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_Vol. 94, No. 33 _ Wednesday November 15, 2000_ Serving the Ca rolina Community since 1Q08 WWW.GAMECOCK.SC.EDU UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA, S.C. -Lii- JP cteStc '• isiS: ^’*.1^ ■'OTt. *•,s v saftfeaswl W * Palms discusses tenure at USC by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock John Palms wasn’t looking for a job when the call came from USC. At the time, Palms was president of Georgia State University. “I got called about this job and... said ‘I’m not interested at all,”’ Palms said in a Monday interview with The ^ Gamecock. “Got called again and said I wasn’t interested and they said, ‘Well, come talk to us about...what we should be looking for for a president.’ And when I came, one thing led to an other. So kind of a, a rapid process.” Palms spoke with The Gamecock Monday about the beginning of his pres idency, which began in March 1991, the past 10 years and whether the univer sity is ready to enter the prestigious As sociation of American Universities, a goal that has long been the aspiration of Palms and his administration. Palms walked onto a scandal-racked university that had been marred by the disclosure of the financial and personal shortcomings of the previous president, James Holderman. Palms said he worked to restore the university’s credibility and tried to lay out a vision for the future. “1 worked across a pretty broad front of issues dealing with that administra tion, and, at the same time, trying to as sess where this university was academ ically, what it had achieved and what the faculty thought its potential was, realis tically,” he said. Palms highlighted several of the ac complishments his administration has made since then, including working to increase the quality of the university’s students. “People worried that we wouldn’t make a class and we did that and we did it anyway,” Palms said. He also said his administration had raised the standards for teaching and gain ing tenure at the university. “We raised the standards for teach ing and research for faculty and what it would take to get tenure,” Palms said. Palms said there were indications the university has finally restored the credibility lost during the Holderman years. “The money coming in certainly is an indicator,” he said. “People are writ ing checks again for the university.” But Palms warned that credibility can be lost very easily. “It’s precarious,” he said. LT mean, that character thing is always delicate. ... and you just have to watch it all the time.” Palms also said the university’s goal of getting invited into the AAU affect ed undergraduate students, even if the group does look primarily at a universi ty’s graduate programs. “First of all, it’s just taken for grant ed [that] you have the best undergradu ate students in the country,” Palms said. In turn, that leads to a higher qual ty of faculty. “The faculty comes because they’re leaching the best students as well as do Palms see page 4 That character thing is always deli cate...you have to watch it all the time.' John Palms University President, on the controversy surrounding his. predecessor Pi Kappa Phi regains charter ■ Fraternity returns after • four years by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock After four long years, the Pi Kap pa Phi fraternity has regained its char ter. In a ceremony held Saturday night, the Greek organization offi cially received its charter from the Pi Kappa Phi's national body. The organization lost it original charter back in 1996 when a incident occurred were a large rock was thrown by a Pi Kappa Phi member through a window belonging to a Sig ma Kappa member. The rock hit Jonathan Robinson of Sigma Kappa in the head, cracking his skull and al most killing him. “We just don't condone that kind of activity,” Greek Life Director Gena Runnion said about the incident. “I wasn’t here when it happened, but I heard he was badly hurt.” “This is a fresh batch of men,” she said. “I don't think that kind of stuff will be going on in the new Pi Kappa Phi.” The organization has already put the mistake behind them said Presi dent Faiyaz Dossaji. They already can boast a num ber of accomplishments, he said. The organizations won this year's Home coming, they have the highest GPA average of any other fraternity on campus, they have several Carolina Scholars and Student Affairs schol ars and they surpassed their funding raising goal by $400 for their “Push America” philanthropy project. “I just hope we can live up to all Fraternity seepages Oxfam Carolina asks USC students to donate meals by Maggie Stewart The Gamecock The Oxfam Fast for World Har vest is Nov. 15, a day for all USC students and faculty to donate a meal off their lunch card, $2 from their cash card or simply fast for the day. The group sponsoring the event, Oxfam Carolina, a branch of Oxfam America, is trying to urge students to help the fight against world hunger, Oxfam Car olina advisor Tom Wall said. All food and money collected will be donated to Oxfam America and used to feed the hungry in the U.S. There are 793 million people in the world, including 31 million in the U.S., that go without food for at least a day at a time. Every H day, 24,000 people will die from hunger-related causes, according to the Oxfam America Web site. “The purpose is not just to raise money but also raise awareness,” Wall said about the Fast, adding, “This is the eighth year in a row that the campus has organized this event.” In addition to the Day of Fast, a Hunger Banquet was held on Nov. 14 in the Capstone Cam pus Room at 6 p.m. Hundreds of students, faculty and public joined together to take part in the event. The night was started by speakers Sharon Rachel and Amanda Goldson, who wel comed everyone and explained the cause and effects of world hunger. The main highlight of the evening was the banquet, in ad dition to several other presenta tions by various speakers, in cluding John Cook, Mary Todoro, Faye Daniels, Lisa Parker, Sharon Rachel, Elaine Frick and Tom Wall. Okfam SEE PAGE 2 Group concerned about safety IliBii I m . ....m-_ Travis Lynn The Gamecock University Neighborhood Association President John Stucker and parking committee chair Jim Stiver address the association at Its meeting Tuesday night to pass recommendations to Columbia City Council. by John Huiett The Gamecock Speeding, residential parking woes and safety concerns were the focus of several recommenda tions to Columbia City Council approved by the University Neighborhood Association on Wednes day. The association, comprised of homeowners and residents in the neighborhood on the USC campus’ east side and surrounding area, approved resolu tions calling for three-way stop signs to be placed in three locations in the neighborhood, a speed lim it of 25 rnpli to be posted throughout the neigh borhood and the removal of certain parking spots used primarily by students that restrict view and resident access. The recommendations were the result of a traf fic and parking study conducted by Columbia in conjunction with the South Carolina Highway De partment, which concluded more safety measures were needed in the neighborhood. Association president John Stucker said the rec ommendations are meant to benefit “anyone dri ving on those streets,” including Greene, Laurel, Barnwell and Pendleton streets. “The substantial portion of our traffic in the neighborhood is non-residential traffic,” Stucker said, stressing that the recommendations weren’t solely for residents. If motorists continue to speed through the neigh borhood, the association is calling for Columbia po I-1 Travis Lynn The Gamecock University Neighborhood Association parking committee chair Jim Stiver addresses the association Tuesday night lice to begin “targeted enforcement” of speed lim its, as well as stepping up enforcement of stop signs, many of which go ignored in the neighborhood, Stucker said. If Gty Council approves and implements putting three new stop signs in the neighborhood, Stucker said motorists would have no choice but to slow down. However, if police don’t enforce the stop signs and speed limit, Stucker said the ordinance would accomplish little. “We’re going to have to work with the police department, folks,” Stucker said. “They don’t have all the officers in the world. But that shouldn’t pre clude us from making a statement.” The association’s parking committee chairman Jim Stiver said tire safety of residents is directly re lated to the number of motorists driving through the neighborhood who don’t live there. » “From a safety point of view, it’s just the sheer volume of vehicles that could go around the neigh borhood instead of through, especially the trucks,” Sliver said. This concern has led the group to recommend that “No Thru Trucks” signs be posted through out the neighborhood to curb what some associa tion members say are a slew of delivery trucks that use the neighborhood as a shortcut to USC and busi nesses close to campus. Neighborhood see page 4 Weather Inside Quote of the Day Datebook Today 57 36 Thursday 62 49 Spotlight takes a look at “Charlie’s Angels” Page 11 “God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh.” — Voltaire Wednesday Spirit Week • Carolina/Clemson Blood Drive, RH Ballroom • Hunger Banquet, 6 p.m., Capstone Campus Room Thursday Spirit Week • Carolina/Clemson Blood Drive, RH Ballroom • Tigertwm, 6 p.m. • Carter Brey/Chris O’Reil ly, Koger Center