The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, October 30, 2000, Page 2, Image 2
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.
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