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Tfl ■ ■ I University of South Carolina \A/FOMFQnAY OPTFlRFR 1 R 9009 Vol.97,No.31 www.dailygamecock.com "V L.L/IM LOunT, UL» I vJDlix J-Since 1908 RHA asks to OK grills BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE GAMECOCK RHA has passed a resolution al most unanimously requesting University Housing to allow resi dents the use of small outdoor cooking grills, which are current ly banned. The resolution, passed Sept. 30, calls into question the fire-hazard code by which outdoor grills are outlawed. It also requests a clari fication of the rule and asks for Housing to investigate its enforcement. The resolution was sent to Gene Luna, director of Housing, and Tim Coley, director of Residence Life, among other campus and Housing officials. Coley said that a reply should be sent to RHA in about a week. Daniel Anderson, an RHA sen ator representing the Horseshoe, started the resolution. He said the idea to create such a resolution came when he and his friends were cooking out and were ap proached by some RAs who told them the use of grills was prohib ited. Anderson said he wasn’t aware that the grills were banned. “I really wouldn’t consider the grills to be that much of a fire haz ard when people are grilling on concrete, but I understand how Housing’s concerned,” Anderson said. He also said he would be will ing to seek a compromise if the fire codes would still be interpreted to prohibit even small grills. “If nothing can be done to change it, the next thing we’ll pro pose is that more permanent grills be placed around dorms,” he said. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com USC to hold panel _ discussion on funds for K-12 education BY IRA KLEIN THE GAMECOCK The University of South Carolina will be holding a panel discussion about new funding pro posals for the state K-12 education system tonight at 7 p.m. in the Gambrell Hall Auditorium. It will be free and open to the public. The discussion is part of USC’s John C. West Forum on Politics and Policy, a nonpartisan, non profit organization established in 2002 to enhance the quality of South Carolina’s political envi i ronment. It is sponsored by USC’s department of political science, and is named for John C. West, a former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia, who will be moderating this Wednesday’s discussion. According to Bob Angel, a Japanese politics professor in the political science department, the panel for the discussion will con sist of Rep. Rick Quinn, R Richland; Rep. Vincent Sheheen, D-Kershaw; Robert Davis, the Chief Financial Officer for Richland School District 2; and Professor James Bradley from the Moore School of Business at USC. rThe new funding proposal that will be discussed at the event was authored by Rep. Vincent Sheheen; it has not yet been introduced into legislation, but already has at tracted a great deal of attention from supporters and critics alike. It calls for a 2 percent increase in the state sales tax as a trade-off for abolishing the property tax as a source of school funding. Support for the proposal seems to be divided mostly among parti san lines, with Democrats gener ally against the sales tax as a I regressive and inequitable solu tion and Republicans in favor of the proposal as a step away from the progressive property tax. Despite these partisan divisions, Blease Graham, dean of the crimi nal justice school at USC, says he believes the participants in the dis cussion will try to avoid petty par tisan bickering and will make a genuine attempt to rise above party lines in the nonpartisan spirit of the John C. West Forum and for the overall public good. Graham says letters have been sent out to certain people in the community who he knows will have a particular interest in this topic, and he encourages all stu dents to attend the Forum. “The West Forum is what we call a ‘leadership incubator;’ basi cally, we want students to be in di alogue with notable public ser vants,” said Graham. Graham added that at the dis cussion, the panel will probably discuss the proposal for about an hour or so, and Jhen the floor will be opened up for 30 minutes to questions from those who attend the discussion. The event will be followed by light refreshments. According to Graham, the John C. West Forum started in 2002 and is still in a fledgling state, but that these community seminars are a significant part of their program. They have been holding two of them each semester, and tonight’s discussion will be the fifth in the Forum’s history. The Forum also sponsors small er-scale political discussion groups within residence halls. One such group exists in Maxcy College and is led by former state ♦ DISCUSSION, SEE PAGE 2 Index Com ics a nd Crossword 11 Classifieds _ 14 Horoscopes 11 Letters to the Editor 8 || Online Poll 8 Police Report._ 7 Weather TODAY [ TOMORROW High 74 Low 48 In This Issue ♦ NEWS Suicide bomber targets Turkish Embassy. Page 5 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Wes Wolfe says there’s more variety in the presidential election than you think. Page P ♦ THE MIX Local band Pawnshop perseveres, putting music first in the face of tragedy. Page 9 ♦ SPORTS Men’s soccer is on a five-game skid. Page 12 •I——— THE COLONIAL CENTER PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK Attendees of Tuesday’s formal naming ceremony of the Colonial Center watch as the new sign is revealed. Athletics department formally gives Carolina Center new name BY JON TURNER THE (iAMKCOCK On Tuesday evening, USC community and local business representatives convened for the formal naming ceremony of the Colonial Center, the culmination of a $5.5 million naming rights sponsorship agreement with the Colonial Life & Accident Insurance Co. Outside, a black tarp was draped over the sign above the arena formerly known as the Carolina Center, and it fluttered and sprayed water droplets in the gusting drizzle of rain. Inside, where a live band played, a brightly lit sign sport ing a garnet-feathered gamecock already hung over the court bearing the legend of the Colonial Center. Dignitaries in black suits and dresses drank blush wine at black-clothed, can dle-lit tables. When the rain was gone, the attendees filed outside for the for mal naming ceremony. USC athletics director Mike McGee was the first speaker. He stood and called the com pletion of the Colonial Center a “very long but fruitful pro cess.” “The plans for the Colonial Center were drawn up over eight years ago,” he said, “and there are a lot of people to thank for that.” McGee then quoted the old adage, “It’s amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.” He de scribed the arena as an asset to the Midlands. Colonial and UnimProvident representatives took their turns on the podium. They described the partnership as the result of “a common commitment to the community” and announced the naming of the recruiting room af ter a Colonial chairman and co founder. USC President Andrew Sorensen also spoke at the event, saying that the ceremony sur rounding the event reminded him of the Old Testament of the Bible. “We have drunk from wells. we did not dig,” he said, con gratulating those who devoted their time and effort to the pro ject. Sorensen then concluded the event with what he called a “rousing” cheer of “Go Gamecocks,” which cued a recorded version of “2001.” Smoke billowed as the tarp slid off the sign for the Colonial Center. After a smattering of po lite applause, the crowd began to disperse. While the naming itself is es sentially a done deal, USC stu dents had different opinions of the change. Amy Walker, a first-year ♦ CENTER, SEE PAGE 2 Bringing the past to life through art McKissick Museum exhibits illustrations from late art professor Tom Feelings’ ‘The Middle Passage’ BY KEVIN FELLNER AND BETH EWOLDSEN THE GAMECOCK USC might have lost one of its most-renowned art profes sors with the death of Tom Feelings in August, but his il lustrations are continuing his presence on campus. McKissick Museum is fea turing an exhibit through December on the work of Feelings, who died at age 70. He retired in 1996 after working with USC for 12 years. The exhibit specifically fo cuses on selected illustrations from his 1995 book, “The Middle Passage.” The book’s 50 draw ings, which are neither titled nor accompanied by specific commentary, depict the lives of slaves aboard trading ships and are known the world over for their distinctly African themes. PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK The exhibit features African-themed works depicting the lives of slaves aboard trading ships. The exhibit, which has trav eled throughout the U.S. and Canada, has returned to USC as a memorial to the former USC professor. , “As much as these images are harrowing, they are also beautiful and moving,” said Kwame Dawes, USC English professor and Feelings’ friend. Dawes, who is known for his po etry volumes, eulogized Feelings at a memorial service in his honor. The exhibit’s curator, Jason Shaiman, said he worked close ly with Feelings on much of it before his death. “He did not kind of tiptoe around the story that really took place,” Shaiman said about Feelings’ works depicting slave ♦ FEELINGS, SEE PAGE 2 Sniper suspect trial gets under way BY MATTHEW BARAKAT THE ASSOCIATED PRESS # VIRGINIA BEACH, VA. - John Allen Muhammad entered inno cent pleas Tuesday as the death penalty trial of the sniper suspect got under way a year after a series of deadly shootings terrified the Washington area. Muhammad, 42, pleaded inno cent to capital murder and firearms charges. He initially re mained silent when asked a rou tine question by Circuit Judge LeRoy F. Millette Jr., but later an swered after whispering with an attorney. Muhammad told Millette he un derstood the charges and that he was ready for the trial. “I’m prepared for it, yes,” he said. The case, which is expected to last up to six weeks, was moved some 200 miles out of metropoli tan Washington to this southeast ern Virginia city after defense lawyers argued that every north ern Virginia resident could be considered a victim because the shootings made them afraid. ♦ SNIPER, SEE PAGE 2 ■■■■■■■■■■■■■Ml r