www.dailygamecock.com WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 6,2004 v"L9sLT,m
IN THIS ISSUE
passes away
Famed comic and
movie star Rodney
Dangerfield passed
away from heart
problems.
Page 2
♦ NEWS
Panel discusses
Patriot Act
Media Arts department
sponsors a presentation
of “The Price of
Freedom" by visiting
filmmaker Chip Duncan.
Page 4
♦ VIEWPOINTS
Put a face on
^our grades
Curtis Chow says lISC
should replace its letter
grading system with
instant messenger
smiley faces.
Page 7
♦ THE MIX
Jam band has
classic sound
Southern California
band Ten Mile Tide rolls
into Columbia with a
sound that mixes classic
rock with jam band cool.
Page 9
|
♦ SPORTS
Soccer squads
half way home
Jake Broom and Matt
Nagy recap the first
half of the men’s and
women’s soccer,
seasons and preview
what’s still to come.
Page 12
WEATHER
♦ TODAY ♦ WED.
High 73 High 77
Low 55 Low 49
FOR EXTENDED FORECAST. SEE PAGE 2.
INDEX
Comics and Crossword.J. 1
Classifieds.14
Horoscopes.11
Letters to the Editor.7
Online Poll.7
Police Report.2
1 i
DeMint visits Russell House
■ Senate candidate
doesn’t address comment
that gays shouldn’t teach
By TAYLOR SMITH
THE GAMECOCK
About 60 USC students packed into a
room of the Russel] House to hear
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jim
DeMint and former U.S. House Majority
Leader Dick Armey talk about social
security.
DeMint spoke just one day after his
debate with Democratic candidate Inez
Tenenbaum, when he said gays should not
be allowed to teach in public schools.
DeMint did not speak about his
controversial comment or take questions.
Student Government President
Zachery Scott, who is gay, attended the
news conference so he could ask DeMint
to clarify his statement.
“I know in a debate you can say things
off the top of your head and it not come
out right,” Scon said, “He had the
opportunity to retract that and he has not,
so I don’t think that is the case.”
Scott said he felt DeMint’s statement
was like “trying to divide South Carolina
likeitwas 1964 instead of2004.”
“I think that most South Carolinians
will agree that being a dedicated teacher
has nothing to do with being male or
female, black or white, Democrat or
Republican, gay or straight. And I think a
man of his credentials should know better
than to say something like that,” Scon
said.
DeMint did use the 20-minute news
conference with the USC College
Republicans to discuss the “ailing” Social
Security system and DeMint’s proposed
plan for fixing it.
“It is very important right now,” said
Randy Dargan, co-chairman of the USC
College Republicans. “Because it isn’t the
people who are about to get Social
♦ Please see DEMINT, page 6
SARAH ZILINSKY/THE GAMECOCK
Jim DeMint speaks about Social Security during Monday’s news
conference, as former GOP House leader Dick Armey looks on.
Students
question
fire drills'
necessity
By JON TURNER
THE GAMECOCK
USC’s fire marshal said complying
with fire drills can be a problem at an
institution that requires drills and is
plagued by false alarms.
Todd Griffin, a Columbia fire marshal
who is assigned to USC, said minor
accidents and false alarms could
contribute to the problem but, for the
most part, alarms serve a crucial role
acquainting USC students with
emergency evacuation procedures.
Matthew Roberts, a first-year
♦ Please see FIRE, page 5
HOMECOMING 2004
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NICK ESARES/THE GAMECOCK
Amy Buchanan-Feinberg, a fourth-year Spanish student, works on her make-up backstage at the Koger Center before the Carolina Showcase.
Behind the Showcase scenes
By LaDONNA BEEKER
THE GAMECOCK
The curtain was about to rise in USC’s
Homecoming Showcase, and backstage
the 10 finalists waited for their
introduction. They could hear fans yelling names
and cheering from the other side of the curtain.
The finalists wished each other luck while
waiting their turn to be introduced by USC
alumnus Darci Strickland to the judges and show
off their business attire. Most of the contestants
never participated in an event like the showcase,
so they found themselves deciding which outfit to
wear.
But most importantly, they were hoping the
judges liked the talents they displayed. The
finalists chose talents that were extracurricular
activities or speeches that were expected to
encourage the audience.
“I have danced all of my life, but never in this
context,” said Ginni Campbell, a Yourth-year
business student. Many finalists agreed with
Campbell when she said that although she
performed in front of an audience plenty of times,
this audience was different because it was full of
their classmates, friends and family.
The cheering from the audience was uplifting
for the contestants, they said.
“It was truly an unexpected boost of energy,”
said Cori Alston, second runner-up for King and
a fourth-year criminal justice student. After each
finalist completed the talent section of the
Showcase, they asked each other nervously if
anyone knew what the interview question would
be.
Tyler Jeffrey, a third-year advertising student
who was named Homecoming King, was the last
♦ Please see SHOWCASE, page 6
VICE PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
Cheney, Edwards clash on Iraq
By TOM RAUM
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Sen. John Edwards
accused the Bush administration Tuesday
night of bungling the war in Iraq and
presiding over a historic loss of jobs.
“Your facts are just wrong,” Vice
President Dick Cheney shot back in a
crackling campaign debate.
In a clash at close quarters, Edwards
accused Cheney of “not being straight”
with the American people about the war.
He said U.S. casualties are rising monthly
and the United States is bearing 90
percent of the cost and suffering 90
percent of the dead and wounded.
Cheney promptly challenged those
figures, saying the Iraqi security forces
had taken nearly half of the casualties.
“For you to demean their sacrifice is
beyond the pale,” he said to Edwards,
seated a few feet away.
“Oh, I’m not,” Edwards protested
before the vice president cut him off.
The debate format encouraged give
md-take, and neither the vice president
nor Sen. John Kerry’s running mate
shrank from the task.
“Frankly, senator, you have a record
that’s not very distinguished,” Cheney
said to the North Carolina lawmaker
after accusing him of a pattern of
absences in the Senate during his one
term.
Edwards summed up his points like
the former trial lawyer he is.
In a jab at the Bush-Cheney
campaign’s claim on experience, he said,
*Mr. Vice President, I don’t think the
country can take four more years of this
type of experience.”
He also said that as a member of
Congress more than a decade ago,
Cheney voted against Head Stan and
canning plastic guns that can escape
detection in metal detectors.
Edwards was on the attack from the
♦ Please s|e DEBATE, page 3
ycm*
“Frankly, senator, you
have a record that’s
not very
distinguished.”
DICK CHENEY
VICE PRESIDENT
“Mr. Vice President, I
don’t think the country
can take four more
years of his type of
experience.”
JOHN EDWARDS
VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE f
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