Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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# WWW.GAMECOCK.SC.EDU UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA, S.C. Former dean convicted on two charges by Clayton Kale News Editor Christiansburg, va. — l he former dean of the College of Engineering and Information Technology was convicted Thursday of two counts of ob taining properly by false pre tenses. Craig Rogers could get up to 10 years in prison for each count wlien he is sentenced June Rogers i. 1. Rogers was also charged with four counts of mis use of state funds while he was the director of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures. But Montgomery County Circuit Judge Ray Grubbs dismissed the chaiges of misuse of state funds, saying Vnginia Tech had no written policies governing how professors must spend private do nations to public universities. Grubbs also granted a defense motion to take the chaiges against Rogers under advisement until the sentencing hearing. At that time, Grubbs could impose the sentences or order Rogers to perform some service in lieu of the convictions. Grubbs could also erase the con victions after a year if Rogers meets certain condi tions set by the court. The chinges involve transactions between April 1993 and August 1996. Investigators haven’t dis closed the amount of money involved, but accord ing to indictments, the amount was well in the thou sands. However, the money involved in Rogers’ con viction totaled only $586. Grubbs found that Rogers used state money to pay for a $377 plane ticket and $209 in expenses incurred on a trip to Dallas to watch a Virginia Tech basketball game. Rogers was attending a work-re lated conference in Denver when he look the side trip to Dallas. Rogers stepped down as dean of the College of Engineering after he was indicted last year. Jimmy Turk, Rogers’ attorney, said in closing arguments that Rogers couldn’t be held criminally responsible if nobody told him what he was doing was wrong. David Rigler, an assistant Virginia attorney gen eral, said it shouldn’t be necessary to tell people not to steal from their employers. The Virginia State Police Department began in vestigating Rogers after receiving complaints from other employees that he was taking funds for the research center and putting them into Paradigm Inc., a private corporation that no longer exists. USC spokesman Jason Snyder said: “Until there is a clear disposition on the case, the university has no comment.” use sweeps • Tigers by Mark Piras Senior Writer Covered in shaving cream, grinning from ear to ear and in front of a sold-out crowd that refused to leave even after the game was over, the Gamecocks (38 4) celebrated their new No. 1 ranking in dramatic fashion, coming from behind three separate limes to beat Clemson 9 8 in 12 innings for their 13th consecu tive win. Designated hitter Trey Dyson had three hits, including a lowering two-run home run in the bottom of the ninth with one out that lied the game at 7. Dyson also had a one-out double in the bottom % of the lltli that tied the game at 8. “This is definitely the best feeling in my baseball career,” Dyson said. “With our athletic programs not faring too well against Clemson this year, we had marked these two games on our schedule. We just wanted to win these more than anything. We just kept on fighting tonight, and we got the job done.” Up 7-5 going into the ninth inning, Clemson brought in closer Nick Glaser to finish off the game. Glaser struck out Baseball see page 10 | Gamecocks defeat rivals in extra innings Sean Rayford Gamecock Sports The Gamecock baseball team defeated Clemson Wednesday In extra Innings to sweep the series. Starting catcher Brandon Pack, center, raises his arms In victory after the game. SG adviser to retire i i --— —— —— .m.— fftr vtm Amy Goulding Photo Editor Student body President Jotaka Eaddy, left, and former student body president Malik Husser present Student Government adviser Woody Carothers with an award. He served SG for 35 years. ___ J McCain apologizes for silence about Confederate flae issue by Brandon Larrabee Associate News Editor Two months to the day after his de feat in the South Carolina Republican Primary, Ariz. Sen. John McCain apol ogized to South Carolinians for not previously stating his personal belief that the Confederate flag shouldn’t fly on the Statehouse dome. McCain’s remarks, the first he has made publicly regarding his personal feel ings about the issue, came at a lun cheon for the Council of Governors of the South Carolina Policy Council, a non partisan research foundation. Though he was at the luncheon to speak on the con servative reform agenda, McCain’s com ments on the flag comprised the largest part of his speech. McCain said he tried to act on principle throughout his primary cam paign but failed when he was confront ed with the issue of whether the flag should remain on the dome. “Only once, 1 believe, did I act in an ’... I sincerely regret breaking my promise to always tell you the truth.’ Sen. John McCain R-Ariz. unprincipled way,” McCain said. “But once is enough, and I want to tell the people of South Carolina and all Amer icans that 1 sincerely regret breaking my promise to always tell you the truth.” McCain said he was dishonest by not speaking about the flag issue earlier. Sev eral limes during the campaign, McCain was asked what he thought about the flag’s position. McCain said he first an swered that the flag was a state issue. “When pressed on that, 1 answered, repeatedly that while some view it as a symbol of oppression, others cherish it as a symbol of an honorable heritage,” McCain told tire council. “That, loo, was a factual response, but it was not an hon est answer to the question.” The senator referred to his own an cestors’ service in the Confederacy dur ing tire Civil War, adding that he was sure many, if not all, of his ancestors fought with courage. “But I don’t believe their service, however distinguished, needs to be com memorated in a way that offends, that deeply hurts people whose ancestors were once denied their freedom by my an cestors,” he said. McCain said his ancestors “might have fought to uphold a principle they believed was just.” “But they fought to sever the McCain see page 2 use students practice activism by Patrick Rathbun Assistant News Editor Although causes worthy of social ac tivism might not be as salient now as in the 1960s, some USC students are dis covering ways to express their dissatis faction with current politics. Members of USC’s chapter of Amnesty International on Sunday took part in an effort to shut down the Wash ington, D.C., meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary fund be cause they think the organizations aren’t providing their agendas fully and accurately. Beneath the international fi nancial organizations’ claim of aiding in dustrializing nations lie oppressive finan cial policies, according to some chapter members. “(The organizations’ policies] are poor ly conceived and executed without the true needs of the people in mind,” said Angeline Echeverria, a Latin American studies senior, chapter member and protest UVWIlUVVi Echeverria said the protesters were trying to send a message of disapproval to the organizations because of the damage the institutions do to the rest of the world. Just because the United States benefits from affordable goods, including clothes, doesn’t mean the organizations’ means are approved, she said. And although the protesters didn’t ac complish their goal of shutting down the meetings, that doesn’t mean they didn’t succeed, Echeverria said. She said the demonstrators were successful in gaining media attention and getting the word out on the oiganizations—and, she hopes, getting more people involved in activism. “1 would definitely encourage young people to be more active,” Echeverria said. “If you at look at social movements, it is when young people get involved that true change happens.” Political science junior Christine Cook, president of USC’s Amnesty International and protest attendee, said that education is necessary in order to reform the oiga nizations’ policies. “TKa IK4C .. D .1 r> Is trench poverty,” Cook said “There won’t be reform unless the public sees the flaws in the system. “Globalization affects everyone. It is detrimental to the economic system in America and abroad. It’s an issue that should at least be thought about.” Another protest attendee, anthropol ogy junior and USC’s Amnesty Interna tional Vice President Autumn Perkins, said the policies of IMF and the World Bank have negative impacts on human rights and the environment. She said the policies perpetuate and exploit tire world’s impoverished Perkins described the event as a “cultural learning experience” where in people from different ends of the cul tural spectrum worked together. Nirav Mehta, an economics and in ternational studies sophomore and USC’s Amnesty International Secretary, went to the rally and said he was interested in “rais ing consciousness” about the “injustice” and exploitation of the organizations’ poli cies. He said the organizations’ econom ics don’t work and that their theories are wrong. Mehta also said the organiza tions “claim to be helping” industrializ ing nations, but their real interest lies in “corporate” and “private monetary ad vantage” or gain. Anthropology junior Ron Edwards Activism seepage: Weather Today i 78 70 Saturday } 71 50 i. Inside Ona waxes on popular music Page 6 Datebook Friday • Baseball at Kentucky *. Saturday • Round Table Gaming Society, noon to 11:45 p.m., RH Online Poll Should the NAACP continue its boycott if the flag is moved from the Statehouse dome? Yes: 23% No: 77% Look for next week’s question in Wednesday’s edition of The Gamecock. t / 1