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AMECOCK IN OTHER NEWS Conference to explore nanotechnology effects BY WENDY JEFFCOAT THE GAMECOCK It’s a small world after all. Nanoproducts and nanotech nology, which experts say will eventually become an everyday part of an ever-expanding world of technology , will be the topic of a conference at USC that will last through Sunday. Scholars from around the world will discuss the possible so cietal implications nanotechnol ogy could have on the world. The conference will feature scholars from many disciplines who will discuss the problems that could emerge from use of the technology. The philosophy, ethics, politics and culture that surround nanoscience will be dis cussed. The, conference began last night with a panel discussion of Michael Crichton’s science fic tion thriller “Prey,” a novel that gives readers a frightening look into the world of nanoscience and possible implications of such a technology. Nanotechnology is unique because of the scale it works on. According to Davis Baird, a philoso phy professor at USC, nanotechnol ugioto aic ucvciupmfe nit auuuty to “manufacture, as it were, spe cific molecules, atom by atom.” A nanometer, which is one bil lionth of a meter, is the standard used to measure atoms and molecules. Nanotechnology is the study and construction of mate rials at this scale. “There are potentially very useful things that could come from nanotechnology,” Baird said. One such nanoproduct on the market is paint that has nanoparticles mixed in and gives the paint interesting properties, such as longevity. But, on the other hand, there can be some scary uses iui me Le^iiiiuxugy. xjcxix u saxu people are currently working on the development of “surveillance dust,” nano-scaled surveillance particles that are so small they go unseen. He said that the develop ment and use of such a device could raise concerns about pri vacy issues. “Frankly, I’m not afraid of nanoparticles.” RICK ADAMS DIRECTOR OF USC’S NANOCENTER -XT__T_il". « il. . x_T_ -l Baird said the Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently received a grant from the Defense Department to develop a “smart uniform.” These uniforms would be able to sense whether or not the wearer is healthy or in the presence of chemical agents; also, the uniform should be able to stop bullets, change colors to act as camouflage, and even enhance the wearer’s ability to lift objects. The opening panel discussion focused on Crichton’s book, which characterized nanoparti cles as having human-like abili ties, such as reproductive abili ties and intelligence. While many of the panelists agreed it was an interesting read, some had prob lems with the accuracy of the de tails given about nanoparticles. ♦ NANOTECHNOLOGY, SEE PAGE 5 Mystery illness starts in Japan, goes global BY HELEN LUK THE ASSOCIATED PRESS HONG KONG - The global spread of the mysterious flu-like illness that has killed 10 people in the past three weeks appears to have started with a guest in a tourist hotel here. Hong Kong health officials said Thursday that other guests who caught the disease then carried it to a Hong Kong hospital, Vietnam, Singapore and Canada. Three of the seven people who stayed on the ninth floor of the Metropole Hotel died from severe acute res piratory syndrome, or SARS. There are now 306 people sick with the disease, according to the World Health Organization. About half those are in Hong Kong, the vast majority in Asia. There are 13 suspected cases in the United States. The cause of the illness re mains unknown, but experts be lieve the most likely explanation is a new virus. There is no known treatment. Hong Kong health officials have traced the outbreak to a professor from China’s Guangdong province who stayed at the Metropole Hotel on Feb. 21-22. He died March 4. His case bolsters the belief that the outbreak stems from one that began last November in the south ern part of Guangdong, where 300 ♦ ILLNESS, SEE PAGE 5 West Forum addresses state budget legislation BY JESSICA FOSTER THE GAMECOCK Former Gov. John C. West presided over a panel of Republican and Democratic House leaders Wednesday night at a USC public event to discuss the politics of the South Carolina state budget. “South Carolina’s State Budget: The Legislative Perspective” was held in the Belk auditorium of the Moore School of Business and focused on ques tions posed by West Forum undergraduate volun teers. In response to questions, the panelists spoke about how the appropriation of tax money might sometimes be driven by interests other than those of the general public. State Rep. Joseph H. Neal (D-70th District) of the Education and Public Works Committee said there needs to be a re assessment of the 66 tax exemptions, which total $1.8 billion, in order to eliminate those that are unnecessary and provide money to fund impor tant programs. Many groups who benefit from these exemptions have “strong political clout,” Neal said, and legisla tors are not willing to pay the price of disregarding the groups’ interests. ♦ FORUM, SEE PAGE 4 PHOTO BY TRISHA SHADWELL/THE GAMECOCK Former Gov. John C. West listens to other panelists at the debate Wednesday on “South Carolina’s State Budget: The Legislative Perspective.” The forum was the latest in a series of public seminars sponsored by the West Forum on Politics and Policy. 2003 PRESIDENTIAL PROFILES Tim Roberts BY JESSICA FOSTER THE GAMECOCK Timothy Roberts wants to change how Student Government makes deci sions at USC. The third-year media arts student has never held a position in SG, but said he has gained the necessary characteristics of a leader through experiences at work and as a section lead er in the USC marching band. Some of the issues he addresses in his campaign are student involvement, parking, tuition and cam pus safety. Roberts came to USC from Laurens, but wouldn’t exactly identify that as his hometown; he was born in Florida and has also lived in California and Japan. Music is his biggest hobby; he plays an array of instru ments, including guitar, bass, piano, baritone, tuba and trumpet, and he hopes to one day become a record producer. He said he decided to run for president because he “felt like there really need ed to be some changes, and the best way to make changes is to get involved.” One thing Roberts hopes to achieve if elected is greater student involve ment and awareness of the President Personals Age: 21 Hometown: Laurens Hobbies: Band, music and sports Favorite thing about USC: ‘1t’s just a great place to be. Great people, great campus, great everything.” Why did you choose to come to USC: "Actually I’m a transfer student, but I always wanted to go to a big school. I started out at a small I school and I didn’t like it. USC has shown my that it is, by far, a better ^ school.” issues SG is dealing with. “There needs to be more commu nication between the students and the A_A gUV ernment so that students are more in volved in what the gov ernment is do ing,” Roberts said. He said this might be achieved by holding open questioning sessions, in which stu dents could voice their opinions on important issues. A student seat on the Board of Trustees is also some thing that could possibly be estab lished that would'allow the students’ voices 10 De heard, he said. He sees this student-leader connection as vital to SG’s ef fectiveness and believes that “a big part of being in the govern ment is being responsible to your con stituents. ■ ♦ ROBERTS, SEE PAGE 4 ■ “There needs to be more communication between the students and the student government so that students are more involved in what the government is doing” TIMOTHY ROBERTS SG PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE Ginny .fright BY ALLYSON BIRD THE GAMECOCK As campaign posters and T-shirts begin to emerge on campus, Student Govern ment presidential hopeful Ginny Wright, a third-year Russian and English stu dent, touts a simple goal: re vision. Amid a year of political upheaval in SG, Wright does not focus on the details of what she calls “a petty argu ment that overshadows im portant issues.” She instead wants to make SG a more ac tive organization. And to her, that means a more effi cient organization. vviigm iiuiii omyiiia, Tenn., though she was bom in Irmo, which is why she chose to attend USC. She has been a member of SG for three years and has also par ticipated in Carolina Crew, Freshman Council, the Emerging Leaders Program, Omicron Delta Kappa honor society, Dance Marathon and community service lead ership. “What sets me apart from other candidates is I have a realistic vision,” Wright said. “Every candidate has goals, but I have realistic goals and the determination to follow them." Wright’s goals are to at tain a certain level of effi President Personals Age; 21 Hometown: Smyrna, Tenn. Hobbies: Running and friends Favorite Restaurants: Lizards Thicket Yesterday’s Favorite thing about USC: USC football culture Why did you choose to come to USC: “I knew I wanted to go out of state and, since my parents j had lived here, I came to I visit. I fell in love and now this is my home.” ciency that she feels is now miss ing from SG and then use that new efficiency to lobby the administra tion to give SG more power. She also hopes to reform the committee system and cut spending. “It’s not realistic to want to build four parking garages or just to ‘fix parking’ or to ‘fix budget cuts.’ I’d real ly challenge a Student Government president to fix that; our university president has problems with fixing that.” Wright said she’s had ideas about reforming SG before, but she didn’t decide to pursue them until last semester. “I’ve been on Student Government since my freshman year, and I’ve seen a lot of changes but also a lot of stasis. I wanted" to take the next step,” she said. Wright would like to see the plat forms of oth er candi dates ad dressed, such as park ing and spending, yet she finds that until the system changes, the problems they are focusing on are too broad and too big. ♦ WRIGHT, SEE PAGE 4 “It’s not realistic to want to build four parking garages or just ‘to fix parking’ or to ‘fix budget cuts.’ I’d really challenge a Student Govern ment president to fix that; our university president has problems with fixing that.” GINNY WRIGHT SG PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE