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PHOTOS BY JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK USC President Andrew Sorensen, top, and SG President Ankit Patel deliver their State of the University addresses Wednesday. Sorensen emphasized research and collaboration with other colleges, while Patel discussed how to improve SG. Patel CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 t need to be given the authority to make changes possible,” he said, and added that he has asked the Disability Services Committee to install an automatic door to the side entrance of the Russell House, but that the committee had no authority to do so. “The most embarrassing mo ment for this university is when a disabled student on our cam pus has to struggle to open a door with one hand and try to wheel themselves through the door with the other,” he said. Patel went on to applaud Sorensen for his commitment to diversity at USC, then proposed adding sexual orientation to the university’s anti-discrimination policy. His speech was immedi ately disrupted by applause from some audience members. The Student Senate approved a resolution to encourage this addition to the policy in the fall of 2001, but the Board of Trustees has yet to take action on it. When an audience member asked Sorensen about Patel’s comments, Sorensaid said the is sue would be addressed in a pub lic forum before the first an niversary of his coming to Columbia, which would be in July. Patel said: “Adding sexual orientation into the anti-dis crimination clause makes a ' statement to the state, the nation and the world that the University of South Carolina is an institution of intellectual dis tinction that will not turn away some of the best and brightest students in the world simply out of its own ignorance.” Patel also urged continuing cooperation between SG and the Faculty Senate to accomplish goals backed by the Student Senate. He cited extending the drop-add date and requiring on line syllabi as examples of such initiatives. Patel addressed the campus parking shortage by calling it the “most contemptuous issue.” He said the university would need to implement a more effec tive shuttle system with in creased funding. While the num ber of parking spaces on campus is increasing, Patel said, so is the number of students. As an internal SG policy change, Patel proposed putting more elected student officials into the SG office space instead of having so many assistants hired by the university. “With (the current) student administrative imbalance, it re ally begs the question as to if it really is a student government,” he said. “Before I leave office, I will push to have both sides of that ratio changed to make it a student-run student govern ment.” Vice President for Student and Alumni Services Denpis Pruitt backed Patel’s ambition. “This university is a labora tory for learning, it’s a laborato ry for civic education, it’s a lab oratory for the practice of demo cratic principles,” he said. “We don’t want to get involved in stu dent politics. We don’t want to get involved with issues the stu dents want to resolve among themselves.” Pruitt also said he would like to see Patel’s vision become a “We’d love to have a long con secutive string of student lead ers who have that same fore sight and that same aggressive ness, who are not only willing to say they want the responsibili ty, but they will take those re sponsibilities and respond to the rights that are given to them,” he said. Pruitt said he doesn’t think SG lacks authority but that it needs to take Patel’s advice to motivate university committees to get initiatives accomplished. Patel said that, to remedy SG’s budget woes, he would also support a repeal of the organi zation’s annual spring banquet. Patel also addressed last October’s student-activity fee in crease, which he requested from the Board of Trustees and for which he came under fire in re cent weeks from Sens. Adam Hark and J.D. Shipman. He said only that the increased revenue would aid SG initiatives and oth er student-oriented events. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Bush CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 specifically authorizing use of force. Powell told lawmakers Thursday that the Iraqi situation would be brought to a conclusion in a matter of weeks. Sticking largely to the case out lined by Powell on Wednesday, Bush said there is no doubt Saddam is not complying with the earlier U.N. order to disarm. “Saddam Hussein recently au thorized Iraqi field commanders to use chemical weapons, the very weapons the dictator tells the world he does not have,” Bush said. Foreign ministers responded mostly with calls for more weapons inspections after Powell’s U.N. presentation, in which he as serted that Iraq was shifting and hiding weapons and missile pro grams from the current inspectors. Powell told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that most of the statements read by foreign Sorensen CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 faced with a $33 million reduc tion in my budget since I came here.... I’m not in a position to invest in parking right now. The parking situation is terrible right now. I agree.” Sorensen also said students could expect a tuition increase that will most likely come this semester. He explained that the costs of running the university increase every year while the state Legislature has been cut ting USC’s appropriations in the past three years. Sorensen outlined his vision for USC’s future and said he plans to address the university community at least once a semester from now on to provide updates on his mission of achiev ing the proposed vision. His speech, coming just seven months after he took office, ac centuated his goal of increasing research efforts at USC and es tablishing partnerships with both government and private en titiao Sorensen said South Carolina needs people skilled in research and problem solving. “Technology is evolving so rapidly that the half-life of knowledge in many domains is measured in months,” he said. “But the ability to think cre atively and to use information productively is measured in life times.” Sorensen encouraged USC to work with the state’s other col leges and universities to improve education. He cited collaboration among USC, Clemson and the Medical University of South Carolina to develop a Center of Excellence whose biomedical sci entists will research tissue re generation. “We believe that by working collaboratively with these and other institutions, we can con tribute much more than we would separately,” he said. Sorensen urged expanding what he calls educational out reach both at USC and abroad. He mentioned the current disease re search by USC and all six of South Carolina’s historically black col leges and universities. The schools are researching preventable dis eases that greatly affect the state’s rural black population. Although he didn’t specifical ly address affirmative action, which is being argued before the U.S. Supreme Court, Sorensen said he wanted to enhance the university’s diversity by aggres sively recruiting minority facul ty members and broadening the university’s international-stud ies programs. “We must renew our efforts to keep open our doors to faculty, staff and students of all races and ethnic groups,” he said. Sorensen also pushed for an increased sense of community within the university. He joked that the only tradition the entire university community shares is football games at Williams-Brice oiauuuu. “I consistently find the mani festation of that support of our athletic programs inspiring and pray that the enthusiasm will be come increasingly evident in all facets of our community life,” he said. In all, his speech reflected a progressive attitude of building and expanding the physical and intellectual university commu nity in the near future. “The total experience we pro vide for our students, both in and out of the classroom, should be geared toward building morally strong yet sensitive citizens who are willing and able to provide leadership in their respective communities, their state and their nation,” he said. Student Government President Ankit Patel said he thought Sorensen’s remarks were “amaz ing.” “You give him a spotlight, and his charm just kicks right up,” he said. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com ministers after his speech had been prepared beforehand. He said he detected a shift in attitude when he talked to 13 erf the minis ters afterward. President Jacques Chirac said Thursday France’s position on war with Iraq was unchanged by Powell’s presentation. Powell told the senators Bush would welcome a second resolu tion and “many members of the Council would not only welcome it, some of them would say we re quire one for participation in whatever might rome.” Prices CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ulty,” Brewer said. “Compared to Five Points and the Vista, it’s not out of the market.” Zeigler said the local retail market will ensure that campus dining prices are fair. “They have to compete with other vendors,” Zeigler said. “Sodexho knows that they’re in a retail environment.” Evans said the pricing system of new campus dining facilities was designed like a retail facility on the streets. He also pointed out that Pandinis is “actually priced under what (Za’s) prices would be” and that Pandinis serves larger pizzas than the competition does. Zeigler said that students’ ca pacity to use their meal plans at the restaurant-style eatery could be an overlooked privilege. “The ability to even have any thing go as credit toward a meal plan is an unusual thing,” she said. But not all students are disap pointed with menu prices.. “If you get the water, it works out fine,’’-said Dustin Lee, a sec ond-year history student who eats at Pandinis. Lee said he was will ing to pay more for better food. “I’m glad there’s finally a de cent salad here,” he said. “I used to walk all the way to Capstone just to get something to eat; now, I can come here.” ::» Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com Meal Plan CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 music student, said the univer sity meal plan works just fine. “To me, the Five Points Meal Plan sounds like a rip off,” she said. “They simply don’t offer enough incentive for me to be interested. If I wanted a meal from Five Points, then I would just pay cash instead of having to pay for it all up front. One credit card is enough for anyone.” Kathryn Pohl, a first-year biology student, said the plan was too expensive. “The Five Points Meal Plan may taste a little better than on-campus food, but at least here, the food is discounted, and each semester, we get a lit tle money added on to our cash cards for free,” she said. Students are paying full restaurant prices, with the ex ception of a few discounts through the “restaurant of the week” ads. “With every sale a restau rant makes, we collect a small percentage of that sale,” Lemcke said. “It is known as a service fee, similar to the kind credit card companies have for their customers.” Alison Garrett, a first-year psychology student, said, “With the new additions to the Russell House, students have a large variety in a central lo cation, and in my opinion, it’s a much safer location, as well.” The Five Points Meal Plan has about 400 students signed up. Sam Bowen, a first-year electronic-journalism student, has both meal plans. “Many nights, I get off work late and all of the good on-campus restaurants are closed, so with both plans, I am able to go to Five Points and grab a meal,” he said. . This is the second semester Bowen has had both meal plans. He said the competition is good for the university. “It helps prevent a monopoly by Sodexho, the company over uni versity dining services,” he said. “I like the idea of the.Five Points Meal Plan being just like a debit card because I can eat as much as I want,” Bowen said. Hillary Perkins, a first-year film studies student, said that having both plans makes life a little easier. “Restaurants at Five Points have more flexible hours than on campus restaurants,” she said. “I also like to go over to Five Points and eat with my friends when I have the time.” Scott Macrae, owner of Yesterday’s, said the plan has brought in more business. “It’s a great opportunity for the students,” he said. “If students like my restaurant, then they will come back, and they will bring fheir friends.” Nidal Matar, owner and man ager of Sub Pub, said: “We are get ting more student business be cause students that would nor mally not come to our restaurant now have the opportunity because of the Five Points Meal Plan. Our business has picked up a great deal, and I am glad that we became a part of the meal plan.” While the off-campus meal plan appeals to some students, first year business student Chase Gilliland said the university plan is fine for him. “I don’t like the idea of having to accommodate to specific restau rants,” he said. “It seems like the restaurants should accommodate to me.” Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail. com OrnAcronDejtaKapoa Seen our Scholarship Channel lately? We’ve changed. Come and see. powered by: (^BrekeStMar