Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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unvw.tLtilygamecock.com MONDAY, NOVEMBER 8,2004 Since1908 IN THIS ISSUE ♦NEWS PLO leader holding on A senior aide to the Palestinian leader says •Arafat is not in a coma, but just “sleeping” and under strict observation. Page 3 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Cupid’s errant arrow Julian Malasi expounds upon the nature of asking out girls at Carolina. Page 5 ♦ THE MIX Instant communities Instant messaging has become a mainstream — mode of communication ®for college-aged America. Page 6 ♦ SPORTS Hog tied The Gamecock Sports staff breaks down the Gamecocks’ last minute win against Matt Jones and the Arkansas Razorbacks. Page 12 WEATHER ♦TODAY ♦TUESDAY High 71 High 59 Low 41 Low 35 FOR EXTENDED FORECAST. SEE PAGE 2. INDEX Comics and Crossword.8 Classifieds.10 Horoscopes.8 Letters to the Editor.5 Online Poll.5 Police Report.2 I * Board to eye field expansion ■ Committee asks for $3.1 million to build soccer-sized athletic fields, renovate Bates House walkway By TAYLOR SMITH STAFF WRITER The Building and Grounds committee of the USC Board of Trustees asked for $3.1 million Friday from USC’s budget to build three soccer size fields beside the Strom Thurmond Fitness & Wellness Center and renovate the walkway from Bates House and Bates West to Wheat Street. The project would take 18 months to build, putting the opening in the fall of 2006. While the majority of the $3.1 million would be used to build the intramural fields, Rick Kelly, vice president of Business and Finance, said part of the money would go toward the walkway upgrade, which includes viewing stations with solar-powered roofing for light during the evening, benches and restrooms for students usine the fields. “People are going to be able to stop and chat with other students or watch a lacrosse game,” Kelly said. Kelly said USC officials are applying for a grant to construct the roofing, but they are interested in adding plants to the walkway to make it more attractive. “We would have to do some light stuff and would have to test the structure to see how much weight it could put on,” Kelly said. “So much of what we do is trying to improve student life and a lot of that is aesthetics.” Board chairman Herbert Adams said officials had gradually taken away intramural fields, which “we were already lacking in spaces to begin with.” “Whether it is space for intramural football, baseball, or soccer we need that and all we can get,” Adams said. Some residents of Bates House, such as first-year mechanical engineering student James Wanstreet, said they think the changes to the walkway are appreciated, but “People are going to be able to stop and chat with other students or watch a lacrosse game.” RICK KELLY VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE other residents disagree. “It would be something that would be of some val ue, but it is not worth that much money,” said fourth year international business student Horia Basarabeanu, an RA for Bates House. “People are just passing by there, they are not there to watch stuff like that.” The fields, which Adams said can be used for any number of sports, makes him excited because it is green space and conjures memories of his time at USC when he played intramural sports. “It was a big activity then,” Adams said. “And the student body is three times as big as it was then, so I would say it is needed three times as much.” The plan also calls for some small renovations to the Blatt P.E. fields. In addition to the $3.1 million for the fields and walkway, the Building and Grounds committee also approved $360,000 for the ♦ Please see UPGRADE, page 3 ILLUSTRATIONS SPECIAL TO THE GAMECOCK Above: A graphical representation of South Campus, as it would be with the proposed expansion The project would cost $3.1 million, which would add three soccer-size fields and rennovate the Bates House walkway. Bottom left: Covered areas with solar paneled roofs would provide shade for spectators on the Bates House walkway. JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK West Quad opens after rough start ■ Students complain of false fire alarms, flooding By MICHAEL LaFORGIA THE GAMECOCK While officials on Saturday celebrated the opening of West Quad, USC’s environmentally friendly residence hall, students who live in the new “green” buildings say they had to endure erratic fire alarms, burst pipes and cat-calling construction workers as the project neared completion. Work began on the $30.9 million, 172,000 square-foot quad in 2002, and the hall houses about 500 undergraduate students in its first semester. JASON STEELMAN/THE GAMECOCK West Quad had its grand opening Saturday, though students have lived there since the beginning of the semester. “With West Quad, we’ve again positioned the University of South Carolina as a leader for the state and region on an important issue — sustainable development,” USC President Andrew Sorensen said in a news release. And USC Housing Director Gene Luna added: “Our goal is to raise our students* awareness of the importance of making decisions based on environmentally sound principles for economic and altruistic reasons and then putting those decisions into practice.” But Jessica Moody, who lives on the third floor of West Quad’s C building, said the residence hall has proven a hostile environment. ♦ Please see WEST QUAD, page 3 U. S. forces attack western parts ofFallujah By JIM KRANE THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NEAR FALLUJAH, Iraq — U.S. forces stormed into western districts of Fallujah early Monday, seizing the main city hospital and securing two key bridges over the Euphrates river in what appeared to be the first stage of the long-expected assault on the insurgent stronghold. An AC-130 gunship raked the city with 40 mm cannon fire as explosions from U.S. artillery lit up the night sky. Intermittent artillery fire blasted southern neighborhoods of Fallujah, and orange fireballs from high explosive airbursts could be seen above the rooftops. U.S. officials said the toughest fight was yet to come, when American forces enter the main part of the city on the east bank of the river, including the Jolan neighborhood where insurgent defenses are believed the strongest. The initial attacks on Fallujah began just hours after the Iraqi government declared 60 days of emergency rule throughout most of the country as militants dramatically escalated attacks, killing at least 30 people, including two Americans.* Dr. Salih al-Issawi, the head of Fallujah’s main hospital, said he had asked U.S. officers to allow doctors and ambulances go inside the main part of the city to help the wounded but they refused. There was no confirmation from the Americans. “The American troops’take over the hospital was not right because they thought that they would halt medical assistance to the resistance,” he said by telephone to a reporter inside the city. “But they did not realize that the hospital does not belong to anybody, especially thc^esistance.” The action began after sundown on the outskirts of the city, which has been sealed off by U.S. and Iraqi forces, and the minaret-studded skyline was lit up with huge flashes of light. Flares were dropped to illuminate targets, and defenders fought back with heavy machine gunfire. Flaming red tracer rounds streaked through the night sky from guerrilla positions inside the city, 40 miles west of Baghdad. Before the assault began, U.S. commanders warned troops to expect the most brutal urban fighting since the Vietnam War. Underscoring the instability elsewhere in Iraq, several heavy explosions thundered through the capital even as government spokesman Thair Hassan al-Naqeeb was announcing the state' of emergency, which applies throughout the country except for ♦ PItise see IRAQ, page 3 Alumnus' film to make debut at Russell House ■ Documentary focuses on life of champion boxer Emile Griffith By Z’ANNE COVELL THE GAMECOCK USC alumnus and filmmaker Qan Klores will premiere his new documentary “Ring of Fire” at the Russell House Theater today. The event will begin at 8 p.m. and is free and open to the public. A question-and-answer session will follow the screening. Klores’ film relates the life story of Emile Griffith, a six time welterweight and middleweight boxing champion, specifically exploring how his infamous welterweight championship fight with Benny “The Kid” Paret in 1962 affected both him and his career. Griffith and Paret both immigrated to America from the Caribbean and emerged from extreme poverty by excelling in a sport. “These were two young men that really reached the American drpam,” Klores said. “They were both great athletes and champions.” Klores said he remembers watching the televised 1962 fight, which ended tragically with the death of Paret, as a young boy. ABC aired the fight on their weekly Friday Night Fights program,'^Which Klores equates to today’s Monday Night Football. “Millions of people watched a man get killed on live television,” Klores said. “This was the first time that had ever happened, and people were appalled in this country and abroad.” Not only did millions of people in front of their television sets witness the death, a large audience also watched the event, which was termed “The Fight of the Decade,” live at Madison Square Garden. “It really was a ‘who is who’ night,’” Klores said. “Every person from show business and politics was there and even gangster members from New York.” Klores said world leaders used Paret’s death to promote a permanent ban on boxing even though his death was unintentional. Klores’ documentary explores how this tragedy affected both the fighters and their families while also delving into the issue of homosexuality in sports. Klpres said before the fight started, Paret taunted Griffith in front of reporters covering the event, labeling Griffith a ♦ Please see FILM, page l