Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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New center will help create businesses by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock i A $150,000 grant from the South Carolina Research Institute will create a Student Incubator Center where USC students can create their own businesses. Student Government President Jotaka Eaddy announced Tues day. “This is a great opportunity for USC, and it just shows that it’s a great time to be a student at the University of South Carolina,” Eaddy said. USC Vice President for Research William Harris said the grant was a recognition of the strength of USC’s research and it’s business school. “I think this university, with its students, has the opportunity to serve this state better and to serve the city of Columbia more effectively,” he said. Columbia Mayor Bob Coble also said the incuba tor would help the city. “The incuba tor...I think, is some thing important for Columbia,” Coble said. After the meet ing, Coble said the incubator might help Columbia keep some of the business majors that come out of USC’s nationally recognized Darla Moore School of Business. “\\fe certainly hope so,” he said. “One, it sends the signal that there is a home and a place, and you get the support. And secondly, 1 think it raises the notion that we want you here.” Harris said the incubator “means opportunities for students.” “It means new opportunities for students that are interested in learning new things,” he said. Hams said the program would do more than give students a crack at running a business. “Not only is it a business opportuni ty, but it’s a hands-on sort of learning laboratory for the students,” he said The incubator might not have an impact immediately, Harris said but it will later. “Sometime in the next five to ten years, something very, very significant will happen to this city and this state,” he said There will a briefing session Jan. 29 and 31 for interested students. Those who want to apply for incubator funding must do so by Feb. 15, and on March 1 will announce 15 finalists. Those finalists will go through a month-long consultation process with USC faculty and the manager of the Columbia incubator. They will submit their business plan by March 31, and the six selections and two alternates chosen by the SCRI Incubator Advisory Committee will be announced April 16. The companies must begin operating some time between May 1 and Aug. 31. On Sept. I, the second phase of the project will begin. Four more businesses will be chose in the second cycle. The businesses will have access to the university's resources for up to two years. Eaddy said the project will continue indefinitely, with new businesses being selected when older ones have finished their two-year runs. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotnail.com —— MmF I Valerie Matchette/The Gamecock The new Student Incubator Center, which will help students create their own businesses, will be housed at 1233 Washington St i. r ■ . "i t Campus Crime Palms ‘concerned’ about safety of the university ■ President asks students to 'look out for each other' by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock Saying he was “concerned” about campus safety after a spate of violent crimes nearby, USC President John Palms spoke Thursday about the trend after a i meeting with city officials. “I've been concerned, as all the students have, about the safety situation ... in light of the recent incidents,” Palms said in an interview with The Gamecock. His comments came after a meeting that included Palms, USC Director of Law Enforcement Ernie Ellis and Columbia Mayor Bob Coble. The meeting came after two nearby shootings and the armed robbery of two students in the areas surrounding USC and Benedict College. It also followed the injury of a USC student who was walking on Pickens Street. Police suspect the student was hit by a moving object, possibly a car. One of the solutions discussed at the meeting, Palms said, was creating a well-lit campus. The Columbia City ♦ Council is likely to approve a plan to add lighting on Pickens Street toward Five Points. “We're trying to work, as you know, to define our campus better,” Palms said, referring to the plan. “I urged them to expedite that approval.” Palms stressed the importance of the city and the university working together. “Our jurisdication doesn't go beyond our campus,” he said. “It's important for us to work together.” Palms said other solutions discussed at the meeting included increasing the intensity of patrols and educating students about safety issues. He said students should “look out for each other.” But he also pointed out there were patrols in the Five Points area when some of the recent incidents occurred. “Some of those folks are pretty daring to do that,” Palms said, referring to the perpetrators. Despite those incidents, Palms said the campus crime rate still ranks as one of the lowest nationwide. He said he didn’t think crime as a whole was getting worse. “I don't think so, but some of these incidents are pretty severe,” Palms said. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com TOe (Bamecock will have an information session for those interested in joining our award-winning staff 6 p.m. Wednesday in RH 333. days a week Viewpoints News ' orts Spotlight Movie Directory Police Report www.dailygamecock.com I I _ L-' r u Aerobics Instructor Training Course i WHAT: A course to train YOU how to instruct aerobics WHEN: Fridays from 1-3PM WHERE: The aerobics studio in the Blatt PE Center \ *Classes begin Friday, January 26th and are open to any USC student. *To register please call Jessica at 777-4687 or Laina at 777-1827