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Vol. 94, No. 32 November 10, 2000 _ • WWW.GAMECOCK.SC.EDU UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA, S.C. Journalism Dean Search Candidate withdraws name from dean search ■ William Norton notifies USC by letter of his withdrawal by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock The dreams of an educator ended and the search for a dean narrowed earlier this week as Universi ty of Nebraska-Lincoln Journalism Dean William Norton took his name out of consideration for the same position at USC. Norton notified USC of his decision in a letter sent to Provost Jerry Odom and Ronald Farrar, in terim dean of the College of Journalism and Mass Communications. “It’s a tough, tough story,” Norton said when asked why he was withdrawing his name. £ He will remain at Nebraska, where he has been dean since 1990. Norton, who has family ties to South Caroli na and attended school in the state, said he had want ed to be a part of the USC faculty since he entered journalism education. Norton declined to give any specifics on what prompted him to leave the school, saying that it wouldn’t serve any positive purpose. But he said he had come to the conclusion that he wasn’t the right Gt. “My values and my career objectives wouldn’t quite fit,” Norton said in an emotional interview with The Gamecock. One of die reasons Norton cited was liis age. Norton said it would take him time to get a sense of the changes that might need to made in the jour nalism college. “I’m 58 years old,” Norton said. “By the time I was really to the place where 1 could do some thing, I’d be too old.” However, Norton said he believed the college's future was bright. “I think the potential for that place is enor mous,” Norton said. “I just don’t think I’m the right person for the job.” Norton also praised Farrar. “That school has a terrific interim dean,” Nor ton said, adding that Farrar had already changed the college for the belter in the year he has served as dean. “He’s so smart and he’s such a quick study that he’s been able to fix a lot of things,” Norton said. According to Norton, he wanted to notify the university that he wouldn’t take the position be fore any decision had been made. Farrar said he regretted the fact that Norton was no longer a candidate. “We would love to have him in the pool,” Far rar said. “He is a first-rate man and 1 personally re ^ gret that he is not in the pool.” “He was very interested in this job, but he’s de cided to stay where he is for now,” he added. According to Farrar, Norton’s letter didn’t give any specific reasons as to why he left the college. “As far as his reasons, they are very much his own,” Farrar said. Two finalists remain in the search for a dean — Ronald Loewen, president of Liberty Insurance Group and former vice president of WIS, and Ed ward Pease, the head of Utah State University’s de partment of communications. USC announced the three finalists in Septem ber. The university hopes to have a new dean in place by July 1. USC President John Palms will have the final say in who will get the position. ^ Farrar is expected to retire when the new dean is selected. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmalLcom. - « Florida holds key to election by David Royse Associated Press TALLAHASSEE, Fla.— George W. Bush’s lead over A1 Gore in crucial Florida shrank to fewer than 400 votes by unofficial count Thursday, with allegations of irregularities swirling and ballots from overseas residents still to be counted. Recount results from 66 of the state’s 67 coun ties gave Republican Bush a lead of229 votes out of nearly 6 million cast, according to an unoffi cial tally by The Associated Press. The original “final” margin had been reported at 1,784. AP called each county election official to get the final recount total for each candidate in their county. The official recount lagged behind, and Sec retary of State Katherine Harris told an early evening news conference that it could be as late as next Tuesday, a week after the election, before the state has certified ballot results from all 67 counties. She also said it would take at least un til Nov. 17 to tabulate ballots cast by Floridians overseas and postmarked by Election Day. Harris said Bush had 2,909,661 votes to 2,907,877 for Gore, a difference of 1,784 votes. Those were the totals at the end of Tuesday night, and they didn’t reflect any of the changes that have emeiged since the state’s county-by-coun ty canvass began. One election board member, Agriculture Com missioner Bob Crawford, testily defended the pace of the recount. “Nobody ever said that democracy was Florida see page 2 : ^11—■ - J^ssss^mm Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock OXFAM i-5--s:'1,; ■■■' --- I " lllilli—" I III "I .—.— — - ——— — m— i — —— —i .... .. ... a.. ..1 Special to Tme Gamecock In OXFAM Carolina Hunger Relay, players move rice and water through an obstacle course and dramatize the difficulty nearly one billion families worldwide have In finding enough to eat USC Student Government Senate fails to support S.C. lottery resolution by Amanda Silva The Gamecock The fete of an Student Government lottery res olution that had been undecided for almost a week has finally been determined. Senate convened also Wednesday night and passed a resolution mirroring a "World Hunger" ex ecutive order from SG President Jotaka Eaddy. Ead dy's executive order proclaimed Nov. 15 as "USC W)rld Hunger Awareness Day," and the senate res olution passed on a voice vote. Meanwhile, the fete of the lottery resolution expressing support of a South Carolina lottery was resolved at the meeting. That resolution failed at last week’s meeting, SG Parliamentarian Ankit Ba tel announced. The resolution's fate had been up in the air as SG officers tried to determine whether abstentions had to be counted as votes against the bill. Sen. Chrissy Stauffer said the resolution had failed on a technicality. "Yesterday, the state of South Carolina passed the lottery for South Carolina and its students," said Stauffer, who sponsored the bill. "The Senate ba sically did the same thing, but the resolution failed by a technicality." Parliamentarian Ankit Batel said the lottery resolution failed due to abstentions during the vot ing. He said once a motion is made, the president asks who is for it and who is against. A count is then taken from each faction. If there are five senators who want a roll call Senate seepage2 Hopelights remembers survivors of sexual assault by Gina Caruso The Gamecock In an act of remembrance of victims of sex ual assault, SHARE sponsored Hopelights, a can dlelight vigil in front of Sims Residence Hall to recognize and support survivors of sexual assault. Coordinated by SHARE peer educator He len Tecklenbuig, Hopelights was meant to send a message of hope to all and encourage victims of sexual assault to seek the help they deserve. Among the speakers at the candlelight gath ering was a victim advocate at Sexual Trauma Services, USC graduate and SHARE peer educa tor Juliette Muellner. In sharing her past personal experience of sexual assault, she voiced her dis gust with society’s ignorance toward the issue and offered victims advice and encouragement. Muellner told her story of acquaintance rape that took place her freshman year at a small col lege in New York. She explained her feelings of numbness and complete violation of mind and body following the incident. “No one should have to go through what 1 went though,” Muellner said. Rather than keeping quiet, Muellner did her best to tell everyone to stay away from the male who victimized her. Upon transferring to USC in the fall of 1996, she became a SHARE peer educator and currently works to “support as many survivors as possible.” “I feel it is my job to tell my story,” Muell ner said. “Being a SHARE peer educator is the most empowering experience of my life. I nev er want anyone to feel how I did.” Muellner recognizes her own empowerment as a major source of motivation. She said she nev er doubted herself throughout her healing process and today continues to remember that she is “not a victim, but a survivor.” Following Muellner’s story, those present proceeded to light candles and take a moment of silence to remember those who are survivors of sexual crimes. Other speakers included Tecklenburg, who praised the success of the campaign. "Through the sale of white ribbons and can dle lamps, we raised over $1,000 to donate to Sexual Trauma Services, which is double that of last year," she said. Tecklenburg noted the raised awareness of the issue and said the ribbons and candles signi fied hope and courage. "Only through making ourselves heard can we find healing and hope," she said Kim Sheffield, program director for Sexual Health and Violence Prevention in the Thomp son Student Health Center, and Carol Wyatt, director at Sexual Trauma Services, both advo cated victims seeking help. “I am proud to offer hope and healing,” Wyatt said. “Through Hopelights, we are allowing voices to be heard and moving toward the light of healing.” In attendance were many sorority members who were active participants in the distribution of the white ribbons and candle lamps. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmaH.com. Today 67 44 Saturd\y 64 40 SEC title hangs in balance as Florida game might be* “too close to call. ” Page 8 “No news at 4:30 a.m. is good.” — Lady Bird Johnson Friday • Veteran’s Day Parade • Volleyball vs. Georgia Saturday • Veteran’s Day • Football at Florida, 1 p.m.