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wivw.dailygamecock.com WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2,2005 VoL Items IN THIS ISSUE ♦ NEWS Bush to avoid Social Security The President is expected to outline his hopes for Social Security during his State-of-the-Union address, but he will not go into detail regarding the specifics of his plan. i-hi——— in Page 9 ♦ VIEWPOINTS Cold too much for Carolina Adam Beam says South Carolina uses any winter storm as an excuse to close down everything. Page 9 ♦ THE MIX Punxsatawney Phil predictions Find out the history behind the holday and everyone’s favorite groundhog. , Page 10 ♦ SPORTS Battling the ’Backs USC to play host to Arkansas tonight at the Colonial Center in a crucial SEC game for both teams. Page 13 WEATHER » IUUMT High 5 2 Low 3 8 ^ muKd. High 4 5 Low 3 2 FOR EXTENDED FORECAST, SEE PAGE 2. INDEX Comics and Crossword..... 12 Classifieds.15 Horoscopes..12 Letters to the Editor..9 Online Poll..9 pMice Report..It;.... 2 Campus mail system denies hand in delays By JON TURNER NEWS EDITOR Students have long complained of inadequate service from the Russell House Post Office, but USC Director of Business Affairs Helen Zeigler said Tuesday that on-campus services were not at fault for letters’ late arrival there. Bills, letters and magazines had been reported as coming in days, sometimes weeks late. The U.S. Postal Services estimates a delivery time of 1-3 days for first-class mail and 2-9 days for media mail and parcel post service. First-year journalism student Lauren Almaguer said USPS once took three weeks to deliver a package from her mother, and that her Rolling Stone magazines often arrive weeks late. Zeigler attributed delays to the postal system. “We’re kind of a middleman role,” she said. “I can tell you that everything we receive is distributed to the Russell House post office at the same day that it’s received with us.” Fourth-year chemistry student Ryan O’Rourke said it had taken the USPS a long time to process his change of address when he left campus. Zeigler said she guessed the problem probably wasn’t confined to campus. ♦ Please see MAIL, page 4 JAMIE ROBINSON/THE GAMECOCK Students have complained of receiving their mail weeks late. The campus mail system denies causing the delays. -- - OFF AND RUNNING DEAN NEISTAT/THE GAMECOCK A student government candidate hangs a campaign sign on the wall across from the Russell House. Daughter's book focuses on private Thurmond history By JACOB JORDAN THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Essie Mae Washington Williams’ secret was once so tightly held, she didn’t even tell her fiance she was the daughter of Sen, Strom Thurmond until after they were married. But now that the story is out, Williams can’t stop talking about her relationship with the one-time segregationist who privately acknowledged his biracial daughter but never publicly spoke of her. She’s in the middle of a five-week tour promoting her new book, “Dear Senator: A Memoir by the Daughter of Strom Thurmond.” “I’ve just been so busy. I feel like I’m constantly repeating myself,” the 79-year-old retired schoolteacher said by phone from Washington. D.C. Williams has appeared on countless television and talk radio shows. The questions have ranged from anger to puzzlement to appreciation. Many have criticized Williams for not coming forward sooner, saying her revelation could have helped the civil rights movement. Others have praised her, saying she was gracious in revealing her secret how and when she did, six months after Thurmond died at the age of 100. A few book critics have said her published story leaves a lot to be /-esired — failing to honestly answer question;; LAWRENCE JACKSON/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Essie Mae Washington Williams prepares to sign a copy of her book, “Dear Senator," at a bookstore in Washington. about the money she received from her father over the years and her mother’s illicit relationship with Thurmond. Williams’ mother, Carrie Butler, was a black maid for the Thurmond family. Thurmond was 22 and Butler was 16 when Williams was born in Aiken in 1925. “It offers only the hearts-and-flowers version of the story,” one reviewer wrote. But the book does offer some insight into Williams’ conflicted relationship with Thurmond, who while running for president as the State’s Rights Party candidate in 1948 had said, “All the laws of Washington and all the bayonets of the army cannot force the Negro race into our theaters, our swimming pools, our schools, our churches, our homes.” Williams writes in “Dear Senator” about a later ♦ Please see WILLIAMS, paJS 4 Police find goat tied to Greek house By TAYLOR SMITH STAFF WRITER The USC Police Department responded Sunday to a call about a goat tethered to the front door of the Alpha Delta Pi sorority house. Someone had tied the goat by its neck, USC police officer Jesse Simmons reported, and the animal was resting in it own feces. It had the letters “N” and “G” shaved into its left side. Several members of Alpha Delta Pi sorority would not comment, and the organization’s faculty advisor said she did not know anything about the incident. Jack Canine, Kappa Sigma fraternity vice president, called the incident a “very rare instance,” but said the apparent prank could have been the work of a USC fraternity or sorority. Kappa Sigma’s house stands across the street from Alpha Delta Pi’s. “I have heard of people bringing goats back to fraternity halls, but I have never actually seen one myself,” Canine said. ♦ Please see GOAT, pagj 4 State’s decision delayed advisory By TAYLOR SMITH STAFF WRITER USC officials blamed Saturday’s late weather advisory, which inconvenienced some students trying to attend weekend classes, on the weekend work schedule. USC Spokesman Russ McKinney said the decision to cancel classes on weekdays is normally made by 6 a.m., but USC was delayed Saturday because state government was not operating as it would have on a weekday. fie said ir 5outn Carolina nad cancelled its workday then the university would have known and gotten the advisory posted sooner. Sara Crain, a second-year history student, discovered a university-wide class cancellation advisory after attending her five-hour-long, 9 a.m. English course. “I was so pissed off,” Crain said. “I got up that morning and looked at the computer to see if it was cancelled and went to class anyway.” There are 11 weekend classes offered at USC, and some professors were able to alert students of particular class cancellations. But many students still attempted to attend class. Crain said she has never had a problem with the timeliness of USC cancellations or how they are issued, but she also can’t recall a weekend ice ♦ Please see WEATHER, page 4 Campus wireless training to begin By JASON REYNOLDS THE GAMECOCK USC computer services will offer training sessions beginning Feb. 14 to help students and faculty connect to the new on-campus wireless network. Kimberly South, Computer Services public information coordinator, said the new wireless network will be activated in early March. The wireless system will cover outside areas extending from the Horseshoe to the Roost. However, the first phase of the wireless installation will not include building interiors such as the Russell House. South said the second phase of the wireless installation, which will add Columbia Hall and the Business Administration Building, will not be operational until sometime at the end of the semester. The Greek Village and the School of Journalism and Mass Communications are also part of the second phase. South said that as of Tuesday, only 116 of 500 spots had been filled for the training programs. The one-and-a-half hour training sessions each hold 30 students. South said the training services are advantageous to students because they save time. ♦ Please see WIRELESS, pag( 8