Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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University of South Carolina PR I HAY IAMIIARV91 9009 Vol.96,No.53 www.dailygamecock.com * rviLy/nl, JMINUMIA I J., Z.VJWO Since 1908 Senators drop claims * After Patel’s hearing, pair say further steps ‘not worth our time’ BY MICHAEL LAFORGIA THE GAMECOCK After a subpoena hearing Wednesday, Liberal Arts Sens. Adam Hark and J.D. Shipman said they will not continue to pur sue allegations that Student Government President Ankit though he now intends to shift his focus to more important legisla tive matters. “I’m not prepared to continue to fight this battle,” Shipman said. The hearing, which was post poned from last week’s SG meet ing, came after Hark and Shipman accused Patel of violat iraiei lieu iu me Student Senate. Patel appeared before the Senate to answer ques tions and defend his June 27 ap £ pearance before the Board of Trustees. “I’m not en tirely positive that (the subpoe na hparintr'i was “What happened today was a circus, and I think it reflects poorly on the Senate. I feel like we’ve really gotten wrapped up in the wrong things.” GINNY WRIGHT SG ACADEMICS CHAIRWOMAN mg ou coae 103.05, which prohibits SG members from appearing be fore the Board of Trustees without Student Senate ap proval. Hark and Shipman said Patel vis i+oH fho RnarH successful at proving what we had originally intended to prove,” Hark said. "If we had all the time in the world to waste, further measures could be warranted, but they’re certainly not worth our time.” Shipman said he thinks “there is a lot to be left questioned,” al of Trustees this past summer about increasing the student-ac tivity fee without first consulting the Student Senate. Patel spent much of his time at the podium taking questions from Hark and Shipman and explain ing his actions. He said he was confident he had done nothing rnui u d i miunMCL LMrurttaiM/ i nc Student Government President Anklt Patel answers questions from Sens. Shipman and Hark at Wednesday’s meeting. wrong. “I wouldn’t even think twice about it; I’d do the exact same thing over again,” Patel said. “Our organizations are going to get twice the amount of money they had last year.” dent-activity fee is not a tuition increase. “When we ask for a $20 in crease, we don’t ask for a $20 in crease as an add-on to whatever tuition students are paying for,” rate! also said the raised stu- ♦ PATEL, SEE PAGE 3 4 Americans die in crash in Afghanistan BY ROBERT BURNS THE ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON - A U S. Army helicopter with four Americans aboard crashed near the Bagram air base'in Afghanistan on _ Thursday and all four were killed, an American official said. It was the deadliest day for the American military in Afghanistan since March 4,2002, when seven soldiers were killed and 11 wounded at the outset of an offensive against Taliban and al-Qaida remnant forces. The UH-60 helicopter crashed several miles east of Bagram air base in an area known as the East Training Range, said Jim Wilkinson, director of strategic communications at Central Command headquarters in - Tampa, Fla. “I can confirm that there are U.S. casualties and at this time this incident does not appear to be related to hostile action,” Wilkinson said. He said all four aboard were killed, but he declined to provide other details about them or the circumstances of the crash. The helicopter and its crew were on a routine training mis sion, he said. Wilkinson did not immedi ately have information on the military service or unit to which the four victims belonged. Details were sketchy and offi cials said it was not immediately clear what caused the helicopter to crash. They stressed that it ap peared to be an accident. The UH-60, known as a Black Hawk, is a utility transport air craft that is a key to the Army’s mobility. • Bagram is the main base of U.S. military operations in Afghanistan. The Black Hawk normally is flown by two pilots and a crew of two. It is designed to carry 11 combat-loaded, air assault ♦ CRASH, SEE PAGE 2 . Tours to visit Columbia’s historic black sites PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK Top: The tours visit the Mann-SImmons Cottage, home of Celia Mann, a free black midwife born a slave in Charleston In 1799. Above: Sites also Include the Ladson Presbyterian Church, one of the oldest black churches In Columbia. Trolley rides will be given in February to honor black heritage BY JESSICA FOSTER THE GAMECOCK Historic Columbia, an organization that manages four historic house museums, will be offering trolley tours of African American heritage sites throughout February. The tour, titled “Homeplaces, Workplaces and Resting Places: an African American Heritage Sites Tour of Columbia,” will take place Saturdays dur ing Black History Month and will address topics such as the role of African Americans in building Columbia’s cul tural, social and political heritage. me sues, Duuaings ana tneir reiatea stories will intrigue visitors,” said John Sherrer, Historic Columbia’s director of collections and interpretation. “Not only does the tour offer a collec tive view of African-American contribu tions to Columbia spanning over 200 years,” Sherrer said, “but the individual stories of adversity and triumph will give names and faces to the African-American experience.” The 25-site tour will show where South Carolina’s most prominent black leaders lived and worked, where they were buried and important historical sites that have been lost to urban develop ment. According to Robin Waites, Historic Columbia’s director of external affairs, the tour premiered in 1999 and is offered as a reserved group tour, but individual tick ets are available. Tours will take about one-and-a-half hours. Tickets are $5 for adults, $2.50 for chil ♦ TOUR, SEE PAGE 2 f PHOTOS BY JOHNNY HAYNES/THE GAMECOCK Top: Bethel AME Church was designed by the first registered black architect In the United States. Above: Hampton-Preston Mansion housed a Union general In 1865 and became a convent In 1887. Index Comics and Crossword 7 Classifieds 10 Horoscopes_ 7 Letters to the Editor 4 Online Poll _ 4 0 Police Report 3 Weather TODAY High 58 Low 41 TOMORROW &■ High 62 Low 40 Inside ♦ VIEWPOINTS Tyler Jones gives his State of the Government address. Page 4 ♦ THE MIX Thinking about taking off a few pounds? Compare the Atkins and macrobiotic diets. Page 5 ♦ THE MIX Preview local favorite Love Apple's concert, at the Lettuce Lounge on Saturday. Page 5 ♦ SPORTS USC’s softball season to get under way Sunday against North Carolina. Page 8 Center offers opportunity to teach in China BY WILL SOWELL THE GAMECOCK Columbia’s Chinese Culture Center is offering graduating stu dents the chance to go to China and teach English. The center opened in January 2002. Lea Walker, president and founder of the nonprofit cultural and educational organization, said that with the tightened job market in the United States, the center offers students “a different sort of opportunity.” “It would be an exciting and re warding opportunity,” she said. Walker said the Chinese stu dents see on TV is different from the China they would visit. “It’s important for people to see how the Chinese education sys tem works,” she said. The center offers other oppor tunities for those who don’t want to make the trip overseas. Classes are taught in everything from learning the language to studying martial arts. The classes, which are mostly taught on USC’s cam pus, are open to the community. Walker said the center’s goal is to SURFYOURSELF www.chineseculturecenter.org promote awareness of and inter est in China. The center has been working with Richland School District 1 to secure funding for Chinese teachers in hopes of having lan guage classes available in some elementary, middle and high schools beginning in the 2003-04 school year. Last year at A.C. Flora High School, the center of fered an after-school program to familiarize students with Chinese culture. Barbara Derrick, vice presi dent of Families with Children ♦CENTER, SEE PAGE 3