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University of South Carolina PPIHAV APPII A 0000 Vol.96.No.76 www.dailygamecock.com ■ F\IUnl, Ml IxlL. t+ j Since 1908 Law dean search continues BY ADAM BEAM the gamecock USC’s search for a Law School dean stalled again this week after the search committee’s top can didate withdrew his name from consideration. Bob Hillman from the University of California-Davis had been negotiating with USC President Andrew Sorensen about coming to take over USC’s law school, but according to USC Provost Jerry Odom, Hillman de cided to stay in California and take advantage of the state’s re tirement system. “He had 22 years in the sys tem,” Odom said. “So if he left right now, it would cost him a lot of money in the retirement sys tem.” Odom said the next step is to hire an interim dean until a new search can he started. The inter im would most likely start July 1. “I think it’s the necessary step at this point,” said Law School professor and Faculty Senate Chairman Rob Wilcox. “Try to make it as good as you can; we’ve got to be positive on this one.” Sorensen and Odom met with the Law School faculty Monday and told them to submit their sug gestions for interim dean by 5 p.m. today. Odom and Sorensen will look over the suggestions once Sorensen returns from fund raising trips to Florida and Texas. Of the other three external can “We are, at this point, rudderless, essentially. We don’t have a leader. Whether we like him or not, he at least provides some direction that we can either push for or against.” ELDON WEDLOCK LAW SCHOOL PROFESSOR « didates considered for the job, two took dean positions at other universities, and another took a chair professor position at Southern Methodist University’s law school. _ “It just shows you the quality of people we were looking at, and » LAW SCHOOL, SEE PAGE 3 Sorensen opposes tuition ceiling BY KEVIN FELLNER THE GAMECOCK USC President Andrew Sorensen told the Faculty Senate on Wednesday that he does not support an initiative in the state Legislature that would place a cap on tuition increases. “The reason I’m opposed to that is that we’ve got a horren dous problem,” he said. Sorensen said that more than $61 million has either been cut from the uni versity’s budget in the past 12 months or cah be expected to be cut in the next month or two as a result of state appropriations re ductions. “I’ve got to figure out how to come up with revenues to pay our faculty, our staff, provide schol arship support for our students, the maintenance of our facilities,” he said. To offset the $61 million cut with tuition in creases alone, Sorensen said, tu ition would have to increase by 70 percent. “Clearly, that’s absurd and out rageous, and I would never even Sorensen consider that,” he said. “But I’m trying to convey to you the dilemma in which we find ourselves.” Second-year history student . Ryan Eubanks said he feels bur dened by tuition as it is. “I personally would agree with a cap on tuition increases,” Eubanks said. “Many college stu dents, myself included, live off a tight budget, and when the school significantly raises tuition, it makes it much harder for me to come to school.” Sorensen’s remarks came in a speech to the Faculty Senate about legislation introduced in the South Carolina House of Representatives on Tuesday that would combine the state’s three research universities under a re search-oversight commission. Sorensen said the commission would allow Clemson University, . the Medical University of South Carolina and USC’s Columbia campus to avoid some of the “bu reaucratic obstacles” caused by rules and regulations of the Commission on Higher Sorensen told senators about how the legislation would allow the university to lease its proper ty to private companies interested in building facilities for joint re search with the university, as well as ease restrictions on facul ty bonus pay, and to provide health benefits for graduate as sistants. Sorensen said combining the three research universities’ ef forts works well for his vision as president of the Columbia cam pus but doesn’t address his goals for the university’s three four year campuses and four two-year campuses. ♦ TUITION, SEE PAGE 3 ■ ■ LAST-MINUTE EFFORTS _ _____:_ r MU I Uo tJ i MUKuAIN hUKU/ IMt UAMtUUUK From left: Emily Mercavich, a second-year art-studio student, surveys an election flier from presidental candidate Katie Dreiling,a third-year political-science student. Fourth-year marketing and management student Eric Bandholz receives a campaign flier for presidental candidate Tyler Odom from campaign supporter Brant Tosi, a fourth-year marketing student. Voting in the runoff continues today until 5 p.m. SG censures Odom over election T-shirts BY ADAM BEAM* THE GAMECOCK In a unanimous vote, the Student Government Elections Commission has issued presiden tial candidate Tyler Odom an in fraction for handing out T-shirts on election day. SG elections code 411.26 pro hibits handing out any parapher nalia on election day except fliers, stickers and buttons. Two mem bers from Dreiling’s campaign staff testified at the Elections Commission’s meeting last night that an unidentified USC student asked them whether they were handing out T-shirts. She had an Odom T-shirt and said a member from Odom’s staff handed it to her. “Campaign staff, as well as the ■ candidates, are re sponsible for knowing all of the election rules,” Elections Comm issioner Brooke Vickery said. This is the first Dreiling violation for ei ther candidate in the election. A candidate is thrown out of the election for five infractions. The Elections Comm ission can rule on Odom an infraction only if it is brought to it in writing by someone not on the Commission. _J Index Comics and Crossword 6 Classifieds 8 [ Horoscopes6 Letters to the Editor 4 Online Poll 4 Police Report 2 Weather TODAY TOMORROW High 84 High 79 Low 59 Low 55 In This Issue ♦ NEWS Maymester provides a new route to success through Celebrity Profiles course. Page 2 ♦ VIEWPOINTS David Stagg investigates Carolina’s pollen problem. Page 4 ♦ THE MIX Three Rivers Music Festival offers three days of nonstop music for $30. Page 5 ♦ SPORTS The baseball team falls 4-2 to the Tigers, as Clemson takes a 2-1 lead in the season series. Page 7 Troops battle for Baghdad airport BY DAVID ESPO THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Army forces launched a nighttime attack on Saddam International Airport just out side Baghdad on Thursday and fought running battles with Iraqis along the city’s southern fringes. “A vise is closing on the regime,” President Bush told cheering Marines stateside. Some front-line units went on heightened alert against the threat of chemical weapons, or dered to wear rubber boots and suits despite temperatures that soared into the ‘90s. There was fierce fighting in Kut, to the south of Baghdad, where desperate Iraqis armed with rifles charged tanks in a sui ♦ IRAQ, SEE PAGE 2 PHOTO BY DAIVD LEESON/KRT CAMPUS Secondary explosions from a destroyed Iraqi SA-6 surface-to-air missile shoot across the sky on the outskirts of Karbala, Iraq. f • V