Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Greek Week about unity Planner wants three-day ‘week’ to be more like Homecoming BY MEGAN TREACY THE GAMECOCK A parade, three live bands, com munity service and a scholarship luncheon are just a few examples of how Greek Week coordinators are working to make the week less about competition and more about unity. This year, Greek Week’s plan ners asked permission to include alcohol in some of the events, which would have been a first for the week since the ’70s. Greek Week co-chair Cristy Infinger said it would be a good way “to show the community that Greeks are re sponsible with alcohol.” The plan was called off because it turned out to be too complicat ed. “There was just too much red tape,” co-chair Jac Carrington said Infinger said if the necessary paperwork is completed, alcohol might be included in some of the remaining events. The three-day long event kicked off Thursday with a parade sponsored by the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Thursday night events included a Southern Food Cook off, during which each fraternity cooked a main dish, each sorority prepared a side dish, and the win ners were awarded with points. Participants also gathered in McBryde Quad to listen to the Thomas Reed Band and the Sigma Nu Band. “We want to make Greek Week something like Homecoming,” Infinger said. “We want everyone to get excited about it. The week’s competitions, which involve char ♦ GREEK WEEK, SEE PAGE 2 PHOTO BY JON DANFORTH/THE GAMECOCK Omega Psi Phi brothers greet others gathered outside the Russell House during Greek Week. Greeks will spend all day Friday on Greene Street gathering school supplies for underprivileged children. CEO gives $1 million to College of Liberal Arts USC alumnus wants donation to help recruit, retain faculty BY KEVIN FELLNER THE GAMECOCK The president and CEO of a major industrial manufacturing corporation donated $1 million to the College of Liberal Arts on Wednesday to help faculty re cruitment and retention within the college. Peter McCausland, a 1971 USC graduate, is the founder of a Pennsylvania-based corporation called Airgas Inc., the nation’s largest distributor of industrial, medical and specialty gases. He said he made the donation in hon or of all the faculty members who educated him at USC. “The University of South Carolina did wonderful things for me, and I felt that I had a respon sibility to give back to the univer sity,” McCausland said. “I specifi cally wanted to give to the faculty because some of my fondest mem ories of (USC) are of the outstand ing teachers in the history de partment.” College of Liberal Arts Dean Joan Stewart said members of the college were excited to hear about McCausland’s donation. “McCausland’s generous gift recognizes that the liberal arts are fundamental to a research uni versity and that nothing is more essential to the education we pro vide than attracting and keeping the very best teacher-scholars,” Stewart said. ♦ DONATION, SEE PAGE 3 “McCausland’s generous gift recognizes that the liberal arts are fundamental to a research university and that nothing is more essential to the education we provide than attracting and keeping the very best teacher-scholars.” JOAN STEWART COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS DEAN Senate delays bill to punish endorsements Finance codes could change under proposed amendment BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE GAMECOCK A bill that would strip student activity fees from student orga nizations that endorse political candidates was delayed for at * least a week after a short debate during Wednesday’s Student Senate meeting. Meanwhile, a College of Liberal Arts senator revealed plans to propose an amendment that would change the definition of a political organization under the Student Government finance codes. The activity centers around the “Public Endorsement Prohibition Act,” which would bar organiza tions that endorse any political can didate from receiving student ac tivity fees the following semester." Supporters say the measure, sponsored by College of Liberal Arts Sen. Ginny Wright on be half of SG President Ankit Patel, simply enforces the SG finance codes. Those codes prohibit “po litical organizations” from re ceiving funds. “This statute isn’t creating a new definition of what a politi cal organization is,” Wright told the Senate. She also denied allegations that the bill was targeted solely at The Gamecock, which en dorsed SG candidates, including Patel, in February’s elections. “The statute isn’t just aimed at The Gamecock,” Wright said. “The statute’s aimed at all orga nizations that publicly endorse a candidate.” Several student organizations, including the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; the Association of African American Students; the South Carolina Student Legislature; the Bisexual, Gay and Lesbian Alliance; and several Greek or ganizations all said Tuesday that they hadn’t endorsed candidates. The bill ran into trouble when College of Liberal Arts Sen. Zach Scott, vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, questioned whether the Senate had the abili ty to pass the bill. Scott said that, while he didn’t believe in The Gamecock’s right to endorse, a provision of the codes might leave SG powerless to address the issue. Under the codes, a set percent age of each student’s activity fees automatically goes to Student Media, Carolina Productions and 'some other organizations. “I really don’t see how we have the jurisdiction to do this,” Scott said. Scott, speaking immediately after Wright brought the bill to the floor, proposed the Senate table the bill. The Senate agreed. After the meeting, Scott said he didn’t think senators had been given enough time to consider the bill. He said he didn't receive the bill until midday Tuesday. Bills are supposed to be placed in senators’ boxes on Monday. “A day and a half is not ample time to make a decision,” Scott said. He also said that, while he didn’t think SG codes were su perseded by the Board of Student Publications and Communi cations’ decision earlier this se mester that The Gamecock could endorse, “that’s a very good ar gument.” . Patel said he was disappoint ed the bill was tabled. He said he didn’t think the board’s decision had any bearing on the legisla tion. “I don’t think it’s a good ar gument because the Board of Publications is not the Student Senate,” Patel said. SG Treasurer Becky Floyd said Thursday she thought Wright’s bill would affect only so called D300 organizations, which receive their funds directly from the Senate. The bill wouldn’t af ♦ BILL, SEE PAGE 2 Open Senate seats available Student Senate has open seats in several colleges. . Applications for seats will be accepted through April 22 and can be picked up in Russell House room 110. ♦ HRTM: 2 ♦ Social Work: 1 ♦ Music: 1 ♦ Engineering: 1 ♦ Education: 2 ♦ Law School: 2 ♦ Medical School: 2 ♦ Nursing: 1 SOURCE: STUDENT SENATE Powell set to meet Mideast leaders D.C. official says secretary of state will give Arafat final ultimatum BY BARRY SCHWEID THE ASSOCIATED PRESS JERUSALEM — Secretary of State Colin Powell challenged Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s limited withdrawal of troops from Palestinian areas on Thursday, saying President Bush “wants to see more progress.” On his way to Jerusalem, Powell said the pace of the Israeli pullback from West Bank cities and villages would be part of a “very long conversation” he would have with Sharon on Friday. They spoke by telephone Thursday. Powell is to meet with Yasser Arafat on Saturday. A senior ad ministration official in Washington said Powell intends to warn the Palestinian leader that the United States is prepared to sever ties with him unless he re nounces terrorism. “The message is: This is it. Last chance,” said the Powell official, speaking only on condition of anonymity. The official cautioned that Powell and Bush will not sign off on the message until the meeting draws closer. During a brief stop in the Jordanian capital of Amman, Powell was asked at a news con ference whether the pace of Israel’s military withdrawal was an affront to Bush. “I don’t see it as an affront,” he said. Still, Powell added, "I think the president has made his posi tion clear: He wants the incursion stopped. He has noted some progress, but he wants to see more progress.” In what appeared to be a ges ture ahead of Powell’s arrival, Israeli forces withdrew from about two dozen small towns and vil lages on the West Bank. But troops entered the West Bank towns of Dahariyah and Bir Zeit and the Ein Beit Hilmeh refugee camp. Later, they pulled out of Bir Zeit after detaining about 300 people, mainly students in the university town. In the Jenin refugee camp, scene of the deadliest fighting dur ing the offensive, three dozen armed men, apparently the last holdouts, surrendered to Israeli troops. Sharon acknowledged the fight ing was causing the United States difficulties, but he refused to call a halt to the incursion. Powell said King Abdullah II of Jordan had offered his country’s help in easing the suffering of Palestinians in the West Bank once a cease-fire is in place. "People are dying, people are suffering,” the king told CNN. He said he offered Powell his king ♦ MIDEAST, SEE PAGE 3 PHOTO COURTESY OF KRT CAMPUS Israeli crime scene investigators look at the scene of an exploded bus on a main road near the port city of Haifa, Israel on Wednesday. A suicide bomber, with explosives strapped to his body, blew up the crowded morning rush-hour bus and killed at least eight people and wounded 14. TODAY’S WEATHER: Morning showers. High 77, Low 60. | TOMORROW’S WEATHER: Cloudy. High 79, Low 63.