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_Vol. 94, No. 31 We clues clay November 8, 2000 Serving the Carolina Community since 1Q08 w.!; \ ,\s i v r. i: u UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA Coi.imbia, S.C. • % 1 BUSH WIN PROJECTED, LOTTERY PASSES m <nr Brandon Larrabee, Kristin Von Karowsky and Eugene Rodillo The Gamecock South Carolinians decisively ap proved a state-run lottery in one of the state’s most emotional and hard fought battles — a battle that over shadowed the fight for control of the stale’s legislature and became the cen tral focus in a state where the results of the presidential race were all but cer tain. With 94 percent of precincts re porting, the proposal was winning by a 54-46 margin. The mood at the Education Lottery Coalition celebration was jubilant. “We have a lottery, ladies and gen tlemen,” state Democratic Party Chair man Dick Harpootlian said to explosive applause. Audience members, sporting neon yellow “Lotteiy=Education” stick ers, shouted and Hashed “thumbs-up” signs alter Harpootlian’s announcement. One supporter sporting a straw hat start ed to dance after hearing the news. “Bush took this state,” Harpootlian said, referring to the results of the pres idential election, “but the education is sue, the important issue, we won.” Kevin Goldings, former chief of staff for Gov. Jim Hodges and the man who spearheaded the anti-lottery effort, said he was “ecstatic” about the victory. “If you think free technical college education is a good thing, guess what? You just won the lottery,” Geddings said. Hodges, whom Geddings called “the greatest education governor in the Unit ed States,” said he was proud of the vot ers. “I’m proud of our great state of South Carolina, aren’t you?” Hodges said. Hodges said the voters had made a clear decision. “The voters have spoken loudly,” Hodges said. “They believe in scholar ships. They believe South Carolina should be a leader. How about that?” Having won in a race that was seen as a crucial test of his political fortunes, Hodges shared his vision for a South Car olina with a lottery. “I have a vision where every child has a great preschool education, great public school education, and every child gets to go to college,” Hodges said. “Let’s go to work and make this hap pen,” he said. “Great victory." State Sen. Todd Rutherford said the lottery would greatly affect South Carolina education. “The impact will be no less than in Georgia,” Rutherford said. “You’ll see an increase in enrollment in tech schools like Midlands Tech, because there’ll be another scholarship to depend on.” Some supporters took jstbs at oppo nents even before the fate of the lottery had been determined. “The State lost their collective minds Lottery SEE PAGE 2 Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock Chairperson of “No Lottery 2000” Kathy Bingham, left, concedes vic tory to lottery supporters. Courtesy of College Press Exchange Gore and Bush tamed their attacks during a sit-down debate, but some criticized the negative tone of both campaigns. ■ As of press time, all major TV networks declare Bush winner by John Huiett The Gamecock As millions of Americans awaited the verdict in the closest presidential election in the last 40 years, Texas Gov. Geoige W. Bush took the slimmest of leads in the race for the White House. At 4 a.m. Wednesday, Bush was win ning by only 600 votes in the deciding state of Florida. Vice President Gore had conceded to Bush earlier Wednesday morning, but lat er retracted that concession in a call to the Republican nominee. There will be a recount in the state of Florida because of the narrow.margin. After factoring in the Florida absen tee vote, networks announced that Bush defeated Gore by an electoral vote count of 271 to 242. The phrase “too close to call” was the mantra for TUesday night as Vice Presi dent A1 Gore and Texas Governor Geoige W. Bush traded electoral vote leads, with each at times jumping ahead by more than 10 points, but mostly slaying within two to three votes of each other. Well after midnight, Bush had pulled ahead of Gore by four electoral votes, but no clear decision was in sight. Earlier in the evening, Gore won sev eral hotly contested battleground states including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Cal ifornia. Bush handily defeated Gore in Texas, as well as in Gore’s home state of Tennessee and the once-thought Demo cratic stronghold of Clinton's home stale of Arkansas. It seemed Gore had the winning mo mentum with a Florida victory earlier in the evening. However, after absentee bal lots began to be counted, coupled with what was called “input errors” in voting tabulation, the 25 electoral votes award ed to Gore were reversed. By 1 a.m„ Bush was leading by two points in the electoral college. But a final count before Wednesday, or even Thursday, was highly doubtful. As predicted. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader proved to be a nemesis for Gore, nabbing 2 percent of the national vote and claiming considerable percent ages in both Alaska and Oregon. At one point, it was projected that Nader could come in second in the battle for Alaska. “You can’t spoil a system spoiled to the core,” Nader said, unrepentant that his presence in the race was causing grief for Gore. Bush was brimming with confi dence earlier Tbesday night, as he went ~ U.S. Election SEE PAGE 2 I State and national races of interest i ................ George W. Bush (R) 49% Al Gore (D) 48% Hillary Clinton (D) 56% Rick Lazio (R) 44% Bill Nelson (D) 51% Bill McCollum (R) 47% Joe Lieberman (D) 64% Phil Giordano (R) 35% Yes 54% No 46% Floyd Spence (R) 57% Jane Frederick (D) 41% Lindsey Graham (R) 68% George Brightharp (D) 31% James Clyburn (D) 74% Vince Ellison (R) 25% Rep. Spence wins easily over opponent by Valerie Matchette, Amanda Silva and Alicia Ballard The Gamecock The mood at Republican Floyd Spence’s cam paign headquarters was a festive one Tuesday night. Spence’s Congressional victory, along with important Republican wins in Richland and Beau fort districts, fueled a positive outlook for the presidential election as all eyes turned to national politics. Spence defeated Democratic challenger Jane Frederick by a close but decisive vote of 52 to 45 percent. Eric Dell of the Spence campaign said vot ers had good reason to vote for Spence. S.C. Congressional SEE PAGE 2 Ann Marie Miani The Gamecock !!!CimJNE - CHANGE ME !!!CUTUNE - CHANGE ME K'CUTUNE - CHANGE ME !!!CUT UNE - CHANGE ME !!!CUTUNE - CHANGE ME !!!CUTUNE - CHANGE ME !!!CUTTJNE - Election Day holiday a thing of the past for USC by Maggie Stewart The Gamecock This will be lire last year USC stu dents, faculty and stall'will receive Election Day oil A bill passed May 1 by the South Carolina General Assembly said the -Marlin Luther King J r. Day would re place the Election Day holiday. Al lhough Martin Lulher King Jr. Day is a nationally recognized date, the state of South Carolina has never recog nized it as a holiday, according to Jell' Cargile, Human Resource Adminis trator at USC. Under the bill, South Carolina won’t recognize Robert E. Lee’s birthday or Jefferson Davis’ birthday as holidays. Instead, Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King Jr. Day will be official slate holidays. King’s holiday is Jan. 15, and King Jr.’ s falling on every tliird Monday in January, ac corduig to the Stalehouses web site. The bill was signed by the Gov. Hodges May 1, and will be in elfect after this year. USC granted students Election Day olT in hopes it would encourage and remind students to vote, accord ing to Caigile. However, it was only USC stu dents, faculty, and stall that were al lowed Election Day off. State em ployees still had to go to work, ac cording to the Governor’s office. Students were particularly happy llial the University gave lliem lliisyear off, even if it will be the last. “Tliis was agreat opportunity that the campus gave students”, said Sta cy Deery, a first year graduate student. “I think it was a wonderful thing the university did this year to en courage students to get out and vote,” Deery said. “But as far as next presi dential election, 1 don’t think it will make much of a difference.” Students who drive home out of town forelections, though, don’t agree with the new bill. “Without the day off 1 am less like ly to go vote”, said freshman Abbey Gonzalez. “I’m voting this year because 1 have the time, but next election 1 will be less inclined to,” Gonzalez said. But Deery said having the day off should’l make a difference. “Most of the students who did not live on or around campus were able to fill out absentee ballots, and 1 don’t think having the day off will make it any easier for those students to vote in upcoming elections.” she said. IgSeats Won } 51*^ | 23 | Overall Trend | 54 | 7^ Weather Inside Quote of the Day Datebook Today 80 63 Thursday 75 52 USC Volleyball may get share of SEC Title Page 10 “You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re go ing, because you might not get there.” —* Yogi Berra Wednesday • SG Senate, 5 p.m. RH Theater • SG Cabinet Meeting, 7 p.m. * Thursday • NAACP, 6 p.m. RH 205 • SALA, 7:30 p.m. RH 305 f >