Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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0 e Carolina Community since 1Q08 THE SIX: If USC asks them, will they come? ‘Search for Six’ seeks students by Jarvis Holliday The Gamecock The Search for Six committee said it will need some help in bringing to campus the six celebrities that students |have chosen who most exemplify the Carolinian Creed. Carmela Carr, Russell House director and Search for Six administrator, said the committee needs students’ help to get the word out that it’s looking for the six people. “Maybe someone knows someone who knows one of the six,” she said. A total of 2,032 students voted for people who they felt most embodied the university’s creed. Those selected include: ■ Leeza Gibbons, in the alumni category ■ Patch Adams, in the business, technology and medicine category ■ Colin Powell, in the politics, law, ,Student’s experience sheds light on gangs by Brooke Bryenton The Gamecock Friday in The Gamecock, we 3-, looked at the LOWi'> his ory of gangs in profile America. Today, we * ■" get an inside * . , . . . perspective on the • A look inside Bloods from one college student's --- experience. Purdue University freshman Dave Austin grew up in Gary, Ind., in the arms of the Bloods, the gang to which his two older brothers belonged. But in Gary, the Bloods are called Vicelords, and the Crips are called Gangsta’ Disciples. “Pretty much what part of town you grew up in predicted which gang you were in. You really had no choice over it,” Austin said. “Anybody, regardless of sex or race, could join. I was completely surrounded by Hispanics,” said Austin, who is African-American. — Within die general Bloods diere were the “Insane Vicelords;” die “Execudonal Vicelords;” and die "Latin King Vicelords,” Aulsin said. “They were all claiming the same things, but just called themselves something dilferent. “They have a lot of Muslim literature they have to read. The symbol they use to represent themselves is the crescent moon and the five-point star.” The five-pointed star has deep Ues to New York, because many of the earliest gangs associated in an area called Five Points, according to www.alphabase.com. Austin said he tliinks the connection •between gangs and college students is small, because most gang members never make it to college. “My brother was really smart, but when he got in the gang, he just stopped Gan os seepage2 Gibbons Adams Powell Spielberg Conroy Dalai Lama world figures and government category ■ Steven Spielberg, in the arts and entertainment category ■ Pat Conroy, in the education, literature and media category ■ Dalai Lama, in the religion category Carr said the search teams are trying to speak with the personal assistants and offices of each of the six. She said nothing has been confirmed, and nothing has been rejected. I “Even if we are told ‘no,’ we are not going to the next person on the list. We are sticking with the six,” Carr said. If one of the six is unable to come, the committee said it would build an exhibit to pay tribute to that person. There are about 70 students and faculty participating in the Search for Six, and their goal is to get all six of the invitees here this year — preferably during the spring or fall semesters. The committee said they think gelling Leeza Gibbons to come will be the easiest of the six. The toughest is a toss-up between Steven Spielbeig and the Dalai Lama. Jake Chapiesky, the student chair for the religion committee, said the odds are good for getting the Dalai Lama to come. “We’ve got abetter chance than alot of people think we do,” Chapiesky said. He said some of the university’s professors had connections to the Dalai Lama’s staff, and the religious leader will be making m Amerion tour later this year. “I don’t think it’ll b too much for him to... swing by,” Chaiesky said. Brook Bristow, studet chair of the entertainment commitke, said the university’s chances of geting Spiel berg were “fair.” He said the committee mi^t contact Sen. Fritz Hollings, who has conections with Spielberg. Other ideas iclude a letter-writing campaign and a tr» to the director’s office. “If it works outgreal; if not, at least we tried,” Bristov said. The committee hasn’t decidd on what it wants each speaker to do, tit it wants to make sure students are invoked and have first access to the six. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com * SIGNS OF DISCONTENT: SG candidates want changes in election regulations Valerie Matchette/The Gamecock Signs posted on the walls of the Humanities building are one of the few ways candidates for SG office may communicate with voters. Hopefuls dislike campaign restrictions ■ Candidates complain that rules go too far in regulating Student Government campaigns by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock When Student Government presidential candidate Donald Brock went in front of the Elections Commission to complain about the codes Thursday night, he was echoing a concern many candidates have had throughout this year’s SG elections. Though Brock’s complaint to the commission was the most visible sign of candidate annoyance with the elections regulations so far, it isn’t an isolated incident. Several candidates complain that they’re saddled with rules and regulations that make any bid for office an uphill battle. Many of the candidates don’t fault the commission, saying this year’s elections haven’t been run any differ ently than those in the past. But sever al still say some areas of the codes need to be changed. One of the biggest points of contention involves person-to-person campaigning, wliich is limited to the two days when students vote for president. Until then, candidates are only allowed to speak to student organizations. “What about everybody that’s not in an oiganization?” Brock asked. An attempt to change that regulation passed SG senate easily last semester, only to be vetoed by President Jotaka Eaddy. But many of the candidates asked by The Gamecock support the amendments, which were sponsored by former Sen. Michael Kozlarek. “How can you campaign and not do person-to-person campaigning?” Brock asked. Brock, who isn’t involved in SG, said the regulation on that kind of campaigning favors candidates who are already in SG and better known than others. “It’s ridiculous,” he said. “That is the most ridiculous tiling I’ve ever heard in my life.” Vice-Presidential candidate Nithya Bala, a member of Eaddy’s cabinet, said extending the period for person-to-person campaigning would cause students to be “bombarded” with papers. “We don’t need to waste that much paper,” Bala said Some candidates also question the amount of time allowed for any campaigning. Candidates can’t begin their campaigns until they attend a candidates’ meeting, usually about 2 1/2 weeks before election day. “We have basically 2 1/2 weeks to try to convince 27,000 people to vote for us,” Brock said. Another issue has to do with signs. Candidates may post their signs only in certain places on campus. Several vice-presidential candidates have had multiple violations filed against them Elections see page 2 Group hopes to change standards by Mark Hiner The Gamecock United Students Against Sweatshops, an international organization of collfege students who fight for workers’ rights, held its annual Southeastern conference on USC’s campus Friday and Saturday. USAS opposes the production of university apparel in sweatshops. “Our objective is to stop our schools from purchasing garments or putting their name on apparel that was made in sweatshops. Instead of calling for individuals to boycott these irresponsible companies, we are asking students.to bring pressure on school administrators to adopt a code of conduct... which will have a much greater effect on improving conditions,” according to the organization’s Web site, www.usasnet.org. Student representatives from Southeastern colleges attended the event, i series of lectures and workshops to tducate USAS chapter leaders on the movement and to create a plan of acton. 'vmong items oiscusseu uunug uie conference were the organization’s goals ind the tactics they’ll use to reach them. Their primary target is Nike, which, according to USAS, relies heavily on overworked and underpaid foreign labor. Nike has come under attack from many human rights organizations since 1997, when The New York Times ran an article exposing the poor working conditions in their Vietnam factories. Nike said it has brought its factories up to standard, but USAS said it continues to operate the controversial Korean-owned factory Kukdong in Mexico. USAS said the factory denies workers adequate pay, that workers are subjected to physical violence and sexual harassment and that workers have been denied the right to form a' union. “We want to assist the workers by doing everything we can do to help them accomplish what they need,” said Matt Painter, a fourth-year student in the College of Liberal Arts. I TQ A C ctofT momKor Pnr> RriHzon curl Nike spends millions of dollars each year on advertising designed to maintain its popularity. “Nike has essentially created a buffer around itself through their marketing strategy,” he said. Another goal of USAS is to pressure colleges and universities into cutting ties with the Fair Labor Association, an industry-backed labor protection association it claims is corrupted by its industry affiliation. USAS hopes to see universities join the Workers’ Rights Consortium, an organization that verifies manufacturer compliance with strict codes of conduct. South Carolina students attending the conference said they hope to see USC cut its current ties with the FLA and join the WRC. Painter said the only way the university will join the WRC is if USAS can raise awareness about the issues. “I think one reason [the university] is reluctant to join the WRC is that they don’t know enough about it,” he said. “There’s not enough student pressure, and that’s what we’re trying to raise.” The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Weather Coming Up Quote of the Day Online Poll /i preview or Student Government elections Wednesday “Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance.” — Will Durant Who will get your vote for SG president? Vote at www.dailygamecock.com. Results will be published Wednesday. ; |l