Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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BGLA celebrates 20 years | BY GREG HAMBRICK THE (IAMEOOCK H A 1981 column in The Gamecock urging gays to go back into the closet instead in spired a vocal gay and lesbian community at USC. “Until the day of the column, I could have never imagined getting involved and becom ing a leader,” said Tony Price, the founder of what is now the Bisexual Gay and Lesbian Alliance (BGLA). In the Nov. 11, 1981 issue of The Gamecock, columnist Don Weatherbee wrote about finding two men “sharing a moment” in a Russell House bathroom. “I’m content with the reasonable objec tive of trying to put the gays back in the closet,” Weatherbee wrote. The words encouraged a month and a half of letters to the editor from stu dents and faculty both supporting and opposing Weatherbee’s comments. “When was the last time you saw two “I’m content with the reasonable objective of trying to put the gays back in the closet.” homo’s getting it over the TV?” third-year nutrition student Randal Apostalon asked in the Nov. 20 issue, almost two decades be fore shows like NBC’s Will and Grace and Showtime’s Queer as Folk. DON WEATHERBEE 1981 GAMECOCK COLUMNIST Tim Allen, a religious studies senior, - told homosexuals in the same issue, “if you’re embarrassed (or scared) to stand up ♦ BGLA, SEE PAGE 3 Freshmen class near t largest 1 in history BY DANIELLE WASHINGTON THE GAMECOCK The University of South Carolina has a lot more freshman on its campus this year—between 28 percent and 32 percent more to be exact. The University had planned to bring in 3,000 students this year instead of its traditional 2,500, but the school wound up with “3,200 plus” freshmen, stated Dennis Pruitt, vice president for student fc and alumni services. “We just had a bumper crop of South Carolina students,” Pruitt said. Accorumg 10 i erry l,. Davis, ai rector of Admissions, this surplus of freshmen is caused by the fact that a higher percentage of ac cepted students chose to enroll. Also, there are more students in the transition year program. While accommodating the large number of freshman appeared to be a problem at first, Davis said the Housing Department was able to make arrangements for every one. “We were able to accommodate the needs of all the students, even though there were slightly more p than we had planned for,” Davis said. Another major change is that the university boosted the per centage of black students in this year’s freshman class by 12 per cent to 479, Pruitt said. ♦ FRESHMEN, SEE PAGE 5 A.C. MOORE GARDEN USC students, faculty and organizations want to improve the A.C. Moore Garden by improving safety and educational value. The changed garden will be unveiled Nov. 27. photo by josh skiomore USC community works to make garden secure, educational REBECCA WHITEHEAD THE GAMECOCK USC organizations, faculty and students are working to ward making an on-campus garden safer and more educa tional as part of the Bicenten nial celebration. The A.C. Moore Garden on Blossom Street will be un veiled Nov. 27 as an improved resource for classes and recre ation, said university land scape architect Ben Coonrod. He said the goal was to “turn it back into a native plant gar den. That’s how it was envi sioned in the beginning.” Kirstin Dow, an assistant pro fessor in the geography depart ment and coordinator of the restoration project, said the his torical value of the garden will be brought out through the changes. “The garden itself is kind of a fascinating place that’s his tory has been lost,” she said. Changes will include a new handicap-accessible asphalt walkway; an irrigation sys tem; a weather station that will measure temperature, rainfall and humidity; a deep er pond; hand railings; and more lighting. USC grounds supervisor Jim Wiles said security is an issue with the garden. He said trees will be trimmed back to prevent darkness and more lights will be installed in at least three locations. Dow agreed that increased security would make the park more inviting but added that no one should walk alone at night. “We’re hoping it will make it more reliable and safer,” she said of the renovation project. “It’ll be more inviting.” During the summer, fish were removed from the pond, ♦ GARDEN, SEE PAGE 5 Pentagon calls up more reservists Rescue workers sift through the remains of the World ► Trade Center on Monday, Sept. 24. PHOTO BY JOHN ROCA/KRT CAMPUS Saudi Arabia moves to cut ties with Taliban over bin Laden BY CHRISTOPHER NEWTON associated press writer WASHINGTON - The Pentagon issued call-up orders for nearly 2,000 more reservists Tuesday and administration officials firmed up plans for stricter air line security in the wake of the terrorist strikes. Saudi Arabia broke diplomatic ties with Afghanistan, accused of harbor ing the prime suspect. “The coalition of legitimate gov ernments and freedom-loving peo ple is strong,” said President Bush, welcoming the Saudi move as well as fresh words of support from Russian President Vladimir Putin. Defiant, Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida organization warned Washington against attacks against him or Afghanistan: “Wherever there are Americans and Jews, they will be targeted." The statement was faxed to news organizations in Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, in the name of al-Qaida’s chief military com mander, Naseer Ahmed Mujahed, and released less than 48 hours before the beginning of Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year for Jews worldwide. The Pentagon call-up orders covered combat communications and intelligence personnel, as well as military police — and more. Officials said 190 members of a Puerto Rico-based mortuary unit had been called to duty to help au thorities in New York with the dif ficult work in the ruins of the World Trade Center, where more than 6,000 people died. The 1,940 call-ups were in addi tion to roughly 10,000 Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve forces. Bush was meeting with Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta at the White House as offi cials labored over plans to increase security and reassure an anxious public it’s safe to fly. Republican officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the administration was on track to propose mandatory installa tion of secure doors between the cockpit and cabin on all jetliners, as well as an expanded presence of armed air marshals aboard flights. One source said the hope was to have marshals on most, if not all, flights. ► ATTACKS, SEE PAGE 2 USC’S PAST September 29,1926 Davison M. Douglas was named as Carolina’s 17th president. WEATHER ! Today Tomorrow Sunny, Sunny, 76/55 80/54 INSIDE TODAY’S ISSUE Security heightened < Hip-hop finds at football games outlet in Columbia Fans face new restrictions at WUSC show and Elbow Room William s Brice. ♦ PAGE 10 concert cultivate genre. ♦ PAGE 7 Groups meet to discuss safety BY GREG HAMBRICK THE GAMECOCK Members of the campus com munity laid out a plan Tuesday to increase safety in the area between the university and Five Points. The discussion arose a day after four teens were indicted in the death of a federal prosecutor, shot on his way back to the campus in August. The University Neighborhood Association presented an action agenda to representatives from the Five Points Association and the National Advocacy Center, as well as to school and city officials. It outlined current projects as well new ideas on how the neighbor hood might better protect itself in the future. Most of the suggestions were pre sented months ago, but the failed robbery on Aug. 20 that brought the death of Michael C. Messer and the injury of Richard S Ferguson, both visiting the National Advocacy Centerlrom Chicago, has encour aged the association to work harder to accomplish the goals. City projects currently include the installation of a neighborhood wide lighting system, coordinated with the school’s planned upgraded lighting system and the system al ready in place on College Parkway. “It will be phased in so more critical areas like Henderson, Barnwell, Pendleton, and Laurens Street will be first,” said Tommy Gregory, heading the development for the association. Having a “beat” cop who knows the area and the residents would also help the security of the neigh borhood, says John J. Stucker, president of the association. “They have increased patrol of the area, which is good, but getting a cop that knows the area is the best way iu gei a nanuie on u, diucxer saiu. Stucker feels that a regular of ficer, knowledgeable about the area, will be able to spot a non-res ident in the neighborhood. The four teenagers indicted on Monday on charges including murder and assault and battery with intent to kill were all foreign to the area. “We want to know the person responsible for keeping the neigh borhood safe,” said resident Bill Hrushesky. “More importantly, we want the person to know us.” The association also hopes to coordinate with the university to expand the call-box system to in clude the neighborhood. Initially calls would be sent to university police, but would later be switched to the city’s system, said Stucker. The neighborhood’s role in the agenda includes encouraging res idents to turn on their exterior lights at night and passing out guidelines for persons in distress. Other partnerships discussed include a neighborhood schools coalition, planned to include both high schools and grade schools, which would respond to the de velopment of gangs. “Gang members may not be on the school house grounds when they are that young,” said Stucker, “but, we need to educate students early of the threats out there.” Alicia Balentine contributed to this report. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockcitydesk@hotmail.com. ONLINE POLL Miss America What did you think about the new format of the Miss America Pageant? Results are published on Fridays. wmmmmmmmmmma