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Olympic torch blazes trail through Columbia Mark Williamson gets the flame of the Olympic torch from Bruce Caldwell and carries It around the Horseshoe Thursday afternoon, photos by candi hauglum Torch passes through USC on way to Utah BY KEVIN FELLNER THE 0AME*10CK USC students and Columbia residents lined the streets Thursday to cheer Olympic torchbearers as the torch for the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City passed through Columbia on the third day of its 65-day journey. “It was great seeing all these students out here. There’s a great sense of com munity,” said Stan Juk as he tried to catch his breath after running his 0.2-mile leg of the relay. Juk carried the torch on Sumter Street and finished his segment at the Horseshoe. Juk, a USC graduate, com pared running the torch through the campus to his ex perience as a USC student. “They were both awesome but too short,” he said. Juk passed the flame to Summerville resident Bruce Caldwell, who said he was ner vous about running with the torch. "I can’t even imagine what it’s going to feel like right now,” Caldwell said minutes before receiving the torch. “You just have to do it and see for yourself.” Caldwell carried the torch onto the Horseshoe’s brick pathways to McKissick Museum. Torchbearer Mark William son completed the lap around the Horseshoe. Williamson, a Naval officer, said being cheered by the rows of students and spectators was what gave him the most satisfaction. “The students definitely gave me energy. It was a great show of support, and that’s the way this community is,” he said. The torch was also carried to the State House, where Gov. Jim Hodges presided over a ceremony to honor the torch’s visit. The torch passed through Finlay Park in the afternoon, where it was passed to Darius Rucker, lead singer of Hootie and the Blowfish. The torchbearers were nom inated for the honor with a statement about how the can didate has inspired other peo ple. People from the Midlands with various inspirational qualities were chosen, includ ing a cancer survivor, a dis abled college student, a high school student and a teacher. Lexington resident Schea Freimanis, who carried the torch in Finlay Park, said she was shocked when she found out she would be a torchbearer. Freimanis was nominated for inspiring her four children, who she teaches at home. She said she was proud to be a part of the torch’s visit to South Carolina. “I think it’s neat for this state to honor motherhood,” she said. “I am really proud to be a South Carolinian, because they have esteemed someone who stays home with their children for a living.” First-year business student Joe Tomlin was one of many students who paused on Sumter Street on Thursday to view the passing caravan of cars and me dia trucks that surrounded the torchbearers. “This is big for the university and the state of South Carolina,” Tomlin said. He also said Olympic sports are a prominent part of the USC athletic program and are great ly respected. More than 11,500 people na tionwide will carry the torch as it passes through 46 states on its way to Salt Lake City, and more than 50 carried it through Columbia. Torchbearers ran a total of approximately 11.4 miles in the Columbia area. Columbia was chosen by the Salt Lake Olympic Committee to be a host city for the relay. The 3.5-pound torch started its journey in Athens, Greece, and will enter Salt Lake City’s Olympic Stadium on Feb. 8, the night of the opening ceremonies. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@fiotmail.com. Faculty senate supports sexual orientation policy BGLA to address board of trustees during March BY MARY HARTNEY THE GAMECOCK In another step renewing the 8 year-old debate, faculty senate vot ed 48-14 on Wednesday to reaffirm its support of adding sexual ori entation to USC’s nondiscrimina tion policy. Jeff Crews, president of USC’s Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Alliance, said the reaffirmation was significant. “The senate as a representa tive body is sending a message to the board of trustees that this pol icy affects staff members and could potentially affect an edu cator’s decision to teach here,” he said. Faculty senate added the bill to its agenda in support of a renewed program by students to have the clause added to the university’s Equal Opportunity policy. Crews said the BGLA has formed a coalition with Student Government to present the clause to the board of trustees in March. Sjtudent senate unanimously re-passed in October its similar bill recommending the new clause’s adoption. It originally passed the bill this past spring se mester with some dissenting votes, but College of Journalism and Mass Communications stu dent Senator Brook Bristow said the senate voted on the bill again to make a powerful unanimous statement in recommending it. “It’s about what people are as people.” THORNE COMPTON THEATER AND SPEECH PROFESSOR Neither faculty nor student sen ate has the power to change the university’s policy; they can only ' recommend that the board of trustees do so. The sexual orientation clause has been debated since 1993, when faculty senate passed a resolution supporting its inclusion. According to a Welfare Committee report, President John Palms said in December 1995 he wouldn’t support the resolution and seemed to indi cate that his decision had the ♦ CLAUSE, SEE PAGE 2 FROZEN IN TIME Time capsule will represent USC’s 200th year BY GINNY THORNTON THE GAMECOCK USC’s bicentennial is almost over, but a group of students, fac ulty and staff have been working to preserve the spirit of 2001. The USC community will gath er in front of McKissick Museum on the Horseshoe today to bury a time capsule representative of USC’s 200th anniversary. The time capsule won’t be opened until 2051. “The main focus of the time capsule was on the Bicentennial year at USC,” said Justin Smith, a student ambassador and project coordinator. “But we also includ ed things like news coverage from the Sept. 11 tragedy.” ■ Cocky and the cheerleaders will open the 3 p.m. ceremony. Several students and staff will make contributions to the capsule contents. President John Palms will bring a surprise item to be in cluded. Items range from Gamecock athletic wear to popular music and movies. A complete list of items will be included in the time capsule. Smith said he doesn’t know who will be responsible for open ing the capsule in 2051, but it’s scheduled to open during Homecoming. “In 50 years, I will be 70; so I think I’ll let the young ♦ TIME CAPSULE, SEE PAGE 2 Campaign finance bill voted down in senate BY MEGHAN MCNAIR THE GAMECOCK Student senate voted down Wednesday a bill that would have changed how individuals running for a student office would handle money issues. Senators Brook Bristow and Chrissy Stauffer sponsored the bill, which would have made peo ple running for student body posi tions disclose the amount of mon ey they spend on their campaigns. The bill would have made all spending public knowledge and all students would have had access to it via the Internet or other means. After much debate, the bill was voted down, 13-21. “I really think that the sena tors let the student body down to day. The election includes stu dents so much — elections are definitely not private; they are very public. The fact that the ma jority of the senate voted against it is disheartening,” said Bristow, a fourth-year advertising stu dent. ♦ BILL, SEE PAGE 2 HEARTBREAKER Despite Tony Kitchings’ 12 points, the Gamecocks lost Thursday night to the Hoyas, 70-68. photo by Robert gruen LAST ISSUE Goodbye Gamecock This is the last regular issue of The Gamecock for fall 2001. Look for our next issue on Jan. 14. Good luck on exams and have a great winter break! WEATHER Today Tomorrow Sunny, Showers, 79/46 75/52 INSIDE TODAY’S ISSUE Last-second shot < Home — or not — buries Gamecocks for the holidays Men’s basketball team falls to International students decide No. 19 Georgetown. ♦ PAGE 9 how to spend break. ♦ PAGE 6 ONLINE POLL Calling Volunteers How much does it hurt to root Tennessee this weekend? ♦ OUCH, HOW COULD YOU? 13% ♦ NOTHING IS SACRED IN PURSUIT OF A BOWL GAME 87%