The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, November 21, 2003, Image 1
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.
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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