The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, May 02, 2001, Image 1
_vol. 94, no. 83 Wednesday may 2,2001__
Serving the Ca rolina Community since 1Q08
0 vww.DAILYGAMECOCK.COM UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA COLUMBIA, S.C.
Potential Senate Run
Still no
word
from
•Palms
fl USC president
expected to decide
in upcoming week
whether he'll stay
by Charles Prashaw
The Gamecock
Students, administrators and the rest
of the university will have to wait a
little longer lo find out whether USC
President John Palms
will run for U.S. Ip
Senate and leave |f|
USC. p
^ Palms has said his I
decision would come I
sometime during the B
first week of May. B
II he decides to
run for Sen. Strom PALMS
Thurmond’s seat,
Palms would most likely step down as
USC president.
During the board of trustees’ April
meeting, trustees met with Palms
behind closed doors to discuss his possible
C
USC spokesman Russ McKinney said
he didn’t know yet when Palms would
make an announcement about whether he
was running.
“It’s a big decision for him,” Student
Body President Corey Ford said. “This
:«n’l something you weigh lightly. If he
needs more lime, then he should take it.”
Ford also said lie was sure Palms would
make the best possible choice for himself
and the university.
The university desk cun be reuched al
gamecockudesk@hotmafl.com
BUDGET CUTS: Students, professors march to the State House
Aaron Hark/The Gamecock
Students and other demonstrators gather In front of the State House this past Friday to protest
proposed budget cuts that could slash USC’s state funding and prompt both tuition hikes and
the cutting of classes students need to graduate.
USC students
protest cutting
of fall courses
■ Provost hints that large-scale
changes might be on the horizon;
new protest set for Thursday
by Brandon Larrabee
The Gamecock
Lindsay Brown made it clear this was something important
to everyone.
“This affects the entire university, you guys,” she said to a
large crowd of students, professors and other demonstrators who
gathered in front of McMaster College on Friday to protest cuts
to the stale budget that could slash USC’s suite funding by as much
as 15 percent. “They’re going to raise our tuition and cut our
classes.”
The students and professors gathered to protest budget cuts
in a march on the Capitol building and a silent protest inside the
Suite House, which was nearly empty because legislators had gone
home for the week.
Another protest is planned for noon Thursday. It will begin
on Greene Street in front of the Russell House. Organizers hope'
to catch senators who are beginning to look at the budget that
must become law by July 1, when the fiscal year begins. Those
budget cuts could take a huge chunk out of USC’s budget, and
President John Palms has said huge increases in tuition would be
a part of the university’s response.
“Fve been circumcised. No more cuts,” one protester’s sign
“Show me the money,” read another.
As die protesters made their way down Senate Street, a driver
gave them a thumbs-up through his car window and honked the
horn. The crowd cheered in return. As they were walking past
the north side of the Capitol, young cliildren on a field trip waved
and chanted “No budget cuts!”
Students said they came out to fight cuts that would hurt the
university.
“1 think the budget cuts will hurt the school in general,”
said Matthew Brady, a third-year student in the College of Liberal
Arts.
Tommy Parnell, a tliird-year student in the College of Science
and Mathematics, agreed.
“If I’m going to pay 40 percent more to come to school, then
1 at least expect a good education out of it,” Parnell said.
Professors also attended the demonstration.
“It’s in our interest also to participate,” art history professor
Course Cuts see page u
‘It seems
[state
government]
thinks all
you need
is ahigh
school
degree to
survive in
today’s
world.
That’s
not true.’
Kristen Hard
Protest organizer
Burroughs & Chapin
Green Diamond to cost $800 million
■ Project's developer says
• tong-term revenue will far
exceed the project's costs
by Valerie Matchette
The Gamecock
Millions of dollars in revenue will go back to
Midlands residents if Burroughs & Chapin’s Green
Diamond development plan goes through, according to
estimates the company released Monday.
Tire Green Diamond Project, a source of controversy
for Richland County and the City of Columbia, would
feature a research center, a residential village and about
2,000 acres of green space for parks and recreation.
Developers tout the project’s potential to
increase revenue and improve Hie economy of die greater
' olumbia area, as well as attract high-tech industry to
the region.
Doug Wendel, president of Burroughs & Chapin,
said he realized Columbia lias to “do something dramadc”
to keep up with a fast-paced economy increasingly
focused on technology. He compared the project to
North Carolina’s Research Triangle and Silicon Hills in
Austin, but said Columbia’s own research park would
be unique.
“There is no other project like it anywhere else in
this country,” Wendel said. He said the development is
necessary if Columbia doesn’t want to be second in the
region economically to Charlotte or Atlanta, or even
Greenville or Charleston.
Wendel said Burroughs & Chapin chose Columbia
for the site of the Green Diamond development, its first
outside the Grand Strand, because it is a city with a lot
of potential. He said the company considered the city’s
education system, business and industry and urban sprawl.
Wendel added that members of his company “can’t wait
to roll up [their] sleeves” to begin work with county
and city officials and school board leaders to create
concrete development plans.
Bill Boyd of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd P. A.
presented a financial plan for the project. He announced
a net public benefit over the next 30 years of $1.17
billion, citing “careful analysis of cost and benefits” of
Green Diamond.
“These are not numbers that are just pulled out of
the air,” Boyd said.
According to Boyd, the project’s estimated total
cost over three decades would be $800 million, and
total revenue, at $2 billion, would far exceed that figure.
Boyd addressed concerns that, if the development failed,
taxpayers would have to fool the bill. He said private
investors and companies would assume the only financial
risks involved.
“Not one dime of existing taxpayer money will be
used or put at risk in developing Green Diamond,” Boyd
said.
Education will benefit most from the project,
according to Boyd. He said Richland County School
District One, the district with schools near the proposed
development, would receive $787 million over 30 years.
Richland County would gain $ 124 million in public
funds, while the city of Columbia would receive $228
million.
The city desk can be reached at
gamecockcltydesk@hotmail.com
Search for Six
Groups trying to book
bicentennial speakers
■ Search committees say
they're 'making progress'
by Jarvis Holliday
The Gamecock^ _
The Search for Six committee is
steadily progressing in its efforts to bring
its “six” to USC, but the committee needs
the student body’s.help to land one of
them.
The committee believes it can attract
celebrity doctor Patch Adams, chosen in
the business, technology and medicine
category, if lire univeraty can raise $15,000.
This money would be donated to Adams’
Gesundheit Institute, an establishment
made famous by the movie Patch Adams,
starring Robin Williams. The institute
provides free medical care to
underprivileged patients in the West
Virginia area.
The committee has been working hard
to get Adams’ attention. One of their tactics
involved taking pictures of students dressed
as clowns wearing red noses, a stunt that
is now one of Adams’ trademarks.
Committee co-chair Dr. Gene Luna
said his committee is mailing Adams one
of the pictures with the caption
“Gamecocks Want Patch.”
“This is one of the ways we are
generating student excitement,” Luna said.
Luna said the committee is in the
preliminary stages of trying to pique
Adams’ interest.
“We think this institute for free health
care is a great idea, and we hope by
generating money for it, we will be able
to get liis attention,” Luna said.
The committee has contacted both
Adams’ assistants and his family members,
Search see page *3
Weather
Today
83
58
Thursday
84
64
Coming Up
Just how
much will
USC’s budget
^ get cut?
This Summer
Quote of the Day
“Peace is to be desired,
but blood must sometimes
be spilled to obtain it on
equable and lasting terms.”
— Andrew Jackson
Semester’s End
Visit our Web site at
www.dailygamecock.com
this summer to keep up
with campus news.
a*