The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, March 23, 2001, Page 2, Image 2
lEie (Bamecock
Tour guides told to avoid display
by Mackenzie Clements
The Gamecock
Besides student protests, the .Center
for Bio-Ethical Reform's display against
abortion has led to extra work for university
ambassadors and university police this
week.
Visitor Center Assistant Director Ryan
Leigh Runyon sent an e-mail tp university
ambassadors Monday to inform them about
the display.
“Think of the abortion guy multiplied
exponentially,” kunyon wrote.
Runyon recommended in the e-mail
that ambassadors leave Patterson, approach
the Russell House from Bull Street and
cross to Preston immediately, avoiding the
display.
“These images might make our visitors
uncomfortable,” Runyon wrote. “I don’t
want us to be afraid of what’s going on,
but I want to expose our visitors to this
the least amount possible.”
Edward Black, a university ambassador
and a second-year student in the College
of Liberal Arts, gave a tour Thursday that
avoided the display area. Black had been
advised earlier in the day to change his
tour route.
“I didn’t think it was a good idea for
[visitors] to see it,” Black said. “You just
don’t want to take the chance of someone
getting offended.”
According to Russell House Director
Carmela Carr, however, the First
Amendment protects the CBR display.
“Any registered student organization
on campus can invite someone to come
onto campus,” Carr said, in accordance
with university policy.
The display, which offended many
students because of its graphic nature,
prompted USCPD to station several police
bfftcers on Greene Street and by Davis
Field next to the Russell House. However,
USCPD reported no altercations involving
the display or counter-protests.
Officers weren’t necessarily expecting
any problems.
“Wfe go where the action is,” an officer
at the display said.
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
‘Think of the abortion guy multiplied exponentially.’
Ryan Leigh Runyon
Assistant Director, USC Visitor Center
Display
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supporting anti-abortion messages.
“We wanted to bring awareness about
abortion so there’s not the excuse of
misinformation,” said Charlotte Dowell,
a full-time RUF staff member. “I don’t
like the pictures, but I do like the fact that
they’re out on campus portraying a truth.”
Students for Life President Erin
Flickinger, a third-year student in the
College of Math and Sciehce, said her
group sponsored the display to raise
awareness about abortion. Flickinger, who
was pro-choice until she saw a video about
the abortion process in high school, cited
her experience as an example of how
education can change people’s views on
abortion. “Obviously, you get to pick your
opinion on abortion,” Flickinger said. “It’s
always better to have all the sides before
you pick your opinion.”
But groups of students spontaneously
began protesting Wednesday because they
felt CBR’s opinions were being forced
upon them. Protesters included pro-choice
and pro-life students who were upset
because of the graphic nature of the display.
“Our opinion on abortion doesn’t
matter,” said Brandon Ray, a first-year
student in the Department of Theater,
Speech and Dance. “We’re protesting it
being on our lawn.”
With a shirt reading “Tell Me My
Opinion,” second-year College of Liberal
Arts student Martin Paul protested the
display’s location, saying the State House
would be more appropriate.
“I don’t like them on my lawn,” Paul
said. “That’s really not a place to put dead
fetuses... right next to.the food.”
Other students wondered where USC
might draw the line concerning
demonstrations. “Why [don’t], next week,
we just bring the KKK out?” said Mitch
Fiy, a second-year College of Liberal Arts
student. “It doesn’t belong here where
27,000 students are going to walk by.”
Armstrong aigued that the images are
being used “in the name of telling the
truth.” According to Armstrong, Martin
Luther King Jr. used disturbing images of
blacks being brutalized during the Jim
Crow era to stir people into action. “No
one defines obscenity as something that
tries to educate,” Armstrong said.
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
University
Wednesday, March 21
■ Assisting other agency, 400 block
of Gadsden St. Reporting officer R.
Whitlock was flagged down in reference
to Paul Calvo, 29, who was on USC
property. The person who flagged the
officer down said Calvo was wanted by
the Columbia police. The officer found
Calvo and detained him until the
Columbia police arrived.
■ Suspicious activity, McMaster
College. Custodial staff told police they
found a man sleeping in the print press
closet. Police identified the man as
Thomas Baldwin, 30, who claimed he
was a student-teacher. However, a check
with Petigru employees found that the
man wasn’t registered with the university.
He was given a trespass notice and told
not to come back. Reporting officer: N.
Beza.
Sunday, March 18
■ Maficious injury to real property.
Graduate Research Center. Employees
said someone wrote graffiti on the side
wall of the center. The graffiti is believed
to be gang-related. Estimated value of
the damage was $ 100. Reporting officer:
J. Rosier.
Columbia
Wednesday, March 21
■ Malicious injury to personal
property, 6204 Easter St. Reporting
officer L. Porter responded to the incident
location, where a party was going on.
When the officer arrived, he spoke to
Kim Tucker, who said she was in a verbal
altercation with another female, after
which the female went outside and used
an unknown object to hit her car
repeatedly. The car, a 1994 Nissan Ultima,
had several dents on it.
■ Grand larceny, 7501 Gamers Ferry
Road (Wal-Mart). Employees said
someone cut a lock and chain and
removed six go-carts from a display area
in the parking lot. The estimated value
of the go-carts is $6,198. Reporting officer
K. Wilson.
Sunday, March 18
■ Counterfeit money. 700 Harden
St. St. Patrick’s Day organizers said
someone at the festival Saturday gave
counterfeit $50 bills to vendojrs. The
oiganizers recognized the bills because
they were slightly smaller than normal
currency. Reporting officer: J. Auld.
Budget
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low-level nuclear waste site cleanup fund, •
use $5.1 million front state agencies and
legislative budgets and add $2.2 million
the state will collect by forcing
repayments from people who don’t make
good on student loans.
Another $24 million will come from
federal money Hodges expects to get
from the Department of Health and
Human Services.
On Friday, Hodges faxed letters to
the heads of Cabinet agencies directing
them to try to find money for higher
education in the $5.5 billion budget the
House passed Wednesday.
“During the next 72 hours, you are
directed to review your agency’s
appropriations from the House of
Representatives,” Hodges wrote. “By
noon on Monday, March 19,1 want your
recommendations for generating
additional savings from your agency’s
budget.”
He blamed the problem on budget
writers for the GOP-controlled House,
who “provided less funding for higher
education than my budget.”
The House cut higher education less
in their version of the budget, but didn’t
sign off on Hodges’ plan to provide
colleges and universities $60 million in
borrowing.
House leaders lashed out at Hodges’
comments.
“He had six months to either veto things
out of last year’s budget to make room for
higher ed money or use these tactics that
he is now using to fix the budget,” House
Ways and Means Committee Chairman
Bobby Harrell said. “He chose to do
these deep cuts to higher ed.”
According to Harrell, the House
provided $34 million more for college
programs than Hodges. Combined with
the House’s own borrowing plan, the
House gave $92 million more than
Hodges to higher education, Harrell said.
Michael Sponhour, spokesman for
the State Budget and Control Board, said
the Barnwell site’s trust fund, established
to provide for future shutdown and
cleanup costs at the site, had $103.6
million from the $280 it chaiges for every
cubic foot of waste and from the interest
on that money.
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
Fraternity
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be put in situations to simulate disabilities,
such as having a hand tied behind their
back or only being able to lise four different
words during dinner.
“It is going to be an insightful
experience for everybody that is going to
be there,” Hartney said.
Pi Kappa Phi also participates in some
of the other programs created by Push
America.
Hartney is a cyclist in the Journey of
Hope, Push America’s laigest fund-raising
and awareness event, consisting of an
across-the-nation bike ride and training
about different aspects of disabilities.
Six of USC’s chapter members of Pi
Kappa Phi donated their entire spring break
to building handicapped-accessible facilities
at Camp For All, a camp for children with
The university desk can be reached at
gamecockudesk@hotmail.com
Wlic (Bamtcock
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