sssxsssssr_FRIDAY, march 26,2004_ VolSm
Sir, say cheese, sir
PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK
The Navy ROTC took pictures for Its yearbook in front of Barnwell College on Thursday’s bright and sunny afternoon.
Students discuss death penalty
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BY MARIA CHARLES
THE (IAMBCOCK
Last week’s execution of David
Clayton Hill, a Georgetown man
convicted of murdering
Georgetown’s assistant police
chief Spencer Guerry, is bringing
to light the debate over the moral
ity of capital punishment.
Hill was executed at Broad
River Correctional Institution on
Friday.
It was the 29th execution in the
state since 1976 but will not be the
last to occur this year. On the
same day as Hill’s execution, the
state courts announced an April
16 execution date for Jerry
Bridwell McWee, a former
Augusta police officer, who was
convicted for the 1991 murder of
an Aiken convenience store
clerk.
Before Hill’s death by lethal in
jection, the defense argued the
method by which S.C. adminis
ters lethal injection is cruel and
inhumane. The inmate receives
a sedative followed by two other
drugs, one that paralyzes muscles
and can stop breathing and the
other, potassium chloride, which
stops the heart.
Citing evidence from autop
sies, the defense for Hill said
about half of the prisoners exe
cuted by lethal injection in the
past 10 years did not receive
enough sedative. Therefore, the
inmate is still conscious while the
second drug inhibits the muscles.
In effect, the prisoner suffocates,
which the defense argued was a
cruel way to die. The state attor
ney general’s office disputed this
claim with a statement from the
state toxicologist who said levels
of sedative in the blood can be al
tered during the time it takes the
inmate to die. South Carolina
started using lethal injection in
1995.
The controversy surrounding
Hill’s death, and the impending
execution of Me Wee has some up
in arms over the death penalty.
USC Political Science professor
Tom Durkin taught a section of
Controversies in American
Politics that focused on capital
punishment. According to
Durkin, the argument Hill’s
lawyers used is extremely popu
lar.
“It is seen as a way to slow
down the process to where the
process looks increasingly ludi
crous,” he said.
But should the process exist at
♦ EXECUTION, SEE PAGE 2
Group wants to help student governments
PHOTO BY MICHAEL LAFORGIA/THE GAMECOCK
USC President Andrew Sorensen speaks at the Student
Government Induction ceremony at Rutledge Chapel March 17.
BY ASHLEE RICKARD
TilK CAMECOCK
The American Student
Government Association was or
ganized this winter for the pur
pose of assisting student gov
ernments at universities and col
leges from across the country.
ASGA has 100 founding mem
bers representing 30 different
states.
The professional association
is a networking resource for stu
dent governments and allows
leaders to access a database of
other student governments from
around the nation. Their Web
site also provides resources such
as links and articles helpful to
student government officials.
Oxendine Publishing, the
publishers behind the popular
magazine “Student Leader,”
started ASGA to “help student
governments grow, improve and
connect.”
“ASGA is all about student
governments — period. Simply
put, ASGA is the most incredi
ble resource for student govern
ment leaders ever created,” said
Brian Oxendine, founder of
ASGA and editor in chief of
“Student Leader.”
Oxendine asserted that stu
dent governments are most ef
fective when networked with
other student governments. By
being knowledgeable of the
workings student governments
all over the nation, each can
♦ RESOURCE, SEE PAGE 2
Wellness office to sponsor body image programs
MARJORIE I. RIDDLE
SPECIAL TO THE HAM ECOCK
USC students can get help with
frustrating diets and overall
health issues this week at the
Strom Thurmond Wellness &
Fitness Center as part of Body
Image Awareness Week.
Beginning Monday, the
Campus Wellness Office will
sponsor programs on health top
ics including eating disorders,
stress relievers and nutrition in
formation.
According to Wellness office of
ficials, one major problem for col
lege students is lack of calcium,
an important part of a healthy
diet, can lead to osteoporosis. The
recommended daily intake of cal
cium for a college-age woman is
1000 mg a day. A measurement of
bone density can show warnings
of osteoporosis.
The Wellness office is offering
bone density screenings for $10
on Monday in Russell House 205
from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“It’s like a foot bath,” said
Mary Ellen Ramos, Campus
Wellness graduate assistant.
“You put your foot on this bath,
and they send an electric shock
through your heel, and they’ll get
your reading.”
Those with low readings can
see a doctor for a full bone density
scan.
In addition, a Mind, Body, and
Spirit Fair will take place on
Greene Street from 11 a.m. to 3
p.m. on Tuesday.
In an effort to solicit blood do
nations, Greek Life will work
with Campus Wellness on a Blood
â–º IMAGE, SEE PAGE 2
Group asks
lawmakers
for funding
BY GREG WEBSTER
TIIKCAMECOCK
More than 100 USC alumni, stu
dents and friends of the university
made their way to the capitol
Wednesday to convince lawmak
ers to give higher education more
money.
As the group marched past the
200-year-old oaks on the State
House lawn and onto the marble
floored lobby of the state legisla
ture they continued to echo the
importance of funding higher ed
ucation, especially for USC.
Among those presenting ideas
to lawmakers was Marsha Cole,
executive director of the newly es
tablished Carolina Action
Network.
“We are hoping that the alumni
can serve as a bridge between our
elected officials and the expertise
that we have at the university,”
she said. “Who better than the ed
ucated people of the state of South
Carolina to be talking about what
ought to be happening with their
government?”
Standing in the State House lob
by, the group was met by numer
ous state senators and represen
tatives, including Rep. Joel
Lourie, D-Columbia.
“I think it’s exciting and very
important that the USC alumni
family come to the State House to
advocate for the university,” he
said. “When you look out here you
see.people from every county of
South Carolina in every profes
sion and that the legislators make
a connection and see that they are
a large influential group that is
here on behalf of the university.”
A USC graduate, Lourie ex
pressed the importance of funding
higher education.
“We’ve got difficult budget
times, and decisions have to be
made ... but even in tough eco
nomic times, education is some
thing that can’t be sacrificed,” he
said.
The network’s lobbyist, Shirley
Mills, expressed her satisfaction
with the influence of the event and
♦ LOBBYING, SEE PAGE 2
PHOTO BY BOND NICKLES/USC MEDIA RELATIONS
Alumni Director Marsha Cole gives an interview during the
Carolina Action Network rally at the State House.
BY MICHAEL LAFORGIA
Til K (lAMKOOCK
Timothy Kearns, who was
charged with kidnapping and sex
ual assault after an incident on
campus last April, pled guilty in
Richland County Court last week
and was sentenced to 10 years in
prison.
The court ordered Kearns to reg
ister with the S.C. Sexual Offender
Registry upon his release.
The USC Police Department is
sued a safety alert in October to no
tify students that someone match
ing Kearns’ description had been
spotted on or near campus, and the
chance of meeting the 6-foot-4,250
pound man on a campus street had
several students worried.
According to USCPD Director
Ernie Ellis, instances of aggravat
ed assault at USC are rare.
USCPD originally arrested
Kearns for assault after receiving
a call from a passing student. Ellis
said community involvement
plays a big part in keeping the
campus safe. “This case came to
fruition because of the communi
ty’s support,” he said.
Ellis said students helped police
foil an escaping criminal in a re
cent burglary case.
“A safe community is that way
because of community involve
ment,” he said.
According to the sex offender
registry, there are 310 sex offend
ers, 303 men and 7 women, living in
the Columbia area. Crimes that
land offenders in the registry range
from indecent exposure to criminal
sexual conduct with a minor.
Comments on this story? E-mail
gamecocknews@gwm.sc.edu
1 *1
.Irtside
..
‘RUfffTOlGWOMAN Women in law
Bnsor-Sk mn/walk. FOR MORE SEE
AGE 2 &
* SOUP David Stagg
r lAmre's otHUWn with
acronyms. FOR MORE SEE PAGE 4
♦ STAMPEDE E-mail stamps would be a
bad idea. FOR MORE SEE PAGE 4
♦ GOING PEACES Use the Internet to plot
your next road trip. FOR MORE SEE PAGE 5
♦ THE RAZOR’S EDGE Baseball team set
to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. FOR
MORE SEE PAGE 8
♦ FENG SHUI Football team arrages itself
in new roles. FOR MORE SEE PAGE 8
i—irn iwiiimiii irn
Index
Comics and Crossword 7 Online Poll 4
Classified__ 10 Police Report 2
Horoscopes 7 Entertainment News 2
Letters to the Editor 4 USC Calendar 2
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