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INSIDE SPORTS: Softball player L^V* 1 fl QT7 April 19’2002 * VoL 95’Na 84 Adrianna Baggetta leads team JL J-J.v4.dV University of South Carolina ♦ www.dailygamecock.com Endorsement ban shot down PHOTO BY CANDI HAUGLUM/THE GAMECOCK College of Liberal Arts Sen. Zach Scott raises his hand to ask a question of Sen. Ginny Wright, cosponsor of the bill that would have prevented student organzations that endorse political candidates from receiving student activity fees. The bill was defeated by the Student Senate 19-12 on Wednesday. Senate votes 19-12 to reject statute supported by Patel and Wright BY BRANDON LARRABEE THE GAMECOCK Student Senate soundly de feated a measure Wednesday that would bar student organizations that endorse political candidates from receiving student activity funds the following semester. The 19-12 vote to reject the Public Endorsement Prohibition Act marks the first legislative de feat for Patel in his month-old presidency. The bill was initial ly sponsored by College of Liberal Arts Sen. Ginny Wright on behalf of Patel, who has at tached his name to more legisla tion pieces after a month in office than any SG president has at that point in at least four years. In a lengthy debate, opponents of the measure argued that the bill's supporters were wrong to oppose the right of The Gamecock, which they said the bill was aimed at, to endorse. They said the power to regulate The Gamecock's funding falls outside SG's jurisdiction. They also argued that the bill's sup porters hadn’t followed proper procedure in bringing the bill to the floor. SG Treasurer Becky Floyd told the Senate that the bill wouldn't affect The Gamecock. She cited a section of the SG fi nance codes that says funds allo cated to The Gamecock, Carolina Productions and some services provided by SG "are not allocat ed by the Student Senate and do not require approval of the Student Senate." "I don't know how better to ex plain the words 'do not' or 'are' not,’" Floyd said. "I think we all know what those mean." College of Liberal Arts Sen. Zach Scott, vice chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said neither Patel nor Wright con tacted the committee despite the fact that under the SG code all fi nance bills are required to go through the committee. He said one section explicitly requires the Finance Committee to deal ♦ BILL, SEE PAGE 2 Sorority grants child’s wish Chi Omega raises $2,000for boy’s trip to Disney World BY KEVIN FELLNER THE GAMECOCK USC's chapter of the Chi Omega sorority has been work ing all week on a campaign to raise money for a child to travel to Walt Disney World as a part of , the Make-A-Wish Foundation. i ne sorority kicked on its cam paign at the State House on Tuesday morning and joined Gov. Jim Hodges in announcing that the foundation was granting its 1,000th wish in South Carolina. The foundation grants wishes to children who suffer from life threatening illnesses. By Thursday, the chapter had raised more than $2,000 to send a boy to Orlando, where Disney World is located, this summer. Chi Omega raised funds for a 12-year-old Columbia resident named Matthew. The program doesn't release last names of its participants. Chi Omega members stood out side the Russell House all day Tuesday to encourage passing stu dents to toss money into their "wish ing well," which was meant to col lect funds to grant the child's wish. They also played host to War of the Wings, a buffalo wing-eat ing contest held Tuesday night at the Patio. Six restaurants donated all styles and flavors of wings, which were later rated by a panel of judges. The wings were rated in several categories, including spiciest and most original. The Lambda Chi Alpha frater nity won the men's team wing-eat ing competition, and the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority won the women’s division. All partici pants donated money to the foun dation as part of their entry re quirements. "We didn't really know what to expect, but there was a great turnout there," third-year international stud ies student Laura Bauld said. There was also a pie-throwing opportunity where students who donated money to the foundation could throw pies at the Chi Omega member of their choice. Project organizer and second year Spanish student Brittain Torrence said future events and donations are already being ♦ MAKE-A-WISH, SEE PAGE 3 AWARDS DAY PHOTO BY CANDI HAUGLUM/THE GAMECOCK Tiffany Elser receives the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award from president John Palms. Elser was one of many outstanding students who received recognition at USC's Awards Day on the Horseshoe Thursday. Men and women of honor Weather affects awards reception on Horseshoe LOGAN BARLOW THE (iAMECOCK A group of family, friends and well-wishers endured the heat, humidity and rain Thursday to honor awards recipients on USC's Awards Day. The ceremony was interrupt ed when rain started to fall. Attendees were herded into the president's house to wait out the shower, and the rest of the cere mony was abbreviated to ac commodate the situation. The event was held on the Horseshoe and sponsored by the Honors and Awards Commission, Division of Student and Alumni Services, Student Government, the USC Educational Foundation and Omicron Delta Kappa. Omicron Delta Kappa President Brook Bristow pro vided the opening remarks, and the Rev. Martin Jessiman gave an invocation. Awards were presented to outstanding students from each academic department. Though most of the recipients were se niors, several awards were pre sented to underclassmen as well. Second-year English and jour nalism student Catherine Baab received the Havilah Babcock Poetry Contest Award. Baab said she became in volved when she saw a flier ad vertising the contest. Students could submit up to five samples of poetry, which were then ♦ AWARDS DAY, SEE PAGE 3 PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GIBBS/THE GAMECOCK Remains of the Confederate flag hang from the flag pole in front of the State House Wednesday. Man torches rebel banner Flag on grounds of State House destroyed by man dressed as Santa COLUMBIA (AP) — A man who refers to himself as the Rev. E. X. Slave set fire Wednesday to the Confederate flag on State House grounds with a lighter. The flag burned and fell to the ground while about a dozen offi cers surrounded the man, whose real name is Emmett Rufus Eddy. Dressed in a black Santa Claus outfit, Eddy said he was burning the flag “for the children.” “Why they gotta learn about prejudice?” Eddy shouted as he clung to the flagpole while officers from the Bureau of Protective Services attempted to get him down from his ladder. About an hour later, State House maintenance crews had re placed the $30 flag and ring of white plastic balls that keep the flag buoyed. The flag pole needed some cleaning and the ring had melted in the flames, state Budget and Control Board spokesman Mike Sponhour said. Spectators said they saw no ac celerant being used. “He was on the ladder... flicking the lighter,” said Kaarmen McDuffie, a Budget and Control Board employee who saw the incident while on his lunch break. “People got a lot of different views on different things,” McDuffie said. “He did what he had to do.” ♦ FLAG, SEE PAGE 3 Test changes CHANGES TO THE GRE ♦ Analytical writing section in place of the multiple choice analytical reasoning section ♦ Goes into effect October 2002 CHANGES TO THE MCAT ♦Three new biology questions focused on DNA and genetics and a shorter verbal reasoning section ♦Verbal reasoning section won't be administered after the physical Sciences section HOWTO PREPARE ♦ Familiarize yourself with the changes. ♦ If you buy books, make sure they are current with copyright dates of this year. ♦Visitwww.kaptest.com for sample questions and more information about the test. GRE, MCAT tests face changes New tests focus more on critical thinking skills BY ADAM BEAM THE GAMECOCK Students hoping to get into graduate and medical schools will be taking a slightly different ver sion of the tests that determine whether they are accepted. The new Graduate Record Examination will feature an ana lytical writing section to replace the analytical reasoning multiple choice section. The Medical College Admission Test has small er changes that include three new biology questions and a shortened verbal reasoning section that will follow the physical science sec tion. The GRE changes will go into effect in October, while the MCAT modifications won’t be imple merited until April 2003. The MCAT is a paper and pencil exam given twice a year, with this year’s first exam being given Saturday. The GRE consists of two exams, a subject exam and a gen eral exam. The latter is only avail able on computer. "For the GRE, (the changes are) really an attempt to find a better way to look at applicant abilities," said Albert Chen, executive di ♦ TEST CHANGES, SEE PAGE 3 . I TODAY'S WEATHER: Afternoon thunderstorms. High 90, Low 69. TOMORROW’S WEATHER: Afternoon thunderstorms. High 92, Low 69.