Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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_vol. 94. no. 70 Friday march 30.2001_ Serving the Ca rolina Community since 1Q08 WWW.DAILYGAMEC0CK.COM UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA * COLUMBIA, S.C: DR. PALMS GOES TO WASHINGTON: President considers seeking Democratic nomination Palms sets sights on Senate ■ Palms talks with Democratic Party % leaders in Washington by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock Considering a possible bid for a U S. Senate seat, USC President John Palms traveled to Washington on Wednesday to hobnob with national leaders of the Democratic Party. The meeting came the same day Palms acknowledged he was leaning toward running for the Senate seat that will be vacated by Strom Thurmond in 2003. This was the latest in a whirlwind of events about the campaign for the Democratic nomination to succeed Thurmond. Palms, who faxed a letter to the board of trustees Wednesday announcing he was “inclined to run,” met with Senate Minority Leader Tom INSIDE_ ■ Students react to the possibility of a John Palms Senate bid — Page 3 Daschle, D-S.D., and staffers of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. Palms said in his letter that he would make a decision by May 1, and, if he chose to run, would begin campaigning in January. Meanwhile, Democrats announced they would use $400,000 — the maximum allowed by federal law — to help their eventual candidate win Thurmond’s seat. Robert Gibbs, communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the seat is worth the effort. “Open seats are rare these days,” Gibbs said. “They are a top priority. The Senate is so close (50 Republicans, 50 Democrats), Palms seepages I__I Aaron Hark/The Gamecock USC President John Palms Is considering running as a Democrat for the seat Strom Thurmond will leave In 2003. Palms has said he will make a decision by May 1. ■ USC's board of trustees reacts to news of Palms' plans by. Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock Members of USC’s board of trustees, many of them caught off guard by USC President John Palms’ possible U.S. Senate run, expressed mixed reactions to Palms’ political ambitions. Palms, who would run as a Democrat, is said to be seriously considering whether to make his first bid for political office. In a letter faxed to the board members Wednesday, Palms told trustees he intends to decide whether to run for Senate by May 1. “I am inclined to run for the United States Senate,” Palms wrote. “I believe this seat promises to be more important than ever before to the educational and economic future of South Carolina; therefore a United States Senator with hands-on experience improving the quality of public education could make a tremendous positive difference,” he wrote. Palms wrote that he would make a decision before May 1 and begin campaigning January 2002. “Until that time, my Cist priority remains leading the University through its historic, bicentennial year,” Palms wrote. In the letter, Palms also draws on his experience as an educator as a likely reason to run for Senate. In his work as an educator and physicist. Palms wrote, he has encountered political topics such as nuclear defense policy and health care issues. “What I most value from ten years as USC president is what I have learned from working each day with USC’s remarkable and diverse board, faculty, staff, students, and alumni,” Palms continues. “Your and their hopes, concerns, and Trustees see page 3 * Faculty panel kills drop date proposal by Brandon Larrabee The Gamecock A faculty senate committee has killed a proposal to double the number of days students have to drop a class before receiving a “W.” The drop-date extension proposal, the ^ cornerstone of former Student Government President Jotaka Eaddy’s “Contract for Carolina,” would have needed the full senate’s approval to become USC policy. In a letter to former SG Academic Affairs Director Heather Hornick, University Scholastic Standards and Petitions Committee Chairman Gary Reeves told Hornick the committee wouldn’t recommend the proposal to the full body. i ne committee recugm^es me thought and effort that went into the preparation of the proposal,” wrote Reeves, a professor in the Darla Moore School of Business. “But after giving it careful consideration, the Committee has decided not to recommend your proposed change * to the Faculty Senate.” Eaddy said she was disappointed in the committee’s action. She said she had hoped the full senate would be allowed to vote on the proposal. “In some way, you kind of feel like it was totally disregarded,” Eaddy said. Homick said SG would, continue to push for the extension. “Wfe’re not going to give up on this,” Homick said. She said a new count showed 5,707 student signatures on a petition supporting the proposal. “I think it’s obvious that the students ^ stand behind this proposal,” Homick said. “I still believe that if faculty senate were given a chance to vote on this, then this proposal would pass.” The committee gave several reasons for rejecting the proposal. Drop Date seepages AFRICAN-AMERICAN MONUMENT: South Carolina honors black heritage Aaron HarK/ine bamecock Poet Nlkky Finney reads from her book Rice at the dedication of the South Carolina African-American History Monument at the State House on Thursday. State honors African-Americans by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock Though the rain might have moved the ceremony indoors, nobody’s spirits were dampened at Thursday’s dedication of the South Carolina African-American History Monument on State House grounds. The monument, a 13-ton, 23-foot obelisk, becomes the first such monument on the grounds of a statehouse intended to honor African-American history. The $1 million monument, on the Sumter Street side of the State House, took three years of planning, fund raising and fighting in the General Assembly to be completed. At first, the monument’s construction was tied to the controversy with the Confederate flag flying on the State House dome. In a bill that passed last summer, the Confederate flag was to be put at its current location only if the monument were constructed. The Confederate flag’s placement on State House grounds has prompted the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People to continue its tourism boycott of the state. However, at Thursday’s ceremony inside tire State House, hundreds of black students and residents from across the state filled the rotunda to hear songs, poems and prayers. Gov. Jim Hodges began the ceremony by saying the monument represents the second tribute to black history in South Carolina, because the granite stones of the State House were quarried by slaves. > "The State House itself is the first African-American history monument,” Hodges said. “It’s a silent tribute to the contributions of African-Americans that have gone largely unrecognized until this monument was established.” After Hodges’ speech, poet Nikky Finney read a poem and African American historian Darnell Jackson spoke about the importance of black history. The monument depicts a slave ship’s crammed cargo hold and a map of Africa. It is lined with 12 bronze panels illustrating 300 years of history. The panels feature the likenesses of former state Chief Justice Ernest Finney, jazz player Dizzy Gillespie and tennis star Althea Gibson, all of whom were bom in South Carolina. Finney, the first black chief justice in the stale, said he was pleased to be included on the monument. “It is an extreme honor for a man who came to South Carolina in 1945 with great fear and trepidation as to what his future would hold.” The monument also includes four palm-sized rubbing stones mounted inside the map of Africa. The four stones represent die four main ports from which Africans were shipped out of the continent. 77ie city/state desk can be reached at gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com Police hold USC student in Capstone hit-and-run by Charles Prashaw The Gamecock Columbia and USC police arrested a USC student Wednesday night who, while apparently intoxicated, drove at a high rate of speed northbound on Barnwell Street, hitting several parked cars as he wove in and out of lanes. The incident occurred about 9:30 p.m. in front of Capstone House. Police were called by several residents of Capstone who reported hearing the incident. Many callers gave descriptions of the driving and the car involved. usch'u slopped Uoi_ music major Don Grant, 21, a couple of blocks north of Capstone on Barnwell Street. After questioning Grant and getting confirmation of the incident from a witness, police arrested Grant and chaiged him with two counts of hit-and-run, reckless driving and disorderly conduct. According to USC Officer Claire Firebaugh, Grant had bloodshot eyes and smelled strongly of alcohol. He had trouble standing, and his speech was slurred. At least five cars parked along Barnwell Street were damaged with broken taillights and laige dents. One car had severe damage to its bumper and had to be towed. “First we heard squealing tires, then a very loud bang. Afterwards, we heard a sound like glass breaking and then some more squealing tires, then me and my roommate decided to go downstairs,” Capstone resident Amanda Cole said. Cole, whose second-floor room faces Barnwell Street, said as many as 30 residents came outside and watched as Columbia police notified owners of cars and cleaned up the scene. The university desk can be reached at gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Weather Coming Up Quote of the Day Online Poll Today 70 59 Saturday 69 56 More on John Palms ’ possible run for Senate Next Week “Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.” — Oscar Wilde i Are you going to the spring football game or the Carolina Cup? Spring football game: 41 % Carolina Cup: 30% Other 29% Vote at www.dailygamecock.com. • Results are published on Fridays.