Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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www.dailygamecock.com _WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2003 ' Since 1906 .Law School official steps down Admissions dean to accept Charleston job BY MICHAEL LAFORGIA THE GAMECOCK The assistant dean of admis sions at the USC Law School said he resigned Tuesday to accept a job at a newly approved private law school in Charleston. Assistant Dean John Benfield said his resignation will be effec tive Oct. 1. He would not say why he decided to resign. His decision comes less than a week after the South Carolina Commission on Higher Education voted to approve a conditional li cense for the Charleston Law School. Students and faculty at the USC Law School have had mixed reac tions to the idea of a new school. Initially, Frank Mood, Interim Dean of the USC School of Law, said, “there was some question as to why it was being undertaken.” But Mood said USC did not ob ject to the establishment of a pri vate law school in Charleston be cause the new institution has agreed to remain private and will not compete with Carolina for state funding. Alex Sanders, a spokesman for the new facility, said the school should be ready to open next year. He said the school will try to en roll 120 students at an annual tu ition of $25,000. Annual tuition for in-state law students at USC is about $12,000. Sanders said that despite its high price tag, the school’s admis sions standards will be lower than USC’s, and this will give more South Carolina law students a shot at an in-state legal education. Mood said the new law school * may open up the possibility of an in-state education for more stu dents, but he couldn’t say how many more lawyers South Carolina might need in the future. “There is a lot of evidence to in dicate that applications to law school go.up when the economy is not good,” Mood said. He said ap plications topped out at 1,900 in 1990, but that numbers of ♦ LAW SCHOOL, SEE PAGE 9 Celebrating ‘black and white progress. “I think that young people of both races, of all races in America, but especially in the South, are just not aware of what it was like back then. ” JAMES SOLOMON ONE OF USC’S FIRST BLACK STUDENTS ‘ THURSDAY MARKS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTEGRATION AT USC BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE (iAMKCOCK When USC desegregated in September 1963, the ad ministration and community were determined to face the inevitable with civility and order. What they didn’t know was how much the act of integration would affect the university. On Thursday, this act will be commemorated by a day of celebration and reflection. For the 40th anniversary of desegregation, USC will hold two panel discussions, which will be attended by several key figures in USC’s desegregation history, including the first three black stu dents who enrolled in the university on Sept. 11,1963. Also in attendance will be Sen. Fritz Hollings, Judge Matthew Perry and a number of panelists from univer sities across the country. “We’re celebrating the courage and determination of ^those young students who put themselves at risk” by de segregating the university, said Cleveland Sellers, di rector of USC’s African-American Studies Department and coordinator of the anniversarv Droeram. Sellers said those who planned the event wanted to fo cus on desegregation from the perspective of those who participated in it. “They’re not coming in with speeches — they’re com ing in with genuine comments about their experiences,” he said. James Solomon, one of the black students who took part in the 1963 desegregation, said he thought it impor tant for students of today’s generation to attend. “I think that young people of both races, of all races in America, but especially in the South, are just not aware of what it was like back then,” Solomon said. Although these notable experiences occurred in 1963, the history of USC’s integration dates back to the mid •9th century. In 1873, South Carolina College admitted its first black students during Reconstruction. South Carolina was the only state in the South to admit and grant degrees to blacks at this time; this paradigm of equality, however, did not last long. In 1876, Democrats gained control of the legislature, closing the school in 1877 and reopening it in 1880 as an all-white institution. University archivist Elizabeth West said that after Reconstruction, several black scholars attempted to en ter the university before 1963. One such student was John Wrighten, a black World ♦ INTEGRATION, SEE PAGE 7 From left, Robert Anderson, Henrle Montelth-Treadwell and James Solomon were the first three black students to attend USC. Following a court order for integration, the three became students In September 1963 without violence. Students’ impatience at railroad crossings raises safety concerns S'Y ADAM BEAM ^,'IIK liAMKCOCK Railroad and police officials are concerned with student im patience at railroad crossings — an issue they say is becoming more of a problem. Columbia is crisscrossed with railroad lines from three compa nies: Norfolk Southern Railroad, CSX Transportation and Amtrak. One Norfolk Southern line cross es the heart of USC’s campus, with tracks running through Five Points, Main Street and Assembly Street, Sam Holland of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Police said the train has to stop in Columbia in order to change crews, often blocking several streets that lead to campus for up to 30 minutes. It creates a problem when students are trying to walk back to cam pus. Patrolman Joe Clarke of the USC Police Department said he has seen students crawl under the train cars while the train is stopped in order to get across. “There’s just a lot of foot traf fic,” Clarke said. “There’s no way to go down Greene Street to Five Points without crossing over rail road tracks.” Janice Cowen is the state co ordinator for South Carolina Operation Lifesaver, a nonprofit organization that works with ♦ JUMPING, SEE PAGE 8 . 4 With the addition of the multi million dollar Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center, USC students still haven't forgotten the Blatt P.E. Center. This week, staff writer Kevin Fellner takes a look at who still uses the Blatt, what it's used for and its future. ♦ SEE PAGE 2 FOR OFF THE BEATEN PATH \ Index Comics and Crossword_y Classifieds 16 Horoscopes 13 Letters to the Editor 10 Online Poll 10 Police Report 2 Weather TODAY THURSDAY -r & High 78 High 82 Low 61 Low 62 ~ ~i In This Issue ♦ NEWS USC student Lara Bratcher named to Top Ten College Women list in latest issue of Glamour. Page 4 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Wes Wolfe refutes a state representative’s letter on Pell Grants. Page 10 ♦ THE MIX Warm treezes and ocean waves - The Mix pays tribute to all things summer. Page 11 ♦ SPORTS The border war heats up as Carolina prepares to face Georgia. Page 14 1