
ference to be hosted by the University
of Minnesota.
So far, more than 20 colleges and
universities nationwide - including the
universities of Iowa and Michigan, Cal
ifornia State University at Hayward and
Thomas Nelson Community College in
Viiginia - have agreed to support the
event, scheduled for March 27 and 29.
Organizers say the conference is the
start of a national initiative to improve
campus climates for women. Among the
topics up for discussion are the creation
of collaborative partnerships; the es
V
tablishment of campus policies that bet
ter support women as teachers, work
ers and students; the development c
strategies for career advancement fc
women educators and the formation c
a national agenda for women in highe
education. •’
The discussion will be accessible t
any college, university or intereste
group with a satellite dish, organizer
say. Registration is required, and fee
vary from $ 10 to $50. depending on th
campus. Participants attending the tele
conference via satellite will get to in
teract in real-time with discussioi
panelists.
For more information about the con
ference, check out its official Wfeb site
http://www 1 .umn.edu/women/wihe.hfrr
, or call (612) 625-2385. E-mail inquirie
canbesehttowihe@tc.umn.edu.
---—■
SCollegeClub.com
BLBL*-'" s all l . J|j