Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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_ Vol. 94, No. 17 Wednesday October 4, 2000____ ina Community since 1Q08 Smith takes over despite criticism by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock When the president of one the most note worthy banking groups in the South switches jobs, most people would think he would go af ter another banking presidency. But Joel Smith, the former president of Bank of America's East Region Banking Group, x opted for something a little different. Smith, who recently retired from his old job where he managed a banking group oper ating in seven states and the District of Co lumbia, became the new dean of the Darla Moore School of Business on Monday. As bank president, he managed almost $92 billion worth of investments and assets - a nice little note to put on anyone's resume consid ering the annual budget for USC is half a bil lion. President John Palms formally announced Smith as the new dean on Aug. 7. During the press conference, Palms said with his 29-year career in banking, combined with his record of leadership and service to South Carolina, Smith was the ideal choice to lead the business school. Palms also referred to the long search to replace former dean David Schrock, who left after his contract was up in July 1999. Since Schrock's departure, Rodney Roen feldt has been interim dean of the college. "This search took far longer than any of us wanted, but we were determined to find pre cisely the right person," Palms said. "This busi ness school stands at a pivotal moment. It has a great faculty, outstanding programs and is ready to become one of the best business schools in the country." However, the naming of Smith as head of the business school hasn't gone without some controversy. A few students and business lead ers in the Midlands have criticized Palms' choice because Smith doesn't have the typical acad emic experience of many school deans. Palms defended his selection by saying the knowledge Smith acquired during hi long bank ing career has more than prepared him to be dean. "He [Smith] knows the changing demands shaping the business world and how they af fect the direction our school should take," Palms said. "He has a deep and personal knowl edge of the business and financial worlds, proven abilities in interpersonal relations, an out standing reputation in the South Carolina and national business communities." Smith isn’t bothered by the criticism, ei ther, saying everyone is entitled to his or her own opinions about him. "I think I bring something that is hard to bring to a job like this if you have been in aca demics all your life," Smith said. 'That is a cur rent relevance to what we do.” Smith is a 1967 graduate of the Universi ty of the South in Sawanee, Tenn., where he received degrees in political science and eco nomics. He began his banking career with Bankers Trust of South Carolina, a predeces sor to Bank of America. He played a key role in the merger of Bankers Trust of South Car olina with NCNB in 1986 and with the Smith see page 2 ‘I think I bring something that is hard to bring to a job like this if you have been in academics all your life.’ Joel Smith Dean of Darla Moore School of Business Newman Club talks about signs k by Amanda Silva The Gamecock The Newman Club, St. Thomas More’s un dergraduate Catholic ministry, met Tuesday night to address the derogatory anti-Catholic notices that were anonymously written and posted around cam pus last week. The group discussed possible motives behind llie notices and talked about the best way to re spond to them, while introducing ways in which to further educate themselves about Catholicism in hopes of spreading the truth about their faith to others. “The best tiling we can do is learn about our religion so that we can answer questions when peo ple ask,” political science junior Nikki Kirtsey said. For the most part, members of the Newman * Club believe the motive behind the notices stemmed from misunderstanding and ignorance. “I think this is just an honest misunderstand ing of the Catholic church,” said Megan Peabody, a marine science senior and Newman Club vice president. Some students pointed out the positive side of the derogatory notices by saying that such atten tion acts as a personal assessment of one’s faith. “It’s almost good because it makes you think about your faith and question why you believe what you believe in,” said Jason Westmeyer, a fi nance and marketing senior. Father Tim Lijewski addressed the negative connotations sometimes associated with the Catholic church by referring to its history and speculated that such derogatory occurrences can be seen as a reaction to what has happened in history. “These kind of things make me angry, and they ‘ hurt me, but we have been the perpetrators of so much hurtfulness as a church. We’ve not had the best ecumenical history,” he said. Lijewski also attributed the notices to igno rance and fear. “What we don’t understand, we fear and then juc^ge,” he said. Adding to the idea of educating the public about Catholicism, athletic training junior Angela Mayer asked, “when we’re in here, we know who we are, but when we’re out there, do they know who we are?” According to Mayer, it’s imperative to edu cate people about Catholicism because whoever wrote the sign could have been shunned by the Catholic church and is reacting to it negatively or k defensively. I The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmait.com. PATTERSON ALARM h*. . . ■ n WdiiiUTaHbW. r.W,.. .'"ft ■matfY.-.Ylifc ■■ --- l Amy Gouloing The Gamecock Patterson residents stand outside during one of the many Are alarms this semester. Lottery opponents gather at capitol by John Huiett The Gamecock A state lottery would prey upon the poor and elderly while disregarding state govern ment’s divine responsibilities, according to members of the South Carolina Christian Coun cil who took to the State House steps on Mon day to warn of a lottery’s possible evils. A crowd of about 300, many carrying signs reading “No Lottery,” gathered on the south side steps of the capitol building, cheering on like-minded speakers representing 16 Chris tian denominations and 21 judicatories. “We cannot support the lottery because it will prey upon those who sit in our pews and live in our communities,” said Joe Darby of the 7th Episcopal Diocese of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. “It is ignorant, reprehensible and repulsive to equate irresponsibility and poverty in one breath.” Darby also took the opportunity to infer a stab at the Confederate flag monument, say ing he was glad the gathering was taking place on the south side instead of the north side that houses the monument. The South Carolina Southern Baptist Con vention, long-known opponents to gambling, were on hand through executive director Carlisle Diggers, who said the battle against the lottery is one that will continue as long as necessary. “We’re not about to back up now,” Dig gen said. Pointing out that his history includes be ing a 15-year resident of Georgia, Diggers said promises regarding income generated from that stale’s lottery have yet to come to fruition. On trips back to Georgia to visit family and attend meetings, Diggers said the consis tent answer to his question to teachers of whether the lottery has begun to aid in the state’s education system is, “Not that I can tell.” Further, he criticized those who market the lottery to the state’s poor black and elderly communities for creating “almost a panic to get tickets” without delivering any results. “1 never see anyone smiling or happy... joy is just not in the place,” Diggers said of Georgia, adding that the same could be true for South Carolina should lawmakers approve a lottery. “Do we really want to change the charac ter of South Carolina forever by bringing in a state-sponsored lottery?” Diggers asked. A slate lottery would also border on blas phemy, said David Donges, bishop for the Evan gelical Lutheran Church in America. According to Donges, a state lottery would be abuse of the people whose welfare has been entrusted by God to lawmakers. “We believe government is divinely giv en, a holy responsibility for managing the af fairs of people,” Donges said, explaining that gambling would be mismanagement of the peo ple. Rally attendee Mac Smurthwaite agreed with Donges that saying no to the lottery is more a moral decision than anything else, pre ferring increased state taxes to help education. Lottery s£epage2 ‘Push day’ seeks to add more signatures by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock With balloons, t-shirts and golf carts cruis ing around campus, Student Government will launch a campaign-like effort to add at least 4,500 signatures to their petition to extend the drop date on Thursday, the last day students can drop a class without a grade of "WF." The "campaign push day," as SG Acade mic Affairs Director Heather Homick called the event, is part of SG’s effort to gather 10,000 student signatures. The petition is intended to show support for SG’s proposal to extend the drop date, which must gather faculty senate approval. From 10 a.m.to 3 p.m., cabinet and stu dent senate will man a table on Greene Street and stand in front of colleges and in other "strategic locations" to give students infor mation on the proposal and try to get more signatures. According to Hornick, students will be given information that SG has obtained while researching the proposal. The infor mation will allow students to know what they 're signing, so "it’s not just a fad or a cool thing or just to sign a petition because some body’s handing you a petition," Hornick said. Those participating in the drive will wear t-shirts saying, "I signed it, now drop it." Students who sign the petition will get stick ers resembling "I voted" stickers: "I signed it." SG members will have petitions at the tables on Greene Street, as well as in hand, ac cording to SG President Jotaka Eaddy. SG will also have at least one golf cart cruis ing the campus looking for signatures. "You know I love golf carts," joked Ead dy, who used golf carts in her own campaign last year. "You can really get to more people that way," she said. The goal for the day is to get the total number of signatures up to 7,500, three quarters of SG’sgoal. "If we get 7,500,1 expect to get the next 2,500 in two weeks,” Homick said. Homick said, at last count a couple of days ago, there were 2,800 signatures. She estimates there are now 3,000. SG is also planning to introduce the pro posal to faculty senate at that group’s Wednes day meeting. The appearance will be an at tempt to familiarize professors with the proposal before the campuswide push on Thursday and before the senate has to vote on the proposal itself. "We want them to have known about it Petition see page 2 Seeking your signature 10.000 ™ Student 9.000 m Government is 8.000 ■ trying to get 7.000 Li 10,000 signatures 6.000 Li in support of 5.000 L extending the 4 ooo Li drop date. So far ■ they have about 3.000 3,000 signatures and will be mak ing a big push to gain more signa tures Thursday. Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock Today 85 66 Thursday 82 66 Read the review of Backstreet Boy’s little brother Page 6 Success is counted sweetest by those who ne’er succeed. — Emily Dickenson Wednesday • Student Senate meeting 5 p.m. RH Theater • Students Allied for a Greener Earth 8 p.m. RH 302 • University Ambas sadors 9 p.m. Vistor’s Center THURSDAY • Last day to drop a class with a "WF' being recorded • Mortar Board 7 p.m. I RH315 • Muslim Student’s Asso ciation 7 p.m. RH 305 r -v