University of South Carolina T7'T)TT_'\ /\\7^ C17 I YA X? XT' T) 1 TAA/1 VoL 98, No. 28
www.dailygamecock.com -T 1 VJlJiLiX I, Z UU^T Since 1908
IN THIS ISSUE
j + NEWS
T Outdated
e-mail warns of
possible draft
Neither Bush nor Kerry
have voiced any support
of proposed draft
legislation.
Page 3
Catch a ride to
weekend game
USC Parking Services
will offer transportation
to football games
beginning Oct. 9.
Page 3
♦ VIEWPOINTS
USC can’t
have my digits
Erica Kolmin says the
university shouldn't
require students to
provide Social Security
numbers.
p Page 4
51 II ^
♦THE MIX
Primary colors
Campaign supporters
take to the streets in
politically themed
threads, sporting shirts
|>) and pins that showcase
party loyalty.
Page 5
\ ♦SPORTS
Tide looks to
answer QB
questions
The Gamecock sports
staff takes an in-depth
look at USC’s trip to
Alabama and their
strengths and
weaknesses.
Page 7
WEATHER
SAT.
High 86 High 87
Low 69 Low 63
FOR extended forecast, see PAGE 2.
INDEX
Comics and Crossword. 6
Classifieds. 9
Horoscopes. 6
Letters to the Editor.4
Online Poll..4
Police Report.2
\
DHEC restores Carolina Diner’s A rating
By TAYLOR SMITH
THE GAMECOCK
After three days of operation with a
red C printed on its door, the Bates
House Carolina Diner received an A
rating Wednesday, but the effects of the
temporary shutdown might be more far
reaching than the stomachs of USC
students.
According to Mike Scheffres, general
manager for Sodexho Food Services, said
the inspectors came at about 1 p.m.
Wednesday and spent 30 minutes
evaluating the changes they
recommended last Friday.
“If you are given an opportunity to
improve your grade, then you would be
foolish not to comply,” Scheffres said. “If
someone was not to react to the problems
cited, then it would certainly not send a
good message to DHEC.”
The recommendations were followed,
but the A on the door could stand for
USC’s agitation with Sodexho.
“We are insisting that this never
happen again,” said Helen Zeigler,
director of USC business affairs. “We will
be watching the situation closely.”
The C rating at the Carolina Diner
was the second poor rating in September,
which caught the attention of Sodexho,
the food management and services
provider that operates all the eating
establishments on campus.
“I have been here three years, and there
was only one incident... which was only a
B,” Zeigler said. “Because there wasn’t a
major change in rating and Sodexho took
quick steps to correct it, we didn’t have the
same level of concern as now.”
All campus restaurants are owned and
operated by Sodexho, which has
contractual control over its employees,
Zeigler said.
“The managers also took this very
hard,” Scheffres said. “They are
embarrassed about it and want the
restaurants to be successful.”
Scheffres said he plans to meet with
restaurant employees and managers to
implement some changes and insure that
problems would not happen again.
“We are developing opening and
closing checklists,” Scheffres said. “We
are also taking steps to make sure they are
followed.”
After the closing of the Carolina
Diner by USC during Parents Weekend,
Zeigler said she had planned having
“serious discussions” with Sodexho about
the problem.
Zeigler said discussions “have gone to
the highest level of Sodexho.”
“And if we aren’t getting any indication
that they are doing what we talked about,
then we will have further discussions.”
This week, Zeigler said some Sodexho
personnel came to campus and assured
USC officials the situation would never
happen again.
“I am just glad that Sodexho took
measures to bring back compliance with
♦ Please see BATES, page 3
~ ~ " ■.~~i
ELECTION 2004
-^ EOTonF' »w arr r'
PHOTOS BY JASON STEELMAN AND DALIA ALI/THE GAMECOCK
ABOVE: Young Democrats cheer on Kerry at Delaney’s Thursday night.
BELOW: College Republicans view the debate from co-chairman Randy
Dargan’s house in Five Points.
Students greet debate
with praise, criticism
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Students gathered around television
sets to rain hoots and cheers on
President Bush and Sen. John Kerry as
the candidates debated the president’s
decision to invade Iraq in their first
face-ofFThursday.
Conservative students gathered in
Five Points at the home of Randy
Dargan, co-chairman of USC College
Republicans, to support Bush as the
president extolled the virtues of his
administration.
Bush’s pledge to continue pursuing
terrorists drew the loudest applause.
“I think the president did a great job
staying 'on message and staying
composed,” Dargan said. “He was clear
about our mission in Iraq, and he
stayed true to his plan to stay the
course.”
' Also in Five Points were members of
the USC Young Democrats, who
packed Delaney’s Music Pub in
support of Kerry.
For the duration of the debate, loud
hisses and boos greeted Bush’s
comments, while the crowd clapped
and cheered whenever Kerry responded
to a question.
“I think that Kerry did a really good
job in spelling out his vision for
America, and unlike Bush, didn’t use
little catch phrases,” said Debbie
Parker, a fourth-year public relations
student.
Jennifer De Vita, a fourth-year
sociology student, said she was
unimpressed with Bush’s responses
during the 90-minute debate.
“I think that Bush did what he
always does — reiterating the same
thing over and over again,” she said.
Members of the Association of
African American Students gathered to
watch the debate in a northeast
Columbia home.
“Watching the debate has
strengthened my decision because I
realized how much of an imbecile our
president has been when considering
the war,” said Mark Richard, a third
year history and English student. “I
think we need a new president with a
new strategy.”
Justin Williams, former AAA S
president, said he also supports Kerry.
“I want to know why people are
supporting Bush,” he said. “What is it
about him that people want to put back
in office?”
AAAS members also cited that
Osama bin Laden is still on the loose,
evidence, they said, that Bush’s
attention to Saddam Hussein was
unjustified. And when Bush said in the
debate that he didn’t want to bring
U.S. troops home from the Middle
East until the allied objectives were
completed, many students questioned
what those objectives are.
The students also said Bush
♦ Please see DEBATE, page 3
Bush, Kerry
clash in first
of 3 debates
By TERENCE HUNT
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — Sen.
John Kerry accused President Bush
Thursday night of a “colossal error
in judgment" by ordering the
invasion of Iraq. “The world is
better off without Saddam
Hussein," the president shot back
in the campaign debate, adding his
rival once said so himself.
“I agree with him," the
president added sarcastically,
emphasizing his campaign’s
contention that Kerry is prone to
flip-flops.
In a 50-minute debate
dominated by a war -that has
claimed more than 1,000 American
lives, Kerry called the conflict a
diversion in the broader struggle
♦ Please see CLASH, page 3
Construction worker suspended for entering dorm
By JUSTIN CHAPURA
THE GAMECOCK
• A contractor has suspended one of
its construction workers after he
entered a student apartment in
DeSaussure on Wednesday without
permission.
Chris Odell, a crane operator
employed through Midwest
Maintenance, was suspended for a
week while his employers decide what
• to do about him, said Junior Howlord,
foreman of the construction team
replacing DeSaussure College’s roof.
“He wasn’t told to enter the room;
he was looking for an electrical outlet,”
Howlord said.
Representatives from Midwest
Maintenance were unavailable for
comment.
“It was a mistake on his part. He
wasn’t paying attention,” Howlord said.
“He thought he had walked into a lobby.”
Third-year accounting and
international business student Megan
Moxie said she returned to her room
from class at 10 a.m. Wednesday
morning and found a cord plugged
into her hallway socket and running
out of the back door, which was
propped open. Her roommate,
pharmacy graduate student Wyatt
Adams, said she locked the door earlier
V
that morning before going to class.
Third-year political science student
Liz Keller, who also lives in the
apartment, said leaving the door open
could have endangered them.
“Anyone could have walked in and
stolen things from the apartment. I
was asleep when it happened, and I
feel violated knowing that a stranger
came in without any clearance to do
so,” Keller said.
The residents contacted Horseshoe
Residence Hall Director Shane Hart
and David Northan, project manager
for the DeSaussure renovations. Both
administrators were unavailable for
comment.
Housing Director Gene Luna said
he was informed of the incident
Wednesday.
Luna said the project manager
group is responsible for enforcing
policies regarding worker behavior,
but that there is a protocol for what
construction workers can and cannot
do.
“Construction workers are not
allowed to talk to students or enter
residence halls unescorted,” Luna said.
“Anything like die incident Wednesday
gets the worker removed immediately
from the job he was doing.”
♦ Please see DESAUSSURE, page 3
HHr I 1
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Carolina wide receiver
Tim “Pops” Frisby makes a
catch during warmups before
Saturday’s game.
rrisby
catches
limelight
By MICHAEL LaFORGIA
THE GAMECOCK
Tim Frisby is not like the other
receivers on USC’s football team, and
that’s why Paramount Pictures wants
to make a movie about him.
The NCAA cleared Frisby, a 39
year-old father of six and former Army
Ranger, last week after poring over 20
year-old Pennsylvania high school
records to determine his eligibility.
While Frisby, a first-year electronic
journalism student, saw playing time
in the final minutes against Troy last
week, he finished with no catches.
But since the NCAA cleared him,
Frisby’s story has sparked a media
frenzy. He appeared on the “Late Show
with David Letterman” Thursday
night alongside John Travolta and
Pearl Jam. He has also given interviews
to more than 100 broadcasters and
♦ Please see POPS, page 3
MENINGITIS
Vaccine
turnout
lower than
expected
3y ALEXIS STRATTON
fflE GAMECOCK
Despite the recent meningitis case, fewer
tudents are getting immunized than
rhomson Student Health Center officials
aid they had hoped.
Although the health center planned
attended hours to accommodate students’
teeds, only a handful of students took
idvantage of them Tuesday, said Bill Hill,
lirector of USC health services. The health
tenter returned to normal hours
Wednesday.
“I admit I'm a little disappointed," Hill
aid. “Although it’s rare, students who live
n residence halls ... are at moderately
ncreased risk for the illness, and the vaccine
s one of the real protections we have.”
Hill said about 450 students received the
mmunization Sept. 20 and that the health
enter screened about 1,400 students for
intibiotic treatment, administering it to
tbout 1,000 students.
Hill warned that the antibiotic treatment
s a “one time shot for a one-time exposure”
♦ Please see VACCINE, pafcc 3