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www.dailygamecock.com _FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2003_ - Since 1908 .Date-rape drug found in dorm BY ALEXIS BASS THE GAMECOCK A USC student was arrested Monday for drug trafficking after USC police officers discovered more than a pound ofjamma hydroxybutyric acid, commonly known as a date-rape drug, in his room in Columbia Hall. After receiving a call from ^ someone who claimed to have Q seen drug paraphernalia in Matthew Willi’s room, officers Michael Gooding, Jesse Simmons and Latane Brewster responded and arrested Willi for drug traf ficking after finding 19 ounces of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid in his room. The drug is colorless and odor less and can be in liquid, powder or capsule form. The drug’s pri mary effect is on the central ner vous system and ranges anywhere from extreme relaxation to a coma. Willi, a journalism student, could not be reached for com ment. Marcy Hill, a third-year ac counting student and Columbia Hall resident, said she had heard nothing of the drug bust. “There should have been a meeting here to tell us what hap pened,” Hill said. Many Columbia Hall residents seemed to be in the same situation as Hill. One female resident, who would not give her name, said she thought the drug bust didn’t real ly affect her. She said it was a harmless offense that has been dealt with. Ernie Ellis, director of law en forcement and safety for USCPD, said the amount of the drug dis covered in Willi’s room was the largest quantity found in a while. The drug, which has recently be come more popular, can be made from home-brew recipes readily available on the Internet. With about 8,000 people living on campus, Ellis said he urges stu dents to be alert for items that seem suspicious and out of place in a dorm room. He said drugs such as gamma-hydroxybutyric pose seri ous threats to the student body. Comments on this story?E-mail gamecockudesk@hotmail.com TIGERBURN’S PAST —I ml M'in . M I ii 11 in iiiiiiiiii—■ — ■ FILE PHOTO/THE GAMECOCK Students have been participating in Tigerburn for more than 100 years. ♦ FOR SPECIAL CAROLINA CLEMSON COVERAGE, SEE PAGE S Burning the tiger How a riot started one of USC’s traditions Z'ANNE COVELL THE GAMECOCK Carolina Productions will torch a 15-foot tall, 8-foot-wide papi er-mache tiger Q tonight, continuing a 101-year-old USC tradition. According to university archives, the first Tigerbum was a desperate attempt to prevent the rivalry from causing bloodshed. In the 1902 game, Carolina de feated Clemson 12-8, marking Carolina’s first victory against Clemson since the teams’ inaugu ral game in 1896. The same day of the win, a lo cal Columbia tobacco merchant I displayed a transparency illus trating a crowing gamecock over a battered tiger in front of his store. Elated Carolina students marched the banner up and down Main Street, gloating over their triumph as a wav to re taliate against Clemson stu dents, who marched through Columbia with garnet and black cloth around their _ i_ „ rx OliU&O UUU1 their previous wins against Carolina. Carolina students planned to carry the banner in the Elks pa rade the next day. Clemson stu dents swore they would steal the banner if it were part of the parade. Following this threat, Columbia authorities requested that the If You’re Going WHAT: Tigerbum WHERE: In front of the Colonial Center WHEN: 6 p.m. Carolina students not parade the banner, but the students refused. Carolina students carried the banner in the parade, and about 400 Clemson students advanced on the Horseshoe armed with sabers and bayonets on a mission to seize the banner. But 30 Carolina students were armed with pis tols and rifles and were ready to defend the banner. 13. gunshots could be fired, police ar rived and a joint committee of fac ulty members and students from both colleges was created for peaceful negotiations. The committee decided to bum the banner, which was responsible ♦ TIGER BURN, SEE PAGE 3 DECISION 2004 , PHOTOS BY MORGAN FORD AND JAMES TOLBERT/THE GAMECOCK Democratic presidential candidates Carol Moseley Braun, left, and the Rev. Al Sharpton speak at separate events at USC on Thursday. Candidates are scurrying for votes before the primary. Candidates visit USC Democrats looking for votes as S.C. primary looms BY MICHAEL LAFORGIA AND WES WOLFE THE GAMECOCK Campus organizations brought Democratic presidential candidates A1 Sharpton and Carol Moseley Braun to USC on Thursday in separate events that reaffirm South Carolina's impor tance on the national campaign trail. For his part, however, Sharpton momentarily put his campaign concerns aside to em phasize the importance of voting. Speaking in the Russell House Theater, Sharpton said students’ votes can have a direct effect on their lives. The situation in Iraq, he said, is a good example. “The people who are paying the price are your age,” Sharpton said. "They’ve been moved around in Washington like pieces on some checkerboard.” Sharpton said the United States should never have taken action in the Middle East and that young people need to band together to oust Bush in the com ing election. And, according to Sharpton, there’s nothing wrong with dis agreeing with Bush’s policies. “There’s a difference between disagreeing with the president and loving our troops,” Sharpton said. Sharpton said the most impor tant reason students should reg ister to vote is because recent leg islation such as the Patriot Act infringes on Americans’ rights. “Why vote? We are in a time when we are seeing an unravel ing of civil liberties and civil rights in this country,” Sharpton said. He added that he’d appreciate students’ votes in the upcoming presidential election and that he was confident. “If Schwarzenegger can be governor, I can be president and prime minister of England at the same time,” he said. He then passed out voter reg istration forms to a handful of au dience members, who filled out the forms on the stage. “How do you do voter regis tration? Same way you eat fried chicken: one bite at a time,” he said. Sharpton also took time to an swer questions on the national • antidrug campaign, education, negative TV ads, the death penal ty and the Confederate flag. Sharpton came in response to an invitation by the South Carolina Young Democrats. “Reverend Sharpton is really good at connecting the dots for people,” said Katie Fowler, a Presbyterian College graduate and chairwoman of the S.C. Young Democrats. “I’m just so excited that every candidate is coming.” Meanwhile, former ambas sador Moseley-Braun’s appear ance at the USC Law School marked the third time a Democratic presidential candi date has appeared at the law school this year. U.S. Sen. John Edwards, D-N.C., and retired Gen. Wesley Clark spoke earlier this year in front of overflow crowds. The event was sponsored by the Law School Democrats, ♦ CANDIDATES, SEE PAGE 4 Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity under suspension for drug use BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE GAMECOCK USC’s Sigma Phi Epsilon, one of the largest Greek organiza tions on campus, has been sus pended by the fraternity’s na tional organization because of charges related to drug arrests, halting its activities on campus. USC Spokesman Russ McKinney said the national or ganization suspended the chap ter’s charter, and although the organization has indicated to USC the suspension might be lift ed, McKinney said the fraternity looks as if it will be suspended in definitely. Sigma Phi Epsilon’s national office could not be reached for comment. The State newspaper reported Thursday that the office lifted its suspension this week. McKinney said that USC has told the national organization that if it ever lifts its suspension, USC would immediately begin its own suspension process. “It’s something that’s of a very serious nature that the universi ty is very concerned about,” McKinney said. “The university continues to watch the suit very closely.” The suspension of a student organization has many ramifica tions. Jerry Brewer, director of Student Life, said a suspended or ganization loses all rights and privileges to meet as an organi zation and loses funding, re served space on campus and the right to participate as an organi zation in intramural sports. Brewer said he has asked for the national organization to in form him in writing of any deci sions to lift the suspension. If that ♦ SUSPENSION, SEE PAGE 4 index Comics and Crossword 9 Classifieds 12 Horoscopes 9 Letters to the Editor _ 6 ^ Online Poll 6 Police Report 2 Weather TODAY SATURDAY ... • - High 75 High 76 Low 43 Low 48 In This Issue ♦ NEWS A USC software developer lets students dissect digital animals. Page 2 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Joey Oppermann says protester Brett Bursey is a political prisoner. Page 6 ♦ THE MIX Learn how to make holiday sweets that will impress Grandma. Page 7 ♦ SPORTS USC will play host to the SEC volleyball tournament this weekend. Page 10 « Film tries to capture 100 games of rivalry BY JOCELYN MEYER THE GAMECOCK The Carolina-Clemson rivalry dates back more than 100 years and has many stories that go along with the game. In commemoration of this tradition, film producers Jeff Sumerel and Chris White released a film last year titled “Bragging Rights,” which was shown in the Russell House Theater this week in anticipation of Saturday’s game. The last screening of the documen tary will be held tonight at 8 p.m. In 1893, S.C. Gov. Ben “Pitchfork” Tillman called then South Carolina University a “pitiful disgrace.” Tillman then started a campaign to es tablish Clemson College and provided $200,000 of tax money to start a new school. In 1896, the new Clemson football team challenged the South Carolina Jaguars to a game, starting a rivalry that has continued ever since. Sumerel, a Greenville film writer, and White, of Columbia, set out to pro duce a feature-length film that illus trates the story behind this rivalry, along with the coaches and players who ♦ MOVIE, SEE PAGE 4 A PHOTO BY KATIE KIRKLAND/THE GAMECOCK Lauren Cowles, a first-year early childhood education student, and Wright Culpepper, a first year biology student, wait to watch “Bragging Rites”in the Russell House Theater. t. f