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TChc ©amecock Link seen between honors students, scores by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock If the university wants to increase the mean SAT score of students at USC to 1175^s the trustees have set as agoal, both the number of National Merit Scholar win ners and the number of students en rolled in the Honors College could make a difference. The university hopes to increase en rollment in the Honors Collegejfrom 1,000 to 1,200 and boost the number of National Merit Scholar winners enrolled in the uni versity from just more than 40 to 60 by 2005. University officials say an increase in Honors College students and National Merit Scholars could help raise the uni versity’s average SAT scores, since those students tend to perform better on stan dardized tests. The mean SAT at the Honors College is 1380, according to Dean Peter Seder beig. However, Sederbeig said increasing enrollment in the program from 1,000 to 1,200 while maintaining the program’s quality, as the board of trustees has pro posed, could be an expensive undertak ing. He compared the goal to the board’s stated goal of having every sports team ranked in the top 25 every year. “It would be a significant commitment on the part of the university to pursue ei ther one of these goals,” Sederbeig said. The hike would involve increasing the size of the freshman class from 250 - the number necessary to have 1,000 after four classes have entered - to 300, Sederbeig said. To accommodate the extra students, at least 20 to 25 classes would have to be added to the honors curriculum, he said. “That means you’re impacting further on the general curriculum of the univer sity,” Sederbeig said. Sedeibeig said the undertaking could be as challenging as going from 600 stu dents to 1,000, as the college did over a span of several years during the 1990s. The project began before Sederbeig ar rived at USC in 1994. The first class of 250 entered the college in 1997, and the Honors College hit 1,000 students this year, Sederberg said. “If this were, if not the top priority, a major priority for the next five yean, it probably could be done,” Sederberg said. “That doesn’t mean it should be done.” Sederberg said his commitment is to making sure the Honors College doesn’t just draw students who did well in high school, but maintaining the quality of the program. He said the administration seemed to understand the need for quality. “They've given me every indication of recognizing the importance of main , taining the quality of the program,” Seder berg said. Sederberg said the goals concerning the Honors College, National Merit Schol ars and SAT scores went hand-in-hand. “They’re intimately related,” he said. “The success at one would contribute to the success of the other.” National Merit Scholars semifinalists are selected on the basis of junior year PSAT scores, according to Director of Un dergraduate Admissions Terry Davis. Each state has a set number of semifinalists. Two hundred are selected from South Caroli na. Finalists for the program are selected on the basis of curriculum, grades and SAT scores. Of South Carolina’s semifmal ists, about 75 to 85 percent are selected as finalists, Davis said.' She also said the trustees’ goals com plemented each other. “Wfell, one certainly helps the other,” Davis said. Mack Whittle, chairman of the board of trustees, also highlighted the honors college potential to boost the university’s reputation. “To take that as a niche and grow that niche is one way we can continue to im prove the academic reputation” of USC, Whittle said. He said more scholarships would help the university recruit more honors stu dents and more National Merit Scholars. “Unfortunately, a lot of this is dri ven by money,” Whittle said. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com. Money from page 1 byists from Clemson and 31 other col leges and universities in the state. Since 1996, Gregory has convinced lawmakers to give USC money for pro jects, including $14.5 million for a new music center, $17 million to help build the new arena, $10 million for the pro posed new law school, $14 million for renovations and $4 million for the Storm Thurmond Fitness and Wellness Center. Gregory was unavailable for comment. Another player in the state funding game is Charlie FitzSimons, the execu tive director of S.C.’s Commission on Higher Education. FitzSimons, a USC alumnus, oversees budget requests for the 33 college and universities in South Car olina. FitzSimons said the projected need for all public universities and colleges in the state is $1 billion, but the state is on ly giving $880 million to higher educa tion. That is about 77 percent of request ed funds. “There seems to be a bigger empha sis right now on K-12 education. We must build great public schools before we can build great universities,” he said. “You can’t have underprepared South Carolina students enter prestigious uni versities.” FitzSimons said in the mid 1980s, the state fulfilled 95 percent of colleges re quest and the current percent could rise if the state can get more money. If the state has the money to give, it will, he said. One way to raise more money is if residents pass the lottery on Nov. 7. The most current estimates project the state could see an additional $75-$ 100 million in its annual budget if the lottery passes. “We wouldn’t see universities getting more money directly from the lottery, but scholarships from the lottery would great ly increase,” he said. As for the future of USC, FitzSimons said the course is left up to everyone in volved. “It depends on the president, the board of trustees and the students,” he said. “Wfe have all the right things to build the next Chapel Hill.” The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmaiLcom. How USC compares with peer institutions in several money-related categories: USC $160M $275M $121M Clemson $146M $250M $72M UNC $382M $975M $171M U. of Fla. $491M $600M $106M Service 101 from page 1 at the university, has expressed interest in possibly teaching the course. However, another professor would likely have to be the instructor of credit, according to Sinha and Eaddy. 'To my understanding; we're still map ping those details out," Eaddy said. SG will attempt to get the full pro posal to Berube's committee after the com mittee's Nov. 3 meeting, Eaddy said. If the committee approves the pro posal, it would move to the full senate, which usually approves courses endorsed by the committee. 'Tm very excited about it," Eaddy said The proposal is part of Eaddy’s Con tract for Carolina, the four-pronged platform she campaigned on during SG elections last February. Two of Eaddy's other goals, late-night shuttles and a pilot program for a "Sixth Man Club" student section at USC bas ketball games, have already been ac complished. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com. Lottery from page 1 to education lottery spokesman and Gov. Jim Hodges’ press secretary Morton Bril liant. The ads claimed South Carolina was the only state ever asked to repeal a lot tery ban without having lottery enabling legislation in place. However, at least nine other states repealed similar lottery bans without previously passing enabling leg islation. “At some point, you have to start won dering about the claims these folks keep making,” Brilliant said. “Our ads were not wrong,” Mack said in defense of lottery opponents. “I think there was a minor technical glitch, and I think we were just magnanimous in pulling it.” The “No Lottery 2000” Web site lists a slew of statistics and information as rea sons to oppose the lottery. According to the site, lotteries serve as a regressive form of taxation. It also cites that gambling in creases all forms of crime and corruption. The site says the odds of winning a typi cal state lottery are one in 12-14 million, while the odds of being struck by light ening are one in 1.9 million. The site al so implies allowing a lottery in South Car olina could lead to more sophisticated, blatant forms of gambling, like that in casi nos. “Fifteen of the 18 states with both lot teries and casinos...legalized a lottery first,” information on the site says. “After the 15 states legalized a lottery, the legaliza tion of casinos took an average of less than eight years.” Despite lottery opponents’ efforts, recent polls show support for the lot tery is at 56 percent. The poll, conduct ed by the Garin Hart Yang poling organi zation, showed opposition to the lottery was at 40 percent, with 4 percent unde cided. “The ‘yes’ forces have clearly picked up momentum since the last public polling was conducted,” pollster Fred Yang said. “This indicates the main pro-lottery message of using lottery funds to improve specific education programs is very per suasive.” John Huiett contributed to this story. The city/state desk can be reached at gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com. ALL DRESSED UP Camille Watkins Special to The Gamecock During Euphoria Machine’s show Saturday night at The Elbow Room, attendees participated in a Halloween costume contest which awarded $100 to the winner. I ' Friday, Oct 28 • Illegal use of telephone, Bates House. Reporting officer R Shirer spoke with a female resident of Bates House who said an unknown subject has been call ing her over the past four weeks leav ing messages and comments that are harassing in nature. Thursday, Oct 27 • Grand larceny, Snowden Dorm. Stu dent Adam Snyder said an unknown person removed items belonging to him and his roommate, including a black CD case containing 200 CDs valued at $2,000 and one Compaq Pre sario laptop worth $2,100. The re porting officer was C. Firebaugh. • Larceny ofbook, Douglas Doim. Stu dent Blake McDoniild said unknown person(s) by unknown means removed a college algebra book worth $40 from an unsecured room. The reporting of ficer was R Osborne. Wednesday, Oct, 26 • Assault and battery, Gibbs Court. Reporting officer R. Shirer spoke with Edward Chandler, 50, who said an un known female in hermid-20s assault ed him. The victim said she attacked him for unknown reasons, and he was struck in the chest by her hands. The victim and subject are co-workers in Capstone's Gibbs Court. Chandler al so said he didn't want to press charges against her. Giarmaine Sims, said an unknown per son by unknown means broke out the rear left quarter window of her vehi cle at the incident location. Once in side, the subject removed a mobile phone and a jacket. The vehicle was not processed because the complainant had already entered the vehicle. Esti mated value of stolen items is $80. Es timated damage is $150. • Disorderly conduct, resisting ar rest, simple assault, 931 Senate St. (Club Momentum). Responding Offi cer Van Houten was dispatched to the incident location in regards to a fight in progress. Upon arriving, \bn Houten observed the subject, Chad Aigo, 18, bleeding from the mouth and nose. Ar go was being loud and boisterous, us ing profanity and causing general dis turbance. Prior to arrest, Van Houten was unable to gather infor mation from Aigo because of the sub ject's violent outrage. Saturday, Oct 29 • Drunkenness, unlawful weapon (knife), 1027 Elmwood Ave. Re sponding Officer Ray encountered the suspect, Charles Lynch, 55, highly in toxicated in the parking lot of the in cident location. When approached, Lynch had an open pocket knife in his right hand. Lynch squared off with Ray and took an aggressive stance. Ray sub dued the suspect with a straight arm bar, took the suspect down and placed him under arrest. Friday, Oct 27 • Shoplifting under $1,000, 100 Columbiana Circle (Belk). The complainant, Brian Dowling, said the subject, Wendy Lou Hart, 31, picked up two pairs of Lee jeans and took them to the cash register, where she told the clerk she was bringing one pair in to exchange for the other. When the subject completed her "trade," she was apprehended by loss prevention as she tried to exit the store. The jeans were recovered, and the subject was transported to Richland County De tention Center. Estimated value of the jeans is $30. Sunday, Oct 30 • Auto breaking, petit larceny, 2339 Two Notch Road. The complainant, Interested in Studying Abroad? The National Security Education Program (NSEP) awards scholarships and fellowships to outstanding undergraduate and graduate students from all academic and professional disciplines for study in foreign countries and world regions critical to U.S. national security. NSEP awards are available for a maximum of $8,000 per semester or $16.000 per academic year. Last year, USC student Lauren Adkins won a scholarship to Russia. Attend to learn more! national Security Education Program (NSEP) Scholarship Workshop Monday, October 30 at 5:30 p.m. Russell House, Room 305 For more information, contact the Fellowships Office at 777-0958 or Adam Grotsky or Pat Wilier, International Programs for Students, at 777-7461. IE HALLO WEE | • military uniforms • masks | • vintage clothing • body par • whips and * assorted hand cuffs wigs AllMY/NAVY STORK 1621 MAIN ST. 252-1350 MONDAY-SATURDAY 0:00 - 6:00PM Considering Graduate School? Take Kaplan and get the scores you need to get into the schools you want. 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