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zssasssr WEDNESDAY, april 28,2004 ^ssss House modifies 'LIFE calculations Changes in scholarship’s GPA rule might affect S. C. college students BY ALEXIS STRATTON THE (IAMECOCK The LIFE Scholarship faces changes in GPA calculations that will potentially affect some USC and South Carolina students. Under the new legislation, re cipients of the LIFE Scholarship ^ will be judged by their GPAs * from all South Carolina institu tions, rather than their USC GPA only, as had been the practice. The alteration will apply to all South Carolina students begin ning fall 2004. Cindy Peachy, assistant direc tor for scholarships and state pro grams at USC, said that the modi fications could have both positive and negative effects on students. “Students who did very well at one institution and then came here and didn’t do very well” could now receive the scholarship if the previous institution’s GPA raised their overall GPA, she said. Students eligible for the LIFE Scholarship “may potentially lose the scholarship" if their pre vious GPAs are poor, Peachy said. State Sen. Thomas Moore, D Aiken, said he received “numer ous calls over the last several years” from constituents re questing such a change, which was passed with the Life Sciences Bill. “It just seemed to me to be punitive because students who maintain a 3.0 regardless of what institution” should be eligible for the scholarship, he said. Moore said he felt the intent of the LIFE Scholarship was to re ward students who maintained a 3.0 GPA. “I think ultimately it will help students,” he said. “It’s not like this has been a surprise. A lot of senators have had calls” from stu dents seeking this sort of change. Moore said that although the new requirements should be im plemented this fall, if schools need time adjusting to the new calcula tions, the implementation might be pushed back to December. The new application of the scholarship to non-USC schools might also help students fulfill the 30-hour-per-year course load re quirement. LIFE Scholarship funds will be applicable to sum mer sessions at all South Carolina institutes of higher education, meaning that students can take extra courses over the summer at schools of their choice. “It’s a change for the better be cause people will get out of school faster,” first-year biology student Latoya Epps said. “People will be going to school all year round and Comments on this story? E-mail gamecocknews@gwm.sc. edu Sign.here PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK Signs from such groups as the College Republicans and Cocktails are often torn down across from the Russell House. Angered students speak out against sign vandalism BY JACOB DAVIS j THE (iAMKCOCK Recent vandalism of banners on Greene Street and in USC buildings has members of some student organizations upset over what they perceive as guerilla cen sorship. Student groups can reserve space on the brick wall opposite the Russell House to display their posters and signs, advertising ev erything from meeting times to slogans. Some signs don’t last be cause of weather exposure, but of ten there is another explanation for some signs’ disappearance. The groups that advertise on Greene Street are diverse. A quick glance along the wall reveals posters from the Alumni Association and Campus Crusade , For Christ, among others. Groups affected by the vandal ism range from political organi zations like the College I IT A Republicans to performance groups like USC’s Cocktails fe male a cappella group. Randy Dargan, chairman of the College Republicans and a second-year ho tel, restaurant and tourism man agement student, explained how hard-hit his organization has been by banner vandalism in the past year. “In the past, we would make a paper banner for College Republicans for different events,” Dargan said. “The longest amount of time any paper sign stayed up was four or five hours.” He said the College Republicans finally broke down and spent $150 on a vinyl banner and locks to keep it in place. That sign lasted a few months before it was torn down, he said. Dargan said he sus pects left-wing students are tear ing down the signs to spite the Republican Party. ♦ VANDALISM, SEE PAGE 3 Big bang ; PHOTO BY JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK Julia Llcata, a graduate student In percussion, performs during a USC Percussion Ensemble recital Tuesday night In the School of Music Recital Hall. Beasley to speak, campaign BY WES WOLFE THEOAMECOCK Former Gov. David Beasley will bring his U.S. Senate cam paign to USC tonight, speaking during a meeting of the USC College Republicans at 7 p.m. in Calcott201. “It’s going to be our last meet ing, and we’re offering free pizza and we’re expecting a large crowd,” USC College Republican chairman and second-year hotel, restaurant and tourism manage ment student Randy Dargan said. Beasley campaign spokesman Randy Page said Beasley’s plan encompasses issues that are of concern to all voters, including college students. “The issues that are con fronting students are many of the same issues that are confronting people out there in their every day lives,” Page said. Page said Beasley has a signif icant record on education. “I know of a number of the things he did in the education realm as far as the Education Accountability Act,” Page said. “When he served in the South Carolina House of Representatives he was chairman of the House Education Committee. As far as one of the biggest things he did for higher education as governor was to in troduce the LIFE Scholarship plan, which has been taken ad vantage of by thousands of South Carolina students.” But the former governor’s plan and his record do not go over well with USC Young Democrats President and fourth-year politi cal science student Craig Swaisgood. “I don’t care about Beasley, re ally,” Swaisgood said. “I don’t un derstand how someone like David Beasley can think he’s good for our state in 2004 when he was so ♦ BEASLEY, SEE PAGE 3 Reading between the lines BY MARJORIE RIDDLE THE GAMECOCK USC’s break between classes and exams might be “reading day” in name only. Third-year udtm J2K* * counting stu dent Liz Kornhoff said she will be dancing the night away at the beach to commemorate a special occasion. “Every other year, my birth day has been the last day of class, and my friends and I have made a tradition of going to the beach. So this year, we are going to the beach on reading day to celebrate my 21st birthday,” Komhoff said. Jennifer Aylward, a first-year nursing student, said her friends plan to spend reading day at Riverbanks Zoo. “I haven’t been in forever, „ „*■ since I was lit flo T Hnn’t have a big exam on Friday, so it’s just a free day to do some thing fun,” Aylward said. Third-year religious stuaies stuaent Mason Todd and his girlfriend are go ing to Nashville today for the 35th annual Gospel Music Association Dove awards and will be driving back most of ♦ READING DAY, SEE PAGE 3 PHOTO BY MORGAN FORD/THE GAMECOCK USC students Ann Hardman, left, and Maura Kurtz catch some ; rays after finishing their senior thesis. Reading day Is Thursday: Lights, camera and a piece of the action BY JUSTIN CHAPPELL THE GAMECOCK The movie business has been producing films in Louisiana in stead of South Carolina because it’s cheaper, but the S.C. Legislature is hammering out a tax incentive plan with hopes that it will turn some of the spot light toward South Carolina. “Louisiana has taken a very ag gressive (tax incentive) stance, and South Carolina was losing a large portion of its market share,” said State Rep. Harry Limehouse, R-Charleston Co., who introduced the bill to the House of Representatives in March. “The goal of the bill is to regain our market share of films being made in the country and become a leading state through tax in centives,” the congressman said. The bill, the Motion Picture Incentive Act, would give pro duction companies that choose the state as a shooting site a 7-per cent rebate on production costs and a 5-percent employment tax rebate if the company spends $1 million or more in one year, as well as assistance in finding pro duction locations. “You have to give some type of incentive to entice industry or production companies to come into the state,” said state Rep. J. Anne Parks, D-Greenwood, who also sponsors the bill. The act would create a film foundation to solicit donations; give the South Carolina Film Commission 13 percent of the col lected Admissions Tax; and pro mote collaboration between state educational institutions and mo tion picture entities. “We think this bill will place us in a good position,” Limehouse said. ♦ »Ug SfiEfAflBBe incentive is I .Inside use Students SEEPAGES on air in radifrforum. FOR ♦ FALL FORECAST David Stagg gives his predictions for next semester. FOR MORE down SEE PAGE 8 MORE ♦FESTIVAL FRENZY Summer events celebrate food, flowers and affordable fun. FOR MORE SEE PAGE 9 ♦ TEAR THE TERRIERS USC baseball team takes on Wofford at Sarge Frye Wednesday. FOR MORE SEE PAGE 12 Index The Gamecock is printed on Comics and Crossword 11 Online Poll 8 recycled paper Classified JA Police Report_ 2 H°roscoPes_“ Entertainment News_2 visit us online at Letters to the Editor 8 USC Calendar 2 www dajlygamecocltcom